Tha. Ra. Su- Makers of Indian Literature

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Thalukina Ramaswamalah Subbarao (1920-1984) is well-known in Kannada literary circle as Tha. Ra.Su. He reached a wide readership comprising the well-read and the unlettered through his novels. He hails from a family of scholars and teachers and he grew up with the association of A.N. Krishnarao (Aa.Na. Kri) who led the progressive writers movement in Karnataka at one time. Tha. Ra. Su not only wrote historical and social novels but made substantial contributions to other literary genres as well. His very significant novel Durgasthamana has won the Sahitya Akademi award in 1985.

M.S. Patil taught Kannada in Gulbarga University being a faculty member of the Kannada Department. He has earned a name as a writer and a critic. His perceptive analysis of Tha. Ra. Su's life and works has helped in placing the gifted author in the pantheon of frontline Kannada writers.

Dr. C. Naganna has taught English at the University of Mysore for more than 35 years. Being a bilingual writer and critic he has drawn the attention of the lovers of literature to African writing in a big way, His translation of Chinua Achebe and Ngugi wa Thiang'o has placed him among the foremost translators of Karnataka.

I deem it an honour and privilege to translate this monograph on Tha. Ra. Su's life and literary achievements. Decades ago, as a young boy, I listened with rapt attention to my village elders, who were school drop-outs, when they narrated the gist of novels by Aa.Na Kri, Tha. Ra.Su., Triveni and others in their own artless but warm ways. Even at that young age I used to wonder how carefully and affectionately our village people were reading these master story tellers of Kannada. In a way, these writers converted the village rustics into the 'reading public',

One wonders how Aa.Na. Kri, Tha. Ra. Su., Kattimani and others made a living out of their writing. It speaks volumes of their courage and integrity that they decided to remain professional writers with full freedom to write honestly as their Muses dictated. Tha. Ra.Su. followed in the footsteps of his mentor Aa.Na. Kri. The latter was a very prolific writer enriching Kannada Language and literature, besides being an activist of the first orders. Tha. Ra.Su. followed his mentor very vigorously and hence he worked non-stop as a writer and an activist, so much so that he has created a niche for himself in the hearts of the Kannadigas.

Mr. M.S. Patil has written this monograph and his reverence for the subject is evident in every segment of this work. He has done an extensive research on the life and work of this stupendous writer Tha. Ra.Su, who lived life on his own terms, without being swayed by the claptrap of selfishness and self-aggrandisement, like his illustrious mentorHence, translating his monograph is like getting an opportunity t pay my tributes to one of the most prolific and significant writers of the twentieth century. All of us must contribute to introduce Kannada writers to a wider world and that is better accomplished when we make our writers accessible in the English language. That is the reas for a sense of satisfaction I have derived while translating this monograph. First of all, my thanks are due to Sri M.S. Patil, the original author of this work. I am deeply indebted to Dr. Chandrashekhar Kambar, a great writer and the President of Sahitya Akademi for all his encouragement. My thanks are also due to Sri S.P. Mahalingeshwar, the Regional Secretary of the Akademi, for his cooperation and help during the translation of the monograph. I remember with gratitude all the staff of the Southern Regional Office for their affable transaction with writers like me.