This is a very relevant question now, particularly because atleast a few
members openly wondered about Telusa's purpose and decided to unsubscribe
etc. It can be posed in a slightly different manner: What purpose is it
able to serve and what it cannot acomplish. A few other user groups that I
know are grappling with this question as well.
Telusa is accessible to many, it is quick and free, which are all
attractive features. It can provide entertainment and an answer to our
nostalgia for telugu literature. Because many people with interest in
literature are conected via Telusa, it provides an effective network to
spread information about books and events. Because it is quick, it has the
potential to facilitate discussion. It is a world-wide network, which can
be an excellent tool to connect people in different countries to those in
India.
It must use English to write about Telugu literature, a big
limitation at present. This limits us to write and discuss 'about'
literature, not create literature itself, and do so in a language very
different from Telugu. Its quickness is a mixed blessing; the temptation to
spitball opinions back and forth is almost irresistible and its realization
very easy, which sully the spirit of serious discussion and dialogue. Now
one can ask how on earth do you decide what is intelligent discussion and
what is not & this is a grave question in itself, something worth our time.
The topics that come up for discussion also were causes for concern in the
past. For example, many people may like a detailed, prolonged discussion
about Avadhanam or Chandassu while some don't. Telusa is an excellent
medium for criticism, provided there is another avnue- either past reading
or a present circulation system- which provides the material for
criticism/discussion. Our discussions on this forum are limited to what we
remember from the past, so there is a very real danger of this discussion
going in circles around the same pet topics, which we must milk from our
memories. A healthy alternative is to somehow be wired to the fresh and the
new. This freshness and newness doesn't necessarily have to do with time,
it just has to be able to transcend our memories. For example, discussion
about a relatively unknown (undiscussed) writer from the past and discussion
of today's literature in A.P. can both be fresh and new; posts about Volga's
work and her visit added to Telusa. Equally important, if not more, are the
perenneal questions which offer extremely important topics for discussion:
the MahAkavi Culture and the Nature of Popular Literature can be considered
two examples. Translation of Telugu stories into English is a recognized
need. Telusa provides perhaps the best possible network to accomplish this.
Finally, Telusa can serve non-fiction much more fully, if it can
allow posting of 'essays' on topics that are not related to Sahityam per se.
The organizers' concern about diluting its purpose by allowing other topics
are very valid. However, non-fiction by definition has to include
everything. One way to resolve this conflict is to allow well-written,
complete 'ESSAYS' on any topics related to telugu life and culture, but not
to allow 'DISCUSSION' of the same. Such amendment will certainly infuse
some fresh blood into Telusa and make it much more interesting.
Clearly, there are many issues involved and this discussion, one
hopes, will go on. I'd like to wrap this up by suggesting the following:
(1) Telusa needs brief guidelines about the style of writing original
pieces (essay, story, poem) and about what constitutes serious (good or
whatever the word) Discussion.
(2) An editorial committee that is friendly and understanding, can
communicate with the author about the strengths and weaknesses in the nature
of his/her posts, if not specific posts. This amounts to criticism, which
is a rather dirty job without question, but it must be done in the interest
of quality.
(3) Telusa needs a printed journal or some such vehicle to complement Telusa
and provide what it can not. Telgu Jyothi or Tana Patrika can be approached
to sponsor some pages for Telusa. Or it can have a quarterly magazine. On
a related note, I wonder why many of the excellent posts on Telusa are never
sent to the local printed journals.
(4) Telusa should allow non-fiction that IS literature, though it may not
be necessarily ABOUT literature, to avoid stagnation.
(5) Telusa should form channels for communication with people who are active
in India/A.P. and who are preferably active in Telusa as well, so they can
keep the rest of us informed.
I also wanted to write about our attitude towards posting on Telusa
or anywhere else. I believe that the emphasis should be on action, rather
than reaction. If you write a complete, well-thought out piece on something
you like and post it, that is a beautiful action and there is no need to
expect a 'Discussion' or some kind of reaction and be disappointed when that
doesn't happen. Shallow responses such as "Nookaraju gAroo! Your poem is
wonderful. Yati and prasa are Excellent etc etc" provide temporary
gratification and nothing else. Unfortunately, a large stream of our
current literary culture caters to such impulses. If we are constantly
aware of the seriousness of posting (writing) and response, which is a
dialogue, then the true potential of forums like telusa will be realized.
Their growth, like that of a meandering river, requires self-correction.
Kanaka Prasad