Dr. Amarendra Kumar Sinha, the creator of prolific literature in Hindi and Angika, has been at the forefront of serving literature and the overall development of his mother tongue, alongside the national language. His writings on the Angika language and literature compelled the scholars to think anew about Angika and Anga.
The number of his original literary works is about forty-five, including anthologies, poems, novels, stories, plays, and literary criticisms. Dr. Amarendra’s literature has not only been praised by the famous litterateurs of the older generation, but it has also been the subject of research for PhD degrees in many universities. Many important books have been published about his personality and work. He has been honoured with awards and titles from time to time for his long literary practice and extensive work. Having been associated with ‘Angika Sansad’ and its magazine ‘Aangi’, he has been affiliated with ‘Kamayani’ and ‘Vaikhari’ magazines in the Hindi language. In recent years, his epic poetry ‘Karna’ has been praised by old and new scholar critics all over the country and ‘Rishishring’ is his serious poetry, which is a social and poetic metaphor discussing political and religious realities.
In an exclusive interview with Nitish Raj; Editor-in-Chief, The Literary Mirror the celebrated author talks about Angika literature along with his literary journey.
Q.1 In today’s complex society, with changing dynamics of culture, conflicts, and narratives, how inspiring is Angika literature?
AKS: The complexity of society and family, which has been rising among literature and intellectuals nowadays, is it really in our society, our family? Complexities are the wealth of Western society, a product of their industrial revolution and the race for economic prosperity. Nothing like this happened in India. Life here is still driven by agriculture, and due to this, there is no such complication in a large section of society. Whatever complexity is there, it exists in a segment of urban life. Even if it is about to spread its foot in our life, society, and family, then Angika literature will still stand strong, carrying Indian values. I would like to mention Dr. Mridula Shukla’s Angika novel ‘Phoenix’, whose protagonist, Ranga, and the co-heroes are all active characters who wipe away the rising complexities of the new society, in which sometimes the woman staggers, the man becomes her ally, the man is upset, then the woman is the support. The heroines of Srikeshav’s Angika novel ‘Tulsi Manjari’, ‘Prabhavati’, the heroine of Anup Mandal’s Angika novel ‘Naya Suraj- Naya Chand’, and ‘Deepa’, the protagonist of the ‘Jatayu’ novel, can be seen in the same context.
Society and family have remained and will continue to remain strong, standing by these social values. So, in the era of disintegration of traditions, Angika literature is still stable as a light beam and is attentively binding those diminishing values, and in this sense, it is the inspiration for future literature too!
Q.2 Angika’s history has been full of pride and glory. In today’s context, why does the language have to struggle perennially?
AKS: The glorious past of Anga and Angika can be understood from the fact that Anga, the son of the Chakravarty king Bali, performed the Ashvamedha Yagya after conquering the entire earth. Anga was the country, and Champa was its capital. Champa’s colony was established in many countries, and Angika is mentioned in the fourth place in the script of the Buddhist text ‘Lalit Vistara’. Today, if Angika is neglected among languages, it is because of the short-sightedness of the politicians of Anga Pradesh (Old Bhanalpur Division) and because of the misconception of the Angika-speaking people that embracing Angika will limit our prosperity, and English is the only source of knowledge.
Q.3 What is the importance of language in the literary creation process?
AKS: There are three forms of language in literary expression – Para, Pashyanti, and Vaikhari. Para is the mental linguistic form, and Vaikhari is the expressive form. Whatever is the chosen form of language, it should remain in either invisible or visible disposition, without which creation is not possible. Language is involved when a creator thinks or writes their thoughts. The choice of language style depends on his personality, internal thought process, and the texture of expression.
Q.4 You have contributed immensely to both Hindi and Angika literature. Do you think the popularity of both languages is still less than that of the English language?
AKS: If English is so significant as a medium of expression, then why is it not popular in Russia, France, Japan, and China? The only reason behind its popularity in India is that although we have freed ourselves geographically, mentally, we are still living in the era of slavery. I categorically say that masterpieces can only be written in their mother tongue. I have created epics like ‘Karna’ in Hindi and poetic metaphors like ‘Rishyasringa’, and my literary reputation is probably due to these two works, but I still feel that ‘Gena Prabandha’ poetry written in Angika is in no way any less important. Humility towards our language is the product of our ingrained consciousness.
Q.5 How much have women contributed to the prosperity of Angika?
