Spark international online e journal august 2011

International Online eJournal

Vol.-III, Issue-6
August 2011

ISSN 0975 - 7929
Vol - III, Issue – 6
August 2011
Bi-annual

Multi – disciplinary

Multi – lingual

Multi - media

(A Refereed and Indexed eJournal)

“The illiterate are not those who CAN’T read and write,
but those who DON’T read and write”

Bi-annual

Multi-disciplinary, Multi-lingual & Multi-media eJournal

ToC

Vol.-III, Issue-6
August 2011

Published & Edited by:
Chief Editor:
Dr. Bipin Parmar
Co-Editors:
Dr. Firoz Shaikh
Dr. Nayan Tank
Sanjay Bhut
In Collaboration with:
Managed by:
(Shri Bharat Sarasvati Mandir Sansad - Shardagram)

Shri M.N.Kampani Arts & Shri A.K.Shah Commerce
College- Mangrol, Gujarat - India
(Affiliated to Saurashtra University- Rajkot)
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Vol.-III, Issue-6
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Editorial
In the era of fast globalization the rapidly changing fields of

information, communication and technology–a dominant intellectual and political
discourse of the last several decades-is one of the most outstanding developments
of the past century. It has radically altered the politico-economic scenario. National
territorial frontiers hold little significance in many spheres, which have affected
peoples and societies across the world.
It is true to say that, the arrival of information technology has made
whole communication process easy and economical. It has also opened up
floodgates of knowledge for all h through digital boom-internet. Since the
technology is freely available to the developing countries, they are getting
exposure to new ways as never before. Keeping this backdrop in mind, our humble
attempt is to provide opportunity to the scholars of various subjects for sharing
their novel ideas and thoughts through the medium of our online journal.
The

present

issue

contains

multi-dimensional

thoughts

and

information as well as ideas and analysis based on language, literature, commerce,
technology etc. It is hoped that this issue will certainly lead scholars and colleagues
think ahead.

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The Editors,
Spark International Online eJournal
(ISSN 0975-7929)

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Aims & Scope
Spark International Online eJournal (ISSN – 0975 – 7929) is
unique of its kind that provides a forum for the discussion on recent topics
and issues in the various disciplines which have an immediate bearing
upon thought and practice in human life. Articles drawn from the motley
disciplines, well-documented and well-communicated addressing our
present curriculum, pedagogy, evaluation in education, the challenges and
opportunities around us will find their place in the Journal.
It would certainly ‘spark’ interest and passion among the
aspirants, researchers, explorers, critics and others desirous of research,
invention and contributing something to their respective area and to self,
societal and national development.

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Our Patrons

Shri J. G. Bhuva
Director
Shri Shardagram
(Guj.) India

Dr. Hamirsinh Zankat
Principal
Shri M.N. Kampani Arts &
Shri A.K. Shah Commerce College,
Mangrol (Shardagram) Guj.

Acknowledgements
The College Staff & Alumni of
Shri M.N. Kampani Arts & Shri A.K. Shah Commerce College,
Mangrol (Shardagram) Gujarat-India
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Advisory Board

•

Dr. Jaydipsinh Dodiya : Reader, Dept. of English & Comparative Studies,
Sau. Uni.- Rajkot, Gujarat (India)

•

Dr. Dilip Bhatt

: Head, Dept. of English, Shri V.D. Kanakia Arts
& Shri M.R. Sanghavi Commerce College,
Savarkundla, Gujarat

•

Dr. Dilip Barad

: Associate Professor & Head, Dept. of English,
Bhavnagar Uni., Bhavnagar, Gujarat

•

Dr. Farook Salat

: Head, Dept. of English, M.S. Uni., Baroda,
Gujarat

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•

Vol.-III, Issue-6
August 2011

Panel of Experts / Reviewers

Prof. Dr. Kamal Mehta : Director – CDC & Head, Dept. of English &
Comparative Studies, Sau. Uni. – Rajkot, Gujarat

•

Dr. Rajendrasinh Jadeja : Principal & Director, H.M. Patel Institute,
Vallabh Vidyanagar, Gujarat - India

•

Prof. Dr.Hemixaben Rao : Hon’ble Vice Chancellor, Hemchandracharya
North Gujarat University, Patan (Gujarat)

•

Prof. Dr. Daxaben Gohil : Head & Prof., Dept. of Commerce, Sau. Uni.
- Rajkot, Gujarat

•

Ms. Latha Krishnamurthy: Director, Bansilal Ramnath Agarwal Charitable
Trusts’ Vishwakarma Institute of Languages
(VIL) – PUNE, Maharashtra

•

Dr. Ramesh Mehta

: Asso. Prof. & Head, Gujarati Dept., Shri
M.N.Kampani Arts & Shri A.K. Shah Commerce
College – Mangrol, Gujarat

•

Atul Patil

: Coordinator & Faculty, English Language
Teaching, Institute of Symbiosis (ELTIS) &
Symbiosis Institute of Foreign and Indian
Languages (SIFIL) – PUNE, Maharashtra

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•

Dr. Jiwan Bakhshi

: Ph.D. (English Literature) Critic,
Playwright , Poet, State Punjabi Literature
(Drama) Awardee, Govt. P.G. College, Jind,
Haryana, India

•

Dr. H.S. Joshi

: Asso. Prof.,Dept. of Chemistry, Sau.Uni., Rajkot,
Gujarat

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Disclaimer
Dear Reader/s:
The articles in Spark International Online eJournal
(ISSN – 0975 – 7929) are edited and published by the permission of
the concerned author/s. The editors/publishers do not
agree/conform to the views, opinions, theories expressed in the
articles in any way.
Authors are required to seek relevant approvals for any
copyright material they may use in their contributions to Spark
eJournal. The eJournal will not be responsible in any way for
copyright infringements.

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Communication Links

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publication@sparkejournal.com

Editors
Chief Editor:
Dr. Bipin Parmar
Shri M.N. Kampani Arts & Shri A.K. Shah Commerce College,
Mangrol (Shardagram), Gujarat – India
E-mail: br_parmar444@yahoo.co.in

Co-Editors:
Dr. Firoz Shaikh
Lt. Shri N. R. Boricha Edu.Trust Sanchalit Arts & Commerce College,
Mendarda, Dist.-Junagadh, Gujarat – India
E-mail: firozjunagadh@gmail.com
Blog: http//firozmendarda.blogspot.com

Sanjay Bhut
Mahila Arts & Commerce College, Veraval (Somnath)
Dist.-Junagadh, Gujarat – India
E-mail: sanjay.bhut@yahoo.com

Dr. Nayan Tank
Gurukul Mahila Arts & Commerce College,Jubilee Porbandar,
Dist.-Porbandar, Gujarat – India
E-mail: nayandtank@gmail.com

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Dear Editors
Spark Int’l Online eJournal
I am greatly pleased to know that Spark eJournal is indexed in Cabell’s
Directory U.S.A. I congratulate its Editorial Board for such a praiseworthy and
substantive work. Its inclusion in the highly-acclaimed Cabell’s Directory of
Journals in the USA is an indeed another feather in the cap.
I praise vociferously the entire team of the Spark Online e-Journal. It is a great
pleasure to see and go through the latest number of Spark Online e-Journal. Its
content and outlook are attention-arresting. It will be useful to a larger teaching
and learning communities since it is multilingual and rich with multimedia. I
wish for its growth and development in all directions of higher education. I also
wish that more and more higher educational institutes may take note of this
eJournal as a research work and join it by actively participating in it.
With kind regards.
Dr. Hemixa Rao
Vice-Chancellor
H.N.G.University
PATAN (North Gujarat) India

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Dear Editors
I am highly pleased to know that Spark eJournal

is indexed in

esteemed directory named Cabell’s Directory,U.S.A. It is, indeed, a phenomenon
thing for all of us. I congratulate entire committed team of Spark eJournal.
Education assumes utmost significance in human life. In the present
time, it is deemed as the potent means of empowering the humanity along with
enhancing process of civilization. Higher education contributes to them by way
of creating and disseminating ideas and knowledge. Such journals serve as a
forum for sharing and disseminating ideas and knowledge. Spark is at its best in
making accessible them to scholars and colleagues across the world.
Once again, I convey my sincere congratulation to spark Pariwar.
Prof. Dr. Kamal Mehta
Director – CDC & Head, Dept. of English
& Comparative Studies, Sau. Uni. – Rajkot, Gujarat

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Dear Friends,
It gives me immense pleasure to learn that Spark International eJournal
is listed in Cabell’s Directory U.S.A. It is a prestigious Directory of manuscripts
and the journal’s inclusion in it underscores the high quality of the journal. After
a span of three years, Spark International eJournal has matured and is doing
commendable work in the academic field. I am very pleased that Spark
International eJournal is following all the parameters of a quality research journal. I
will not hesitate to say that Spark is one of the most noteworthy Journals of
Gujarat.
Wish the entire team of Spark the very best for future issues.
Dr. Farook Salat
Head, Dept. of English,
M.S. Uni., Baroda, Gujarat, India

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The Editors
It fills my heart with joy unspeakable to know that Spark eJournal
is indexed in international directory. I feel privileged to announce this
prestigious news that Cabell Publishing Inc. has selected Spark eJournal for
indexing among renowned and internationally reputed journals of the world.
It read on Cabell Publishing official website that – “In 1978, Cabell
Publishing, Inc. was founded to help professors, graduate students, and
researchers publish their manuscripts in academic journals.” They have almost
a dozen of directories for academic journal and Spark eJournal is indexed in the
directory for Educational Journals. This journal will be accessible from any
corner of the world which is connected through internet. The Cabell’s Directory
will help in systematic dissemination of creative & innovative ideas and in
sharing & collaborating information which in turn will lead us towards
knowledge society.
This eJournal has been quite unique from the idea of its inception.
It is one of the morning voices in the arena of interdisciplinary and

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multidisciplinary research studies. As this journal includes all the subjects of
Humanities, Social Sciences & other branches of knowledge, the readers get
variety of knowledge to keep them abreast with latest happenings in the
academic research.
The multilingual feature of this journal is something that all
journals published in country like India should adhere to. It provides
opportunity to regional writers to contribute at international level. It gives
ample opportunity to the peripheral view points to challenge the centre. It
helps in giving ears to the unheard melodies.
I wish for its growth and wide spread in academia in and out of
India.
I heartily congratulate to the young team of editors and all those
who are actively involved with this journal for this grand success. Without
your help, guidance & insights this journal would have not been so successful.
Let this eJournal be borderless in terms of identity, language,
nation, knowledge & wisdom!
Dr. Dilip Barad
Associate Prof. & Head, Department of English,
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Campus, Bhavnagar
University, Bhavnagar - Gujarat (India)

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Table of Content
Sr.
No.

