Source: The Hindu (http://www.hinduonnet.com/2010/01/23/stories/2010012352010500.htm)
Andhra Pradesh
-
Visakhapatnam
Yarlagadda’s ‘Draupadi’ comes under criticism
Special Correspondent
The book hurt the feelings of Hindu community, say literary associations
VISAKHAPATNAM: Some of the Telugu literary associations in the city have condemned the depiction of the character of Draupadi as a woman of lust in a book by the same name authored by Padmasree Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad.
Representatives of Telugu Bhashasamvardhana Samthi, Bharatiya Sikshana Mandal, Visakha Sahiti and Visakha Saraswatha Vedika noted that the author deviated from the original Mahabharata to resort to obscene portrayal of Draupadi. He not only showed Draupadi, Pandavas and Srikrishna in poor light but even introduced illicit amorous relationship between Draupadi and Srikrishna which all had hurt the feelings of the Hindu community, they stated.
The speakers – D.V. Surya Rao, Rajeswari Sankaran, D. Visweswaram and K. Bhavani Shankarudu -- also demanded that the Central Sahitya Academy should withdraw its award for the book which had deliberately attacked Hindu sentiment and Indian culture. Such writings would not have been tolerated by other religions which had in the past insisted they be proscribed, the speakers pointed out. They also urged dropping of the proposal to translate the book into foreign languages as it would give a wrong picture of the rich Indian culture.
Dr. Rajeswari Sankaran said not only the author, but the personalities who expressed their opinion on the book which was released three years ago, and also the jury of the Sahitya Academy should be blamed. Prof. Visweswaram said Dr. Lakshmi Prasad being a good friend, he should try to come out with a better book and bag the award.
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/hyderabad/award-draupadi-hold-398
Award for Draupadi on hold
Hyderabad, Jan. 11: The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) on Monday directed the secretary of the information and broadcasting ministry to submit a report on the selection of the book Draupadi in the Best Novel Category by the Central Sahitya Akademi and also to consider postponing the the awards ceremony by Sahitya Akademi, which is scheduled to be held on February 16.
http://www.ragalahari.com/news/8224/ylp-felicitated-by-dasari-and-young-india-team.aspx
http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/art-culture/disrobing-draupadi
Disrobing Draupadi
A Telugu novel, honoured by the Sahitya Akademi, has both the literary community and Hindu rightwing worked up over its ‘pornographic’ depiction of Draupadi.
The Sahitya Akademi’s decision to select former Rajya Sabha MP Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad’s Telugu novel Draupadi for its prestigious award given to books of literary merit has not just bitterly divided the literary community, but also angered the Hindu right wing. Both hold the same objection: that this piece of fiction based on The Mahabharata is tasteless and titillating trash. Hindu extremist groups have especially berated the author for allegedly presenting Draupadi as a sex maniac and in a perverted manner.
The controversy has even invited the attention of the Andhra Pradesh State Human Rights Committee, which has directed the Union Information & Broadcasting Ministry to submit a report on the book’s selection and keep the presentation ceremony, scheduled for 16 February, on hold until the air is cleared.
Prasad , though, is unfazed (see interview) and maintains that Draupadi is a popular work of fiction. “Such outbursts are natural when a character is interpreted from a new angle. More so when it is a strong character like Draupadi, who people venerate unquestioningly,” he says.
The human rights committee’s decision, according to its chairman, Justice B Subhashin Reddy, was made on the basis of excerpts from the book presented to it by the petitioners, which, they felt, could hurt the sentiments of the Hindu community. “I have directed the Information & Broadcasting Ministry to keep the award presentation event in abeyance, as well as the process to translate the novel into 24 Indian languages," says Reddy.
The Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha, one of the petitioners to the committee, is elated. “If the book is conferred the Sahitya Akademi award, it will desecrate the award’s sanctity, as the book is full of perverted descriptions and humiliates the character of Draupadi,” says Dr V Nageshwar, a Sabha representative. He believes the author has deliberately distorted parts of The Mahabharata in his book to create sensationalism.
