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பதிவுகள்
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பதிவுகள் சஞ்சிகை உலகின் பல்வேறு நாடுகள் பலவற்றில்
வாழும் தமிழ் மக்களால் வாசிக்கப்பட்டு வருகிறது. உங்கள் வியாபாரத்தை
சர்வதேசமயமாக்க பதிவுகளில் விளம்பரம் செய்யுங்கள். நியாயமான விளம்பரக் கட்டணம்.
விபரங்களுக்கு ngiri2704@rogers.com
என்னும் மின்னஞ்சல் முகவரிக்கு எழுதுங்கள்.
பதிவுகளில் வெளியாகும் விளம்பரங்களுக்கு
விளம்பரதாரர்களே பொறுப்பு. பதிவுகள் எந்த வகையிலும் பொறுப்பு அல்ல. வெளியாகும்
ஆக்கங்களை அனைத்துக்கும் அவற்றை ஆக்கியவர்களே பொறுப்பு. பதிவுகளல்ல. அவற்றில்
தெரிவிக்கப்படும் கருத்துகள் பதிவுகளின்கருத்துகளாக இருக்க வேண்டுமென்பதில்லை.
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கடன் தருவோம்! |
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நீங்கள் கனடாவில் வசிப்பவரா? உங்களுக்கு 'மோர்ட்கேஜ்' வசதிகள் இலகுவாகச் செய்து தர வேண்டுமா? கவலையை விடுங்கள். யாமிருக்கப் பயமேன்! விபரங்களுக்கு
இங்கே அழுத்துங்கள்
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மணமக்கள்! |
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தமிழர் சரித்திரம்
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 சுவாமி ஞானப்பிரகாசரின் யாழ்ப்பாண வைபவ விமரிசனம்(ஆங்கிலத்தில்)|முதலியார் இராசநாயகத்தின்)|மயில்லவாகனப் புலவரின் யாழ்ப்பாண வைபவமாலை|மட்டக்களப்பு இந்து ஆலயம்|ஸ்ரீனிவாச ஐயங்காரின் தமிழர் சரித்திரம்|தென்னிந்தியாவின் ஆலய நகரங்கள்| |
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தமிழ்
எழுத்தாளர்களே!..
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அன்பான
இணைய வாசகர்களே! 'பதிவுகள்' பற்றிய உங்கள் கருத்துகளை வரவேற்கின்றோம். தாராளமாக எழுதி
அனுப்புங்கள். 'பதிவுகளின் வெற்றி உங்கள் ஆதரவிலேயே தங்கியுள்ளது. உங்கள் கருத்துகள் ப் பகுதியில்
இணைய வாசகர்கள் நன்மை கருதி பிரசுரிக்கப்படும். பதிவுகளிற்கு ஆக்கங்கள் அனுப்ப விரும்புவர்கள்
யூனிகோட் தமிழ்
எழுத்தைப் பாவித்து மின்னஞ்சல் editor@pathivukal.com
மூலம் அனுப்பி வைக்கவும். தபால் மூலம் வரும் ஆக்கங்கள் ஏற்றுக் கொள்ளப் படமாட்டாதென்பதை வருத்தத்துடன்
தெரிவித்துக் கொள்கின்றோம். மேலும் பதிவுக'ளிற்கு ஆக்கங்கள் அனுப்புவோர் தங்களது சரியான மின்னஞ்சல்
முகவரியினைக் குறிப்பிட்டு அனுப்ப வேண்டும். முகவரி பிழையாகவிருக்கும் பட்சத்தில் ஆக்கங்கள் பிரசுரத்திற்கு
ஏற்றுக் கொள்ளப் படமாட்டாதென்பதை அறியத் தருகின்றோம். 'பதிவுக'ளின் நோக்கங்களிலொன்று இணையத்தமிழை
வளர்ப்பது. தமிழ் எழுத்துகளைப் பாவித்துப் படைப்புகளை பதிவு செய்து மின்னஞ்சல் மூலம் அனுப்புவது அதற்கு
முதற்படிதான். அதே சமயம் அவ்வாறு அனுப்புவதன் மூலம் கணிணியின் பயனை, இணையத்தின் பயனை அனுப்புவர்
மட்டுமல்ல ஆசிரியரும் அடைந்து கொள்ள முடிகின்றது. 'பதிவுக'ளின் நிகழ்வுகள் பகுதியில் தங்களது
அமைப்புகள் அல்லது சங்கங்களின் விழாக்கள் போன்ற விபரங்களைப் பதிவு செய்து கொள்ள விரும்புகின்றவர்கள்
மின்னஞ்சல் மூலம் அல்லது மேற்குறிப்பிடப்பட்ட முகவரிக்குக் கடிதங்கள் எழுதுவதன் மூலம் பதிவு செய்து கொள்ளலாம். |
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Literature! |
‘SEEKING THE INVISIBLE HUMANNESS IN AN ALIEN LAND’ A review of the Diasporic
issues as revealed through the selected Short stories of V.N. Giridharan
- By R. Dharani, Lecturer, Dept. of English, PSG College of Arts &
Science, Coimbatore -
 Migration
is a customary and acknowledged activity not only of animals and birds, but also
of human beings. People move from one place to another for different purposes
from the historical times. If the origin of the English Language is examined,
the reason would be the migration of the people who were living around the Black
sea towards Western and Eastern directions by around 3000 BC. The movement
formed the Indo-European family of Languages from which the English Language
evolved. Roughly speaking, the term ‘Diaspora’ is a synonym to the term
‘migration’. It refers to the scattering of ethnic population forced or induced
to leave their traditional home countries, being dispersed throughout other
parts of the world. and resulting in the development in their dispersal and
culture.
The single term ‘Diaspora’ conveys different meanings at different levels. The
theoretical strength or weakness of the term ‘Diaspora’ in its current usage is
that it can refer to a wide range of situations. Traditional, historical, social
and cultural implications are suggested by the modern application of ‘diaspora’
in different contexts. The traditional notion of diaspora indicates a certain
dislocation from the normal or ‘natural’ place of living or way of life.
Sometimes the dislocation may be on a level of involuntariness or helplessness.
The dislocating force may be direct and very much external or diffused and
subtle. The term ‘Diaspora’ comes from the Greek word ‘diaspeirein’ (speiro = to
sow and dia= over) meaning to disperse and scatter. The term indirectly suggests
the idea of dispersal and fragmentation among a group of people. Either the
people are much willingly getting dispersed or they are forced or induced to
leave their traditional ethnic homelands. These people move from their native
lands towards different parts of the world and settle themselves for some
convincing reasons. Historically, the term ‘Diaspora’ was used to refer to the
citizens of a grand city who migrated to a conquered land with the purpose of
colonization to assimilate the territory into the empire. It is also used
interchangeably to refer to the historical movements of the dispersed ethnic
population of the British colonies. Though the dispersal of people and
communities is an age-old happening, the concept ‘diaspora’ got its significance
only during the twentieth century, as the century continued to witness massive
ethnic refugee crisis due to some political reasons. The first half of the
twentieth century witnessed the movement of millions of refugees across Europe,
Asia and America. For the betterment of their conditions of living, the migrants
fled to different countries, especially towards the western direction.
Depending upon the nature of dispersal of the people, there are ranges of
diaspora to be found in the globe. Among the different diasporas, the Jewish,
Indian and Chinese are considered to be some of the vibrant ones with a global
dispersal. The reason is very simple that the Indians and the Chinese excel in
their population and these countries are still in the developing status. Diverse
streams of Indian population have fed into the Indian diaspora in the modern
age. While a professional elite found its way to the United States, Australia
and other nations of the ‘Developed’ West, the labouring poor were recruited to
build the shattered economics of Britain, Holland and Germany.
Among the different diasporas, Indian Diaspora constitutes an important, unique
force in world culture. The Indian diaspora consists approximately of 20 million
people all over the world. Historically speaking, the Indians moved to other
countries initially due to the subjugation of India by the British and its
incorporation into the British empire. The people of India were made to work as
labourers in the countries where the British had extended their colonial rule.
Over two million Indian men fought on behalf of the empire in numerous way
including the Boer war and the two world wars. Some stayed in the homeland to
fight for their own freedom struggle during the nineteenth century. Many
patriots like Subhash Chandra Bose and his followers took shelter in other
countries.