Article Title & Author

Page
No.

01

Multicultural Diversity, Ethnic Conflicts and Social Dialogue: Towards
Community Cohesion in Plural Societies
--Dr. Motaleb Azari

1-14

02

Dhruv Bhatta’s Modern Aranyaks: Theorising Indian Ecocriticism
--R. B. Zala

15-34

03

Comparative Overview of the Forms of Storytelling with Reference to
the Digital Age
-- Dr. Dilip Barad

35-61

04

History and the Individual in Manju Kapoor’s Married Woman
--Dr. Firoz Shaikh

62-76

05

Waste Elimination Method of 5S: A Review
--Er. Rajesh Kumar Mehta; Dr. Naveen K. Mehta; Dr. D Mehta

77-85

06

Tagore's Portrayal of Feminine Characters: Manifesting the Bengali
Society
-- Dr. Richa Tewari

86-100

07

Creating Teaching Learning Value Chain with Modern-Age Paradigms
-- Ms. Nishrin Pathan

101-127

08

Social thinking in Modern Sanskrit literature
--Prema Sharma; Hemant Bamoriya

128-138
Contd…

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Table of Content Contd…
Sr.
No.

Article Title & Author

Page
No.

09

Representation of Upper Class in Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Importance of Being
Earnest’
-- Ms. Kavita Vansia

139-166

10

Cartoon Analysis : A technique for Classroom Interaction
-- Shamsha Emanuel

167-174

11

We, Technology and Puppets: Who’s Who?
-- Ms. Jelam Hardik

175-180

12

Social thinking in Modern Sanskrit literature
-- Dr. Sanjay Pandya

181-197

13

Creative Writing and Multimedia
-- R. Janaky

198-214

14

Law and Order: The Story of the Rulers and the Ruled
--Siddharth Chaturvedi

215-234

15

English Proficiency -A Step towards Sustainable Community
Development in small cities
-- Ms. Ritu R. Agarwal

235-245

16

Marketing Ethics: Issues & Problems
--Dr. Kailashben P. Damor

246-280

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Article-1: Multicultural Diversity, Ethnic Conflicts and Social Dialogue: Towards
Community Cohesion in Plural Societies

ToC

Dr. Motaleb Azari
Assistance Professor and Chairman of
Department of Studies in English,
Payame Noor University of Chenaran, Iran.

“Difference is of the essence of humanity. Difference is an accident of birth
and it should therefore never be the source of hatred or conflict. The answer to difference is
to respect it. Therein lays a most fundamental principle of peace: respect for diversity.”
(John Hume, Nobel Lecture1998)
Abstract
Community cohesion goes further than ideas of racial equality and
social inclusion. It includes issues of class, gender, sexuality, etc. and is more
about the dynamic relationships between and within communities in a society.
Explaining the concept of community cohesion in simple, meaningful and direct
terms underpins many challenging issues. In this regard, to achieve community
cohesion it is necessary to consider a broad range of concerns including social
inequalities, socio-cultural diversity and even modernisation in terms of access to
communication and information technologies.

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Therefore, as DaveWeely (History of Community Cohesion 2)suggests, a
cohesive society is one which creates a common vision and a sense of belonging among
all communities wherein the diversity of individuals’ backgrounds and circumstances
are “appreciated and positively valued”. In fact, this cohesion provides the situation for
those from different backgrounds to have similar life opportunities. In this sense, strong
and positive relationships will be developed among people from different backgrounds
and society will achieve a sustainable socio-cultural development.
It is important to understand the root causes and implications of
particular incidents of any social disorder. Hence, the main emphasis must be
on improving community cohesion among various ethnic groups and removing
collective tensions. Before exploring the causes and influences of any crosscultural conflict due to such tensions, however, an attempt will be made here to
provide a clear understanding of the concept of cultural diversity and the nature
of ethnic conflict in plural societies.
When we use the word “social” we are referring to society and to
individuals that make up the society. Every society is constantly in transition as
long as these individuals inter-mingle with one another. But social dynamism,
or the rate of social change, may vary from one society to another and
alterations within a society’s social organization, within its social institutions,
and its social structure contribute to this social dynamism and change.

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This means that change is a continuous occurrence—although in
most cases the cultural and social entities would persist in such changes. Sociocultural changes come about when members of a society are confronted with
cultural practices that differ from those that they have learned to accept and
new customs are likely to be adopted more readily if they are viewed as being
socially desirable and useful (Datin&Bujang 1).
The issue of multicultural diversity has been broadly discussed on
both scientific and public levels. During past decades, a “multiculturalist”
perspective has been adopted by public policy framework in order to deal with
cultural diversity. The idea of multicultural society has its roots in nation-states,
throughout their histories, when confronted with international migration such
as in Canada, The United States and Australia. These states are conventionally
referred

to

as

examples

of

various

forms

of

multicultural

society,

accommodated through nation states’ public policies (Neumannova 1-2). Still,
the issue includes a variety of challenges, which take new shapes according to
the different political circumstances wherever they are manifested. Western
European countries lately recognized the need to react to the cultural diversity
brought in by immigrants as a consequence of their immigration and integration
policies.

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This issue was brought up, for instance, by ethnic clashes in
Yugoslavia and Eastern Europe after the fall of communism, and by the crisis of
the traditional nation-state in Western Europe, determined by non-European
immigration into this area. Due to these and other events, multicultural
diversity has been considered the root of possible international ethnic conflicts
and discords. In this regard, most of the scientists and researchers identified the
problem of multicultural diversity as a challenge to liberal democratic system
and to civil society (2).
Even some contemporary intellectuals such as the Canadian social
scientist, John Ralston Saul tackles these challenges in hisThe Next Best Thing and
The Paradise Eater. The main figures in these works are mainly of Canadian and
European origins who have, temporarily or permanently, selected Thailand—
another multicultural society—as their homeland. The question to be addressed
here is to what extent can a plural society like Thailand include Western
immigrants, who do not accept that society’s principles, without disintegrating
itself? On the other side, how can such a society integrate immigrants, who have
completely different ethnic origins, cultural principles and religion?

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In his conversation with Spenser, Field presents the accounts on
how various immigrants from USA, Canada and Europe have come and settled
in Thailand; “A lot of us came here to get away. That wasn’t how we put it. We
thought we’d come because of Vietnam, but that was just an excuse. … There
[are] lots of Brits, Australians, French, everything”. These immigrants with “lots
of stories” contribute to disintegrating Thai society (Paradise 22- 23; ch. 2).
Giovanni Sartori (10) suggests that in more recent times the issue of
multicultural diversity in plural societies has been very closely related to the
question of “liberal society” and “liberal nation-states”. Liberal society,
according to its definition, is there to guarantee individuals’ universal rights for
freedom and autonomy. Modern nation states have so far been inclined towards
promoting unifying and inclusive policies, and their aim still is to promote
equality among citizens in regard to their civil rights in social and political life.
In practice, these political demands have usually manifested themselves into
acculturation policies meant to safeguard integration of diverse cultural groups.
In this sense, recognition of an individual on a national level, acknowledged
through a set of given cultural and linguistic stereotypes and political symbols,
has been considered an essential step towards the acquisition of a citizenship in
such plural societies. However, achieving equality in accessing civil rights—as
the main focus on this theory—often meant for individuals from different
cultural groups to gain equal opportunities.

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Cultural nationalists hold that a democratic society could solve
such problems of inequality only through a shared national culture.Even
increasing cultural diversity, which we can observe in modern plural societies
since the beginning of the nineties of the last century, has focused our attention
to the promotion of rights for different cultural groups. This is the reason why
cultural diversity is often taken for granted by multiculturalists, in order to give
an answer to ethnic conflicts or clashes in plural societies.
Charles Taylor’s “politics of recognition” has also its roots in
“communitarian liberalism” (25-74). Its central notion is that the recognition of
cultural rights of communities should be guaranteed equally to each
community, because “all cultures have an equal value”. However, this theory is
not interested in affirmative action, reducing the inequalities and redefining
equal opportunities for all; its goal is rather the formation of “differentiated
individuals”, and of a state with sensibility for a difference. The main issue of
policies designed under the influence of the politics of recognition is that they
lead to divisions among citizens. In both cases, either affirmative action or
politics of recognition lead to a reaction, where discriminated groups claim the
same advantages given to other groups, while those groups with strong cultural
identity claim more privileges at the expense of non-supported cultural groups.
Such backlashes keep alive a discriminative behavior of disadvantaged groups
or groups which are not accepted, or which are denied by a community.

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Michel Walzer (Spheres of Justice) ascribes these two actions to
different types of liberalism. One type of liberalism is mostly concerned with
liberal rights of individuals, in this way wishing to create a neutral state. A
second kind of liberalismpermits one or more nations to flourish on account of
other nations, while the rights of citizens, who are engaged in civil life, are,
preserved.
Therefore, multicultural diversity in a democracy provides a
situation for individuals to be identified enough with their culture, in order to
be recognized as politically or socially equal. The question of moral relevance
for cultural rights as observed in the multicultural theories of Will Kymlicka or
Charles Taylor, in order to justify other political or social actions, makes out of
cultural recognition a matter of universal human rights and, consequently, the
possible goal of political struggle to reach equal representation.
It is to be observed that the multicultural diversity as suggested by
some social scientists, does not propose any solution towards a conciliation of
cultural differences with political institutions, but it would rather create
distance and increase the political relevance of these differences. Therefore,
multicultural diversity according to such a mindset would not bring unity of
different cultural groups in one state, but rather social dissolution and further
differentiation.

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Such sort of multicultural diversity turns into a non-tolerant policy,
denying mutual recognition and integration, and it leads to what is called, the
“balkanization” of societies. The cultural diversities of various ethnic groups in
these states, would be therefore, radicalized into political programs, and society
is politically and socially increasingly polarized. In The Next Best Thing(40- 41;
ch. 3), there is a conversation between Gordon and Spenser which refers to the
fragility of such societies:
The society of man is the most delicate of flowering plants.
Mistreated, ignored, grown foolish or over ambitious or too weak or too strong
it does not wither but explodes in a mere second and disappears so completely
it might never have existed. Its survival depends not on the good reading of
warnings but on the correct actions of the society itself. A seed of imbalance
appears at first to be nothing. But then it swells and germinates and flourishes
into blossom. And no matter how beautiful the flower, its seeds will destroy the
garden. The creative genius that you and I worship is a minor by-product that
dies with the rest.
The idea that economic development would help liberate
individuals from their fixed roles and responsibilities,may perhaps explain why
modern liberal theories inclined to ignore the question of morality, especially
when it comes to reinforcing cultural diversity in a plural society
(Neumannova3-5).

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Plural societies should therefore be promoted culturally, but it is
not specified how to build their social unity, when dealing with various cultural
identities various ethnic groups. The general presuppositions are that the
principle of citizenship will guarantee the equality among citizens, both in civil
rights and responsibilities. Such principle of citizenship expects such societies to
show neutrality towards cultural differences.

The danger in integration of

citizens who do not see this responsibility towards a state and towards other
citizens implies that we can create differentiated citizenship based on a refusal
of a state, which does not recognize cultural or ethnic differences. This is why
many plural societies turn to fight for independence from the existing
majorities. Citizenship in this sense is presented less as a system for attributing
rights and more as a political field.
However, we can ask a question as to whether all the political and
social movements, really aim for socio-cultural recognition. In other words, this
paper is led to the point of asking whether we really need a political strategy to
manage cultural diversity, when culture is capable in its autonomy to
accommodate differences without restrictions. Or whether the demand for
recognition of cultural differences is really connected to existing cultural
diversity in a multicultural society, or whether it only represents the will of
cultural groups for adjusting social and political inequalities?

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Such questions of universal respect and egalitarian reciprocity seem
to be central nowadays to the discussion on multicultural diversity. Different
groups in a multicultural society may fight for equality of moral values and
demand to be ethnically and culturally recognized in a classificatory taxonomy
of a state’s structures. “Often cultural differences are understood as cultural
hierarchies rather than cultural variations” (Neumannova 7). For cultural
relativists, cultural claims are important issues about equality. Therefore,
cultural relativismperceives the contextual nature of equality under the
influence of a constructive discourse.
On the whole, the risk of multicultural diversity failing in its
propositions of cultural relativism lays in the premise that every ethnic group
has its own and distinct but equal values and cultural patterns. Therefore, no
one could validly object to beliefs or interests of any ethnic group, because these
interests and beliefs reflect their worldview. Consequently, the moral equality
among various groups, and the presupposition that all groups possess their
own sovereign perspective on right and wrong, have been the most criticized
points of cultural relativism. Referring to this, Benhabib (34-35) suggests that
some aspects of cultural relativism are true derivatives from certain features of
modern world, and also from knowledge that the variability of human cultures
is as old as human culture itself. In this sense, our increasing knowledge of
other cultures multiplies our sense of relativity.

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Hence, the communication between different cultural groups and
attempts to understand each other is only an interpretation and a process of
making sense of meanings. The central insight that meaning must be first
interpreted and understood from a standpoint of its producers, takes us to
important moral implications.
There is still very little research done on cultural relativism and
equality of moral values. But, for example, studies from Brubaker (1992) or
Ireland (1994) show how different national forms of participatory mechanisms
shape political activities of immigrants, and such studies have proven to be very
productive in understanding moral values of both immigrants and host society.
Both, Brubaker and Ireland,arrived at similar results; they tried to prove that
culturally similar groups of immigrants mobilize differently in different
countries. This opened a discussion whether cultural recognition is really the
main reason for political claims of culturally different groups, and it led to
reconsidering cultural diversity as a problematic category. Such assumptions
consequently affirm the idea that multicultural diversity does not use culture as
an end but as the means to solve moral inequities in contemporary society.

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Works cited:

1. SeylaBenhabib,“The claims of culture: Equality and diversity in the Global
era”, Princeton: Princeton University Press. 2002. 34-35.
2. Roger Brubaker, Citizenship and Nationhood in France and Germany,
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1992.
3. Datin and RahmahBujang, “Cultural Diversity: Social Inclusion or
Exclusion?” World Youth Foundation Dialogue.(June-July 2007): 1.
4. John Hume, “Nobel Lecture.” Oslo. (December 10, 1998).Web. 04. 03. 2008.
5. Patrick Ireland, “The Policy Challenge of Ethnic Diversity: Immigrant
Politics in France and Switzerland”, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University
Press, 1994.
6. RadkaNeumannova, “Multiculturalism and Cultural Diversity in Modern
Nation State.”A paper presented to Conference Turin University of
Economics, Prague Czech Republic.(2007): 1- 10, 09. 08. 2009.
7. Giovanni

Sartori,

“Pluralismus,

Multikulturalismus

a

Pristěhovalci.

Dokoran”, 2005, 10. In; Neumannova, Radka. “Multiculturalism and cultural
diversity in modern nation state”. A paper presented to Conference Turin
University of Economics, Prague Czech Republic. 2007.
8. John Ralston Saul, The Next Best Thing, Ontario: Collins, 1986.
9. ---. The Paradise Eater, New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1988.

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10. Charles Taylor,The Politics of Recognition,In;Multiculturalism: Examining
the Politics of

Recognition, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press,

1992.25-74. 04. 11. 2007.
11. Michael Walzer, Spheres of Justice: A Defense of Pluralism and Equality,
New York: Basic Books,1983, xiv. 11. 05. 2010.
12. Dave Weeley, “History of Community Cohesion.” Community Cohesion –
LGA,(2001): 2.
Note on the Author:
Presently living in Bangalore, Motaleb Azari (b. 1978) is a Lecturer
(Azad University of Quchan), PhD Scholar (Dos in English, University of
Mysore, India). He has participated and presented many research papers at the
national and international seminars and conferences in India and abroad
including Kolkata, Varanasi, Mysore, Kerala, Malaysia, Turkey, Canada, and a
lot more. Hi papers/articles have been published in ‘Sarasa Dhvanyavaloka’,
‘Indian Journal of Post Colonial Studies’, etc.
Grants and Awards:
• “Bonyad Shahid Fellowship for Ph.D. scholars abroad” (2007 to present)
• University of Mysore, Registration under “Scheme A” for outstanding foreign
MA candidates.

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•

•

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A Grant of 1200 $US, received from The Center for Poverty and Development
Studies(CPDS), for a research contribution in the International Islamic
Conference, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Winner of the Grant prize (Umrah), in “Quran Festival for Iranian Students
Abroad”, 2009 for the selected paper entitled; “Quran and Globalization of
Cultures”.

Honors Received:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

“The Outstanding Ph.D. Scholars’ Honor” Received from the Iran Embassy,
India (2008).
“The Outstanding Ph.D. Scholars’ Honor” Received from “The Union of Iranian
Students’ Islamic Association in India for the years 2007-08.
“The Outstanding MA Students’ Honor” Received from the Iran Embassy,
India for Years; 2005 & 2006.
“The Outstanding MA Students’ Honor” Received from The Union of Iranian
Students’ Islamic Association in India. (2005).
Honor received from Guilan University, Rasht, Iran, for securing the 4th place
of outstanding Young Scholars in English Literature (2001).

