In conversation with poet and critic Bhalchandra Nemade

geetanjali

Geetanjali Minhas | April 3, 2015


#Bhalchandra Nemade   #Bhalchandra Nemade writer   #Bhalchandra Nemade interview  


Recipient of Padma Shri and the Sahitya Akademi award, novelist, poet and critic Bhalchandra Nemade has taught English, Marathi and comparative literature at various places, including the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. Before retirement, he held Mumbai University’s Gurudeo Tagore chair for comparative literature studies. A proponent of ‘Deshivad’, Nemade endorses the theory that a writer must write in his or her native language and assert the value of native heritage to counter globalisation. Terming English as a “killer language”, Nemade advocates that primary and secondary education should be in the mother tongue. He has been conferred with the prestigious Jnanpith award this year. Excerpts:


The book I am reading right now
Prachin Bharat: Samaj ani Sanskriti by Madhukar Anant Mehedale, a Vedic Sanskrit scholar (Prajna Pathshala, Wai, 2001), in Marathi

The book I enjoyed most while writing
The Changadev quartet

My favourite pastime
Listening to all kinds of music, especially Indian and German

My inspiration to write comes from
My own experiences – seen and heard and felt; when they accumulate their pressure inspires me

If not a novelist, poet, academician, and critic, I would have been...

A traditional kind of farmer in Khandesh, where my forefathers were

Preserving our languages and nativism is important because...
These are the two crutches all colonised people need to maintain: one, their sanity; and two, stability in living

Can mother tongue and English language co-exist in a globalising world?
Yes, provided it is restricted to the individual only, social bilingualism always kills one language – usually the receiving one

Winning the Jnanpith award means to me
One more encroachment by recognition, this time from all sides, on my spindly privacy

An aspect of my personality that nobody knows
I am a very kind-hearted man

My advice to young generation
Read whenever you can and write only when you must. Translate at least one masterpiece relating to your trade into your mother tongue
At present I am busy with Preparing a teaching course for Goa University

I want to be remembered as
A teacher
 

Comments

 

Other News

Cabinet approves museum at North-South Block complex

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by prime minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday has approved the development of the Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum (YYBM) at the North and South Block Complex, New Delhi, at an estimated total project cost of ₹3,230 crore, as appraised by the Public Investmen

Cabinet approves extension of Noida metro corridor

The Union Cabinet, chaired by prime minister Narendra Modi, has approved the extension of Aqua Line Metro Rail Corridor from Noida Sector-51 to Greater Noida Sector-04 of Noida Metro Rail Project with corridor for a length of 8.449 km with 5 elevated stations. On operationalization of this corridor, Noid

India reaffirms commitment to climate multilateralism

India has reaffirmed its commitment to climate multilateralism and the principles of Equity and Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC), calling for a fair, equitable and ambitious outcome at the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the United Nations Framewo

How the mind can help the body heal itself

Why do some people recover from illness against all odds? Can our beliefs, emotions and consciousness influence the body’s ability to heal? Drawing on over three decades of experience in medicine, research and medical innovation, internationally trained ophthalmologist and author Dr Dinesh Verma ex

1,364 anti-cancer formulations to cost less from today

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), under the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, has capped trade margins on the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) of 137 anti-cancer drugs. This was based on the recommendations of an Expert Committee constitute

Who checks the books?

I read about the news about the Coimbatore library over coffee this morning. On the face of it, the headline was about a political ‘war’ between the DMK and TVK. But what stayed with me was something much more important than the blame game behind what had transpired. A writer walking through

Upcoming Conferences



-->

Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter