My mother Shantadevi Kanavi - A Tribute
Shantadevi Kanavi, 87,
was one of the leading short story writers in Kannada. She served Kannada
literature for over six decades, from late '50s till recently. Her eight
collections: Sanje Mallige, Bayalu Alaya, Maru Vichara, Jaatre Mugidittu,
Kalachi bidda Paijana, Neelima Teera, Gandhi Magalu and Achcha Parimala and
two volumes of collected short stories: Katha Manjari won thousands of
literary hearts.
She was married to Chennaveera
Kanavi a leading light in Kannada poetry. Thousands of students in Universities
of Bengaluru, Mysuru, Kalaburagi and Dharwad studied and enjoyed her short
stories in their text books. Her stories have been translated into English,
Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam.
She was honoured for
her lifetime literary contribution by Kannada lovers with Karnataka Rajya
Sahitya Akademi Gaurava Prashasti, Dana Chintamani Attimmabbe Purskara of
Government of Karnataka, Honorary Doctorate from Karnataka State Akka Mahadevi
Women’s University, B Sarojadevi Prashasti of Kannada Sahitya Parishat, ETV
Paripurna Mahila Prashasti and many others. There have been several seminars
and studies of her literary contribution by critics and students. “Onagabaradu
odala chilume- Ed by Dr Shanta Imrapur and Dr K R Siddhagangamma” is a notable
collection of 56 critical essays and analyses of her short stories by noted
literary critics.
My Avva -- A woman of substance
(A contribution to Shantadevi Kanavi commemorative volume, "Sanje Mallige"- Ed Veena Shanteshwar, Shanta Imrapur)
Shivanand Kanavi
I do not know whether an indestructible, eternal atma
exists. My search for this elusive entity has not gone beyond that of poet V G
Bhat’s, which reached a dead end at page 153 of Kittel's Dictionary. (see his
poem "Aatmashodhane" ಆತ್ಮಶೋಧನೆ - V G Bhat,
Akshara Hosa Kavya -Ed P Lankesh, page 56).
My scientific training tells me that the mind,
emotions, memory, intellect; self awareness are all functions of the brain and cease
to exist when the body stops functioning or what is medically called death.
However a person's memories, imprints and influences endure in others' consciousness
and life. So we can say a person "exists" in others' consciousness.
When the person is a writer, artist, scientist, philosopher etc then she
continues to influence her audience and admirers for several years and even
centuries and hence live much beyond her times.
My mother’s rich literary work has been commented upon
and has been read by thousands of people in Karnataka. Her kind, loving,
empathetic and giving nature has been talked about by all those who came close
to her; family, friends and even acquaintances.
So what should I write or recall in this remembrance ?
I would like to distance myself from my emotional
binds with her as my loving Avva and examine her world outlook as revealed in
her thoughts and actions, which certainly played a role in shaping mine too.
Avva had some very strong convictions which she
practiced all her life. However she never tried to impose her convictions or
her doubts, queries and skepticism on others.
She was not an atheist but all through her life she never
went to a temple to worship any deity. She considered religion, faith and
beliefs as private matters and not for public display. She practiced her own
private meditation in the puja room.
She did not believe in astrology and never consulted
an astrologer. Though not a science student her rationality kept her away from
all the superstitions and rituals associated with astrology like Rahu kaala,
Gruhana, good and bad omens, muhoort, Navagruha shanti, Shani's bad effects etc etc.
She had developed a questioning, rational, scientific
temper.
She respected all those who had taken up service to
the less privileged in any form or shape. She respected all those Swamijis and
religious leaders too who were engaged in such service. But she herself never
went to any religious leader or Swamiji seeking moral or spiritual guidance or
counsel.
The quality in any person she most abhorred even if
they had other redeeming ones was false pride, arrogance and seeking publicity.
She greatly admired all those who stood upright against
injustice, defended the rights of the poor and oppressed men and women and told
truth to power.
For her festivals were joyous occasions for family get
together to enjoy good food and each other’s company and not necessarily for any
specific rituals associated. During a festival or any other occasion at home, puja
would be done by a family member and not by a priest.
When my parents had a decisive say in the conduct of
marriages in the family they sanctified the union of the couple in the presence
of family members with my father reciting some Vachanas of Sharanas of 12th
century. But when they did not have a say they left the conduct of the marriage
to the wishes of the couple and happily blessed them. They did not wear their
ideas and practices on their sleeves or impose it on others including their own
children or their spouses.