ToC
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Article-2: Dhruv Bhatta’s Modern Aranyaks: Theorising Indian Ecocriticism

ToC

R. B. Zala
Senior Associate Professor,
Department of English & CLS,
Saurashtra University
Rajkot (Gujarat)

Abstract
Dhruv Bhatta’s Modern Aranyaks: Theorising Indian Ecocriticism
ॐ पू र् णमदः पू र् णमि दम् पू र् णा त् पू र् णमु दच् यते |
पू र् णस् य पू र् णमा दा य पू र् णमे वा वशि ष् यते ||
ॐ शा न् ति ः शा न् ति ः शा न् ति ः ||
oṃ pūrṇamadaḥ pūrṇamidam pūrṇāt pūrṇamudacyate
pūrṇasya pūrṇamādāya pūrṇamevāvaśiṣyate
oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ
Om ! That (Brahman) is infinite, and this (universe) is infinite.
The infinite proceeds from the infinite.
(Then) taking the infinitude of the infinite (universe),
It remains as the infinite (Brahman) alone.

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Dhruv Bhatt is an established contemporary Gujarati writer, who is
engaged in fictionalizing the basic environment issues, since last three decades, of
ecology and traditional wisdom of the people dwelling in and around wilderness
that present the environment issues discussed locally as well as globally. His first
hand real experience of the life is well merged with the seemingly fantastic
mythical narration in abode natural habitats of endangered species and human life
in locales of Gujarat. His works are more than travelogues in creating a fictional
word out of his real life wanderings in rapidly erasing eco system to interweave
the environmental issues that are raised at the global forums to confront with the
solutions at local level in the most natural and cohesive way. The issues as save
whales and lions incorporated from two different terrains of thorny forest of Gir
and the western coastal region ‘Ghed’ are interwoven without being slightest
burden to the narrative is the focus of my study of Samudrantike(1993), Tatvamasi
(1998), and Akoopar (2010).
Greg Garrard’s Ecocriticism (2004) is the text for reference to speak of
western ecocriticism to extend the theoretical perspective in Indian context through
the contemporary Gujarati fictions by Dhruv Bhatt based on ‘a quest for fine
balance between a traditional, non-scientific, faith driven society and cynical, profit
driven economy.’

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(Meghani) Dhruv Bhatt draws on the Brihad Aranyak Upnishad to contextualize
the Indian ecocritical perspective to appreciate the newly emerging discourse of
‘Ecology and Literature’.
In Introduction to The Ecocriticism Reader, Cheryl Glotfelty and Harold
Fromm, define "ecocriticism as the study of the relationship between literature and
the physical environment….takes an earth-centered approach to literary studies’
The ecocritics

have moved on to Ecocriticism that takes as its subject the

interconnections between nature and culture, specifically the cultural artifacts of
languages and literature, As a critical stance, it has one foot in literature and the
other on land; as a theoretical discourse, it negotiates between the human and the
non-human. But here the western notion of seeing diversity or binary opposition
‘human and the non-human’ while India can contribute with the wisdom of
oneness to evaluate and study the writers as Dhruv Bhatt to speak of the
interdisciplinary study that ecocriticism envisages to take in the cultural and
environmental engagements in literature.
Greg Garrard to elucidate the term ‘ecocriticism’ in Ecocriticism
commence with ‘Begings: Pollution’ the reference to Carson’s Silent Sping(1962) to
take a lead from scientific material that may well be amable to more ‘literary’ or
‘cultural’ analysis. Sighting Glotfelty with the fundamental question What is
ecocriticism? :

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What then is ecocriticism? Simply put, ecocriticism is the study is the
study of the relationship between literature and the physical environment. Just as
feminist criticism examins language and literature from the gender-conscious
perspective, and Maxist criticism brings an awareness of modes of production and
economic class to its reading of texts, ecocriticism takes an earth-centered
approachto literary studies.(3)
Approaching ahead from study of nature or wilderness from romantics
in the early phase AND environmental crisis Garrald broadly defines ecocriticism
as, Indeed , wider definition of the ecocriticism is the study of relationship of the
human and non-human, throughout human cultural history and entailing critical
analysis of the term ‘human’ itself. (5) The theorisation proceed to look into the
‘Positions’ as cornucopia (exaggerated threats), environmentalism (Concerned
about environment issues but are not for radical change), Deep Ecology
(flourishing of

human- non human life has value but with smaller human

population / Duality of human and nature), ecofeminism(association of woman
with nature) social ecology and eco-marxism(rational-political) and (Difference
between mere material existence and revelation of being/ extraordinary in
ordinary). He goes on to elaborate on the key concerns/ trops for ecocriticsi.e.
pastorals, wilderness(uncontaminated state of nature by civilisation) apocalypse
narratives(prophetic) and troubles with apocalypse narratives,

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dwelling , Animals(relation with human) to conclude with Future direction ‘The
Earth’- earth/ dying image from space-monoculturing minds with homogenization
through globalization and simulations by VR programmes (Biosphere 2 (1991)
AND Thd EadenProject: cornwell (2000) )and Gaia (the ancient Greek Earthgoddess) to discuss the future challenges that ecocriticism of relation between
globalization and ecocriticism end with a final futuristic comment as,
It ought not to be too pious or too implausible, to associate with
ecocriticism of the

future with Eden’s inflection of the Earth: attuned to

environment justice, but not dismissive of claims of commerce and technology;
shaped by knowledge of long-term environment problems, ecological insight; and
commitment to preservation of biological diversity of the planet for all its habitants.
It is a long way from the pastoral we started with, and it is a great-souled vision
with its feet planted solidly on the ground.(Garrard 182)
Expending the argument with the western ‘vision’ with the wisdom to
Indian ‘vision’ we shift to Dhruv Bhatt and his drawing from the Upnishad to
contextualize the Indian ecocritical perspective to appreciate the newly emerging
discourse of ‘Ecology and Literature’. The title themselves clearly are suggestive of
his drawing from the tradition of the past and assimilating the present through the
living spaces that that survive eternally in the abode of nature as Gir , Ghed, river
banks and sea shores.

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The shift to the discourse of ecocriticism is in realistic presentation of
the topology as a living text as Gir or Ghed as ground zero (‘feet planted on the
ground’)against the mythical and prophetic tools that the western mind strive to
bank on. Gaia to Gir is the striking difference between the sources of context that
speaks of dead and alive respectively. The spaces narrated are not utopian nor
pastoral nostalgia. Neither pastoral nor wilderness. It is no virtual or artificial
simulater that is manmade reality based on sophisticated technology. Today if final
solution is sought in unmeditated earth it is in these text that represent the
surviving unmapped scapes in the mindscapes of people and landscapes of Gir and
Ghed.
To speak of theory to practice of ecocritics and activist against
homogeniziing the indigenous ways of life is highly under the takeover of the
project globalization which is run by the economically and politically powerful
corporate houses and global brands. The global events by

global forums are

directionless and powerless to toil against the so called progress and developments
that are compulsions for poverty-stricken nations of third world.
The global ecological concerns can be viewed with the theme of 2010
Earth Day ‘One Planet. One Future'. It celebrated the incredible diversity of life on
Earth as part of the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity. This year's global host,
Rwanda – a country of exceptional biodiversity that has made huge strides on
environmental protection – leaded the celebrations with three days of keynote
events.

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Thousands of activities were organized worldwide, with beach cleanups, concerts, exhibits, film festivals, community events and much more.
Pittsburgh, was selected as the North American host city by the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) to join World Environment Day-2010. "
Highlighting theme "Biodiversity- Ecosystem Management and the Green
Economy". Slogans as ‘Save Whales/Panda/Tigers/ Trees’ with national and
international organizations and activists speak of the damage done to the
environment in order to put forward the issues that have to a greater extent
brought about an awareness towards the devastating effects of over use of natural
resources by human population to lead us on the edge of dooms day. The reasons
for the catastrophe need no further study but the solutions seem to be out of reach
due to non commitment to resolve the crises at local as well as global level. ‘Global
worming’ to the issues of the local tribes are worsening as the clock ticks on.
Dhruv Bhatts’ works are modern Arayanks which he has written
through his wanderings and dwelling in the forests or by the sea shores and river
sides. It unfolds the secret knowledge of the age old seers to communicate in the
modern language and novel form to the contemporary world. The canvass he uses
is painted with the background distorted landscapes of the surviving natural
habitats to speak of the physical environmental problems. He speaks out the
mindscapes through the surviving wisdom with the people and their culture in
these spaces.

