The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-12-02
MENTAL INVASION OF EAST is
WORKING WONDERS, SAYS india
POET, S|RDAR J0CENDRA SINGH
Keen Student of Western Affairs He Praises Writers Of
America and Prophesizes Great Results from Changes
in Thought of the East

SimIa, India, Dec. 2-Sardar Jo-
gendra Singh, the Indian poet, philo-
sepher and novelist, talking with
correspondent of The Associated
Press discussed the meaning of the
changes that have marked the works
Of the more recent writer's of this
country. The Sardar. member of
the modern school Of Indian literary
men and women who have, to large
extent, adopted the English language
as the vehicle for their thoughts, de-
clared that he could see the dawn of
a new literature breaking over India.
The influence that was ushering In
this era, he added, was emanating not
from the East but from the West.
The Sardar devotes most Of his time
to writing or to studying the prob
lens Of life. Eight months of the
year he spends travelling about the
Punjab and other provinces, partly
for the purpose, Of looking over his
estates, but principally to add to his
knowledge Of humanity, for on these
trips he lives among the laboring peo-
pie. During the summer he is here
in Simla, midas hot weather capital
His home is built high UP on the side
of one Of the myriad mountains OF
this region, overlooking ravine-like
valleys and confusion Of vast, multi
colored hills which are typical Of the
Himalayas. Here he dreams and
writes, utilizing the information that
he has gathered through the season
passed.
|. A keen student Of Western meth
DDS and ideals, the Sardar takes par
ticu1ar interest in the United States
a country which he has not yet visit
ed. Naturally, as a writer his thoughts
turn most often to literature, and
there is scarcely one of the well
known American authors whose
works he has not read. He finds great
delight in these books because, as he
says, so many Of them are based on
the actualities Of life. He was curl
GUS to know whether Americans car
ed for Oriental poetry such as pro-
duced by Omar Khayyam, a favorite
with him. When told that not only
was the Persian poet widely read in
the United States but that many PEG.
pie knew much OF his verse by heart
he was greatly pleased.
| When the Sardar was asked to ex-
press for publication his views on In
dian literature and it's future he was
requested to do SO in the form Of 9
written statement. This he consent
| ed to-, and gave the correspondent ar
article which not only presents the
Sardar's beliefs but shows something
Of the new style Of writing develop
| ed in the East. Here is what the
Sardar wrote:
'.You have asked me a difficult
question. The growth of literature
is the growth of nation; its paint
ed story set in relief by high and low
lights Of imagination. After long ages
India is awakening from a heavy
slumber, seeking freedom from va
poury dreams. It is not from the East
this time but from the West that the
light has come and touched the eye.
lids Of the sleeper. It has awakened
once more national emotions and 9
passion for high matters Of human
progress. With the awakening has
come the dawn Of a new literature.
| 1.-THE days that are gone were bank
rupt Of any inspiring conceptions Of
human progress, and dreari1y com:
monplace. The spiritual realm be.
yond the bounds OF phenomena was
Ionly real to the elect and vaguely In
definite to the many. Life was mo-
! to be lived as q joy forever, but te
be regarded as delusion. What WI
saw and heard with our eyes and ear
was unreal, utterly incomplete ant
useless. The impulse Of passion mus
lbe crushed to reach the realm o.
realty. Men burning with high emo
lions turned their thoughts to the In
l ali 49,.
confined to the writing Of common
taries. The soul Of the country found
/ expression in common village songs
piercing passion passed the lips and
shaped into sweet, sad, swooning re
/ Trains, that rise and fall, echo and re
echo, in the silent hills, Or the soil
tary wide spread plains:
f" sKhujva Tairi MARI Hansa al Juri.
o wanderer, Thou and I
Make a wonderous pair OF swans I.
india In decadence Was not al
together without the consolidation o
high thoughts. Tu1si Dass, whose ten
der melodies are on the lips OF al
most everyone, discovered a new wa.
for the ardent spirits to lose self il
i the love Of God and gain immorta
self He did not try to reason ou
faith, or bind the absolute into intel
lectuai conceptions, He opened ou
fresh foundations OF faith to sweel
away all misgivings He spoke Will
a. sweetness and spirituality at once
beautiful and tender. which seems tx
transmute the mite universe Of ligh
and shadow into endless reality.
s'The Mohammendan period had tt
days of glory. Men like Abul Faza
and Faizi explored the regions O.
thought. untiring in their search aft
or animating ideals Of life. Poets lik,
i Ghalib scaled new realms OF though
and emotion; and their passionate i'm
preston found expression in wonder
Gus verse. But those who followed
them were essentially initiative. The,
wrote, as a matter Of course, poetr.
or prose full and solemn in sound
but thin in thought and impression
The literature of this period is opulen
in grace and sentiment, but withou
the strength OF passionate experience
It is performed and sentimental abou
love and the rose, spring and thu
nightingale, but Of toe delicate [
sweetness to last. It mirrors the de
"a deuco of the rara