Language indeed shares a key relationship with thought, and a curious one with the tonality of thought. Even as we become comfortable, perhaps expert, with a second language, much cultural translation and approximation continues to take place, more in synch with our first language. It was refreshing therefore, to listen to Prof. Sudhir Chandra, in discussion with Prof. Apoorvanand and some other panelists discuss the banning of Ramanujan's 300 Ramayanas by DU, on the occasion of its Hindi translation by Vani Prakashan.
It was reassuring to listen to perhaps the last generation that can switch from academic Hindi to Academic English with relative ease, but that also retains the cultural humour of Hindi heartland in their sharp and precise remarks. Chandra Sahab hailed Ramanujan's essay without being disrespectful towards the tradition of Ramkatha or Hinduism. Most critical of the ban by the academic council, he went into lucid details of his father's amateur scholarship with Sanskrit texts. Narrating a tale of discovering the many layers of Kalidasa's Raghuvansham, he told us how the practicing Hindus negotiate notions of worship with critical scrutiny of the text, how a tentativeness is introduced into reading ancient texts and sustained meticulously by practicing a tradition of doubt and reconciliation.
And then, to add to the overwhelming session, Anurupa Roy showed us her telling of Ramkatha, 'About Ram' in puppet tradition. As Apporvanand said, 'Ramkatha ki pratha srijan ki pratha hai,' was manifested most astoundingly in the snippets of the puppet show she showed us. The search for truth often becomes a disruptive journey, flouting claims, debating intent, thereby complicating what could be achieved by simple creative pursuits, for nothing embraces plurality and doubt as well as a genuine creative quest.
It was an evening that offered infinite wisdom and deep reassurance.
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