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The intervention of the writer through usually an anonymous narrator
is the understanding one can reach if the knowledge of decoded with self affiliation
to the environment. The exoteric actions reveal the mind that contemplating on
esoteric as Sri Swami Krishnananda in his introduction to Brihad Aranyak
Upanishad as, The Upaniṣhad is a revelation of the inner principles of life as
manifest in actions of a variegated nature. The ritual of the is contemplated in the
Upaniṣhads. The Vedic sacrifice, or, for the matter of that, any kind of religious
performance, is a symbol, ultimately, which is the point of departure in all esoteric
approaches to religion. External religion is symbolic of an internal principle which
is true religion, towards which the Upaniṣhad drives our minds. This departure is
to be found in every religion in the world. The symbolic character of human
activity and religious performance is brought out in a study of esoteric principles,
which is the philosophy of life. The

activities of human life are symbolic in the

sense that they are not representative of the whole Truth, but manifest only certain
aspects of Truth. Every action is involved in cosmic relations of which very few are
brought to the surface of one’s notice when the action is really performed. We
always think that an action is motivated by an individual or a group of individuals
towards a particular relative end which is visible to the eye and conceivable by the
mind, but never do we imagine for a moment that there can be farther reaches of
the tentacles of this action, beyond the reach of the human eye and mind and our
little action can really be a cosmic deed, that God can see what we do,

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and the whole universe can vibrate with the little word that difficult thing for us to
understand; and the Upaniṣhad explains it to bring to the purview of our
consciousness these inward secrets of outward action, telling us that the outward
sacrifice is symbolic of an inward contemplation of Universal Reality. (13)
Dhruv Bhatt fictionalizes the life of people dwelling in and around the
natural abodes of Gujarat to incorporate the issues and solutions at hand. His
realistic presentation of life and locals in Samudrantike (southern most coast of
Saurashtra), Tatvamasi (on/along the banks of river Narmada) and Akoopar (Gir
forest) are result of his wanderings and dwelling with the people as a seeker of
knowledge with faith in the deep rooted culture that survives withs age old living
vedic tradition. I would focus on Akoopar that unfolds not just the geographic space
that is the wild life sanctuary of the few surviving Asiatic lions that are under the
threat of extinction but the surviving tradition of the people that can be a solution
to all our anxiety at the local, national and the global level.
To begin with, the writer’s explanatory note: ‘About the Title’ Akoopar, states that he ‘decided’ to write on Gir and Ghed (a coastal region north to
Gir ) regions rather than any characters or theme. The characters evolve as it were
in a given space. He further refers to the word ‘Akoopar’(Tortoise), suggested as
the title by a friend with its meaning, was referred to Bhagavat Gomandal and the
myth of Akoopar from Mahabharat was kown to the writer but it was confusing to
connect it to what he was planning to write

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and what would ultimately be written. The connection is drawn from the two
incidences of his meeting of an old man whose utterance while narrating the
calamity of the cyclone in 1882 and the half flat forest ‘…I thought that it was the
end of the lifespan of Gir. But when I look at it today my dear has started to laugh.
Now I can beat my breast (undoubtedly) and say that what the forefathers were
saying is not wrong. Gir is my mother, eternal.’ And another incident in Ghed
someone during the discussions on sky watching and revolution of Earth they
spoke of the early belief that the earth is balanced on the hood of Shesh Nag and
the back of the tortoise at that time someone commented that, ‘if that was the case
then the point on which the support was would be exactly under Gir.’ This speaks
of the centrality of the thorny Gir forest in the text and faith of the writer in the
continuing tradition of wisdom for which he employs the title metaphorically to
present the text as the witness to eternal ethos of life just as the mythical Akoopar
of Mahabharat. The writers design of the text speaks of his design to blend the
temporal with eternal. Akoopar gives the geographical map of the region just before
it opens and gives space to the original myth of Akoopar after the narration ends.
Symbolically the fiction is presented/held/planted by two palms with all the
consciousness of real concrete geographical space and the long past. In between is
the unfolding of living wisdom that links the two. Title Tatvamasi need no
explaination nor does Samudrantike (translated as Oceanside Blues Mahendra
Meghani) where the recurring revelation/ epiphany through the calls of legendry
river Narmada and the earth respectively as:

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I could hear an unknown voice beckoning me, now I belived that the earth indeed
called out … The communion between nature and man was an established
phenomenon that had stood the taste of time. Beyond doubt there exist in the
universe a secret code by which

the animate and the inanimate are able to

interact.(Meghani 183)
The writer keeping with the tradition creates a narrator who is an
unnamed painter on a assignment to paint the element of ‘earth’ among five basic
elements for the interior decoration under a big project. The artist is the outsider
who gradually unfolds the inner world of Gir. The wide range of characters from
Maldharis (cattle rearers)who live within the forest, to forest officers and guards,
villagers, wildlife activist, fishermen, characters dead and alive present the life of
Gir and Ghed regions. It is a modern Aranyak Upnishad where the narrator sits at
the feet of the Gir dwellers to attain wisdom. The painting of the ‘Earth’ element for
a modern artist is more of an imagination while for the traditional artist as Iemma.
The environment concerns interwoven in the text are numerable to
take account of them exhaustively. To take note of a few are, human-wildlife
conflict, lion poaching, encroachment on forest lands, stakeholders of forestry
management, livelihood concerns in forest areas, recognizing access to forest
resources for survival , fears of extinction of lion among wildlife conservationists,
relocate some of the lions from Gir national park,

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illegal mining, biodiversity , coastal regulations, soil erosion, afforestation, hill
ecology , endangered species , ecological balance and many more. The solutions lie
in immunity that the characters inherit from traditional way of life and the values
they live with. Iieyma, Sansai and her forefather Ravaata along with other
characters reveal the secret wisdom of the local people that is spellbinding.
The opening of the novel with a colloquial expression “Khamma” by Iema
(Akoopar), ‘Appi de- le(Give –take )(Tatvamasi) or is so gudh that the meaning
unfolds suspendedly in the very end to resolve all the conflicts environmental as
well as of life as a whole to end the work with the same blessing address. The
contemplative urben artist narrator reveals the knowledge from usage ‘khamma’
used by Iema the local traditional artist. In her reply to a question during her
painting exhibition in Ahmedabad that ,
‘Do you like to stay there in jungle more than here in Amdavad?’
And some one else also spoke, ‘To go outing is fine;but to stay!without
facilities, among the lions and leopards, fear of being killed or will be killed.What
to live where there no safety of life?’ …
‘My boys, all of you understand that no one is going to livefor ever staying in this
pakka house. I have never heard that lion-leopard or scorpions ever killed the
number people killed by the cars and trucks and motorcycles on the roads would
be ‘We read daily in papers that don’t people die in quarreling for nothing?

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And yet does anyone have the time to say khamma to the earth?’
The exposition on the part if the narrator that almost merges with the
writer is that ‘She does not just say khamma to the departed soul. To her pain of
passing away of one soul is the sorrow of the whole universe. And that is why in
her khamma the life on this beautiful planet has the strength to bear the shock and
bloom on with the blessings and confidence that is heard.’(135)
Just as incase of usages the recognition of lions by names as well as
regarding them handsome

( rupalo ) not just the beast but also, as in case the

forest guide Mustaffa points at various hills by their names and speaking of one
among them as the most handsome speaks of the mutualism in the true sense. The
doha (a folk metrical composition in oral tradition)
Ghantalo paene ghantaline, ‘ne anvar vahadhor
Hiran, Meghal Janadiu ne gyerma jakamjol (33)
The couplet comes up with a long story to tell of blind and legendary
Ravaata that bring together the threads of the complex mosaic plot to speak of
interconnected whole and realization that, ‘and that invisible voice that said,‘Gir,
our land one time…’. I accept it too. Neither is it ghost nor illution. It is the one
within me lac, crore or more years old .me. yes myself.’(284) Ravaata on whom the
doha is written speaks of a seemingly fantastic a ceremonial marriage of two hills
Ghantla and Ghantly

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celebrated by Ravaata in order to give a feast to people as he being blind had
wowed not to marry but promised to feed the people and he did this by adopting
Ghantala while Ghantli was adopted by the Divan of Junagadh Nawab! This is
unbelievable and unimaginable that a person could think of marrying the hills but
the reality is that the legend is alive with third generation to capture their
imagination for whom there is Iema to paint the scenes of the story and according
to her she paints what she believes in.
Sansai as is the returning fact with all his works is all powerful female
character. She mistorically moves around the scene to present the essence of Gir,
She is at once an enchanting Charan Kanya, a Jogmaya, the life soul, a devi,shakti
incarnated, Shakti the power herself. She is Gir, a lioness with the trait of courage
and concerns that she has inherited from Rawaata her great grand-father. She is
omnipresent to carry forward and give unity to the plot. She is projected as self
confident and out spoken and one who can not tolerate unjust word or action in the
space. In the begning she might read as a new bold and rustic woman portrayal but
as and when we come to know the legendary success of Rawaata to stop the
English Lords’ hunting of lions by walking all the way to Junagadh and persude
the Lordsahib. This results in Nawabs order to ban hunting lions. Rawaata’s
commitment and large-heartedness that Sansai inherits- she is her own master like
the lions. She cannot tolerate interference in her life and the life of Gir. and is very
straightforward to say for instance

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when she asks for lift on the motorcycle from the narrator and Vikram they pull her
leg by asking whether she knew where they were going for which she replies, ‘Why
are you asking me whether where you are going? I should ask myself where I want
to go’. (271) Her intervention in the discussion of students and forest officer on the
wildlife issues of new home for lions to save lion king in Madhya Pradesh arouses
Sansai to speak out to herself as a crude joke when she mutters: ‘Where the lion
should live and where not should be decided by us or by the lions?’ (152).
Again the debate of lions and other wild animals found in the human
dwellings around Gir is well brought up. Sansai and the narrator campaigned to
trace the lion hunters they call meetings in the villages around the mapped gir
forest. During their expidation the villagers come up to discuss the issues as ‘This
village is not in the territory of forest. According to the map it is not part of
Gyar(Gir). Earlier the lions never came here but now as their number has grown
they have started coming out.’(119) Sansai has the spontaneous answer:
‘We don’t want the mapped Gyar. Let that be so for the tourist. For us
Gir is where ever the lion walks. Let it be even it reaches the sea of Ghed or Bayda
mountain.’ And then she questioned with fury, ‘and in the name of Gyar you sell
your mangos, in the name of Gyar you sell ghee at that time you don’t remember
that this Gyar is not its part?’