Finally, in the post world war II period, the dispersal of Indian workforce both
educated and uneducated has been a nearly viewed as a world- wide phenomenon.
Indians and other South Asians provided the labour that helped in the
reconstruction of war-torn Europe, particularly the U.K. and the other
neibhouring lands. In the present scenario, the people from South Asia
contribute their physical ability in work and they are the main force in the
transformation of the physical landscape of much of middle-east. In the higher
level, Indians exhibit their supremacy not only in software field, but also in
literature. They establish their strong presence in their professions in the
other nations such as United States, Canada and Australia.
The Indian diaspora can be grouped as the People of Indian Origin (PIO) and the
Non Residents of India (NRI) according to the meanings of the terms ‘exile’ and
‘diaspora’ Though both the terms indicate the involuntary nature of the movement
or migration, it is possible to observe Indian people who willingly move across
the world. Of late, there are many NRI to be found in the western countries,
especially in US and Canada. The NRI may be the people who have migrated towards
US and Canada to improve their status. The reasons for their movement might be
like high salary, better living conditions, other allowances and so on. The NRI
can come to their homeland anytime when they wish, provided they get enough
holidays. They are the willing migrants with a plan to bring up the social
status of the conditions of their family. In the field of literature, the Indian
diasporic writers tend to depict the problems they face in the alien land, where
they have taken their shelter, wherever they may be. There are so many eminent
writers of Indian Diaspora like Bharathi Mukharjee, Rohinton Mistry, Salmon
Rushdie, V.S.Naipaul, Meena Alexander and Jhumpa Lahiri who rjee, Rohinton
Mistry, Salmon Rushdie, V.S.Naipaul, Meena Alexander and Jhumpa Lahiri who have
been discussing several matters concerning their homelands and the land in which
they live. They belong to the NRI and they are very much free that any time they
can visit their homeland
The other group of Indian people has moved to other nations as refugees and
asylum – seekers due to some political and social pressures of India. This
phenomenon which continued over centuries on a small scale has of late resulted
in mass migration with a common identity on a global level. Critics sought to
distinguish between ‘exile, expatriation and economic migration’. The dominant
notion of diaspora was still one of victim-migrant and close to that of exile.
One of the most discussed and theorised , but also controversial, applications
of the exile/diaspora can be seen in the attempts to define historical as well
as contemporary experiences found in the Tamil community of the United States
and Canada. Canada has a large concentration of Sri Lankan Tamils, almost 90% of
the Tamil population, approximately amounting to 3,00,000. The ‘Tamil diaspora’
is a term used to denote people of Tamilnadu and Srilankan Tamil origin who have
settled in many parts of the rest of India and Srilanka. They are also known as
‘Jaffnese diaspora’ and ‘Ceylonese Diaspora’ refers to the global diaspora of
the people of Srilankan Tamil origin. It can be said to be subset of the larger
Tamil Diaspora.
The status of Srilankan Tamils in other countries have been called the ‘Asylum
diaspora’, reflecting the claims that they have made in order to stay in the
countries in which they sought protection. Like other Diasporas, Srilankan
Tamils are also scattered and dispersed across the globe, with concentrations in
Canada, India, Europe, Australia and the USA. For a very long time, over a
decade, Canada was the place to give shelter to Srilankan Tamil people. Toronto
has more Tamils than major Srilankan cities such as Colombo and Jaffna and it
may be considered to be the largest Srilankan Tamil city in the world. Though
the Government of Canada gives a warm welcome to the Tamil, their presence is
not welcomed by the natives of Canada. In Canada, Srilankan Tamils tend to
identify themselves as ‘Tamil Canadians’, while Indian Tamils identify
themselves with the greater Indian community.