AKS: I do not think that the contribution to Angika literature by women is in any way weaker than the male contribution, neither in quality nor in quantity. Mrs. Vanchha Bhatt Anjan, Meera Jha (Nugachia), Dr. Meera Jha, Dr. Mridula Shukla, Meena Tiwari, Sattwana Sah, Aparna Singh, Dr. Vidya Rani, Anshumala Jha, Dr. Pratibha Rajhans, Dr. Abha Purve, Sanyukta Bharti, Supriya Singh Veena, Ulupi Jha, Dr. Sujata Kumari, Arthana Jha, Rupam Jha, Kumud Ranjan Jha, Ranjana Singh, Madhavi Choudhary are such writers who have given a lot of strength to modern Angika literature. I am proud of the fact that Jyoti Jha, an established English writer, is also primarily from the Ang region. Women’s writing in Angika is very significant, especially in terms of fiction and poetry. Shweta Bharti’s contribution to taking forward the foundation laid by Dr. Gayatri Prasad and Mrs. Indubala Jha in the direction of research will not be forgotten.
Q.6 In your long literary pursuit, how has your publication experience been?
AKS: I was driven by my passion for writing, and I never thought about the difficulties of the publishing process. Initially, I arranged a printing machine for the composing section and learned the art of creating pieces from the compositor. My younger son and daughter learned binding, my elder son would take the composed matter to the press and get the magazine printed. When I started writing for the newspapers and radio, there was some cash flow, and things became easier. I used to run the house with my wife’s teacher’s earnings and supported my literature with my earnings. Now, even the big publishers cooperate. Even today, I love literature as much, and I do not give importance to money in literature. I remember Munshi Premchand– ‘हंस मोती चुगता है, मोती देता नहीं’, that’s why I invest money in my writing!
Q.7 What is the importance of awards and titles in the literary journey of an author?
AKS: Maybe nothing. I was to be bestowed with the ‘Language Award’ for the Angika Language, and I refused to go to Delhi. A friend of the organizer of the award said – You have to go, even if you would have to be taken away in a sack. At that time, an award of ten thousand was important and that too getting it from the honourable Rajendra Yadav Ji!
If the prize were so important, then the great thinker Jean-Paul Sartre would not have refused to accept the Nobel Prize by calling it a bag full of potatoes. The famous historian Romila Thapar had refused to accept the ‘Param Vibhushan’, the Government of India’s highest award. There can be no greater reward than the public respect that comes from the creation of the best literature.
Q.8Your epic ‘Karna’ and poetic drama ‘Rishishring’ were highly appreciated across the country. What was your thought process behind these creations?
AKS: ‘Karna’ is an epic, so there wasn’t a single motivating factor behind its creation. From epic to epic-oriented management poetry, ‘Khand Kavya’ was written on Karna’s life, but it did not elaborate on aspects like Anga as a country, Karna’s family, his personality within his family, his rule, his life after the exile of the Pandavas, etc. Having been declared a Dalit, a donor, or proven as an inferior character because of his friendship with Duryodhana, only these have been highlighted. In my epic, I have tried to depict the cause of his hatred towards Arjuna. I have portrayed Karna as the keeper of values who is not devoid of psychological human virtues and weaknesses, including the undying love for his wife. His emotional side is as strong as his intellect.
In ‘Rishyasringa’, I have not only described the Champa’s Mahabharat period environment, but also focused on the geo-cultural problems of modern India in the policies and power-spreading of Ravana, narrating the entire Ramayana story as a dialogue with Shanta. The narration of crises in metaphor has also been involved in the creation process. The inner sound of poetry decides the deeper aspects of the art of expression. The tone of poetry is considered more tasteful than its poet.
Q.9 Your extensive original literary contributions in the vast expanse of ‘Prabandha-Kavya’, ‘Muktak’, Novels, Stories, Drama, Literary Criticism, Articles, etc. and numerous edited and translated works have greatly influenced the common people and scholars alike. What message would you like to give to the budding writers?
AKS: I learn from budding writers how they perceive the changing circumstances in the new age! A belief that always binds me is that the practice of literature should neither be for the sake of earning money nor for the creation of hurried literature that disappoints and disturbs the readers. Traditions give us direction, and to find new paths, we should keep referring to the heritage of sadhanas of great writers of Sanskrit, Hindi, Urdu, and English literature that is the ‘Alok- Kumbh’. Quality literature can be attained only through spiritual practice, not by merely playing rhetoric words.