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One of them gave substantiated saying, ‘This too is Gyar. Who says
that there never were lions here? In the real times I have heard that lions were
found far up to Dwarka and that way in Gohilwar up to the bushes of Shihor’
Sansai replied, ‘The number of lions have increased is the myth created
by newspapers. How does an outsider know whether how far the Gyar extends?
The fact is that we have started living in Gyar; yet the animals of Gyar kept our
respect. As their space was encroached they went in, then whether it is lion or other
lives, where would they go?’. (119-120)
Further when on of the villager confesses that they fence their farms
with live electric current to guard their crops from roz deer not to kill lions she
rebukes, ‘ So you don’t consider roz as living beings. The day since you started
differentiating a lion from a roz the troubles have set.’(120)

It is a master solution

to all the environment debates possible - possible to be uttered only by one who
find no duality in the animate and inanimate world. The mountains are married
and lions are to decide where they want to live! It is she who is the company of the
narrator with his first encounter and introduction of lions in wilderness and her
restlessness after the lion poaching incident. The mutual respect ‘amanya’ is also a
code that is decoded to respect not just lion the King but also for the grass that is
demanded by Rawaata from all not to graze cattle on the hills. It is the wisdom of
commenalism or co-existance

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and if moved away the issues of soil erosion and ecological balance is alarming. It is
the alarm sounded by Sansai on the weed that is fast spreading in the gir useless
even for grazing herds. The stray incidents of attacks by lions and leopard are
marked to bring home the reality that even the beast respect the humans especially
in case of Dhannu.
Writer comprehensively presents Ghed region with a different terrain
and life that is indigenous to a landscape in between the water logged land during
monsoon and the western most shores of India. Here too it is once again Rani the
young widow Sarpanch who replaces Sansai and deals with the Global issue of
saving whale. The whale that has been accepted as the Mascot in the space can be
read in recent TOI report of Jan.26,2011 where its head lines read: ‘Mangarol adopts
whale shark as mascot’. .(3) The issue is conservation of whale shark that are found
on the western coast as they come to lay eggs during monsoon. They are hunted for
the oil and meat and fins. The awareness to save whale is a success according to the
said report but the same is resolved by the writer with the help of writers
incorporating the seizer of a local boat by Pakistani coast guards with a young
pregnant woman never to return and the pregnant whale shark hunted for the
water proofing of their boats is well done through Rani who could bring the point
home by correlating the incident in a statement as, ‘How is it when our daughters
are coming home carrying a child in their womb is caught?(224)

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At one the massage is through and the fisher folk wow not to hunt ‘bale’.
The writers contemplative novel also has a recurring circular narrative
pattern. The works end at the point where they begin. This is to draw to the point
that everything is interconnected. The loose threads in the plot are so well inter
connected at the end it seemingly episodic narration turns out to e a master plot.
This is keeping with the aspect of circularity of time in nature. Noting can exist or
be on its own it has the design. Often repeated usage

Kak hai to kak aave(‘if

something thing is some thing takes form’)
The wonder stuck artist recognizes the unity as, ‘I think both the
aspects are interrelated . Yes some unknown equation that influences the whole
universe. One day or the other I shall find that universal equation.’(198)
To conclude with the lines quoted in the dedication page of the
Akoopar with true offering of the text to Earth poetically:
The one
Create of fire
Formed in space
Appeared from water
And
Breathed life from air
And holds
All four
Even now.
To that, form of matter
Earth.(Trans. mine)

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Also turning to the beginning of this paper it is a fiction that represent
the life and wisdom sought in Aranyakas as ‘I am Thou’ and

at micro level and

encompasses the wisdom of the sages of the Vedic period meditating on the basic
inquiry of evolution of life on earth. The idea of integration of five elements fire,
space, water, air and matter that is earth where Earth has integrated the other four.
This wisdom or realization of oneness in all innate is the solution with the locals
living in Aranyaks striving to keep alive the traditional knowledge. The world
needs to go back to Upnishadas meaning literally to seat at the feet of Rawaata,
Sansai, Suparia, Aval,Ieyma, Puria,Ganesh Shashtri, Bitubanga, Noorbhaai, and
others to save earth not to imbalance it on the back of Akoopar the earth bearer the
eternal witness to evolution of this eternal life.
The paper was presented at the Tenth CLAI International Conference ,
CUG, Gandhinar (3-6 March,2011)
References
Garrard, Greg.Ecocriticism,the Ne Critical Idiom,London:
Routledge,1994
Meghani,Mahendra. Tran. Oceanside Blues DhruvBhatt,New Delhi:
Sahitya Akademi,2001.
Bhatt,Dhruv. Akopopar. Amdavad:Gurjjar Granthratna Karyalaya,2010.
---. Samudrantike Amdavad: Gurjjar Granthratna Karyalaya, 1993.
---.Tatvamasi Amdavad: Gurjjar Granthratna Karyalaya, 1998.

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Note on Author:
R.B.Zala is a Senior Associate Professor, Department of English & CLS,
Saurashtra University Rajkot (Gujarat) since 2002. Formerly he worked at Choksi
Arts and Commerce College (Somnath College), Veraval (1991-2002). He has done
doctoral in the area of Compative Studies with ‘Pre-independence Gujarati and
Indian English Shor Story: A Comparative Study’.He is the co-editor of Gujarati
Short Story in Translation published Under UGC SAP. His other areas of interest
are ecocriticism, Drama and Indian Literatures.

ToC
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Article-3: Comparative Overview of the Forms of Storytelling with Reference

to the Digital Age

ToC

Dr. Dilip Barad,
Associate Prof. & Head,
Dept. of English, Bhavnagar University
Bhavnagar (Guj.) India

Abstract
At the heart of literature is telling story, and its success depends on
how well the story is told. How well it is told, however, depends largely on the
pleasure it gives to readers. This pleasure, if it is conditioned by ‘the law of poetic
truth and poetic beauty, elevates the story to the height of a classic.
Over the ages the form of storytelling has undergone significant
changes. The Sanskrit and Greek masters were happy in telling their stories in
form of verse letters, plays and epics; in the 18th century ‘Novel’ was seen as the
most suitable form for storytelling. In the 20th century, the fragmented life found
its expression in theatre of absurd, problem plays and the life full of hurry and

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flurry gave shorter forms like novella, one-act plays and short stories. At the fagend of the first decade of the 21st century, some forms have emerged to cater the
needs of techno-savvy netizens. The Epistolary form of telling story initiated by
Richardson in ‘Pamela’ found its new manifestation in Matt Beaumont’s novel ‘e’
in 2000. Matt has experimented with the epistolary form by replacing letters by
emails among the characters. The advent of e-novels is seen as yet another step
further in the evolution of new forms of telling story, and yet another form to
mesmerize the world with its synergism of words and videos is in the buds. This
new form of storytelling is ‘vook’ – a word coined for ‘video-book’.
This paper attempts to compare the changing forms of storytelling,
and also aims to examine the connection between at the forms of literature,
changing times and tastes of the reading audience.
________________________________________________________________________
“Over all [the scholar’s work] should rule a searching intelligence, asking that
fundamental question of the septic: just what do you mean by that? And if the
question is asked with a real desire to know and understand . . . the work is
done.” - G.R. Elton, The Practice of History (New York, 1967) 141. (Altic 1993)

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At the heart of literature is telling story, and its success depends on
how well the story is told. How well it is told, however, depends largely on the
pleasure it gives to readers. This pleasure, if it is conditioned by ‘the law of poetic
truth and poetic beauty’ (Arnold 2001), elevates the story to the height of a
classic. The pleasure quenched by the reader from the truth and beauty of
literature is also governed by the race, milieu and the moment. I mean to say, the
taste of the reader and the time in which it is written also has its own aesthetic
influence on the art of telling story.
The poor peasants and brave warriors of Greece and Mahabharata
found dramas and epics better forms of story telling to quench their thirst for
aesthetic life. Reaching to this point in the history of narrating story for aesthetic
pleasure and to teach moral lessons on niti-shastra, it has undergone important
changes. Slowly and steadily, the oral tradition metamorphosed into written and
from there into performing art. The Aesop’s fables (Long 2011) in the West and
Panchatantra & Hitopadesha in East had its beginning in oral story telling
(Wikipedia). Later on they were found in written form.
From here on wards, I would rather concentrate on the literary
tradition in Literature in English than on world literature, because by speaking
on changing art of story telling of world literature, I would display my ignorance
than knowledge.

