BY Pragyansharma Polavarapu
The
story of development of parliamentary democracy in world is very
interesting when one follows it systematically through a British history book.
In England about 1200 AD a group of independent minded
princes were determined to control king’s autocratic powers . They might have
been supported by other liberal minded princes
, rich city merchants and liberal philosophers. They felt that the king should
listen to other princes and not become authoritarian. The result was Magna
Carta of 1215 signed by the autocratic King John . In subsequent times some kings approved
of the idea. Some kings were forcibly
made to agree. It is surprising that whole people, the intellectuals and richer
classes like merchants, all were bent upon creating the tradition that the king
of England should rule in consultation with other princes and leading citizens.
It is really surprising that a whole people of a country possessed such determination to establish the democratic principle. The later wars also, from Napoleonic wars right upto wars with Hitler’s
Germany, show that England’s intellectuals
would never support dictators. Such a continuous support for democracy
in England makes study of political history of England a subject of interest. However
the facts of centuries long colonial
exploitation and slavery practiced by Europeans
societies for long periods in history is another matter.
England,perhaps because of the industrious and hardworking nature of its
people quickly progressed to become a great military and maritime power. England though not part of mainland of Europe is of Europe leading in following European culture,religion and philosophy.
Britain’s weather is modified by the nearby Atlantic ocean.
It is not too cold though situated in northern latitudes . It is said that throughout
the year , for some days , rainy and cloudy weather exists in most of the
country. The land has lot of greenery and southern England is said to be very
fertile. It is said to be a world of great natural beauty with quite pleasant
weather in summer months
*****
My interest in English language is
not limited to novels and poetry besides my interest in physics and chemistry books.
(I worked for 35 years in a commercial department not related to science and my
attachment to science books became the greater) . I am not any English
literature student but only a general admirer of English literature. My father
was a high school headmaster and a famed English teacher. He taught also world
geography, world history, European history, Indian history etc (“social studies”) . We had many illustrated English
story books and children’s novels in our house as well as old books on British kings and British prime ministers and about British
parliamentary history . There were also old nice books(“printed in London”) on world
geography and world history. When I was in high school classes and father long retired---(it was the 1940s decade when
the British government was winding up in India)-- he occasionally told me in detail about medieval and modern histories of Britain
. This created lot of interest in me about Europe and old British history .I remember
that – (when all our family lived together in house of our elder brother in a
beautiful town on the banks of river Godavari in south India)—father relaxing
in an easy chair with eyes closed in deep thought would make me read aloud from
some books a famed English poem, an essay about a British monarch, an essay of the old “Spectator” magazine famous in English literary
history etc . There were exercises in a grammar book in which every
question contained reference to some incidents in ancient Greek and Roman
history or English history. All these created in me an immense interest in
world history, world geography and European mythology . At school a huge interest in science was created by our “short”
science teacher.
Father was like a spinx and mastered
both ancient eastern and western philosophies. After retirement looked
outwardly like very conservative person of old generation and was most
respected and loved in all our families for his vast knowledge. My elder brother
(eldest in our family and almost 20 years older than me) in contrast was a
doctor , trained for 6,7 years in Madras(now Chennai) . He was a serious reserved
westernized person but at heart very kind , loving and affectionate and very
philosophic like our father .He too respected eastern and western wisdom .He enjoyed
teasing little children who feared to move near him. He was as much
admired as our father in our families for his reserved nature and strict serious
ways.
Sometimes quite heated arguments (on philosophy,national
independence movements, international topics and politics) took place between father and brother.
They were mostly conducted in English and I thoroughly enjoyed those debates in
tea time ! The English newspaper, the
old big table radio bringing English and Telugu newscasts both from New Delhi and
nice classical music enriched the scholarly atmosphere in the house.
*****
In early college daya I would take an extreme western view of things and would sometimes venture to argue with father. But it was all of no effect
over a mountain of knowledge of both east and west. Soon I realized and
accepted my utter weakness in argument and only started to admire father more. About
ten years later we moved to a historic
little city near Hyderabad when our elder sister got a government job there. For
a few years while we were in city father assisted college students with English and other
subjects like economics and international affairs . He was active till the last
day and passed away suddenly and plunged the family in sorrow.
The great attraction created in me towards English language and literature in school days by my revered father continued in college times. At college we had
most wonderful and eccentric professors.
To me they appeared like big philosophic
orators from times of legendary Dr
Samuel Johnson and the Spectator Club of Addison and Steele. One English professor would often get so absorbed with the story that he would gesture
with raised arms and speak the dialogues in a dramatic style. Most proffessors were dressed in stylish western suites . The big reputed college overflowed with
fashion . We had also nice big science labs , nicely kept botanical garden
and a nice tennis court. One professor was eccentric
and reminded of Sir Roger de Coverly(Spectator club). Another fashionable young
lecturer reminded me of Donald Farfrae the young dashing wheat merchant in the
reputed novel “The Mayor of Castorbridge” of Thomas Hardy!