Draupadi first appeared in serial form in a popular Telugu weekly, Andhra Jyothi, four years ago. It had then created a sensation, shocking writers with the way Draupadi, wife of the five Pandavas, was portrayed. Sections describing in detail the visions that flash through her mind while spending five amorous nights with each of her husbands and her hidden sexual preferences created a commotion, leading to the weekly pulling out some steamy passages. But the controversy worked well for Prasad, winning his work fans among housewives and teenagers across Andhra.
Late last year, the book was selected for the award by the Akademi’s Telugu Advisory Board, whose members included former Karnataka Governor VS Rama Devi, and noted Telugu writers B Ramabrahmam and Kalipatnam Rama Rao. With this, Prasad’s work joined several others nailed to the cross for depicting Draupadi in allegedly derogatory terms, from Oriya writer Pratibha Ray’s novel Yajnaseni (which apparently had derogatory statements on Draupadi’s character) to MF Husain’s nude portrayal of Draupadi.
Professor C Mrunalini, writer and academic who teaches at Telugu University, though, says she sees the problem largely one of giving the book India’s highest literary honour. “There were many more books during this period [2006-2009] which deserved the award, and which would have enhanced the reputation of Telugu literature,’’ she says.
Mrunalini agrees that Prasad’s book is not entirely demeaning to women, but says it does show Draupadi in an undignified light, mostly as a woman always pining for her husbands out of sheer physical need. “Personally, my complaint is that the book is 75 per cent word-to-word copy of the Telugu Mahabharata and 25 per cent distasteful in originality.’’
Opinion among scholars and writers in Andhra is divided, with a section feeling the book deserves the award. However, few are now willing to support the book openly. “Why not [give it the award]? It is a work of pure fiction and we should just leave it at that. Nobody is being forced to read it,’’ comments a writer who says he does not want to be dragged into the controversy.
As far as artistic licence is concerned, Mrunalini says fictional works woven around mythological characters should have “propriety and probability”. For instance, she says, a story by feminist writer Volga, based on The Ramayana, shows Sita and Ahalya as friends, discussing the problems they had to face from their respective husbands. “This was both probable and proper since it discusses the institution of marriage from a feminist point of view. But this novel [Draupadi] does not have these two Ps.’’
“I have no objection to such a book being written. Like most trash that goes by the name of literature, this book also can be read by like-minded readers. My objection is to its getting the recognition which should have gone to some other genuine and superior work,” she emphasises. Draupadi, more than anything else, Mrunalini says, is a blemish on Telugu writing
http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Draupadi%E2%80%99s+unending+circle+of+suffering&artid=q2yIqbYxfV0=&SectionID=41ptteGX1Qw=&MainSectionID=41ptteGX1Qw=&SEO=Sahitya+Akademi,+RSS+camp,+Draupadi,+Dwapara+yuga,&SectionName=42QPdTRt8sE=">Draupadi’s unending circle of suffering
C Mrunalini
First Published : 23 Jan 2010 10:55:00 PM IST
Last Updated : 23 Jan 2010 11:01:42 PM IST
Controversies are not entirely new to Telugu literature (any literature for that matter) especially where awards are concerned. But the latest controversy regarding this year’s Sahitya Akademi winner for Telugu raised more than an eyebrow; it raised furore. Though it appeared as if the whole mantle of protest was taken over by the RSS camp, it isn’t entirely true. Sane, thinking, broad-minded and even feminist critics shared the view that this was an award that would only bring shame to Telugu literature. The rage is still going on and it may not really result in any concrete action. But it has provoked many legitimate questions about rewriting myths (the book in question is a novel named Draupadi).