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Coming to the 18th century, the century where in new forms of telling stories
are experimented and invented, we find that the fire, fine feelings, enthusiasm,
the glow of the Renaissance and the moral earnestness of Puritanism (Long
2004) is lost from their art of telling story. Renaissance was the time of fiery
passion, hunger to grow, unlimited enthusiasm to achieve the unachievable
and never ending passion for life. Thus the classical form of telling story i.e.
Drama, found its new format in Christopher Marlow. Though, still it is drama
and poetry only, yet the performance of drama is quite different than that of
classical Greek & Latin masters. Use of Blank verse, breaking of unities and
mixture of tragicomedies gave new style to the old art of telling story.
Shakespeare polished all the gems that were invented by Marlowe in such a
shining state that none can make it more polished there after. It was John
Dryden (1668) Who said this to enumerate the phenomenon in ‘Of Dramatik
Poesie, An Essay: “Those beauties of the French poesy are such ... it where it is
not: they are indeed the beauties of a statue but not of a man”. The plays
written by Shakespeare and University with all deformities of plot construction
and characterization were still true representation of human soul and nature.
During renaissance and reformation, we had the tradition of telling
story in prose form also. The University Wits and thereafter John Bunyan,
Daniel Defoe, Addison and Steele carried on this tradition and went on adding

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a component or two by the time Samuel Richardson (1689-1761) and Henry
Fielding (1707-1754) turned it into the new form of telling story – well-known
today as NOVEL. (Watt 1957)
The spread of education led to more readers. The way technique of
making papers migrated from China to Europe and Gutenberg’s printing press
encouraged more writing, similarly education helped in the spread of more
magazines and prose writing. Thus 18th century has more number of magazines
and novels to cater the needs of the reading public. The education to females in
18th century gave rise to more number of female readers. (Compton-Rickett) The
coarseness of Fielding, Smollett and Stern did not satisfy the aesthetic urge of
these female readers. Thus we have women novelist in abundance in the same
years.
Thus we can perceive that the time, the moment, the philosophies
and thoughts of the era has tremendous impact on the art of telling story.
Compton- Ricket has rightly noted in The History of English Literature (1946)
that the masculine qualities comprehend a broad grasp of general principles, a
logical constructive power of a faulty for dealing largely and sanely with the big
issues of life. The feminine qualities on the other hand, lie in subtlety rather than
vigor of perception, an intuitive insight into the delicate complexities of character
and an intensity and tenacity of passion. As illustrations of the masculine and

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feminine methods of approaching the social life to the late 18th century we have
Fielding and Jane Austen, each of them essentially a painter of manners,
concerned in the difference between town and country, satirical in treatment,
eschewing sentiment as far as possible. Between the, we have a wonderful picture
of the time, and the one complements the other, for the difference are rather
sexual than purely literal – the one, bold, dashing, painting strong, vivid colours;
the other, delicate, subtle, avoiding violent contrasts, and dealing rather in
nuances.
This proves the point how art of story telling differed from man to
woman. The education and experience of Fielding, the man on the roads, and
Austen, the woman of the house, reflects the moments lived by the society in
their predefined horizons.
The increasing number of readers gave rise to NOVEL as the most
sought after form of telling story. The Victorians found in Novel what
Elizabethans sought in plays.
The rise of magazines contributed to the rise of short story also.
(Watson 1994). Short stories were a staple of early-19th-century magazines and
often led to fame and novel-length projects for their authors, similar to one-act
plays.

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In the modern times, industrialization & growth of factories influenced the
reading habits of people which in turn influenced creative writing also. (Ward
1978). The life became so fast that people were not able to spare more time to read
long novels or see long plays. The short story and one-act plays were more
suitable form of telling story for such an audience. Thus we find more numbers of
such arts of telling stories in 19th and 20th century.
But still we find that the art of telling story is not that
experimentative. The path and faith breaking philosophies of 19th and 20th
century has its own toll on the art of telling stories. Darwin’s proving that the
world in not created by God (1860), Freud’s libidal interpretation of human
relationship (1896c) and Nietzsche’s final declaration – God is death (1882),
shattered the faith of creative genius. It is well said by Mahesh Bhatt (film maker)
that artist as a creative person is abnormally and inhumanly sensitive – for him a
touch is a blow, a sound is noise and ay misfortune a tragedy. (qt from The Times
of India article – “Is M.F. Hussain a Victim?”)
The influence of art of telling story does not require detailed mention
here. The shattered faith fragmented the lives of people. The remaining work was
done by two world wars. The witness of First World War and life under the
thread of second was terrible for the sensitive creative mind. What we find in

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fragmented art of telling story. In fact, there is no story at all. It is all rambling of
thoughts, trying to say something, utterance fail to express their anguished
anxiety. Thus, the stream of consciousness in novel, collage in poem of TS Eliot,
Auden and Yeats, absurdity in plays took place of sanity in telling stories. Martin
Esslin (1967) makes a working hypothesis of the traits of story-telling art of these
decades in his famous book. ‘The Theatre of the Absurd’.
The modernist art of telling story is the best example of how
philosophical discourse can interpose its influence on it. The time it self was
shattered and fragmented. Nothingness was the meaning and nihilism was their
only optimism. The story tellers of the time faithfully reflected this in their art of
telling stories.
The post modernist era was the time of deconstructionist ideology.
In the modernist art of telling story, thought the stories were fragmented and
nothingness was the only thing, yet the centre hold the ground strongly. In post
modernism, the centre is de-centered. There was an attempt to identify meaning
in meaninglessness of modernist art of telling story; here the meaning is nothing
but free play of difference and deffarance (Derrida 1966). The centre is at the
periphery and the periphery is at the centre. Thus Coetzee’s (1986) art of telling
story has the centre in Friday ( in novel , 1986) and not in Robinson (Defoe).
Mahabharat is retold from Draupadi’s view point. (Vaidya Spivak) Julian

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Branes’s The History of the World in 10 ½ Chapters has a narration form
woodworms angel and not from Noah’s. Derridian influence gave free play of
experiment in telling stories. Derrida’s philosophical discourse impacted the art
of story telling. Dattani’s plays have entre in eunuchs and HIV patients (Kumar
T). Sarojini Sahoo’s feminist discourse undermines the western feminist
discourse of Simon De Bouevier and gave rise to Indian feminism. Similarly,
Dalit aestheticism is also on the high rise.
Whatever may be the influencing force, the last decades of 20th
century betrayed several experiments in the art of story telling. Thus, Author
John Fowles’s novel The French Lieutenant’s Woman (1969) has three endings.
This novel is a period novel inspired by the 1823 novel Ourika, by Claire de
Duras, which Fowles translated to English during 1977 (and revised in 1994).
Other interesting experiments in art of telling story were done by B
S Johnson. The Unfortunates (1969) was published in a box with no binding
(readers could assemble the book any way they liked) and House Mother
Normal (1971) was written in purely chronological order such that the various
characters' thoughts and experiences would cross each other and become
intertwined, not just page by page, but sentence by sentence. B. S. Johnson's
infamous book-in-a-box is, if remembered at all, notorious for its presentation

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rather than its content. The "book" consists of a first and last section plus 25
other chapters, each one coming as a self-contained "pamphlet", that can be
read in any order the reader likes. The subject matter concerns a journalist's day
covering a football match in Nottingham, remembering previous times spent in
the city with a lover now gone and a friend now dead. The innovative format
permits Johnson to echo the random thought processes of his protagonist--the
associations and reminiscences bubbling up in no fixed order as he walks
through the city, watches and reports on the match and returns home
afterwards.
We have curios experiment in novel ‘A Void’ by Georges Perec
(1995). A Void (translated from the original French La Disparition (literally,
"The Disappearance") is a 300-page French lipogrammatic novel, written in
1969 by Georges Perec, entirely without using the letter e (except for the
author's name), following Oulipo constraints.
The website www.fantasticfiction.com has curious collection of
such experimental novels written and published in later decades of 20th
century.
If all these ages were marked by some peculiar social, political,
economical, philosophical, anthropological etc contemporary issues, the 21st

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century is marked by the IT revolution. The time in which we live is known as the
time of e-renaissance. Information and communication technology has brought in
sweeping change in all walks of life. The technological tsunami began in wild
waves in 80s and 90s. Today, as we enter second decade of 21st century, the world
in deluged under the splurge of techno-tsunami waves. Now the question is has
this revolution brought any change in art of telling story?
Well, forget about the literary value of his novels for time being. Just
see what is the moving fore in the plot in his novels: the mobiles, internet and call
centers. Yes, Chetan Bhagat’s One Night @ Call Centre (2005) has technology at
its centre. Now, the God does not say in thunder, but He rings and talks on your
mobile phones. Now, too much of thinking or rash actions are not fatal flaws or
hamartia. The fatal flaw is leaving your email account open without logging
out/signing out before leaving PC/laptop. In Three Mistakes of My Life (2008),
the mobile call from best friend’s sister during climax brings havoc in the life of
protagonist. Today, it is unimaginable to think of the story where in mobile or
internet is not an important part of the play and vital part to play.
It is not only movers and shakers of plot, but the form of telling story
is also affected. At the fag-end of the first decade of the 21st century, some forms
have emerged to cater the needs of techno-savvy netizens. The Epistolary form of

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telling story initiated by Richardson in ‘Pamela’ found its new manifestation in
Matt Beaumont’s novel ‘e’ in 2007. Matt has experimented with the epistolary
form by replacing letters by emails among the characters. Thus, the novel is a
multiple-perspective narrative where events are seen through the eyes of various
people working for the agency, from temporary workers to CEO. e (novel)
centers around corporate business structures, leadership, creativity, headhunting
for and firing people to keep up appearances, work efficiency, business ethics,
and all kinds of human weaknesses which stall progress by having employees
waste their time and energy on unimportant things and which eventually prevent
success. The advent of e-novels is seen as yet another step further in the evolution
of new forms of telling story.
The characterization, situations, plots, etc are changing and finding
new alterations. Even Sidney Sheldon type pulp fiction or J.K. Rowling type child
fiction or Poe type detective fiction are affected by the digital wave. We have not
Cyberpunk to replace traditional classical pulp fictions. Cyberpunk is
a postmodern and science fiction genre noted for its focus on "high tech and low
life." The name was originally coined by Bruce Bethke as the title of his short
story "Cyberpunk," published in 1983 It features advanced science, such
as information technologyand cybernetics, coupled with a degree of breakdown

