end of novel Yesuvin Tholargal (Comrades of Jesus) Noted Tamil writer Indira Parthasarathy must have been cheering the comrades of the time – “We are all waiting for the arrival of Jesus. But instead of a cross, he will hold a hammer and sickle,” novel set in Poland One of the characters says Asha.
Asked why the euphoria of the first half of the last century had only peaked in despair, Mr. Parthasarathy tried to justify his red-rimmed glasses, saying that Poland, steeped in a happy mix of Christianity and Marxism, was ushering in a new era. could start. “You must bear in mind that the Communist Party there not only built offices for itself, but also the famous St. Paul’s Cathedral. Nevertheless, excessive police control and the ability to adapt Marxism to the cultural needs of different countries The system failed because of the failure of the communist parties where they came to power, said Mr. Parthasarathy, who served as professor of Tamil at the University of Warsaw for five years.
It should not be forgotten that he was a member of the Communist Party of India (CPI) during his student life in Kumbakonam and later at Annamalai University in Chidambaram.
He said that even Karl Marx’s calendar for revolution failed. “He imagined it to be in England, the most advanced industrialist country, as he sat reading in the British Library. It happened in Russia, in an agrarian society,” said Parthasarathy, 92, one of the few authors who Who closely monitors the political developments in the country.
“Unless the opposition parties in India shed their arrogance and come up with a single agenda to take on the BJP, the party will once again come to power in 2024. The Congress party has become a laughing stock. If BJP is re-elected with the same majority it has now, the party will make India Hindu Nation And will amend the constitution to fulfill their agenda,” warned Professor Parthasarathy, who worked at Delhi University before his tenure in Warsaw. Later he joined the drama department in Pondicherry University.
Indira is the name of his wife, who encouraged him to send his story Manitha Enthiram (human machine) for Tamil magazine Anand Vikatan, which was published in 1962 as A Star Story. His short stories have been published in two volumes. their play Ramanujar Won Saraswati Samman Award.
fertile ground
Born in Chennai and brought up in Kumbakonam, Sri Parthasarathy had the advantage of living in, observing and participating in an environment of intense political and literary activity. Kumbakonam was the birthplace of some of the best writers including Ku.Pa. Rajagopalan, No. Pichamurthy, Karichankunju and MV Venkatram. Another writer T. Janakirman lived there and taught Mr. Parthasarathy in the school. Mr. Parthasarathy lived in Saranagpani Sannidhi Street where the mathematical genius Ramanujan also lived.
Thanjavur as a whole, of which Kumbakonam was a part, was a major center of the communist and Dravidian movement, and Sri Parthasarathy, known as ‘Eappa’ in literary circles, was inevitably drawn by the political and literary currents of his time. Were.
a massacre recounted
He shocked his father, who was dreaming of his becoming an IAS officer, by enrolling for Masters in Tamil at Annamalai University. “It was the aspiration of every Brahmin father then. They thought I was studying English literature. but i wanted to study tolkappiyam With comments by Senavarayar. I have no regrets,” laughed Mr Parthasarathy, who later wrote kuruthipunalA novel based on the massacre at Kizhavenmani in the then composite Thanjavur district, where 44 Dalits were burnt alive in 1968. It won him the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1977 and was also made into a film.
“When the novel was published, the CPI(M) objected saying that I had twisted the issue by portraying the landlord as an impostor. I looked at the Keezhawenmani massacre from a Freudian angle because among those killed were 26 women and 12 children. Why women and children?,” he asked.
Topic kuruthipunalhe explained, was from a poem kambaramayanam In praise of Parashurama, and memorized entire lines from his memory.
He also told that he suggested the title ‘Poisoned Root’ for the English translation of his novel. wedding letter, although it is a bit inaccurate and can also convey a negative connotation. “I got the idea from Eedu commenting on Vaishnava literature. If the root is poisonous, it will poison the tree. The root of my novel is the caste system, which is poisonous,” said Mr. Parthasarathy, who has a deep knowledge of classical Tamil literature. and they are at their desk thirukkural And Kamba RamayanamPortuguese is a novel by Nobel laureate José Saramago.
‘Indira’ is the name of Mr. Parthasarathy’s wife, who encouraged him to send his story Manitha Enthiram (human machine) for Tamil magazine Anand Vikatan, which was published in 1962. , Photo credits: R. Ragu
But his literary works do not reflect his scholarship. “Scholarship should be integrated with the storytelling and should not prove difficult for the reader,” he said.
He also disagrees with the claim of some writers that they write primarily for themselves.
“A kite rises in the sky only when there is wind to sustain it. When an event affects me, I respond by writing. The plot develops when two characters start a conversation. I don’t know how my story ends,” he said.