Poor Draupadi. The end of the Kurukshetra war did not bring an end to her suffering. Not even the end of Dwapara yuga. She seems to be suffering even in Kaliyuga. Of course, she is, by far, the most interesting female character of Hindu mythology with all her strengths and weaknesses. And thus, very tempting to authors who run out of subjects. The latest novel by Padma Shri Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad, a former Member of Parliament, has now portrayed her as a woman whose life revolves around romantic (I am being very gentle and polite) endeavours. In an otherwise prosaic rendition of the Mahabharata (which, of course is not his), the only places he deviates are those describing her nights with the five husbands and her obsession with Krishna. Both these interpolations are tasteless to say the least, and improper, too. My objection is not about the harm done to the sanctity of a Puranic character or maligning a Pativrata; it is a question of interpreting a known character, someone who has been part of our collective unconscious. Everyone has a right to interpret our traditional literature in their own way. But any interpolation should have at least two credentials; propriety and probability. The reader should feel that this character could behave in this way; could feel this way; and could be interpreted in this manner. Moreover, care should be taken to see that at least the basic nature of the character does not suffer. (one can offhand recall Bairappa’s Kannada novel Parva based on the Mahabharata, which was an intellectual exercise with good insight into the mythological characters). This is where the present author could not do justice to the text or the character. Even if it weren’t Draupadi and some fictional writing, this book would classify as an undignified statement on womanhood.
But, all said and done, one can write only what one is capable of; no one blames Padma Shri Dr Y Lakshmi Prasad for writing what he did. That was what he was capable of. The point of the argument is, how can such a sub-standard novel be selected for a prestigious award? This selection presupposes that this is the best representation of Telugu writing in the past three years. It will obviously be translated into all languages recognised by the Akademi (it already has a Hindi translation) and be known as a sample of contemporary Telugu literature. Therein lies the tragedy. When there were much better and, more importantly, original writings available, for some ignoble reasons, this is selected for the award. All this boils down to the taste and integrity of Telugu readers and pundits who send nominations and who occupy the jury. I wish we Telugus could send better nominations for this award so that the deserving would be honoured. The Akademi can only carry the recommendations sent by us and the onus is on the Telugus.
C Mrunalini
is a well-known writer of short stories, a translator and a critic mrunalini8@gmail.com
Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad, Another Macaulite
The pseudo-secularist anti-Hindus efforts to denigrate and rundown the Hindu faith and practices have to be admired at least for their unabating and untiring perseverance. Do any of the so-called “Hindu fanatics” bother to keep up relentless salvos against the enemies of Sanatana Dharma?
What triggered this post is the following news item:
Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad's book that defames Draupadi has been selected for a Central Sahitya Akademi award. Selection panel constituted by Congress (Italian) had purposefully nominated this novel which denigrates Draupadi who is an iconic feminine character and an ardent devotee of Lord Krishna to hurt the sentiments of Hindus. One of the main objections raised by the concerned Hindu organizations is the interpretation of Draupadi as someone who forever craves for carnal pleasures.
Following strong protests and complaint filed by from Hindu organisations headed by Prajna Bharati, the Human Right Commission sought explanation from the AP Government. The Human Right Commission has also stayed the Award function proposed on February 16.
Y.L Prasad who holds Ph.Ds in Hindi and Telugu from Andhra University. He was close to NTR and became a Rajya Sabha MP in 1996. This man who was awarded a Padmashri in 2003 for Literature & Education could not resist a dig at a highly revered character like Draupadi, who is one of the Panchakanyaka. Draupadi, Ahalya, Mandodari, Sita and Tara are remembered by Hindu married ladies as the epitomes of chastity. These five noble ladies set the highest standards of conduct for a chaste Hindu lady. So then why am I not surprised at the sense of outrage among the Hindu people when the highly revered Draupadi is depicted as a nymphomaniac?
Let me say a few words about this Draupadi in question.
King Yajnasena Drupada of the Panchaala Kingdom with Kampilya as the capital had a fiery daughter, “a dark-skinned, stately, wondrously beautiful maiden” known variously as Krishnaa, Kalyani, Panchaali and Draupadi. The King had two sons Dhristadyumna and Satyajit.
King Drupada was captured by the master archer Arjuna and his four brothers in a sudden surprise attack and brought before the vindictive Dronacharya who compelled the King to make a humiliating apology for an earlier slight and also confiscated the Panchala lands north of Ganga River. King Drupada’s whole life was poisoned by this bitter memory and all he lived for was to avenge it. He also transmitted this burning passion of his life to his children. To avenge their father’s humiliation was the mission of their lives too. Princess Draupadi had set her heart of marrying the most redoubtable warrior in the whole of Aryavarta who can destroy Dronacharya. Such was her iron determination to avenge her father’s humiliation that she was known as the “Daughter of Drupada” rather then her own given name.
