Sahitya Akademi

MODERN INDIAN LITERATURE IN ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Author(s): Sujit Mukherji and Sujit Mukherjee
Source: Indian Literature, Vol. 15, No. 3 (SEPTEMBER 1972), pp. 45-51
Published by: Sahitya Akademi
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/23330740
Accessed: 16-10-2018 08:39 UTC

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 PROBLEMS OF TRANSLATION

and belief that plays such a vital role in Rabindranath's poetry,

specially during his last years. Poets of truth and wonde
\ demand considerable homework from their readers and Rabin
dranath is no exception.

MODERN INDIAN LITERATURE IN ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Sujit Mukherjee

Through the medium of English we find it possible to disc

French or German or Russian literature, but the same is not tru
of Indian literature which continues to be without a litera
forum in India that could be shared by all. Althoug
English continues to be the medium of widest literary excha
among Indians, we do not yet have an adequate amount
modern literary material translated from the various langu
into English. Those who have attended all-India writers' conf
rences or inter-language literary seminars know how frustra
it is to hear of notable achievements in another language wit
being able to sample such achievements in any practical wa
The literary compartments in which we live in India—w
windows wide open to non-Indian literatures, but doors clo
to the work of neighbouring Indians—tend to grow rather t
diminish in spite of organised attempts to bring together write
critics and readers from various languages. Indian Literatu
provides an annual review of the year's work in each In
language, but here too appetites are merely aroused without
hope of fulfilment.
A certain amount of translated material has attained the
dignity of print, but much of it cannot be used in serious critic

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 INDIAN LITERATURE

discussion for various reasons. For one thing, many of

available translations are badly done by translators who
command over English leaves much to be desired.. Sometim
the translation itself may be competent, but the choice of mate
to translate is badly informed. Then, the existing mate
does not adequately represent what may be regarded as the m
achivements of modern Indian writing. In fact, perhaps
even the literature in one single language can be prop
sampled in English translation. Certain writers in a few
guages have been repeatedly translated. More recently, awa
winning works are beginning to appear in translation—has
done, because the publisher wants to exploit the tempor
fame while it lasts. But the total picture of the literary situa
continues to be incomplete and unbalanced.
What we need, to begin with, is a master-plan of translat
which will include every major work in modern Indian lite
tufe (by which I mean here poetry, drama and fiction) and whic
will also ensure that an appropriate variety of writers and w
is represented. Simultaneously, we must carry out a thorou
stock-taking of what is available at present, in order to find
the important gaps that are to be filled.
Such gap-filling should be done backwards—that is, goin
back from today, rather than starting at some arbitrary po
in the past. The scheme has to address itself to today's read
and not merely to planners of the scheme or to some noble
abstract objectives. Presumably, contemporary and ne
contemporary writing is what the common reader common
reads, hence such writing must be given top priority w
choosing the material for translation. Great writers of the
who have passed into the care of literary academies or comm
ration committees or the post-and-telegraph departments c
wait their turn if they have not been served already.
Once decisions have been made regarding what is to
translated—and such decisions must be made without conced
the need for equitable regional representation or reservation
favour of minorities—the next activity would be to find
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 PROBLEMS OF TRANSLATION

commission suitable translations. Translation by fiat (to satisfy

regional aspirations) or by inducement (at so much per page)
or by self-aggrandisement (when the author or his chela gets
going)—if these are the principal means by which translations
into English are produced in India—have not always produced
good results. Ideally, a translation ought to be undertaken
by the translator because of his own response to the original
work and not because of extraneous considerations. But he
will also need to be a proficient reader and interpreter of literature.
The more successful literature translators of the world have
generally stayed with the author of their choice. The ambition
of every translator should be to earn recognition not as a trans
lator in general but as the translator of a particular poet or
playwright or novelist.

