Re: Culture in the last 100 years (Was: gaddar's `comrade' Naajar is
C. Kambhampati (shskambh@reading.ac.uk)
Sun, 9 Mar 1997 19:56:15 +0000 (GMT)
Thank you Chowdary gaaru for your wonderful reply. Indeed it was a
pleasure to see this post which went beyond casual. Once again thanks.. As
usual a few points:
On Fri, 7 Mar 1997, V. Chowdary Jampala wrote:
>
> a) When Sreenivas paruchoori lamented the lack of any studies of
> the role of prajaanaaTya manDali in the cultural field, he was asking for
> the Government to study this (or fund such studies), and that government
> has no role in studying such things until it makes sure that poverty is
> eradicated.
Yes that is my understanding. If I got the wrong end of the stick I do
apologise (It is not prajaanaatya manDali - it could be any thing
associated with literature and the arts).
>
> b) That the developments in Telugu culture (specifically literature) of
> the last 100 years (more specially in the last 50 years), did nothing to
> enlighten or educate the people and effect social changes for the better.
>
> First, let me observe that Sreenivas's original post that sparked
> this thread contained no plea for a government subsidy of any kind.
> Moreover, most such studies in Telugu were carried out and published by
> individuals and private organizations, funded by individual/private money
> rather than public funds.
This is not true. Indeed half the research is funded by the Govt either
through the UGC or other grants.
>
> I am more intrigued by the second part of kambhampaaTi gaari
> contention. If he is saying that the literature of the last 100 years
> (that is from 1897 to 1997) had done nothing to enlighten and educate
> people, (or that the society has not changed much), I find it difficult to
> accept. The social fabric of our society - in this year 1997 - is much
> different than it was in 1897 or even 1947. There are many reasons for
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A point which seems to have gone over many a head. But the question
remains - how far have we come is changing perceptions of the social elite
and the down trodden? What is it that we are currently doing in changing
these perceptions? Are the methods we are employing suitable in the
current atmosphere (in light oif the above highlighted statement).
As chowdary gaaru says in the last 100 years society in Andhra has taken
great strides in changing the perceptions of people. Indeed Telugu
Literature (authors who were reformers in the main) has helped the elite
in ensuring a transition towards a more egalitarian society. But society
changes, and in this changing environment if writers and reformers etc
assume nothing has has changed they become irrelevant indeed - I feel this
is more often the case these days. Social injustice is there, it is
prevalent. Indeed the socio-economic differences in society have been
accentuated more in the last 10-15 years than at any other time in India
(within my life time - for sure). Which in Chowdary gaaru's words, put me
in a " in a particularly cynical mood". Indeed I did allude to this aspect
when I said (it was tuccked away in a large para)
> > current Indian literature is not able to do it - then it has failed in its
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> > purpose and is worthless as a medium for informing and developing the
Indeed the literary output in the last 10 odd years is pretty banal. ANd
the elite have learnt the art of paying lip service to what is considered
to be social appropriate causes!
-regards
chandra