The Tamil writers of Canada constitute the Tamil diaspora, which naturally
belongs to Indian diaspora, since Tamilnadu is one of the southern states of
India. Canadian literature incorporates many renowned writers from Srilanka,
including Shyam Selvadurai, Micheal Ondatjee and many others who had contributed
their works to the refugee land. While this privileged group of writers could
articulate their emotions and experiences in English, there is other group of
writers who represent the tenuous nature of freedom of the Tamil and tend to
reflect not only of the deep and sturdy roots of their struggle in an alien
land, but also of the growing and deep felt need of Tamils, living as political
refugees to go back to their roots - in search of their own identity. Some had
given expression to this need in English (because their early education as a
result of foreign rule was largely in English). The literature of these people
is called ‘PulamPeyarnthor Literature’ (the literature of the expatriates).
Since ‘Indian Diaspora’ is not to be underestimated as the term connected only
with those who can express their views in English, in this paper, the works of
an emerging Canadian writer in Tamil, V.N.Giridharan, have been taken for study.
V.N.Giridharan, who is basically a Tamilian of Srilanka had moved from Srilanka
to Toronto at his very early age. He is the chief editor of the E-magazine
‘Padivugal’ which brings out all possible news from different fields of the
society. He has published many articles, poems, collections of short stories and
a novella. For this paper, three of his short stories (translated versions) have
been chosen namely - ‘Co(w)untry Issue’, ‘Manhole’ and ‘Husband’. Some of his
short stories have been translated into English by Mrs. Latha Ramakrishnan. He
is the author of five novels published in Canada. Some of his novels and the
collection of short stories have been published in Tamilnadu by Kumaran
Publishers and Sneha publishers (Chennai.). One of his short stories ‘Co
(w)untry Issue’ had been incorporated into the book titled ‘Paniyum panaiyum’
(‘the snow and the palmra’) edited by Indira Parthasarathy, a renowned writer of
Tamilnadu. One of his stories ‘Pondhu paravaigal’ (Birds of burrow’) had been
prescribed for the students of Tamil in Singapore Government. In addition to
that, he was the instigator of two newsletters namely ‘Our Universe’ – the theme
being the preservation of the environment and ‘The world of Computers’ a few
years ago. Currently these newsletters are not being circulated.
An earnest attempt is made in this paper to bring out the focal points of the
writer concerned with the plight and problems of his native land – Srilanka. The
‘strange climate’ of the land that has given him shelter is inevitably compared
with the memories of his home land. Based on the author’s own experiences as an
asylum seeker in Canada, his short stories illustrate an amalgamation of themes
of the political unrest of his homeland, to ascertain his identity in a foreign
land, his love for the environment and the lifestyle of the natives of Canada
contrasting with the life of the refugees. As it would be the case of most of
the writers of the diaspora, he has also focussed upon the issues of colour, the
influence that the new surrounding has over the lives and thought- processes of
the native land, the conditions of women and the other ethnic problems. The
stipulation of his life style in a ‘new situation’ always strikes a deep chord
in the mind of the author. His love for his native land where he is not allowed
to live a peaceful life makes him shed his sickness through his writings.
In his story ‘Co(w)untry Issue’ , the hero who is on his way to get his vehicle
serviced, witnesses the strange fight for freedom of a cow on the main road. The
cow has somehow managed to escape from the nearest slaughter house. It has
blocked the road and many people are trying to bring the cow under their
control. With great wonder, the hero watches the cow’s strong determination to
restrain the domination of the people. Immediately he can not help thinking of
his own native land, where many people are in the same situation as the cow,
trying to win freedom for them and their family. The status of his people there
is that either they have to ‘do’ or ‘die’, just like the position of the cow.
Either it has to oppose the crowd or it will be put in the slaughter house
again. He is so moved by the plight of the cow that he wants to help the cow by
buying it and taking it to his own apartment. But he himself is in the position
of the cow, which has escaped from its destined position and he is not in a
position to help a cow in that foreign land. He thinks that if it had been
Jaffna, he could tie the cow in the backyard, but it is not possible in his
narrow apartment. Finally, the cow problem comes to an end by shooting it with a
tranquiliser. Though the cow has been taken into the slaughter house again, the
author cherishes the cow’s love and zest .The heroic fight of the four-legged
animal for freedom makes him feel a kind of respect and reverence for it.