Fast forward to the time of Draupadi Swayamvaram. Arjuna, in the guise of an anchorite, won the stiff archery test at the Swayamvaram and won the heart and hand of Princess Draupadi. Kunti, the senior wife of late Emperor Pandu, not knowing that the five brothers, the Pandavas are bringing home the Princess of Panchaala, unthinkingly asked the brothers to share what ever they brought equally among themselves.
When Empress Madri died on the funeral pyre of her husband Emperor Pandu she left her two young sons in the care of the Empress Kunti. The three sons of Kunti and the two sons of Madri pledged to honour and obey the words of Mother Kunti under all circumstances. Mother Kunti lived her life to keep the five brothers, the Pandavas, united and strong. Her wish was their command.
The Pandavas, the five brothers and their mother Empress Kunti wanted Princess Draupadi to marry all five brothers. In Hindu households, it is the older son who marries first then the younger sons. Arjuna too felt that older brothers Yudhisthtira and Bhima had to marry first before he married. The only solution they found was for all the five brothers to marry Princess Draupadi. This solution was opposed by King Drupada, Prince Dhristadyumna and Princess Draupadi.
King Drupada, Prince Dhristadyumna and Princess Draupadi were very much against Princess Draupadi marrying the five brothers. They felt it was gross adharma. It would bring stigma to the entire family.
Maharishi Veda Vyasa was invited to the confabulation to sort out the royal mess! Veda Vyasa, the fountainhead of Dharma, The Best of Munis, counseled as follows: A dedicated wife is the root from which spring strength and discipline which make life righteous. The divine sages have ordained that a family should revolve around a dedicated wife. If she falls the family falls with her. Chaos reigns. So they decreed that one wife be dedicated to one husband. This is DHARMA. To tackle unforeseen calamities the ancient sages have also sanctified unfamiliar ways in extraordinary circumstances. This is the APADDHARMA.
One such APADDHARMA is niyoga. A childless widow can approach the brother of her deceased husband to beget a child for her and continue the family line.
Another APADDHARMA is for a woman to marry more than one brother to avoid a calamity. Such marriages prove successful if the wife is wise and the husbands considerate. She has to give equal dedication to all of her husbands.
In days gone by, Jatilaa, the daughter of Sage Gautama, one of the Saptarishis, was married to seven brothers who were rishis.King Havirdhana of the royal lineage of King Prithu had ten sons who were known as Prachetas. These ten were all righteous men famous for performing severe austerities and meditation. The Prachetas brothers had one wife among all of them.
Rejecting Yudhisthtira’s solution would mean that Draupadi would become a rejected bride whom few noble warriors would care to win. By this King Drupada would have also broken his vow of marrying his daughter to the winner of the swayamvara test, thereby putting him to shame before kings and nobles. Demanding that only Arjuna marry her would result in separating Arjuna from his mother and his powerful brothers. That would weaken her husband Arjuna.
By marrying the five brothers, the motherless Draupadi would get a loving and dedicated mother, Kunti. The five brothers – loving and considerate – united in word and deed, their strength cemented by her undivided devotion will either rule the Kurus or establish an empire for themselves. By marrying the five brothers Draupadi would be serving Dharma whose instruments they were. This was the counsel of Maharishi Veda Vyasa to Princess Draupadi. The wise princess chose to follow the sage’s advice. He father King Drupada was known as one of the pillars of Dharma in Aryavarta and Princess Draupadi would be no different. That is why she is counted among the highly revered PANCHAKANYAKAS.
Muni Yaja, Muni Upayaja and Bhagawaan Sri Krishna who were present at the confabulations between the Panchalas and the Pandavas concurred with the opinion of the Maharishi Veda Vyasa.
I have drawn most of the material in the above narration from Dr Kanhaiyalal Maneklal Munshi’s book ‘Krishnavatara’ Volume III [Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Edition 2006]
So why this belittlement of Hindu icons, faith, beliefs and practices?
