‘What light through yonder window breaks.’-Romeo and Juliet, Act 2, Scene 2
Writing is quite the in-thing in our lives. It is our best window to the wider world of new ideas, new perception horizons, new vistas, and all the next seminal futuristics. Such tech fast as the world is going, the neo-human being ever more excited about gaining new knowledge, and time everywhere getting ever so tight, what is the most fruitful means to acquiring knowledge? Written word, s’il vous plaît. Bijou too!
Writing thus is best-kept centre stage as humankind advances, if they mean it well with correct advancement, not the case at present. Hence the reigning unsatisfactory world situation, the human condition itself leaving much to be desired. Fresh and timely thought-intense writing can show the way forward.
In revealing to us the inner realities of life, writing as a human Geist engagement has no par. Valmiki Ramayan lays bare the life’s superlative entrails. Ved Vyas’s incredible literary oeuvre takes our breath away- such massive Mahabharat its mind enlightening impact. What to say of the Bhagavad Gita! Modern world has its own writing complements germane to the modern age. We know some of it from the Nobel Prize for literature tradition, ordinary bazaar fares apart.The run of the mill writing is available in conventional books, at the literary festivals, and of course it waltzes in style at the international book fairs.
Most major communication happens over writing even if the new trends are leaning toward such tech communicating as video. However, these ultratech innovations don’t match writing in its express communication ability re weighty content, style, semantics, potential, and its pithy intellectual wealth. Books are never out of fashion. In fact, books are prize possession. No books, the world would grind to a boring halt.
Writing is too good for the ever-trending tech outcrops which are generally time conditioned quickies, so to say. Ultratech designed living robs citizens of the plenty of free time privilege; everyone is living under constant hurrying duress. Quick, quick, quick, click, click, click. A book retold in 15 minutes summary telling- a la Blinklist! So too communication. They compress content into fast telling gists. It appears attractive, impresses too, but bypasses the telling’s very purpose, namely influencing mind and spirit via self-education, propelling the two towards civilization enhancing engagement. So the literary exercise remains effete. Most such communication is subordinated to marketing and advertising. That leaves the field of humans’ deeper perception of their lives and living’s issues unattended. That in turn reflects social reaction predominating over social progress. The global situation today is affirmation enough. From Super Powers on to Banana Republics, everywhere everyone lives caught up in the fermenting social reaction Cul de sacs. It seems modern humans do not know the art of cultivating social progress with a view to creating on earth a happy peaceful human society. The concept is missing from their concerns. So is a happy society eluding humans’ grasp. They can, they should do that piece of work unless they are content being just another animal species whiling on eating, mating, fighting, sleeping- in a word limited to pursuing eating to live type drab human culture. No high ends, no exalted civilization building. Just the make do mechanics, little of elevating uplifting human accomplishments. In short, listless drudgery. Rampant reaction in place of prudent progress.
Thinking is the key to getting out of this stagnation trap. Thoughts and new thought evoking are central to conceiving progress, and writing is the choice index of the thoughtful mind-intellect-soul complex. Hence the significance of the art of writing. It may be noted in passing that style, a critical element of creative writing, is entirely a soul matter. In fact, creative writing, revealing as it is, is indispensable, and decidedly both sine qua non as well as non plus ultra in matters of keeping culture and civilization at their cutting edge. Technology is a tool, a good tool, but not the required guide. Writing is a strenuous creative way to serve society. Writers could be, if they so choose, enlightened guides in directing the human caravan to correct and proper destinations. The Indian writer Munshi Prem Chand is a classic case of the writer's role in guiding society toward good goals.
When effective, writing stays with readers, often for life; orations, though impressive, neither hold nor last. Everyone knows Shakespeare, and values the Bard’s literary phrase. Who cares for the flashy Videos and Videologists? Neither leaves a lasting impact. And then it matters most the point of the communicated content. What does a piece of writing set out to achieve? Is it informing? Or is it, beyond its mere messenger function, also conveying of a message? A definitive message, if you please. Grave writing on grave themes affecting peoples’ lives, hence the historical element in the deal, the message, necessarily brings out from writers their art’s very best flowering and fruiting. A well-defined purpose is inherent to all human activity. So goes nature anyway, each nature bit a well purposed happening. The more so it applies to literary writing. Literature is nothing if it is not coming to the aid of human society in its endeavour for reformation and renaissance.
