Sahitya Akademi President Prof Vishvanath Tiwari today said that the vice of "party commitment" is dangerous in literature.
Prof Tiwari made this observation while conferring the 24th Vyas Samman (award) to noted Hindi writer Dr Kamal Kishor Goenka at a function here.
"There have been great debates over views, opinions and literature. An author or writer has to have some views and opinions on various issues, entailing a particular outlook or stream of beliefs. But to have party commitment is dangerous," Tiwari said.
Terming as "important" Goenka's "chronological study of Munshi Premchand's stories", for which the author was conferred the award, Prof Tiwari said the author's study must be accorded authoritative identity.
Speaking on the occasion, Goenka said, "Munshi Premchand was the literary hero of Mahatama Gandhi's freedom struggle. Gandhi himself had said Premchand's writings were aimed at attaining the self-rule and to protect the Indian ethos. He was the saviour of Indian soul in the true sense."
Addressing the gathering, Prof Tiwari said, "Mushi Premchand did not subscribe to any rigid opinion and that's why he used to produce standard writings. He had observed Gandhi from very close quarters and had even left his job under his influence."
Prof Tiwari added that however, some people with "particular opinion" criticised Premchand, the entire debate was centered around whether the author was a Gandhian, while the fact remains that his literature was quite rich with more than 3000 of the characters of his stories representing the common people and portraying their psychology and contemporary society.
Quoting from Premchand's first editorial of his magazine Hans, Prof Tiwari said, "Premchand had written in the very first editorial of 'Hans' that the way the squirrels and birds were contributing to Lord Rama's efforts to build the bridge to Sri Lanka, Hans too would be contribute to the freedom struggle carrying the soil in its beak."
"It was this very image in his very first tale that the British had banned the story."
The Vyas Award is conferred every year since 1991 by K K Birla Foundation to Hindi authors for their exemplary works.The Award is given to the author of the Hindi works published in last ten years and comprises a cash award of Rs 2.5 lakhs, besides a citation and plaque.
