Literature is the pilot of society

William Shakespeare was a great story teller because his stories, consisting of real incidents of life rather than imaginary notwithstanding, are very, very interesting and also because his plays are not mere stories of kings and queens but the pictures of varying human minds. They put true examples of how a particular type of person will respond in a particular situation. Now that they warn us of the consequences of various character flaws, they show us the successful ways of life. Now to talk of Leo Tolstoy, who owed his genius to his experiences, his greatness as a story teller cannot be overlooked. He was a moralist but not impractical. In fact, no one else could ever go as deep into human life studying the darkest corners of it as he did. He puts both moral and immoral ways of life with their effects on the society side by side and leaves for the readers to see which to choose. If we call him saint, it would not be an exaggeration, for he saw God behind every action, or rather behind everything in the world and man blinded by his greed and vanity.

Generally, common people do not have a good grasp of Vedas and Upanishads. The books of Puranas are too big to be read as a matter of course. But the greatest epic, ‘Ram Charit Manas’ by Sant Tulasidas that includes the whole human experiences stored in earlier Sanskrit literature is accessible to general readers. Ram Charit Manas sketches the great character of Lord of All the Worlds and of different forces that influence the universe. Shreemad Bhagwat and Ram Charit Manas, which are widely read and recited, do not talk of a particular system of rules – they present a few ideal and upright characters in the imaginary form of God and Goddesses.

Literature, focusing on the weak spots in the society and the system, has the power to change the society and the governments. It is poetry that has brought about revolutions, reformation and awareness. When John Ball shouted, ‘Adam delved and Eve span, who was then the gentleman?’, the Peasants’ Revolt triggered and rebels advanced on London, ramming the royal government of Richard II; Milton’s voice established the Commonwealth of England; Pindar filled Greece with passion; Bhushan and Chand Bardai made Indian swords thirsty of blood; Dickens turned public attention towards orphans through his novels like Oliver Twist and David Copperfield. Without Ram Charit Manas, the Indian culture would not have survived the Mogul and British rules. In my opinion, literature is the pilot of the chariot that is called society. Politics and literature are couples; they always go hand in hand; and it is they that steer, accelerate and control the society.