The Sahitya Akademi's role in all these activities could

become vital and decisive if the Akademi could persuade
itself to revise its programme accordingly. Practically each
state of the Indian Union now has a state academy of letters,
and much duplication of effort (and needless waste of limited
resources) would be avoided if the Akademi could co-relate its
activities with those of the state academies. The Sahitya
Akademi should aim to serve only those areas that are not being
served by the state academies. Competent English translation
of Indian literary works is one such large area, and the Sahitya
Akademi must obviously pay special attention to it. Illogical
as it may seem, English is the first language of our national
academy of letters.

No translator, however devoted and competent, will under

take to translate unless there is some prospect of getting the
translation published. This area of the problem needs as much
careful consideration as the other areas touched upon earlier.
Public as well as private sectors of Indian publishing have
engaged in producing English translations of Indian literature,
but the attending circumstances have been quite different.
The public sector has shown greater concern about the edifica
tion of the nation but overlooked the market altogether. The
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 INDIAN LITERATURE

private sector, on the other hand, is mainly concerned wit

market and thus publishes translated material which has im
diate sales potential rather than lasting literary value. A
promise between these two attitudes must be worked out
deliberation, keeping in view that the publication of trans
literature must become self-supporting without having to
literary considerations. Ultimately it is a matter of creat
market and then supplying what this market demands.

For example, the widest market for books in India,

educational market, has not yet been opened up to Indian
rature in English translation. The publishers of Rabindran
Tagore in English continue even today to enjoy a mono
in this matter. Commercial grounds apart, there may be
educational grounds for introducing Indian literature in En
translation to our school and college courses. Wherever lite
texts in English are necessary, cannot translations be
As for post-school levels, why should those students who d
intend to major in English Literature be obliged to receiv
dubious blessings in the form they are distributed these
in compulsory English courses? Such students might as
improve their acquaintance with the English language thr
competent English translations of Indian literature. As a f
benefit, the students would also get to know some writin
Indian literatures other than their own. The preparati
such texts and teaching from them would make our Engl
teachers more aware of the needs of good translation and
them into undertaking such work—work which should co
naturally to them. In time to come, translation may i
become a sub-discipline of literature study in India.

Very slowly but perceptibly, Indian writing in Eng

(originals as well as translations) is getting recognized by
graduate courses in English Literature. This kind of room
the top, as with many other elements in the academic wo
cannot encourage long tenancy to residents until accommod
is found at lower levels as well. At present, the M.A. opti
paper is somewhat of an oddity and generally attracts stud
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 PROBLEMS OF TRANSLATION

(as well as teachers) for the wrong reasons. The oddity i

sometimes enhanced by the strange composition of some o
these cpurses. At a leading university, for example, students
are required to read only the following: Shakuntala, Mrichha
katika, Kanthapura, The Guide and Chemmeen. It must be an annua
challenge to academic ingenuity to set the framework within
which these texts are to be taught and examined. For th
student, all whose other papers are either author or period o
genre courses in English Literature, it must be a bewildering
experience to be confronted with Indian literature in this form
Anyone wishing to acquaint himself quickly with what is
available of modern Indian literature in English translatio
will find it difficult to do so because of the absence of convenient
reference tools. Such a person is likely to be a foreigner who
is required to develop a general interest in India. He cou
also be an Indian on a visit abroad who is required to speak or
lecture on modern Indian literature in foreign countries. Thi
article is aimed, not at these two kinds of persons, but at all
English-reading Indians who read, write and discuss their ow
literatures. Speaking of inter-language literary meets occasio
nally organised by the Sahitya Akademi or the National Book
Trust or other such institutions, the editor of Indian Writin
Today has complained recently: 'Indian writers and critic
have generally not taken the trouble to acquaint themselv
with the literary achievements in languages other than their
own and therefore discussions at these inter-language meets
soon become a string of inane generalities. The discussion
are, so to say, conducted in a vacuum, and the whole thing
becomes an exercise in futility.' It is now up to Indian Literatur
to take up the challenge and foster the kind of thinking whic
will make possible the meaningful discussion of modern India
literature by Indians.

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 INDIAN LITERATURE

APPENDIX

A check-list of modern Indian literary works in English translation wo

have made an useful appendix to this article. Perhaps such a list can
compiled, complete in every bibliographic detail, after the Sahitya Akad
library has acquired at least one copy of everything that is available. M
while, the interested reader may note that the following have been publishe
translation:

POETRY : The anthology Modern Indian Poetry, ed. A.V. Rajeswara Raju
(Kavita Series, 1959), contains translations from 70 living Indian poets in 14
languages.
The five issues of Poetry India which appeared during 1967-68 featured five
or six poems of each poet selected for inclusion. Special issues of Kavita
(Calcutta), Poetry (Chicago), Books Abroad (Oklahoma), have offered a variety
of selections from modern Indian poetry. Dialogue Calcutta presents a poet in
each issue.
Poets whose work has appeared in separate collections are : Agyeya
(Hindi), Lokenath Bhattacharya (Bengali), Shakti Chattopadhyay (Bengali),
Jibanananda Das (Bengali), Ramdhari Singh Dinkar (Hindi), Sitakanta
Mahapatra (Oriya), Subhas Mukhopadhyay (Bengali), Prabhjot Kaur
(Punjabi), Amrita Pritam (Punjabi), Monindra Roy (Bengali), G. Sanakara
Kurup (Malayalam), Samar Sen (Bengali).

DRAMA : This is least well represented, but the Enact magazine of Delhi
frequently carries full-length translations. Among playwrights to be found
here are Dharamvir Bharati (Hindi), Girish Karnad (Kannada), C.T.
Khanolkar (Marathi), Mohan Rakesh (Hindi), Badal Sarkar (Bengali), Vijay
Tendulkar (Marathi), P.P. Udalgal (Tamil). Future issues will carry Utpal
Datta(Bengali),OmcheriNarayanPillai (Malayalam), P. Lankesh (Kannada).
Plays by Veluri Chandrasekharam (Telugu), Balwant Gargi (Punjabi), Girish
Karnad (Kannada) are also available in book form.

SHORT STORIES : The Sahitya Akademi has issued two volumes of

contemporary short stories. Bengali, Goan, Gujarati, Hindi, Marathi, Tamil
and Telugu stories have been collected in paperback by private publishers.

THE NOVEL : The so-called paperback revolution is making it easier

for Indian novels to appear in English translation. Several well-known
novels, however, are also available in hard cover.
At least one work of each of the following novelists can be read in English :
Agyeya (Hindi), Bibhuti Bhushan Banerji (Bengali), Manik Bandyopadhyay
(Bengali), Tarashankar Bandyopadhyay (Bengali), Manoj Basu (Bengali),
Satinath Bhaduri (Bengali), Jainendra Kumar (Hindi), Kartar Singh Duggal

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 PROBLEMS OF TRANSLATION

(Punjabi), Krishan Chunder (Urdu), Vyankatesh Madgukar (Marathi)

T. Janakiraman (Tamil), Premendra Mitra (Bengali), N.S Phadke (Marathi
Amrita Pritam (Punjabi), Rajinder Singh Bedi (Urdu), Thakazi Sivasank
Pillai (Malayalam).

ON TRANSLATING FICTION

Sachindra Lai Ghosh

I Shall Speak on the prospects and problems of tra

ting Bengali fiction, which is the only field in which I can
any experience. But these, I believe, are the same fo
Indian languages. Most of this vast output belongs t
realm of social realism. Some of it undoubtedly merits t
tion into other Indian languages and English. Regrett
little has been translated so far. I shall in this- instance confine
myself to translation into English, for this is within the field of
my experience.
The necessity of translations of Indian fiction into English
is twofold: first, the promotion of cultural integration inside
India and, secondly, that of cultural understanding between
India and countries abroad. The prospects and problems,
regarding these two are not identical. The cultural kinship
and the common ways of life in the different linguistic regions
make tolerably efficient translations capable of being easily
understood by English-reading Indian readers whose number,
though selective, is not small. Direct translation from one
language into another is, of course, the best way to promotion
of integration within the country. In the dearth of such trans
lations there is a need and a demand for English translations
until direct translations are easily available. In respect of Ben
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