The novel drew me to more novels of Thomas Hardy
which were equal nice with beautiful description
of old rural England of pre-industral- revolution times and a fine study of simple rural people. His novels
have mostly tragic stories blaming the “Fates”
and sometimes sound as majestic as ancient Greek tragic dramas. The novelist had unsurpassed skill in creating the old rural scenes –the horse carriages loaded with bags of corn and
toiling rural folks walking gossiping on
the village roads .
*****
Ours is a religious minded Hindu family steeped since
childhood in Ramayana and Mahabharata mythologies
which molded Hindu society for 2000 years.I realized that Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey
are much like our Ramayana and Mahabharata and molded to a great extent western sense of
art and philosophy. The west had Shakespeare and we
have equally great dramatists and poets in times of ancient Hindu empires. Lord
Buddha too guided India for 2000 years and every young intellectual in India
from ancient to modern times is inspired by His radiant personality. In modern times we have great philosophers and intellectuals like Rabindranath Tagore , Swamy Vivekananda
and Sri Arobindo and many other mighty intellects.
For an year I was out of college
because I missed joining an engineering college and due to many journeys to this place and that place in
academic season lost an entire year in
science degree course. At that time I daily visited library to read
English newspapers (though we got one English newspaper in our house since decades),read
the most interesting science ,engineering and political magazines. As already
mentioned “the District Central Library” was a gold mine of English books. I joined a
government department and after serving two
years in rural areas and another three or four years in various city
branches was selected to work in the main administrative office. I,a lonely withdrawn person and a book warm , almost daily visited
the big library.
As time progressed my interest in
both English literature and science (physics and chemistry grew). I purchased now
and then some abridged editions of famed classical English novels in addition
to purchasing paperbacks of popular science books of physics, chemistry ,earth
science and space science .
We had in our house a big tome about British
history a most interesting book giving history from ancient times and creating
a reel of british history with detailed stories of kings, prime ministers,
generals and admirals of fleet upto end of first world war.There was too a very
old book of most wonderful Shakespeare. Though the binding was
badly damaged the book attracted me tremendously . It contained
most delicate art created by a colossal intellect.
The great district central
library in a way opened flood gates of knowledge---English
novels,world history,world politics etc. I would read very nice magazines. The Reader’s
Digest monthly magazine appeared to me as
the world’s best book –bringing monthly “digest” of stories of science, important events of old history, real life adventures, international
travel stories etc and a monthly thriller little book at the end. Soon I subscribed to the magazine and continued for years.
I
was hooked by Time American (with high quality printing technology) which published interviews with Presidents, Prime
Ministers ,Generals and world’s leading scientists, professors, industrialists etc.
Leading senior editors did the interviews in presidential planes, presidential and high
security spots. I remember sitting in the library once a weel for an hour or two with a huge and
bulky book of American history. I absolutely enjoyed reading large sections of
it. I took membership in library and took home children’s editions of classical English
novels to enjoy their beautiful English as well as absorbing story. I took home classical novels like Sir Nigel and
books like Mary Queen of Scots and famed travel books . Of course I immensely enjoyed reading great books on ancient
Hindu philosophy written in English .
After joining in government service I made it a point to purchase a good book (science
,interational travel or geographical adventure etc )every month . There
was no looking back in my knowledge gathering – in fields of science, English literature and
English history. It gave me immense joy
as much as joy as playing with my little children
After television came it is hourly
hearing of English and Telugu language newscasts. After we purchased computer
my main vocation is writing small article on science, philosophy, religion ,computer etc . I
would first securing them in “racks and cabinets in computer”. They are called as “ computer word files” and “computer
word folders”. Then I build my computer sites and publish—a small attempt in
this new world of computer.
A PHILOSOPHIC THOUGHT
All the knowledge in the world in all
fields-- science,medicine,engineering,government, philosophy, spirituality—is available
in English language. English language
has become the club room for world’s intellectuals to do research
in every field to improve human life. now in 21st century we think
of whole planet earth as one whole—one family, one village ,one lone boat in
the ocean of Outer Space .
Literature of every country on earth has
some gems of high morality, high philosophy, great poetry and great heroism. In
a century or two all philosophies and literatures of world may merge to become a single river of world philosophy and world literature
. Science is already an international
river of knowledge –same science and technology
being taught world over in all
universities.
The biggest intellectuals of the
world should devote a full century of
time to develop a common pool of world literature. All gems of world literature should be
translated into English and two or three
other world languages. In the coming
centuries --a golden age of peace, friendship, prosperity, morality and scientific
thinking should dawn over the world like
a dazzling new son. One feels that English language ,with such base of good
literature , can serve as one of the
platforms and foundations for creaing a world structure of literature
and philosophy.
Life 500,600 years back on this planet was
entirely different from what we see now. It is now jet travel, ,star hotels,personal
cars, computers and TVs. If only we can avoid nuclear wars,we can
create heaven on earth using science technology, democracy, art, poetry, philosophy
and spirituality.
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