Been (बीं): A Mile Stone in the History of Garhwali Literary Criticism
(Review of ‘Been’ (बीं) a collection of Literary Criticism Notes on Garhwali literature by Virendra Panwar)
Notes on Asian languages Literary Criticism, Indian Literary Criticism, North Indian Languages Literary Criticism, Himalayan languages Literary Criticism, Uttarakhandi languages Literary Criticism, Garhwali Literary Criticism
Bhishma Kukreti
Been a collection of reviews of forty books by Virendra Panwar is a historical and a celebration book for Garhwali language literature. Till right now, the criticism in Garhwali literature was thought as a secondary aspect of literature. However, ‘Been’ will make criticism a very serious aspect of creativity and research in Garhwali literature.
Virendra Panwar has been reviewing poetry and prose books since 2000. In an interview with this author, Abodh Bandhu Bahuguna named a brilliant gem among nine gems of Garhwali criticism. Literature creative are aware that criticism is to facilitate readers to understand and realize the writings whose effects might otherwise have been unduly limited. There is also no doubt that critics can’t reduce the original text. Virendra Panwar is knowledgeable, insightful and fair minded and fulfils the basic requirement for a reputed critic. . The criticism of forty books in ‘Been’ criticism collection by Virendra certainly establishes that Virendra Panwar has been successful to mediate the reviewed literature with readers and readers definitely find new range of interest, enjoyment and making relationship with the author while reading the actual text.
Due to various reasons, the criticism in Garhwali language started only after 1976 and more after 1989. Before, 1976, the writers used to write criticism in Hindi. Thus, the criticism branch of Garhwali literature is very new. Since, mostly, the learning medium for Garhwalis in schools and colleges is Hindi; there is had been hundred percent shadow of Hindi criticism on Garhwali language criticism style. Garhwali critics have borrowed the vocabulary of Hindi criticism and all literature creative accepted this fact too. However, there has been an endeavor from a couple of Garhwali critics who are in search of words of Garhwali to fit in criticism and which could be applied by other creative too. The readers will be happy to note that Virendra Panwar is one of the rare critics who are trying infusing Garhwali phrases for Garhwali criticism literature. The readers will find this development in the critical essays of 2002 (Awaj) , 2008 (Ghanghtol) and 2011 (Jyundal) of Virendra Panwar that he is attempting to create an exclusivity in the Garhwali criticism literature.
The Garhwali literature is oriented towards religious, social and political values. Hence, it is obvious that Virendra Panwar measures the literature from the point of view of philosophy, social values and political values. Virendra Panwar uses all three types of criticism -aesthetic, descriptive and normative criticism as and where it is needed. Criticisms of poetry, prose or any literary conference as ‘Kavi sammelan’ by Virendra Panwar reveal that Virendra has the in-depth capacity of examining or analyzing the subject and literature. The forty articles in this volume are witness that Panwar takes care about digging the geographical, historical and social settings with their effects in the poems or prose. Virendra Panwar has sharp eyes to find the main characters; secondary characters; their inter-relation with each other, the struggle, and the conflicts of a particular poem/poem collection or prose book.
Reading between the lines is major job for a critic and Virendra shows his capability in doing so from the beginning.
Virendra’s reviews reveal the style, grammar, wordings, subject in the literature. At the same time, Virendra Panwar has also been evolving his own style of criticism with the time and need of the readers. This his own thrust on evolving his own style makes him relevant all the time in Garhwali criticism.
As a critic, this author knows that the biggest problem a Garhwali critic faces for telling the black as black and white as white. However, Virendra took the job of a critic as critic and not only praising the literature creation. Virendra has shown many negative points in his various critical essays. He had to get unfriendliness from the writers when Virendra showed negative points in the particular collection. However, it is reality and this is where a critic has to live in a paradox.
The last essay about characteristics of Garhwali literature from Dhanga se sakshatkat (1980) till date definitely puts new light on Garhwali literature and is certainly a new example in Garhwali criticism.
The contribution of Virendra Panwar in criticism will always be remembered as the world literature creative remember the work s of Marcel Arland, Geoffrey Benington, Daiches David, Denish Holier, Millod Hmida, Venteseslav Konstantinov, August Ahlqvist, Toni Jerrman, Jovan Skerlic, Hugo Achugar, Jorge Medina, Hanan Ashrawi , Ihab Hassan, Pablo Antonio Cuadra, Oscar Coello, Manthia Diawara, Alfonso Chase, Niyi Osundare, Chinua Achebe, Jose Simoes Dias, Rexhep Qosja, Wai-Lim yap, Karoly Molter, Otto Maria Carpeaux, Istavan Blazsetin, Arne Novak, O.S. Urdaneta, Murat Belge, Abdul Nabi Isstaif, I.F. Ismail , Ivan Drach.
There was a gap for Garhwali critical literature for a comprehensive book on exclusive subject of criticism in Garhwali language and ‘Been’ is successful not only filling the gap but ‘ Been’ is a milestone in the history of Garhwali literature.
‘Been’ (बीं)
Bu Virendra Panwar
(Garhwali Bhasha ka Pahla Sameeksha Sangrah) , 2012
Dhad Prakashan, Dehradun
Virendra Panwar 09897840537
virendra.pauri@gmail.com
Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti
Notes on Asian languages Literary Criticism, Indian Literary Criticism, North Indian Languages Literary Criticism, Himalayan languages Literary Criticism, Uttarakhandi languages Literary Criticism, Garhwali Literary Criticism to be continued…..