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or radical change in the social order. Cyberpunk works are well situated within
postmodern literature.(Wikipedia Cyberpunk).
Collaboration as against isolation is the key word in the digital age.
Social media is nothing but collaborating. It seems that suddenly everybody
want to ‘speak/write’. Listeners or readers are fast becoming rare species. Well,
this trend of life is mirrored in Penguin project of WikiNovel.
A

Million

Penguins,

the

wiki-novel

experiment

currently

underway at Penguin Books is trying to find out if a self-organizing collective
of writers can produce a credible novel on a live website. A dubious idea if you
believe a novel is almost by definition the product of a singular inspiration, but
praiseworthy nonetheless for its experimental bravado. Though the project has
not succeed yet, nearly 1500 individuals have contributed to the writing and
editing of A Million Penguins, contributing over 11,000 edits making this, in the
words of Penguin’s Chief Executive, ‘not the most read, but possibly the most
written novel in history‘. 75000 people have visited the site and there have
been more than 280,000 page views.( Ettinghausen 2007)
Such experiments in writing literature along lead one to think of
the demise of literature. Kernan Alvin (1992) takes a critical look at the
changing paradigm in society because of the influence of digital ways of life

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and tries to connect with with the literature. Let me quote at length from the
review of his book ‘The Death of Literature:
“Kernan Alvin probes deeper, relating the death of literature to
potent forces in our postindustrial world—most obviously, the technological
revolution that is rapidly transforming a print to an electronic culture,
replacing the authority of the written word with the authority of television,
film, and computer screens. The turn taken by literary criticism itself, in
deconstructing traditional literature and declaring it void of meaning in itself,
and in focusing on what are described as its ideological biases against women
and nonwhites, has speeded the disintegration. Recent legal debates about
copyright, plagiarism, and political patronage of the arts have exposed the
greed and self-interest at work under the old romantic images of the
imaginative creative artist and the work of art as a perfect, unchanging
icon. Kernan describes a number of the crossroads where literature and society
have met and literature has failed to stand up. He discusses the high comedy of
the obscenity trial in England against Lady Chatterley's Lover, in which the
British literary establishment vainly tried to define literature. He takes alarmed
looks at such agents of literary disintegration as schools where children who
watch television eight hours a day can't read, decisions about who chooses and

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defines the words included in dictionaries, faculty fights about the
establishment of new departments and categories of study, and courtrooms
where

criminals

try

to

profit

from

bestselling

books

about

their

crimes. According to Kernan, traditional literature is ceasing to be legitimate or
useful in these changed social surroundings. What is needed, he says, if it is
any longer possible in electronic culture, is a conception of literature that fits in
some positive way with the new ethos of post-industrialism, plausibly claiming
a place of importance both to individual lives and to society as a whole for the
best kind of writing.” (Kernan yalepress.yale.edu)
It is difficult to disagree with Kernan. The Gutenberg has tolled
the death of printed poem or novels. As an alternative to this Apocalypse of
print, some theorists, critics or artists have already found solutions of „escape”.
New forms of literary practice access digital resources and force the boundaries
of „literature” to expand to visual, cybernetic, hyper-textual territories.
(Echinox Journal 2011). This experience of visual, cybernetic & hyper-textual is
experimented in form of Vook. (www.vook.com).
WHAT IS A VOOK?
A vook is a new innovation in reading that blends a well-written
book, high-quality video and the power of the Internet into a single, complete
story. You can read your book, watch videos that enhance the story and connect

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with authors and your friends through social media all on one screen, without
switching between platforms.
Vooks are available in two formats: As a web-based application
you can read on your computer and a mobile application for reading on the go.
With the web-based application you don't have to download programs or
install software. Just open your favorite browser and start reading and
watching in an exciting new way. You can also download and install the
mobile applications through the Apple iTunes store and sync them with your
Apple mobile device.
Vook has a simple idea: put great filmmakers together with great
authors and let them create a new kind of media. But for this to succeed, we
need a talented filmmaker who can be imaginative, work with another creative
vision and shoot and edit for an entirely new form.
For more than 500 years the book has been a remarkably stable entity: a
coherent string of connected words, printed on paper and bound between
covers. (Vook)
But in the age of the iPhone, Kindle and YouTube, the notion of the
book is becoming increasingly elastic as publishers mash together text, video
and Web features in a scramble to keep readers interested in an archaic form of
entertainment. The readers are invited to log on to a Web site to watch brief

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videos that flesh out the plot.
Some publishers say this kind of multimedia hybrid is necessary to
lure modern readers who crave something different. But reading experts
question whether fiddling with the parameters of books ultimately degrades the
act of reading. (Rich 2009)
I would like to quote at length form what Moroko Rich reported in
The New York Times (Oct 1, 2009 Pg A1)
“There is no question that these new media are
going to be superb at engaging and interesting
the reader,” said Maryanne Wolf, a professor
of child development at Tufts University and
author of “Proust and the Squid: The Story and
Science of the Reading Brain.” But, she added,
“Can you any longer read Henry James or
George Eliot? Do you have the patience?”
The most obvious way technology has changed the literary world is with
electronic books. Over the past year devices like Amazon’s Kindle and Sony’s
Reader have gained in popularity. But the digital editions displayed on these

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devices remain largely faithful to the traditional idea of a book by using words
— and occasional pictures — to tell a story or explain a subject.
Simon & Schuster is also releasing two digital novels combining
text with videos a minute or 90 seconds long that supplement — and in some
cases advance — the story line.
“Everybody is trying to think about how books
and information will best be put together in the
21st century,” said Judith Curr, publisher of
Atria Books, the Simon & Schuster imprint that
is

releasing

partnership

the
with

electronic
Vook,

a

editions

in

multimedia

company. She added, “You can’t just be linear
anymore with your text.” (Rich 2009)
Well, the question may arise at the end of this paper reading that ‘what is the
meaning of this comparative survey of art of telling story? I would end this
paper with following stolen words – quoted randomly from ‘The Search is
All?: The Pursuit of Meaning in Julian Barnes’s Flaubert’s Parrot, Staring at the
Sun and A History of the World in 10 ½ Chapters’ written by Wojciech Drag.

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“For Oliver, who found the whole idea deeply embarrassing?” Originally used
by Terry Eagleton to opens his recent book entitled The Meaning of Life (2007).
What is more, in the preface he notes that writing about such a suspect concept
as “the meaning of life” seems “fit for the crazed and the comic”. Why is the
notion of “meaning” embarrassing to explore? Why are we so wary of it?
Possible answers are many. One of them is that we have come to live in an age
that distrusts “big words” and concepts which purport to account for the
totality of human existence, which disregard variety and difference. The
postmodern thought, which highlights the contingency of human life and
announces the lack of any solid foundation to it calls into question the notion of
absolute meaning and regards it as redolent of “an old-fashioned metaphysics”.
The search for absolute meaning, I will argue, can also find its expression in a
desire to establish a stable context of interpretation (such as religion or art) – a
framework through which one can understand one’s own experience and make
sense of it. It may also take the form of a longing for truth and authenticity,
which would stand firm and intact in confrontation with the relativity,
skepticism and moral chaos that appear implicit in the postmodern age marked
by the demise of grand narratives. In the times when no new ideas are to be
expressed, what we find is experiments with forms of expression. The end of

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cognitive receptivity deadens the creative grey cells of human mind. Is it the
absence of creativity that more importance is given to form of expression rather
than the idea of expression? May be it is the urge for instant gratification or to
satisfy sensual pleasure that these sort of mingling of words and videos are
experimented. May be it is the habit of techno-savvy mind to go for multitasking – doing several things at a time – reading, viewing, listening, discussing
on social network, interacting with author and other readers – that these forms
are emerging. During Modernist era, Eliots, Pounds James Joyces and Beketts
were in search of form of expression which can express the fragmented existed
of world war worn generation. They found in stream of consciousness, absurd
theatre and mythical technique. May be today’s writer wants synergism of
words and videos for better expression of their ideas and to give what reader
wants.
Yes, the traditional ways of writing literature and reading
literature is on death bed. In all ages past, we have experienced at each and
every fin de siècle there is conflict between the new and the old. For the time
being while the transition is happening, we find literature with the traits of the
old and the new. It’s a different matter that such literature is hated by both, the
old readers and the new readers. Shakespeare’s plays were compared with
bedlam asylum. Wordsworth’s poems were considered childish, D.H. Lawrence

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was porno-writer, T.S. Eliot was not understood to the Moderns. Today, they
are all ‘classics’. In a new era of globalization and terrorism, Eagleton (2003)
warns, the bundle of ideas known as post-modernism is essentially toothless. In
this eloquent synthesis of a lifetime of learning, Eagleton challenges
contemporary intellectuals to engage with a range of vital topics-love, evil,
death, morality, religion, and revolution-that they've ignored over the past
thirty years. In his cry for more holistic and humane way of "reading" the
world, it becomes essential to see how art of storytelling is undergoing
sweeping change under the influence of digital age. It would be interesting to
watch how will comparative literature and literary theory respond to these new
practices? Will the theorists and critics consider “old” theories fulfilled by the
„empowerment of the reader”? Will they feel the need to forge new concepts
and new methods? Or will they seek entirely new perspectives to which
traditional

methods

can

be

adjusted?

Alternative

conceptual

and

methodological discourses emerge in present-day discourses on literature,
springing from totally different points of view. The expansion of literature
beyond the paper-written support and the expansion of digital media to the
realms of literature engage writers and researchers of the literary field in a
rethinking of their own creative identity and of their disciplinary approach.
(Echinox Journal)

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