Description

In Search of an Alternative Tradition: It is not a mere coincidence that, well-versed in at least two literary cultures, the best of postcolonial critics have been efficient translators too. An active interaction with multiple cultures has kept their common sense and wisdom quotient as high as that of Lokani Mai in the folklore (who accompanies the new bride in the palanquin just to make her feel at home in the new surroundings). Akhilesh is sure to join the line of these cultural ambassadors some day not only for his wisdom of choosing the right text but also for his insightful preface testifying his good grounding in the multiple literary traditions of the Hindi world. Intelligently he uses the para textual material (interview in this case) for placing the text in proper context. By way of deconstructing Hajari Prasad Dwivedi’s major texts, Namwar Singh cogently places him in the deshaj tradition of the questioning and celebratory kind which Dwivedi himself had once assigned to non-Margi loners like Kabir and Surdas. Those who walk beyond the Rajmarg of an established tradition find many little goat ways with flowering shrubs opening up to welcome them and they are the ones who really travel far and wide: with this central paradigm in mind, both Dwivedi and Namwar Singh expose us to the wider dimensions of the cultural climate of the land and also to the politics of reception in general. It must not have been easy to capture the informal, chit chat tone of these veterans in translation but Akhilesh has done it with sensitivity and grace.