Remember how writers always pioneered social change in the course of history? Think Thomas Paine in pre 1776 America. Think Munshi Prem Chand to those moving times of Indians’ struggle for independence. Think of the similar sort at present at work in India seeking to influence the course of our developing nation towards true independence which still is not, nor being striven for. Writer-influencers are not much visible as yet, yes, but very much at work, naturally. Book culture is a good indicator of the writing art’s place in society. The odd gem does show through. For example, the Urdu poet Sahir Ludianavi’s métier- par excellence true blue nation invoking- uthho! Uthh kr mitado tum ghulami ke nishanon ko. To Unfortunately, modern living is all so very marketed up jamboree. Every human activity is subordinated to the market empire rule. Book culture is no exception, literary writing itself a victim of market aggression. Best Sellers are because they sell best, not because they tell best- telling best but spurs to net human advancement discourses. That is the misfortune, for the essentials of the writing art and its chief purpose are not nourished, left instead to shrivel and die away. For example, Vivekanand’s nation nourishing writings are outliers in the Indian market, not in society’s focus as they ought to be. Resultantly, the writing art does not flourish. It is not lush greens; it is those desert cacti.Thus, sharp human perception and the raised consciousness remain stumps at best. Modern literature fails to meet classic literary standards set by the past greats, say, an Anton Checkov here, a Mark Twain there, not to speak of the all-time world greats: Valmiki, Ved Vyas, Kalidas, Tulsidas, among others. Literature so turns sour, a rogue; it should be society’s leading light.The gulf disturbs. The deficit in humans’ literature budget tells. It needs to be cleared.There is no substitute for exemplary deficit clearing. At HHH, we make that daring deficit clearing try. We ourselves may be small fry, but there is no law which forbids our trying our very best, and our reaching out for the stars. Moreover, each age must have its own stars. Circumstance alters the case. Our own zeitgeist needs its own literature as relevant to the concerns of our times. Oldies are good inspiration all right, but little practical help. That must be created each time to meet new age needs. This particular present-day requirement is quite an impetus to building heightened awareness of meeting a crucial need of society. We at HHH do that piece of work with our heart and soul, altruism spirit in attendance. We will not run after profiteering; we seek to facilitate as well as promote India Redeeming now turned so critical to world redeeming since the super powered world elites are failing in working out a modus operandi that should see the human world better, not worsen, the situation prevailing just now worldwide. HHH, as such, is quite an example in daring, and just as exemplary in creating a new ‘publisher exemplar’. Of course, self-praise is no recommendation, but why shall we let clichés and the convention ruts fetter our feet? A little rebellion is good for the soul- thus spake the famous American Thomas Jefferson. HHH is a newbie publisher seedling just now turning a sapling. It is home in India’s City Beautiful, Chandigarh that is. Chandigarh is a metaphor for modernity, planned orderly urbanism, tech design, architecture, lovely landscaping, and enhanced cultural living. As such, a strong literature presence should distinguish the City Beautiful life. Literary writing is a significant social initiator of seminal change. Chandigarh takes pride in its Le Corbusier, in its Rose Garden and in its more famous Rock Garden. How about creating a Literature Garden at par with the rest Chandigarh bijoux, all of it natively grown fantasia, moreover one acting as a resource for forging new seminal means to redeeming India, India Redeeming that is. Of course, there are local institutions in place, say The Tribune, the original popular Chandigarh daily. But it is a newspaper. A newspaper can bring to people but news, yes. It doesn’t bring to people assayed fresh thought- not its purview either. News predominates newspaper work, not gravitas which is a concern of thinkers. Writing, especially literary writing, is an occupation of the learned articulate thinkers in society. Naturally, this type specializes in the ‘art of writing’. Thereby, it can be any literary genre. Essay is typical; it is also the most effective tool in influencing citizens’ superior citizenship practices. Poetry is another good candidate for public patronage. Poetry easily effects a mind change. Present day Indian society is in dire need of its transformation into its native genius express. Literary writing alone can match that heightened need. Poetry would do wonders. Besides, that particular need is met by literary books. Books engage readers on a different plane than do news portals. Books are a cultural engagement that brings people to learn anew, to inform themselves better and more, and, most important, to think and discuss with a view to invoking civilization building. वादेवादेजायतेतत्त्व बोधः Hence the significance of HHH to India Redeeming, to India, to the world at large, and naturally to the growth of new literary culture eigen to the City Beautiful spirit. One spark starts a jungle fire. One word to the wise suffices! One literary stream can wash sins off a sinning nation. The HHH ought to bloom, and the blossoms should spread the India Redeeming ideas’ fragrances far and wide intra India- to begin with.
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