Many people might say they are followers of so and so
religion or belief system or faith but Avva liked the 12th century Vachanakaras
because many of their thoughts coincided with her beliefs and practices now in
the 20th and 21st century. Basically she had formed her
own views and practiced them. She started reading up on Buddhism recently.
Her beliefs and practices were not those of her mother
or father either. Her father’s vast home library had tons of Victorian English
literature along with modern Kannada literature and also a large section on
philosophy and metaphysics. Shri Aurobindo, Jiddu Krishnamurthi etc. jostled
with Vachanakaras and Lingayat literature. Her parents revered Shri Aurobindo
and Mother of Pondicherry but that did not influence her much.
The point I am making here is she was very much her
own person. What she believed and practiced was arrived at by her own
experience, reading, reflection and cogitation. So is my father but that is for
some other time.
She was quite turned off by the sound and fury and
public display of grief during a funeral. She observed it minutely in a village
and based one of her famous stories "Antima samskara" on a village
funeral. She also started investigating a realistic alternative to an elaborate
funeral and she found it in the donation of one's body to medical research in a
Medical College. She was emboldened by three of her relatives actually donating
their body thus. However she did not insist on it when she was ill. Perhaps as
a realist she might have realised that anyway she would not be around so what's
the point in insisting on it. After all a funeral depends more on the beliefs
of the family members than the person who has passed away !
She did not study beyond Matriculation. So when she
received Doctorate Honoris Causa in 2014 from the Karnataka State Women’s
University at Vijayapura (Bijapur) for her lifetime contribution to Kannada
literature, I used to pull her leg that she jumped straight from Matriculation
to D Litt!
She was a voracious reader from childhood till her
end. In fact at her bedside even in her last days was "Jane Eyre" by
Charlotte Bronte, which she must have been reading for the n’th time.
Her favourite writers were realists. Among the
Europeans, she particularly loved Jane Austen, Bronte sisters Emily and
Charlotte, Charles Dickens, George Eliot, Victor Hugo, Leo Tolstoy, O Henry,
Guy de Maupassant, Anton Chekhov. My grandfather, Siddabasappa Gidnavar's home
library also had a complete collection of Usha, Jaya Karnataka and Jeevana. They
were the pioneering literary magazines of early 20th century that launched many
a Kannada writer and she was perhaps the most avid user of his library.
She had also read
the pioneers of modern Kannada prose as well as her contemporaries: Masti
Venkatesh Iyengar, Anakru, Niranjan, Basavraj Kattimani, Tarasu, Kuvempu,
Bhyrappa, Shankar Mokashi Punekar, Shantinath Desai, Tejasvi, Lankesh,
Gauramma, Vani, Triveni, Anupama, Vaidehi and many others. In her later years
you would always find her with a book infront of the TV in the living room.
She loved realists, because she was a realist in her
core personality.
Some critics have commented that in her stories at
times the female protagonist does not overtly rebel, adjusts and accommodates.
But that is what she found around her in her early years and as a realist
writer her stories reflected that. And as women became more independent,
emancipated and assertive around her in the latter half of 20th century her
stories reflected that too.
She remained true to her realism all through and did
not impose her wishes or aspirations or "ideology" on her characters.
As a mother she was remarkably liberal as well as
frank and open. Once we became old enough to understand she would share with us
the tight financial situation in the family and what kind of education we could
afford etc. That put a lot of responsibility on us and I do not remember any
one of us five children throwing tantrums for anything. As we grew up she
exerted absolutely no pressure on us on the career we chose or the life partner
we chose; belief systems, political leanings and activism or any other life
choices. At the same time she was always available and willing if she found us
tense or in need of help of any kind.
As I became a father and grandfather, I often wondered
whether I came up to her high standards of parenting.
She was quite firm in her convictions though curious
to know any alternative view if supported by evidence. My father is far more
circumspect by nature. On the rare occasion where he took a public political
stand and expressed his views in writings or interviews or actually participated
in a protest, she totally stood by him. She saw his anguish before and during
National Emergency of Smt. Indira Gandhi (1975-77); or Gokak Chaluvali (1981-82)
or the protests regarding NRC, new citizenship laws etc. in 2019. She stood by
him like a rock.
She refused to go centre stage and let her work speak
for itself.
How can one be not influenced by such a woman of
substance as a mother and loving counsel ? She continues to live in us all.
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