El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-12-02
SEES Dawn Of
NEW LITERARY
ERA IN INDIA
Poet-Novelist Says Western
Ideas Are Changing
Indian Literature.
AFTER LONG AGES
INDIA AWAKENING
Copyright 1916. by Associated Press9


- philosopher and novelist. talking
with a correspondent Of The Associat-
ed Press. discussed the meaning of
the changes that have marked the
works OF the more recent writer's Of
this country. The Sardar, a member
Of the modern school Of Indian liter
airy men and women who have, to a
large extent. adopted the English Ian
guage as the vehicle for their thoughts
declared that he could see the dawn
Of a new literature breaking over
India The influence that was usher
ing in this area, he added. was emanat-
ing not from the East but from the
West
The Sardar devotes most Of his time
TO writing OF 10 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 10 his
T. knowledge Of humanity, for on these
trips M lives among the labOring Deo-
pie During the summer he is here
in Simla- midas hot weather capitol
His home Is built high IN 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 HimaIayas. Here he dreams and
he has gathered through the season
passed
Is Interested in United States.
A keen student OF Western methods
and ideals. the Sardar takes particu-
lar interest in the United states, a
country which he has not vet visited
Naturally, as a writer MS thoughts
turn most often 10 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 actu-
alities of life. He was curious TO
know whether Americans cared for
Oriental poetry such as produced by
Omar hhayyam, taVoritc with him
When told that not only was the Per
sian poet >widely read in the United
States but that many people knew
much Of his verse by heart, he was
greatly pleased.
u Indian literature sardar said in
part
The growth OF literature is the
growth of a nation its painted story
set in relief by high and low lights
of ina SinatiOn- After long ages India
is awakening from a heavy slumber.
seeking freedom from vapOury dreams
II Is not from the East this time but
from the West that the light has
come and touched the eyelids Of the
sleeper. It has awakened once more
national emotions and a passion for
high matters Of human progress with
the awakening has come the dawn Of
= new literature
Had No Inspiring Conceptions
The days that are gone were bank
rupt OF any inspiring conceptions OF
human progress. and drearuy com
monplace. The spiritual realm beyond
the bounds of phenomena was only
real to the elect and vaguely indefl-
mite to the many. Life was not TO be
lived as a JOY forever but TO be re-
garded as delusion. What We saw
and heard with our eyes and ears
~ q
less. The impulse Of passion must Ice
crushed TO reach the realm OF reality
Men burning with high emotions
turned their thoughts to the inner
world. and all literary effort was con-
fined to the writing Of commentaries
The soul of the country found express
sion ia common village sOngsEsuul
emotions that in a moment Of pierre
ing passion passed the lips and shaped
into sweet. sad. swOOning refrains. that
rise and fall, echo and re-echo. in the
silent hills. OF the solitary wide spread
plains
o wanderer. Thou and
Make a wonderous pair of swans
India IN decadeuce was not alto
Eether without the consolidation OF
high thoughts. Tuisi Dass. whose ten
der melodies are on the lips of almost
every one. discovered new way Tor
the ardent spirits TO lose self IN M
love Of God and gain immortal SELF
He did not Try to reason out faith or
bind the absolute into Intellectual con-
ceptions lie opened out fresh fouu-
tains of faith TO sweep away all mis-
givines He spoke with "a sweetness
and spirituality at once beautiful and
tender. which seems to trausmute the
finite universe OF light and shadows
into endless reality
The Mohammedau period had its
DAYS Of glory. Men like Abul FaZal and
Faizi explored the regions of thought,
untiriug in their search after animal
ing ideals of life. Poets like GhaliD
scaled new realms of thought and emo
ton and their passionate impression
found expression in wOndrous verse.
But those who followed them We're es-
sentially initiative. They wrote. as q
matter of course poetry or prose fun
and solemn in sound, but thin in
thought and impression. The Htera-
ture of this period is opulent in grace
strength of passionate experience Il
and the rose. spring and the nightin-
gaie. hut Of too delicate "a sweetness
to last. 1t mirrors the decadeuce OF
the race.
Then came the change. India passed
under the British crown and uncon-
sciously became a partner in her gar
nered wealth of wisdom and aspiration
Macaulay placed the golden key TO the
Kings Treasures in the hands OF
Britannia's dark eyed sister The i'm
tellectual excitement in and about the
universities gave birth 20 a great move
ment for social good New aspirations