Deeply anguishing

I go cycling around RK Narayan’s residence quite often, it’s about a Km or so from where I stay.  The house is in a pitiable condition, half demolished as it was stopped by concerned people (it may be noted that the family wasn’t much bothered and had sold it to some developer), and since then the government has taken over with the promise of converting the house into a museum.  That was few years back. The house seems to have got stuck in time and is an anguishing sight. RK Narayan deserves much better than this. He was an immensely popular writer. His house should be converted into museum at the earliest. This has so much of possibility to be a tourist attraction. Like his Malgudi town, this could be a Malgudi house where all his endearing character can come alive. Already there are enough stunning drawings by RK Laxman in existence that could make the exhibits compelling.

RK Narayan had an abiding influence on me, of course apart from his highly popular TV serial Malgudi days. I started reading seriously only after I had crossed twenty five (previously mostly into comics or encyclopedias), and RK was one of the earliest as he was easy to read. Also, the Sahitya Akademi library (delhi) had a huge collection of RK’s books. In a month or two I finished most of his books, and promptly decided I should be a writer!! Quite akin to some of his impetuous characters that he so charmingly created. In a way it’s a tribute to RK Narayan (or an insult, as you may look at it). Over the years I seem to have lost the innocence, and understand writing is a much difficult process, also in the meanwhile RK’s writings were also being criticized by people who should know better. These puzzled me a lot. As I start to get the grip of things I do understand some serious lacunae in the world of Malgudi. But then it isn’t a reality and is only a fictional microcosm of Indian life. Surely it is the writer’s prerogative to write on what he is comfortable in. Malgudi stands the test of time, and so does RK Narayan as a fiction writer. I need to stress ‘fiction writer’ since some his essays and views I find elitist and amazingly out of place. Well you cannot blame him when your friend circle includes MN Srinivas (who apart from other things even put forth, with much seriousness, that people from higher strata should be paid to stay with people of lower section, as a practical step towards social amalgamation!! If I recall this interview came in Frontline, long time back). 

Mysuru (thankfully Mysore is out, apologies to RK) is a great place to live, quieter and laid back, it goes with my temperament. I sincerely hope they don’t ruin it like they have done to Bangalore (which is now development junkyard, that surely is a huge effort from what was once a garden city), though signs are ominous with homo sapiens reproducing at alarming rate and market pushing from development. You can cycle around the Mysuru city without facing much pollution or traffic issues, overwhelming section is sensitive to surrounding. Three to four kms from where I stay is agriculture land, where things are as it is for centuries with Kaveri river in the back drop and web of canals and water bodies. It is a paradise of wildlife, very few cities can claim of bird sanctuary.  Located right on the tip of Western Ghats Mysuru is enchantingly close to wildlife, so much so that you get tales of leopards and wild elephants, sometimes right in the centre of the town. It is straight out of RK Narayan’s plot!!

Mysuru also has history of valuing excellence, few names of people who have spent substantial part of their life in Mysuru will help to get the context. Former President Sarvepalli Radhakrishan taught in University of Mysore (his birth anniversary is observed as Teacher’s Day), M Visvesvaraya an engineer whose contribution is such that he is even referred to as ‘father of mysuru’ (his birth anniversary is observed as Engineer’s Day). Other names includes, the list is long and I am including only few, Kuvempu, Raja Ramanna, HY Sharada Prasad, RK Laxman, Narayanamurthy so on. Mysuru over the years has become quite an attraction for yoga practitioners. Pattabhi Jois and BKS Iyengar are the names that have connections to Mysuru. For a small town (it’s difficult to call Mysuru even a city) that is quite remarkable. 

There is a restaurant named Malgudi in Mysuru, with sketches from RK’s fictions on the wall, quite a charming effort but I find it too congested for my liking. So I skip it. I prefer breakfast in a laid back place with not many people around or much chattering, it can be quite distressing. They should give me my three idlis or oil less masala dosha with potatoes mashed into small chunks  and hot piping coffee, and forget me for next an hour or so, and I read an agreeable newspaper column that should make me think. Its how the day begins, nobody is rushing anywhere.