Three hours with Uday Prakash

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(Courtesy from my friend Parshu Ram Kaphle's blog http://yonepali.blogspot.com)
Dear friends, I got chance to meet Uday Prakash, veteran figure of Hindi literature. I think, most of you know Udayprakash more than I know. This is the interpretation of the first segment of our discussion which had been taken place on November 24. I will keep on carrying more segments. I hope, you will get enjoy on it.
The rainy day didn't stop us to meet Uday Prakash, Indian prominent literary figure on November 24 because time had already been fixed for appointment. My friend Nabin Bhibas was very enthusiastic to meet and record interviews for his paper.
As a literary figure, Nabin ji also used to tell me about the contemporary Hindi literature at IIMC. His interpretation about Uday Prakash dragged me to go behind him to meet Uday. I would like to stop background and go ahead what happend in that meeting.

The day was rainy and gloomy at Delhi as I mentioned in the earlier. Nabin ji, Ramesh Bhagat and I were going by Metro. We had been told to get down at Anand Bihar. Nabin ji gave Uday a call. We were told to stand in front of the Pacific. Uday himself was coming to receive us there. After ten minutes, awaited time was over. Uday came and welcomed us. The climate was cool but his trust for us made the environment warm. His home is near to the Gajiyabad, boarder of New Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. It took more than 5 minutes to reach his home by his car. Uday introduced us with Kum Kum, his wife. She welcomed us by sweet and hot tea. Then we started to discuss on several issues.
Nabin jee had already given some tips on the way about Uday Prakash who he is. I know that the common feature of literary figures is sentimental. His beginning of discussing with us made me impressive. He said at the beginning of our discussion, 'I am living for my friends-especially youths- who are funding and inspiring me by buying my books.' The mind-blowing words of Udaya Prakash made me sentimental. The veteran personality of an unemployed life was speaking his cons of life. It's better to write here that he was the gold medalist of JNU but gave up the governmental job and devoted on writing. More than three attempts to get job became unsuccessful and that cons of life dragged him into the whole-time writings. His latest novel Mohandash is also the reflection of an unemployed life itself.
He has got experiences in different segment of the life style and experiences. According to him, he has taken the facts of people of the bottom in his novels as well as other writings. 'I am from the remote village of Chhatisgarh that you cannot even imagine' he was saying.

He started to say from contemporary Indian Society. 'This time, civil rights are in danger. If Gandhi were here, he would be accused as enemy because persons who are seeking civil rights are treated as enemy.'
He said that minor persons have been treated as the god in this world. According to him, gods represent the bottom level of people. 'Budda was the voice of paddy farmer who stopped cow cutting and made people understood about the importance of cattle in farming. His father was also a farmer but not King at all. He was GANA PRAMUKH. Ram was not the King, Sita was discovered in the field. Ram fought against Lanka's king. His supporters were Sugreev, Hanuman and so on who were tribal. The war in the Ramayana was the war between two class where Ram represents bottom level people, tribal and Rawana represents as the elite. If you are fighting war against the will of people, you will never win.'

Three Hours with Uday Prakash- II

At first part, I inaugurated the discussion with Uday Prakash. He was talking about the contemporary Indian society with examples of eastern mythological stories.
While answering to us, he went into the deep well of everything and came out.He seemed to be an encyclopedia about everything what we asked. While telling about Indian society, he diverted from the issue and said, ' today I am very happy by getting you Nepalese guys in my home. My readers are not only Hindi-speaking people, but also the people of different language all over the world.'
He showed a magazine which had published from Kolkata about the popular youth personality of South Asia. The magazine had carried his story also. I forgot the name of the magazine but Nepalese youth leaders like Gagan Thapa, Sunil Babu Pant, were also included as the dynamics of South Asia.Uday Prakash had been influded as the youth which he didn't forget to tell us. We laughed with respect.
He was out of the track of Nabin's question but we were getting more things. If he was fully concentrated with literature, my role would not be more than sleeping. His way of telling stopped me from sleeping.
He again entered into his personal life while telling about Indian society, literature as well as politics.


' I don't have job. I am always jobless. Youth collect royalties of my books and give me. I am living for youths because they are saving me. Because of them, I have car. I have home. ' He repeated again. I have already mentioned this part at the first segment of this story.
Then, he entered into the world of democracy. Uday has separate view of democracy. In his view, democracy has been unsuccessful and anti-people all over the world. 'People are unrest but state is defying the people in the name of democracy. After French revolution, there is no existence of democracy like the model of France. I think, there is people's participation in capitalist country where as socialist countries are far from this. Some limited persons are rounding the power. Democracy has been changed into protocracy. But now, Protocracy has been transformed into cleptocracy', he said quoting Nom Chomsky. Similarly, he claimed that Indian people are in the same position who were in before 1947.
Mentioning about civilization, he emphasized that democracy has been gone out. We have been divided but the people of India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Pakistan are same. If you taste DNA, blood will not be different.
I asked question about his view on the future of Naxalite movement. He gavelong answer about that with background.

'In my opinion, Naxalite movemebt is because of the democratic failure in the country. Any writer should be aware about the Naxalite movement so, I am. Youth have been in politics. I see the good future of Naxalite movement.' he replied.
His perception was clear that tribe's involvement has made the Naxalite movement stronger. said, 'If you will fight to save river and natural resources, you will also fight to save tribal automatically. Natural resources and tribal are closely connected. Destroying jungle is also the enemata to the tribals.'
He came into the tract of our subject. 'Naxalite movement is to take over. Holding power is not solution of anything. Government is only the part of building infrastructure, road, energy etc. But the cause of such movements is existence of injustice.
He was giving the figure of India to complete our answer. Out of 1 billion and 200 million people of India, 11 percent are tribal. In north east, ninety nine percent people are tribal. Can the state kill 150 million people? But in India, limited Hindus are ruling by using media and power.
My friend Nabin had picked up long list of questions to ask Uday. More interesting part of our discussion will be mentioned subsequently . Pls wait me ................(To be continued on Part- III)