Sarad Pradhan
There is a living purgatory inhabited by biographers who dare to write about famous people who are neither consenting or dead, and that is where Parashu Pradhan found himself many nights and several years ago, writing about famous Nepali litterateurs.
The life of Parashu Pradhan,53, was divided between sarkaree Jageer, government service and creative writing for more than twenty years. And, this double role of a social man ended a few years ago after retirement, salvaging him from the bureaucratic chain.
“I have not seen slackness in creative writing. People of old and new generations have been writing very well. Nepal is not in isolation from the global literary trend. Our writers have also adopted a global trend like surrealistic writing, democracy etc. They are also skillful in presenting the present day life of the Nepali society,” says Parashu Pradhan. “Even after the restoration of democracy in Nepal, people have been having a tough time in battling against inflation and corruption, and they are the theme of the post 1990 Nepali story.”
Parashu Pradhan, basically as a story writer, has a multi- dimensional approach towards the theme of his story. He writes brilliant short stories in a simple and succinct style with a superb psychoanalytical understanding of human character. Till now seven collections of stories have been published.
Born and brought up in Bhojpur, Parashu Pradhan began writing from his school days. His first collection of poems appeared when he was just sixteen years old. He did several jobs in Bhojpur, ranging from that of a teacher to a bank clerk before coming to Kathmandu. He came to Kathmandu in the early sixties, hoping to land himself with a good job and get in touch with the literary circle. Despite all difficulties he survived amidst enormous competition and identified himself as a story writer and novelist in his own right.
“I think Nepalese writing has touched the height of international standard but we are not able to take them into the realm of world literature. The effort put by the Royal Nepal Academy is not enough to meet the present day challenge. We have many good translators. The Royal Nepal Academy should bring out good translation in a bigger way giving incentive to translators,” says Parashu Pradhan.
Sabai Birsieka Auharharu ( All Forgotten Faces, 1967) is the first novel Parashu Pradhan penned when he was in his early twenties. He tries to subtly analyse the mind of the principal woman character, Tulsa, in this novel. “I felt very difficulty in literary away were instituted in adjusting myself with my two the name of personalities: a writer and a civil servant. The former is a persona who always opposes the government’s wrong doing while the later is loyal to the government. a sycophant and timid. When I was a CDO in Khotang. I virtually could not write anything because of a personal conflict within myself.” says Parashu Pradhan.
So far he has published two books based on literary interviews with personalities in a very different style. Unlike others, they are more personal and frank.
Parashu Pradhan has a chequered career in the civil service. He was with General Administration in the beginning. later became Director General of the Information department.
In the more than one and a half century history of Nepali literature only a few writers have ever dared to experiment with literary writing. In 1969, ten writers wrote a novel Aakas Bhibhajit chaa without a pre-plan. Parashu Pradhan wrote the first chapter and Prema Shah the last. This novel is said to be the first experiment ever to be carried out in Nepali literature.
A widely travelled man, Parashu Pradhan is associated with more than half a dozen literary institutions in various capacities out of the more than 150 that exist. “It would be more appropriate if literary awards were instituted in the name of literary figures.”
Since the inception of the Royal Nepal Ademy in 1957, it has been deviated every time it was reconstituted. “Earlier there were writers like Devkota and Samma in The Academy but now it is occupied the writers with lesser degrees” says Pradhan.
“During the early days of literary development, Darjeeling spearheaded and dominated Nepali literature. But after 1960, Nepal took the responsibility and leadership from them. However, Nepali writers living in India could not catch up with the speed and momentum of writers from Nepal. The gap between the writers of the two countries have been widening day by day. There are no writers of quality after Indra Bahadur Rai.” he adds.
“People don’t buy books and magazines” says Pradhan, “It’s third typically world mentality.” “Obscenity depends from people to people. Besides sex, there is hunger which he has to depict in his story. If you write something on sex artistically, it becomes literature. So far Nepali writers are concerned, they have written very sincerely and boldly about sex. It has become very common like having tea or lunch,” argues Pradhan who has received many awards including Uttam Kunwar Puruskar and Gorkhadakshin Bahu.
*Note: Litterateur Prashu Pradhan died yesterday at the age of 80 in Kathmandu.
(The article was published in The Kathmandu Post on October 20, 1996)
