The travelogue, Arey Yayavar rahega yaad written by Agyeya is worthy of canonisation in Hindi travel literature. It is a treasure of accounts which vastly encompasses the history, geography and politics of Indian subcontinent around the time of independence. It was published in 1953. The travelogue is divided into eight chapters.
This travelogue consists of Agyeya’s experiences
gained through his travels as a science student researcher during his
graduation in search of cosmic rays and as part of the army towards the end of
the second world war and around independence. He also travelled to some places
on his own and has documented his experiences from these trips in this book. Agyeya
writes in the introduction of the book, “The description of some of the places
which have been mentioned in this travel-memoir had become dated when the first
edition was published: Some trips were from before the last world-war and were
published as a book after the attainment of independence.”
He travelled across the length and breadth of the
country visiting various states including Assam, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu,
Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh etc. He had also visited some cities and regions
which are now part of Pakistan.
Nature
and its changing representation
Agyeya in his writings always focused on nature very
keenly. His descriptions of natural and geographical features played an
important part in his literature through which he often represented emotional
and psychological ideas and perspectives. This tendency is also reflected in his
travelogue which makes it unique since he adds multiple layers of an interior
and exterior world to his observations.
Agyeya while visiting Kashmir as a research scholar was
taken by the beautiful scenery as reflected by this pleasant and calm
description- “It seemed as if Holi was being celebrated with the yellow, red,
pink, blue, sky blue, crimson, white and golden coloured flowers and the stems were
swinging along with the gusts of wind. As if the flowers were dancing and
saying to the wind “Hunh, why would we bother about you!”
The mood of the times impacted his narratives about
the things Agyeya would observe. During the Second World War when he was
visiting Assam he could not conjure a very pleasant description of his
surroundings. The prevalent political climate deeply impacted him which
reflected in his description of the nature as well. He has described nature in
many places where we can sense his anxiety instead of his love for nature. He
writes in the first chapter on his Assam visit, “The bright giant silk-cotton
trees it seemed were becoming thorny with the smoldering anticipation of blossoming
of blood red-flowers; and in some places were clusters of butea. In a few days a
fire will bloom in them; clinging to the side of hills, blazing, it will spread
to the top swallowing the trees one by one”.
Further in this chapter Agyeya describes a place in Abbottabad,
now in Pakistan, full of beautiful narcissuses where he was travelling right
before independence when the demand for a separate nation of Pakistan was being
raised in the subcontinent. The political climate was very tense and
conflict-ridden. Agyeya could not find the beauty in nature as he was
distressed by the political conditions of the time. He wrote in his diary as an
allegory, “My imagination envisions, thousands of feet are trampling these
narcissuses, heartless and merciless feet, -and the sound of the cracking of flower-stalks
in the atmosphere drowns among the slogans being raised…. – the narcissuses
swinging in the snow, trampling feet, only feet…”
Social issues
Agyeya did not believe in travelling for the sake of
travelling alone but accorded to it a socio-political importance as well. He
writes in the introduction to the book, “Touring or travel not should be only
for change of scenery or entertainment but should also contribute in the development
of the cultural perspective, this is its real success actually.” All the places
that he visited, he saw them from a social and political viewpoint as well. In some
of the places in the travelogue he has written about the prevalence of caste
discrimination.
He has also related the myths and mythology of
different places he visited. While doing so he has mentioned about the discriminatory
practices furthered by the mythological and religious narratives as in case of
lesser importance accorded to deities of certain tribes in Himachal Pradesh.
Agyeya has paid attention to the bureaucratic and
governance issues in Assam. He gives an account of the deprivation of food and
ration in certain areas of Assam. He also describes the flood situation in the
state detailing the difficulties faced by the people as the rainy season brings
trouble for them every time. Thus, he highlighted the disaster scenario through
his travelogue, an issue which has only become more relevant with time. He has
also touched upon the political dynamics between the Christian missionaries and
tribals in the border regions of Assam. He observed that there is an intrinsic
bond between the political agents of ‘backward’ states and Christian
evangelists in this region. All these descriptions provide a
political-ethnography of the region during the pre-independence period when the
political identity of both the region and the nation were in the process of
being formed.
Mortality:
Stillness and Motion
Agyeya had faced death closely many times in his life.
Because of his experiences with death he often pays special attention to it in
his writings, including his literature. In this book he has written about the
funerary traditions practiced in the country where his disagreement with the
culture of statues, tombs and other symbols of commemoration of historical
personalities is reflected, an issue which is still pertinent in today’s times.
There are many descriptions in the book such as those of the grave of
Aurangzeb, statue of Gandhi, Vivekanand Rock memorial and the statue of Mary,
where he adopts a critical outlook on their relevance and aesthetic. He was
also against the ritual of submerging the remains after a funeral. He also
expressed his critical views about the practice of keeping idols of gods in the
temples. He writes, “no sooner does the god step in the temple he becomes a
rock, and the first condition for the life-world is motion, motion and only
motion!’
Wherever Agyeya went he observed every place
thoroughly. He has written in some detail about the military establishments of
Britishers such as their cantonments, camps, barracks etc. His descriptions of the
mountains with their heights, locations and the tribes of the area, the rivers and
the cities around them are all valuable details which help form a picture of
both the physical and political geography of the regions. He had also described
the historical monuments along with their political stories and narratives. The culture of different regions of the Indian
sub-continent can also be found in the book. However the excess of details such
as the names and measurements of geographical features and cities can prove
obstructive for the reader in some places.
Thus Arey Yayavar Rahega Yaad paints a holistic
picture of India combining Agyeya’s unique picturesque literary descriptions
with his psychological insights and socio-political perspectives. It comprises
of the important historical, geographical, mythological, cultural and social
aspects of India from period of the second world war up to the early
independence years. Agyeya’s account of his travels in the Indian subcontinent
at the time of second world war is a rare one in Hindi literature, especially
in non-fiction genre. In both his accounts that of the second world war and the
years before independence he has described the fearful atmosphere of India
which he had observed.
Importance of the travelogue Are Yayavar Rahega Yaad?
Throughout its history India has changed drastically in
many ways; geographically, historically, politically and socially. Therefore, this
travelogue performs an important function of safekeeping and preserving the
country’s history and legacy of the time. Yet this book also shows that a lot
of things are still the same and provides important clues from history to
understand the present. That’s why Arey Yayavar Rrahga Yaad is an
important text.
The period during which Agyeya had travelled was very
significant as it was during this time that the idea of India was taking shape
both geographically and politically. His observations garnered during the
extensive travels throughout the sub-continent when presented through his
unique literary style and vision provide an interesting read. At the same time
this travelogue also shows that a travel-memoir is not just about scenic beauty
and leisure as Agyeya believed but also a social-political and ethnographic
document which when translated from Hindi to English can prove very useful and
important for a wide range of readers.
Agyeya led a rich life which reflected not only in his fictional but also non-fictional literature. Apart from novels, essays and criticisms he was also documented the experiences of his travels. Arey Yayavar Rahega Yaad is one such interesting account of his travels across the country written in great detail.
All excerpts from original Hindi text have been translated by the author of this piece.
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