The Problem of the Indian Writer - R K Narayan
R K Narayan lists down the problems faced by Indian writers when writing in English as compared to when writing in their native language. In this essay, he starts by recalling some eminent and popular writers of the past who wrote epics like Ramayana and Shakuntala. He says Kalidasa and Kumaravyasa took their time, styled their handwriting with the stylus and waited for the ink to dry. Then the narration of the story was done with great pomp and attendance. Narayan summarizes this first part of the essay by saying that in the ancient times, writing was truly an art without any pressure of selling or meeting deadlines.
Jump forward too few centuries and the English language introduced by the British brought to the common man many varieties of the subject. Novels, poems, short stories among others. The genres changed overtime and according to popular sentiment. During the freedom struggle the authors were serious minded and there was not time for romantic stories. Country was above the individual soul.
Post Independence, the observation of the writers shifted from the larger national issues to smaller units like the family and the couples and the self. So romance novels, marriage topics, lover's struggle and the ubiquitous mother in law issues formed the cusp of run of the mill stores. Suddenly there were many writers. The pen became a speeding bus, rushing through the minds of readers who were ready to hop on it , happy with their destinations.
Narayan goes on to say the lovely form of writing popular among most languages of the country - short story. He accounts for the advantages of it one being easy to write and and secondly, the amount of different topics on the surrounding can be just taken one of one and made a story into.
Narayan being a much embraced author would have known the difficulties experienced by a new or amateur author in the times when books and articles became all pervasive and mushrooming in every small town of the country. According to him some of the problems generally faced by novelists and writers in India are
- No proper and fixed remuneration , benefits and welfare system
- No proper code of social existence
- A lack of agreed relationship with personal and professional life. Since an author works at home, the home environment is not sufficient for him.
- and last but not the least - demotivation is constant because money is usually less or late , hence the desire to keep going and find ideas is tough.
