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R. K. NARAYAN � A TRIBUTEtc "R.K.NARAYAN � A TRIBUTE"

With the passing away of R.K. Narayan recently at his Ninety-fifth year, full of achievements and honours, India has lost an extraordinary writer of intuitive perception and in the words of Prof. K. R. Srinivasa Iyenyar, “a man of letters, pure and simple�. Tamil is his mother tongue and he settled down in Mysore where the regional language is Kannada and he won recognition as a writer in English. While his contemporaries of that genre, like Mulk Raj Anand and Raja Rao, were masters of the English language, Narayan chose that medium for the expression of his ideas more by chance than by choice. Notwithstanding his international reputation as a great writer, to those who have known him intimately, he is just a man next door-such was his simplicity and self-effacing temperament. He was frank enough to admit that he had written the column, “Next Sunday� for ‘The Hindu� more for a regular income than for artistic reasons. But that column, which he had continued for nearly two decades without a break, was read by discerning readers eagerly.

Novelist, short-story writer and columnist, Narayan’s active writing career extended over a period of six decades. His output is quite prolific and of high quality too. His first novel, ‘Swami and Friends� written in 1935 was not an instant success though Graham Greene wrote the Introduction. Green acknowledged that ‘he knew of the Indian population and the Indian way of life� from Narayan. It took quite some time for the British reading public to accept his style of writing which was marked by simplicity and lack of ostentation. It is in this novel, Narayan first introduced the imaginary town ‘Malgudi�, a typical South Indian town. It was so vividly created and described that it ceased to be any more fictitious when it became the setting for most of the novels that followed in quick succession. Dr. Iyengar says: “Malgudi� is Narayan’s ‘Casterbridge�, but the inhabitants of Malgudi-although they may have their recognisable local trappings � are essentially human, and hence have their kinship with all humanity. In this sense ‘Malgudi� is everywhere�. Its unique feature is that the reader believes that he is reading a story in his own language and idiom. It makes very enjoyable reading as one becomes nostalgic about the days in the school.

‘The English Teacher� and ‘Bachelor of Arts� also belong to the early period. In these novels one can see that Narayan is an excellent story-teller too, besides his truthful and enchanting portrayal of the Indian milieu. The subtle humour and gentle sarcasm which were to become the hallmarks of his later writings were revealed in them. The experiences of an English teacher in the class room are so realistically presented that all English teachers feel that Narayan was writing about their own experiences. Look at this very interesting scene from it: One day for want of time the English teacher goes to the class without adequate preparation. He goes five minutes late and dawdles over the attendance for a quarter of an hour. Then he opens King Lear and says, “You will see that I stopped last time where Lear faces the storm. This is a vital portion of the great tragedy�. These words ring hollow in his ears. He felt like breaking into a confession, “My dear fellows, don’t trust me so much. I am merely trying to mark time because I couldn’t come sufficiently prepared�.
“The Guide� and “Financial Expert� belong to a later period. By then Narayan had not only won recognition as an authentic Indo-Anglian writer but he had also become sure of himself. “The Guide� has an excellent story value. It is a poignant commentary on human weaknesses and foibles. It was filmed with great success. That was how he came to the notice of the film-going public. At a later date, through ‘Malgudi days� on the TV, Narayan became a household name. “The Financial Expert� is of a different type and is a class by itself. It is no secret that it is based on reality and Narayan was aware of the persons in high circles who, out of greed for money, succumbed to temptations which were fully exploited by fly-by-night adventurers. ‘The Financial Expert� is a capital piece of writing, as entertaining as it is enlightening.
These and many other novels brought Narayan well-deserved recognition, first at the international and later at the national level, as it often happens. But, his short stories, though not so well known, are excellent examples of the format of a good short story. In that respect, he compares favorably with some of the best in the world like O’Henry, Tolstoy, Turgenev and others. “The Engine Trouble�, “The Astrologer’s day�, “Crime and Punishment� and a few others are of the world class. In “The Crime and Punishment�, the crime is of the teacher’s who, being at his wit’s end with the boy, hits him on his cheek, while his punishment is having to dance to the boy’s tunes to avoid the parent’s disapproval. It bears the stamp of his inimitable art: the surprise end, humour, gentle sarcasm, and a broad human sympathy. In the “Engine trouble�, he tells us how a very unusual and strange gift brings all types of problems to a man who receives the gift of a road engine with high hopes. It is rib-tickling from start to the finish.
Now, let us see Narayan in a different role, as a causerie writer for a daily. In the words of N. Raghunathan, the great scholar-journalist: “the causerie � writer has this advantage over the editorial commentator, that he has a wider range of themes  and is not expected to stick religiously to the agenda set before him by the march of events. And he can allow his mind a more free play�. Looked at from this angle, Narayan has done a commendable job of it during those twenty years he wrote the column, �Next Sunday� for �The Hindu�.
�Over a Cup of Coffee� is a fine example of even a very ordinary daily occurrence in every household, the preparation of coffee being presented in a different angle, fully charged with delicate humour. In a cafeteria in the U.S.A., when Narayan wanted coffee, the server asked, “Black or white�. He was aghast. He replied that he wanted neither, but “brown�, which ought to be the colour of honest coffee as prepared in South India.
Narayan received honours and adulation in no small measure. He received the A. C. Benson award by the Royal Society of Literature and was made an Honorary member of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and letters. He was nominated to the Rajya Sabha for one term and was awarded Padma Vibhushan. R. K. Lakshman, the inimitable cartoonist, is his brother and both the illustrious brothers have carved a niche for themselves in their chosen fields of writing and cartooning.
I may be pardoned for not resisting the temptation of referring to a thrilling experience of an hour I spent with him in his home town Mysore where I had gone in 1960 for an English Literature Seminar organised by the British Council and Mysore University. As I was staying there for ten days in the hostel, I wrote to him in advance seeking appointment with him. I was very pleasantly surprised when he himself came to the hostel enquiring about me with my letter in his hand! I cherish the pleasant experience forever.