Mahidhra Ramamohana Rao/Paruchuri's post fwd from SCIT/
Rao Veluri (rveluri@smtpgate.anl.gov)
Wed, 29 Jan 97 13:30:16 CST
I am just acting as a post office. That's all.Paruchuri Sreenivas
posted the following article in SCIT, and I believe that it is a
good read for the Telusa group too!
Sincerely,
v r veluri
__________________________________________________________________________
Date: 28 Jan 1997 02:44:17 -0800
From: sreeni@ktpsp1.uni-paderborn.de
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian.telugu
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Found the following article on Mahidhara R. Rao, whom I like very much.
It was raa.raa who introduced me to MRR through his looong review/critic
on MNR's _kollaayi gaTTitEnEmi_ a decade and a half ago.
Please point your browsers at:
http://www.andhratoday.com/mwoe/rammohan.htm
for the complete article (with pictures). Following is the only text
version.
Regards,
Sreenivas
========================================================================
Veteran Telugu writer Mahidhara Rama Mohan Rao is going
to be the recepient of "Prathibha Murthi Lifetime
Achievement Award" instituted by the U.S.based Appajosyula -
Vishnubhotla Foundation. This award is given to individuals with over
30 or more years of distinguished contribution to a branch of
Telugu fine arts or to those who have done notable
social service for the people of Andhra Pradesh.
It is a fitting tribute to Mahidhara with his life full of political,
literary journalistic and social activities. He was also recently
honored by five literary organizations of Visakhapatnam - Mythri,
Kavitha, Kalavedika, Visaka Sahithi and Sahridaya Sahithi. He
is one of the pioneers who made rich contribution to the
development of Telugu novel and is a living legend
representing three generations of writers. The octogenarian
litterateur par excellence is more than a writer. He is a social
reformer and a nonconformist to the core.
Mahidhara Rama Mohan Rao was born on November 1 1909 at
Munganda Agraharam, the birth place of Jagannadha Panditha
Rayalu, a poet of yester years, in Konaseema of East
Godavari District. Though born in a highly orthodox
family, his father Surya Narayana was a Brahmo Samaj
follower. He named his eldest son Rama Mohan Rao after the
famous social reformer Raja Rammohan Roy from Bengal. Growing
up in an environment of revolutionary fervor that shaped the
course of his life, Mahidhara abandoned his studies and
joined the Indian Freedom Movement in 1919 at the age of ten.
In 1925, when his village was brimming with political
activity he joined Congress party. In 1932, he joined Congress
Socialist Party founded by Jaya Prakash
Narayan. A couple of years later he became a staunch
believer and an advocate of communism.
Humanism and realism are his twin goals. He believed in
building up a casteless and classless society, where women
enjoyed equal status with men, a society where
untouchability, inequality and backwardness did not exist. He
believed in practising what he preached. He is a living
legend with many interesting and inspiring incidents during
his 75 vibrant years.
Without and formal schooling, Mahidhara acquired immense
scholarship in Telugu, Sanskrit, Hindi, English, Russian and
Bengali, mostly through self -study with the help of
dictionaries. He passed Matriculation and became ubhaya
Bhasha paraveena in Telugu and Sanskrit during his late
forties. In association with two of his brothers, he started
series of publications under the banner of Viswa Sahithya Mala,
to educate people in the philosophy of communism and socialism.
From 1936 to 1948 thisb publishing house broughtout more than
50 translations from English to Telugu, apart from some original
contributions. During 1940-44, he was jailed for his involvement
in freedom struggle along with many stalwarts. like Neelam
Sanjeeva Reddy Alluri Satyam. His jail life provided him time to read.
His journalistic career started in 1946 as sub-editor in
Prajasakti Daily followed by Visalandhra, where he worked
till 1967. He was on the editorial board of Sandesam, Nagara
and Abyudayam and even edited a science magazine Avanthi.
Then he worked for 11 years in the Information wing of the
government of USSR at Madras.
During this time he wrote many of his novels based on
his experience. His maiden novel "Rathachakralu," published in
1948, reflected in detail the contemporary political,
social, cultural and economic life of the Telugu people.
"Desamkosam" and "Jwalathoranam" depict his experiences
from 1920 to 1945. In a way these novels serve as an authentic
record of people's involvement in freedom
struggle. His "Onamalu" and "Mruthyuvu Needallo" portray the
Telangana struggle and the valiant fight put up by common
people against the tyranny of Nizam.To quote him "my subject
is how society has changed - not how many times guns were fired ."
His "Kattula Vanthena," based on family sentiment, won
first prize in the competition conducted by Visalandhra in
the year 1960. It was highly appreciated by women's lib
movement people. A distinct trait of all his novels is, in
the process of narration of the story he merely depicts
facts artistically and never expresses his personal opionion
for or against the social norms.
How took care to see what he wrote was perfect - terse, brief
and lucid. In all he wrote 13 novels each one a master piece
in its self. All his books are heavy weithts and classics.
Many a time when he sent them to periodicals, were much
appreciated, but very often they wanted some changes made
here and there. But he refused to change even one word, as a result
some of his novels never saw the light of the day for a long time. But he
never compromised. He published them slowly but steadily. He
published them slowly but steadily. He calls his novels
"records of historical and social events", based on
historical materialist philosophy.
Some of his novels were written in response to the inner
urge, to answer queries he was asked. His
"Kollayigattithenemi" was acclaimed as the most
comprehensive and insightful portrayal of the social,
cultural and political conditions of Andhra Pradesh during
pre-independence era. He received the 1969 Andhra Pradesh
Sahitya Academi award for it.
In his "Eee Dari Ekkadiki," he narrates the historical
reasons for the disintegration of communism. Mahidhara is
adept at translating into Telugu and is particularly proud
of translating scholarly books such as Luis H. Morgan's
Ancient Society, Engle's Origin of Family, Private Property and State
and Kambhampati Satyanarayana's History and
Culture of Andhra. His latest monograph on Kalidasa's
Sakuntala traces the evolution of modern woman and her
aspirations.
This master craftsman of the modern Telugu novel, cleverly
exploited used the medium to depict the plight of the economically
oppressed classes and the travails and tribulations of the middle
class. Most of his novels reflect his desire for a world
with equal opportunities for every one.
The Government of Andhra Pradesh, Commemorating the first
hundred years of the Telugu novel, honored five outstanding
authors in 1972 and Mahidhara Rama Mohan Rao received this
honor along with other stalwarts like Viswanatha
Satyanarayana, Nori Narasimha Sastry, Gudipati Venkatachalam
and G.V. Krishna Rao. His novel Swayam Varanam is a
prescribed text book in the curriculum of the B.R.Ambedkar
Open University. Now at the age of 88, Mahidhara's zest for
life remains undiminished. He leads a principled life - simple
and transparent. He works hard and keeps regular hours of morning walks
and food habits - the secret of his good health, according to him.