Written by Shweta Ullala
This is an article highlighting the low amount of recognition our Indian literary geniuses receive.
William Shakespeare, George Bernard Shaw, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - these are the familiar names that we all have grown up with in our literature classes.
However, how many of us have heard of Girish Karnad or Shambhu Mitra?
They are some of the astounding playwrights of our own country! Granted, they are not of the same era as the previously mentioned playwrights, but they have revolutionized the modern Indian community with their striking plays.
Indian literature is truly unparalleled. Our greatest epics were written in days of yore. The life lessons one can gain from reading the Ramayana and Mahabharata are still valid in today's day and age. Such epics also give us an insight into the lives of our ancestors. Apart from the ancient epics, we also have many ancient texts that are definitely worth reading. The Upanishds and Puranas contain stories that both entertain and educate readers from all backgrounds.
Reading foreign works of literature has many benefits such as improved English skills and respect for foreign culture. However, it is time for us to delve into our own roots. Most of us have read a few of Shakespeare's sonnets, but how many of us have read poems from Rabindranath Tagore's 'Gitanjali'? Shakespeare was truly a talent worth noting but it is always heartwarming to read stories written in a tongue from our own country!
It's time for us to appreciate the works of regional writers such as P.T Narasimha, N.N.Pillai and Mahashweta Devi. Let's take a pledge to read at least one play written by an author of Indian origin during this ongoing pandemic. We must be proud of our literary geniuses!
Shweta Ullala