Opinion Writing the wrongs

In 1949,he qualified for the Provincial Civil Service. He remained in the civil service,although moving to the IAS,and worked with V.P. Singh when he was chief minister. It wasn’t unusual for government servants to harbour literary ambitions,but Shrilal Shukla demolished the belief that it was only an official’s clout and not his talent that found him a publisher.

Shukla’s life as an author began in 1956. Before that he wrote what he called “good bad poems” — the metre,rhythm and language were fine,but he didn’t find himself saying anything new. Then came his first novel Sooni Ghati ka Sooraj,published in 1957,in which he portrayed the reality of the village life he knew. That reality was the antithesis of the romantic,idealistic picture commonly presented in Hindi literature. The next year saw the publication of his first collection of satire,the lively Angad ka Paanv. From there on writing became the main focus of his professional life.

One of his closest friends,fellow Jnanpith award winner and Hindi poet Kunwar Narain,points out that Shukla had a deep knowledge of Sanskrit,Hindi and Urdu poetry and that this knowledge was reflected in his prose style. Kunwar Narain also believes that Shukla’s characteristic humour embodied the spirit of the Sanskrit literature he knew so well. Other commentators have credited Shukla with translating the humour of his native Awadhi into Khari Boli Hindi.

Shrilal Shukla’s most famous novel,Raag Darbari,began as a series of stories related to friends over a glass of beer at Lucknow’s Carlton Hotel. Set in a male-dominated UP village,with the local politician,his family and associates as the major characters,it stripped bare every bit of hypocrisy,humbug and corruption in the political,administrative and social system.

Shukla put all his natural energy and verve into Raag Darbari. Structured episodically,the plot never lost pace. It was also a great achievement to sustain the novel’s satire,never allowing it to pall or seem cynical. But then he had no shortage of material and the keenest eye for the absurd. The scent of the earth of UP rose from every page,and every sentence entertained.

When the novel was first published in 1968,it did have its critics. Some found it too negative,or claimed that it made fun of the poor. But Shukla’s critical observation of society,seen from his own ethical standpoint,struck a chord with readers who recognised truth in what he wrote and who greatly enjoyed his use of irony,satire and humour. Criticism paled before Raag Darbari’s popularity. It was translated into many Indian languages,Bhimsen Joshi sang for its television version,and finally it made it into English.

As the English translator,I have only happy memories of meetings with Shrilal Shukla in Lucknow. He would very gently go through my manuscript for what he called “howlers”,and was not in the least possessive or egotistic about his work. However,I found that he regretted that Raag Darbari tended to overshadow his other books. For he wrote steadily,producing 10 novels,besides collections of short stories and satire,literary criticism and memoirs. His contribution to literature was recognised with many awards,and in 2008 he received the Padma Bhushan.

In his literary career he was supported by his wife Girija,whom he married in 1948. He would take long leave to go up to the hills and write,and she would stay back and look after the home and their four children without ever letting him feel he was shirking his responsibilities. Sadly,Girija passed away in 1997,and in recent years Shukla himself suffered from ill health. He was in hospital when he finally received the Jnanpith award earlier this month,shortly before he died.

Much loved by his family and a wide circle of friends and admirers,Shrilal Shukla’s works will continue to speak to new generations. His is an authentic voice from the very heart of India.

Delhi-based writer Gillian Wright translated ‘Raag Darbari’ into English,express@expressindia.com