In his other story ‘manhole’, he painfully expresses the condition of most of
the refugees, who take the manholes to be their shelter. In this story, the
author brings in the characters of not only an Indian Refugee, but also a
Nigerian taxi-driver, who proudly calls himself a ‘chief’. The sufferings of the
blacks are also as prominent as the Indians and Srilankan Tamils. The affinity
towards a fellow-sufferer is articulated apparently in the story. The narrator
watches a mysterious sami (saint) sitting on the manhole, looking sarcastically
at the Parliament building. Though he is starving, he is so enthusiastic that he
often cracks jokes. He has good wit and sense of humor. He says that Indians are
overflowing all over the world. They discuss the view that the Canadians refer
to Indians as Paki and call Pakistanis Indian. One final day, the saint like
man’s life comes to an end in the manhole itself. The Nigerian taxi-driver feels
pity for the condition of this fellow-refugee along with the narrator. The
author ends up the story with a paradox of the glowing light of the Ontario
Parliament building with that of the darkness of the manhole.
In ‘Husband’, the writer clearly brings out the condition of the migrants, who
have to occupy the ordinary jobs in the new land. His work is ‘Playing
guitar’(it is the code-language for ‘washing the dishes’ in a restaurant). He
recalls his work in a ship with Greeks, before coming to the restaurant. He
compares his position with the Greeks who are also very fond of talking about
their past glory.
The narrator of the story faces the problem of getting severe head ache, because
of the bad climatic condition of the winter at Toronto. The thought of his
native place would invariably turn him nostalgic. The very thought of his
homeland brings joy in his heart. Though the thematic outline of the story is a
thin line suspicion in the mind of the husband about his wife, most part of the
story is devoted to the narrator’s (husband’s) melancholic memories about his
motherland.
In a short story titled ‘Where are you from?’ the writer discusses the issue
going on between the native Canadians and the asylum-seekers. The native in the
story chides at the origin of the narrator. The narrator gets irritated by this
mockery and in return he asks a question ‘Where are you from?’ The native is
shocked to understand the deep-rooted meaning of the question which indirectly
attacks the origin of the natives of Canada. He threatens the narrator by saying
that he has insulted a citizen of India.
Though the writers of ‘Indian or Tamilian diaspora’ are recognised by the
society, where they live, it is obvious that these people are always given the
status of the ‘Other’. This status may be referred to the status of
Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’, who is addressed as the ‘other’ by Iago. The diasporic
writers are inclined to express their sorrows and sufferings through their
writing and literature is a channel for them to pour out their passions and
emotions.
V.N.Giridharan has shaped the stories on all that he has seen and experienced in
the land wherein he had sought refuge. In most of the stories, an interlinking
of his life with the characters and projecting himself as an essential character
could be observed. The author has adopted the first person point of view
technique in narrating the incidents of the stories. He has advocated the
problems of not only race, but also the fellow-refugees from other countries,
especially, the Africans. The humanistic consideration of the author is much
prevalent in all his stories. As an immigrant writer, he is concerned with the
miserable condition of the people of his native land even today. In his novella
‘America’, he has dealt with the rules and the realities of America in a
humorous way. He has conveyed the position of the refugees in America, how they
are handled and treated by the American laws, through this long story.
From his short stories, it is very much apparent that V.NGiridharan has proved
himself as a very promising young writer in the present scenario. He is a
talented author with good future prospects. This story-collection is also
noteworthy in another aspect, in that it establishes the fact that books written
in English on the predicaments and troubles of the expatriates as well as the
‘the sons of the soil’ can never be as effective and informative as those
written in Tamil.
A suggestion is made that these writings of ‘Tamil Diaspora’ should be
translated into other regional languages of India and into English also. Another
scope of the paper is to bring out the writings of the authors like
V.N.Giridharan into light and to incorporate such writings in the curriculum of
the students of Tamilanadu so that they would be exposed to the sufferings and
struggles of the native Tamilians in alien lands.
Works Cited :
1. Giridharan, V.N. Padivugal. ISSN 1481-2991
2. Dowell Mc. A Tamil Asylum Diaspora: Sri Lankan Migration Berghahn Books :
1998
3. Brah..A. Cartographies of Diaspora: Contesting Identities
New York: Routledge, 1999
4. Manas : The Indian Diapora
< http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/southasia/Diaspora/diaspora.html> |
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