|
On 15 February 2007 at 8,15, ‘El Dorado’, an anthology on World
Literature edited by Dr. Bhaskar Roy was released at Don Bosco
School, Agartala by Rev. Father M.C. George, Principal. Mr Sankar Das,
Chairperson, Agartala Municipal Council, and Mr Nidhu Bhushan Hazra, a
distinguished litterateur, graced the occasion as the chief guest and a
guest of honour respectively. Mr Sankar Das released the annual magazine
of the school. The Don Bosconians 2007 Following is the speech delivered
by Dr Bhaskar Roy Barman at the function.
SPEECH
In his inaugural speech on the eve of his releasing the book, Rev.
Father M.C. George, principal, Don Bosco School.,has enlightened
you on the nature and contents of the book, an anthology on World
literature entitled ‘El Dorado’ I have edited and Authors Press, New
Delhi has published in two volumes The title itself suggests the
richness and variety of the papers featured in this anthology. Even the
publisher himself has acknowledged the
book as a magnum opus and has, so to say, professed himself proud at
having published it. Majority of the contributors, barring myself, are
more or less internationally important figures in literary and academic
spheres. They are, to name a few, Prof K. Satchidanandan, secretary of
the Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi, Dr Mohit K. Roy, formerly professor at
Burdwan University, Dr A.S. Dasan, professor at the University of
Mysore, Dr John Light, Professor at London University, Dr Saros Cowasjee,
professor at the University of Regina, Canada, Dr P.P. Giridhar.
Profeesor attached to the Central Institute of Indian Languages, Mysore,
Oliver Friggierie, Professor, the University of Malta, Prof Vera Shamina,
Razan State University, Russia, Prof. Tanure Ojaide, theUniversity of
North Carolina, USA and Prof Wolfgang Gortschacher, the University of
Salzburg, Austria. As many as thirty nine papers are featured in this
anthology. A pertinent question proposes itself; What has led me to edit
such a mammoth book such as no one has ever before attempted? It is true
that there are few books available on the market on world literature,
but they are more or less compilations of articles that already existed
scattered over different journals and books; but this anthology, ‘El
Dorado’ features papers written on different aspects of national
literatures from a completely new perspective on invitation. I think it
is worth mentioning in this connexion I had to reject as many as
fifteen papers, even though they had been sent in on my invitation,
because they could not meet up with the postulated requirements, and
even had to rewrite three or four papers to make them worth inclusion.
I’m afraid, I have digressed from the main point, the question:. What
has led me to edit such mammoth book? The answer lies in the depth of
this speech. The editing of this anthology is the outcome of an
endeavour I have made all alone over the last three years to have an
international literary organization called World Literature Society
formed worldwide and is linked to two noble purposes. One of the two
purposes is to bring all national literatures on a common platform which
the World Literature Society will provide and the other purpose is to
persuade all universities all over the world of the urgent need to open
a separate department on world literature Ansted University, Malaysia
has promised me it will consider opening a separate department on world
literature. . My endeavour has met with some success. Many scholars,
poets and writers of international repute, including the contributors to
the anthology, have spontaneously responded to my appeal and aligned
themselves with the cause of forming the World Literature Society
worldwide by associating themselves with it as founder-members on the
permanently formed international committee and on the advisory board
attached to the international committee. You might be interested to know
that Mr M.C. George is on the advisory board. A few other international
literary organizations, such as World Academy of Arts and Culture,
France and the Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi, among others, have recognized
the World Literature Society. The UNESCO has put the World Literature
Society on the list of international literary organizations it has
approved. In editing the anthology I got a profusion of co-operation and
enthusiasm from around the world. What delighted and did me proud was
that many British and American journals, such as, Light’s List, UK.
Orbit, UK, Bulletins of California Writers Club, USA, newsletter
if the World Academy of Arts and Culture, France, inter alias, carried
the news of my editing the anthology and the news circulated throughout
the world added a new dimension to the anthology and I was inundated
with congratulations. Much before the anthology was published, it had
been discussed in the academic and literary spheres and as soon as it
got published it has become the No.1 best-seller I have been
endeavouring, as is evident in the anthology, to foster and cultivate
world literature on the platform of the World Literature Society..
Two pertinent questions have raised themselves when a few friends of
mine happen to have heard of the anthology: what do I understand about
world literature or is it a conglomeration of all national literatures?
I think it is not a mere conglomeration of all national literatures.
Goethe, German poet, first conceived of the World Literature and the
uniqueness of his concept is the fullest development of the national
character in each of its components and the concept, if properly
understood, can lead the nations to a greater understanding of their
different national characters and characteristics and, above all, their
various contributions to civilizations. World literature can be
interpreted in two ways: a) as a synthesis of all national literatures
in their entirety; b) as merely comprising those works which have
already attained recognition beyond their national boundaries. I think
they deserve to be read at the back of beyond.
The term, ‘World Literature’ immediately brings to mind a feeling of
liberation, of such gain in space and scope as one feels the moment one
enters a darker and more airy room. However vague the ex-pression is, it
at least suggests the intellectual barriers between peoples. Many books,
as all of us know, have crossed the boundaries of a nationality and been
translated; but they do not in a proper sense form part of world
literature. We cannot deny the fact that it is often the poorest
specimens of light or sensational literature that captivate the world,
mere fashions of the moment that vanish from the rank of international
literature as rapidly as they did appear there. When in ordinary speech
we talk of world literature we do not certainly mean a product of
fashion, however widely acclaimed, but we speak of literature which has
a significance transcending not only nationality but also time.
I am afraid, I have taken much time and this long speech may have jarred
on the patience of the listeners. I shall say just a few words to make
the concept of world literature a bit clearer and that of the world
literature society. Goethe conceived of world literature as a link
between national literatures and, thus, between nations themselves
for the exchange of ideal values. Such literature includes all writings
by which people learn to understand and make allowances for each other
and which bring them more closely together. It is a literary bridge over
dividing rivers, a spiritual highway over dividing mountains; it is an
intellectual barter, a traffic in ideas between peoples, a literary
market in which nations bring their treasures for exchange, World
literature is an intellectual sphere in which, through the voices of
their writers, people speak no longer to and of themselves, but each
other. World literature, in short, is an international conversation, an
intellectual interest in each other, a mutual helping and a process of
supplementing each other in the things of the mind.
This concept of world literature I have discussed above has propelled me
into having endeavoured for more that three years all alone to have the
World Literature Society formed worldwide with a view to providing a
platform for the international conversation the world literature is.
Literary people all over the world call me father of the World
Literature Society and. I regard Fr M.C. George as a friend of world
literature.
To conclude, I thank all the listeners for their wonderful patience and
hail
them.
Love and regards. .
|
|