In the powerful words of Maanoj Rakhit in his trailblazing book ‘Christianity in a Different Light: Face Behind the Mask’ [3rd Ed May/June 2005], Christians could not tolerate the existence of a superior civilization on the face of this Earth and they had to conspire to wipe it out totally.
Professor Makhan Lal and Professor Rajendra Dixit in their outstanding book titled ‘EDUCATING TO CONFUSE AND DISRUPT: Defiling History and Education System of India’ [published by India First Foundation, New Delhi.] have in a very painstaking and methodical manner detailed how the Christian Briton slowly and systematically eradicated the ancient and egalitarian ancient system of education established in vedic times and replaced it with a costly and elitist system of education which reduced this ancient nation to a colony of clerks and peons. Today’s convent educated “secular” Hindus are actually crypto-Christian, Anti-Hindus acting as a deadly traitorous fifth column rendering the nation defenceless and destroying it from within.
A product of this British colonial Christianising education, Jawaharlal Nehru declared in a shameless manner: “By education, I am an Englishman, by views, an internationalist, by culture, a Muslim, and I am a Hindu only by accident of birth”.
YARLAGADDA LAKSHMI PRASAD, ANOTHER PRODUCT OF MACAULAY’S BRITISH CHRISTIAN COLONIAL EDUCATION, FOLLOWS THE MIND-SLAVE TRADITION OF JAWAHARLAL NEHRU.
“India’s contribution to various branches of knowledge and wisdom was denied in the past by the British as well as many Indian historians working under the British Raj and British influence. But why has this attitude not changed even after independence? With the introduction of Macaulay system of education in 1835 the enslavement of the Indian mind began and it continues to be so even today --- even after 63 years of our partitioned independence.
Readers may want to refer to the detailed review by Sri V. Sundaram I.A.S (Retd.) of the book written by two intellectual Kshatriyas Professor Makhan Lal and Professor Rajendra Dixit in their outstanding book titled ‘EDUCATING TO CONFUSE AND DISRUPT: Defiling History and Education System of India’ [India First Foundation, New Delhi.]. http://www.newstodaynet.com/col.php?section=20&catid=33&id=20121
The Sahitya Academy's, Government of India patronized and funded body has, this year announced the prestigious award for Telugu work, Draupadi written by Sri Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad, a former Member of Rajya Sabha.
1. Most Telugu people are shocked at this award. The novel, Draupadi is scurrilous; Draupadi is reckoned as one of the Sadhvis, Pathivrathas by hundreds of millions of Bharatiyas. In his novel by the title Draupadi Sri Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad portrays her as sex personified. Maharshi Vyasa , Karna, Kunthi, Drutharastra and even Krishna are all portrayed as obsessed with sex . Every part of Draupadi's body has been described with titillating words. One chapter each is devoted to the enjoyment of Draupadi by each one of the Pandavas. Kunthi is supposed to ask Draupadi whether she has been pleasing every one of the Pandavas extremely well and whether each one of them was satisfied with her. There are many more unspeakable and unmentionable events like these, in the novel.
2. When Pauranika themes are to be matters in current literature, the purpose should be to interpret them as to ennoble the current generations by the great examples of the illustrious characters in the epics. There should be no violence to the sense in which those characters were held and described in the original epics. The thoughts and deeds could be interpreted so as to inspire the current generations to face complex situations in the wise and courageous way the epic characters have tackled. Instead, Sri Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad's novel Draupdi, degrades her character.
3. We are not worried about his writing a novel. In Bharat every one has got freedom of expression and writing and speech and publication but for a prestigious body like the Sahitya Academy to give an award for this scurrilous, blasphemous vulgar and outrageous book is unbecoming of Bharat and also of that august body.
