‘Don’t forget your roots’

Manpriya Singh 

It was in Moscow that a researcher asked Hindi author and critic Ramesh Kuntal Megh as to how many self portraits did Amrita Pritam have? 

“I must have casually said three or four, when she corrected me saying that there were many more. Including a nude self-portrait,” shares the author on the incident that made him have self doubts like no other. “I thought to myself I had no business being a professor if I didn’t know even that much,” he shares during a literary interaction, courtesy Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi.  

Apart from the chase to pursue the painting ensued the endeavours to do something for our rich literature and literary artists. Having won the National Sahitya Akademi Award 2017 for Vishw Mithak Sarit Sagar, a critique in English and Hindi, he talks about his literary journey. 

Indian languages@abroad 

While he strongly believes the future belongs to Hindi and Punjabi, provided “we all took pride in our native language.” He adds, “English is good, mandatory and the need of the hour. By all means, embrace it but don’t forget your roots and culture.” 

First brush with Hindi 

It’s a language that intimidates many of the youngsters today. Well, before he pursued a master’s degree in the language, like any other youngster, he barely knew about its rich heritage.  “I could speak it of course but that was it. Had anyone asked me about Hazariprasad Dwivedi, I would have drawn a blank.” The Padma Shri awardee and Hindi novelist who was to be his guide in the coming years. It was he suggested that I go beyond poems and plays, which a lot of people were writing anyway.