In a very highly reputed Dr Alladi Krishnaswami lecture series organized by the Centre for Human Rights, School of Social Sciences in collaboration with Alladi Memorial Trust, Mr. Gopalkrishna Gandhi spoke on the topic “The Literary Styles of M.K. Gandhi and C. Rajagopalachari” on 5th October, 2017 at 3 p.m in School of Humanities Auditorium. The speaker, Mr. Gandhi is a retired IAS officer and diplomat, who was the 22nd Governor of West Bengal from 2004 to 2009 and is the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi. He gave a very awakening lecture on the styles and writings of two great leaders of India by narrating their personal and official writings.
Starting his lecture in a very kind and generous tone, he said, “Speaking in a series of lecture that stands in the name of Dr. Alladi Krishnaswami is a privilege beyond my deserving of it.” He offered his immense thanks to the trust for inviting him.
Quoting a famous English language author T. S. Eliot he said, “Where is the appreciation we have lost in flattery, the opinion we have lost in prejudice and independence we have lost in arrogance?”
By taking the example of Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde, and Sania Mirza, he explained that one’s style is one’s signature and both Gandhi and Rajaji had their distinctive way of writings. They were not great writers but they wrote with a lot of conviction.
He also added that one could find various criticism in the writings of Gandhi and Rajagopalachari but they could never be boring, they are always engaging.
Highlighting Gandhi’s writing style he further said, “His writing was like his choice of clothes neat, few and clear. There was clarity of mind, soul, and taste in its entirety.”
He also touched upon Gandhi’s writing in Bangla, Gujarati and English.
While talking about C. Rajagopalachari, he said that vehemence is integral to CR’s style, whether the vehemence of devotion or the vehemence of resistance. Taking it to the personal level he acknowledged several aspects of CR’s writing which are embellished with humor, irony, metaphor, similes, and unexpectedness that are his favorites too.
He concluded his lecture by reciting one of C Rajagopalachari’s poems namely ‘A Fatal Ecstasy’.
Watch the lecture at:
By Swati Pant
MA Communication