4. Several meetings have been held and more will be held by literary people, by decent people, by people who know Mahabharata very well denouncing the award of the Sahitya Academy for this novel. Maybe Sri Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad deserves an award but surely not for this book. For much less an offence like a disrespectful cartoon about a prophet in far off land, people of a particular faith had gone on the rampage in this country and a Minister belonging to that faith in one of our States announced a reward of Rs. 50 cr for the person who beheads that cartoonist and publisher of that cartoon in Denmark. Hindus are not so violent. They are outraged but they can suffer the publication of the novel for such a dirty work will not have a lasting influence on the reader nor would it detract from the greatness of so illustrious a person like Draupadi, Yagnaseni, Ayonija and Dhirodatta who in an open court of the Kauravas dared to interrogate the great Bhishma himself. What we are worried is the award of the Sahitya Academy' and the respectability that it would give to the mean characterization of Draupadi by Sri Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad.
5. What is worse: as per the practice , this book in Telugu would be got translated by the Sahitya Academy into all the principal Indian languages thus disseminating the scurrilous characterization of Draupadi among not only the Telugu knowing people but all other Bharatiyas. This is most unfortunate and condemnable.
6. Sri Kalipatnam Rama Rao who is the jury for selection of this Novel is beneficiary of 1.5 lacs of money award given by the Author of this book in 2008. And other members of the jury are also one time executive members of the Trust promoted by the Author. Which are totally against the ethics of Sahitya Academy.
We are therefore request that you may kindly see that the award is canceled. After all, it is to be given from hands of our President of India and we do not want her clean hands to be sullied by giving of an award to a blasphemous book. Hence Kindly Write your protests to Sahitya ackademi rabindra nagar,35,ferozeshaah Road,Newdelhi 110001,secy@ndb.vsnl.net.in and also to our President of India Presidentofindia@rb.nic.in requesting the same.
Views of various literary critics on Draupadi being considered for Sahitya Academy Award
Pl Write your protests to secy@ndb.vsnl.net.in on Draupadi as it depicts Draupadi , Kunti, Dhrutharashtra, Karna, Pandavas, Vyasa Maharshi and Bhagwan Sri Krishna as sex obsessed personalities. Jury members of this book have been benefitted by the authored directly as an award winners of his own Trust and members of his Trust.
Send your representaitons to Madame President of India
on presidentofindia@rb.nic.in requesting her to stop this award.
A novel, depicting Bhagwan Sri Krishna as a sex maniac and immoral, is being awarded by National Sahitya Academy - It happens only in India since we are secular and have freedom of expression.
One of the most astonishing incidents of 2009 is National Sahitya Academy awarding its prestegious award to the most vulgar novels of telugu by one of the socalled proffessor of Hindu/Telugu Mr Yarlagadda Laxmi Prasad who is known to his vulgar novels in Telugu. It is direct attact on the faith of Hindus by depicting Bhagwan Sri Krishna as nothing but a common Sex Maniac and having extra marital affair with Draupati cheating his own men.
It is known fact that all the communism following so called intellectuals always wanted defame Indian culture in the garb of secularism. India is known to its very rich culture, its vast rich heritage and history. These intellectuals always wanted to tarnish the image of India as one of the most deprived countries in the world rather than telling truth to the world about its heritage and rich history. They also never believed its Saraswati river civilisation and misled the country of Arya/ Dravid conflict rather. With scientific proof existence of Saraswati River now Indian history is about to be rewritten.
Coming to the latest attack on Indian heritage and history is the novel written by Yarlagadda named after Draupadi depicting her as a sex maniac and also showing both pandavas and Bhagwan Sri Krishna in poor light rather sex maniacs altogether.
The member of jury who nominated it to National Sahitya Academy award are also incidentelly beneficiaries and board members of the Trust promoted by Yarlagadda. Being the close associates and beneficieries of the writer promoted Trust and being the Jury for this national award goes against ethics and tenets of this national award.
It also raises doubts even in the minds common man who reads in to the texts of this novel, whether this jury has ever read this novel at all before awarding it with it such exemplory previlage, Since it is nothing but a common vulgar novel which generally does not attract any attention of any literary personality.
We are hereby giving you some exerpts of that novel for your reference to be judges of your own.
Write your protests to Sahitya Academy, Rabindra Nagar, 35 Feroz shah Road New Delhi 110 001. Emai At secy@ndb.vsnl.net.in
