MARCH 2000
KERN INSTITUTE, LEIDEN, THE NETHERLANDS
The Indian Character of Indian literature
In recent discussions on Indian and Hindi literature, two distinct lines of thought can be detected both of which reflect on what characterizes certain literary works as Indian. In 1993, the Indian scholar Jaidev labelled a number of well-known modern Hindi novels 'pastiches', naïve imitations of Western modernist and existentialist literature, which have no roots in Indian culture.
N.S. Jagannathan, on the other hand, has argued that some of the best works written in Indian languages are so deeply rooted in Indian culture and society and in 'Indian sensibility in all its myriad linguistic forms, nourished and sustained immemorially by myths and legends' that they cannot be translated into English (The Book Review, August 1977: p.57). The two views are not necessarily contradictory, if one considers the whole field of modern Indian literature, but they do indicate that discussion on the specific cultural identity of Indian prose literature of the twentieth century is highly relevant, especially in a period of increasing globalization of culture and literature.
In March 2000, a group of writers and scholars will come together at the Kern Institute, Leiden, to explore the various perspectives on this matter. The contributions will deal with this theme on the basis of a methodic and argued analysis of one or more specific works from the rich traditions of writing in modern Indian languages. *
Organization:
DR THOMAS DE BRUIJN, DR THEO DAMSTEEGT
Information:
DRS HELGA LASSCHUIJT
IIAS, P.O. Box 9515
2300 RA Leiden
The Netherlands
Tel.: +31-71-527 4160
Fax: +31-71-527 4162
E-mail: hlasschuyt@let.leidenuniv.nl.