When someone asks 'What have you got after Telangana formation?" one could proudly say, 'Kaleshwaram Project!' Another reply could be: 'Books such as this anthology!' For one thousand year old Telangana poetry, this collection is like a mountain reflected in a mirror.
Because of the second phase of struggle for Telangana, and its eventual formation, the efficacy of Telangana culture and literature is now known to the world. During the time of Mattadi publication, we pointed out discrimination in the anthologies brought out in united Andhra Pradesh citing least representation or no representation to Telangana in those works. When the united AP state was being formed, the first Andhra Pradesh Charitra was published. After the formation of AP, Central Sahitya Akademi brought out Telugu Kavyamala in 1959. These books were aimed at forging a sense of unity among the Telugu people, bringing psychological oneness in the context of different regions, with their distinct identities and background, coming together in the form of a united state. Did the desired effect materialise? The seemingly inclusive history book has excluded Telangana, so did Telugu Kavyamala. Of the 107 poets included, only 10 are from Telangana. The oneness that could not be achieved in the form of books - could it be found in practice in other areas? Everybody knows that it's not possible. The history book and the anthology are not merely indices of discrimination in the fields of history and literature. They are pointers in all other fields. Outwardly it might appear as the failure of a history book or an anthology. But those are symbols of failure that affected the region as a whole. The result is injustices on many fronts to Telangana. And now having crossed that phase of injustice, those impediments, we are now able to allocate and spend funds for our own region. We proudly bring out our representative anthologies breaking all forms of marginalisation. What that anthology has hidden, this one has opened up. In the name of Telugu, the former has excluded Telangana. This is a collection aimed at mirroring the entire Telangana: A manifestation of Telangana's creative genius. However, the other anthology mentioned earlier had an unabashed exhibition of arrogance in the name of Telugu. This is a metaphor for the innate talent of Telangana. In all these respects, this is a special effort. It became a possibility after years of struggle resulting in the formation of our own state.
India is a land of multiple languages and cultures. Hence, it defies simple categorisations, easy generalisations, A multicultural society is marked by contradictions, divergences, dissent and tolerance. Commenting on the syncretic nature of culture, Ayyappa Paniker says, "Culture tolerates and even encourages contradictions, because contradictions and conflicts are natural and make room for healthy growth....In fact, one culture presupposes the existence of other cultures, and thrives on the opposition and contradictions arising from contact with other cultures" (K. Ayyappa Paniker Selcted Essays, ed. K. Satchidanandan, Sahitya Akademi, 2017, p.189). Co-existence of pluralities and contraries becomes an accepted norm and a way of life in a multicultural society like India. In such a scenario, translation is one significant mode of coming to terms with other languages and cultures. India's multicultural ethic is defined by its gamut of translated cultures.
Indian literatures until the 19th century were marked by translations and retellings. It was a phase of creative translation at its best which in effect was re-fashioning the originals. One only marvelled at the imaginative freedom enjoyed by poet-translators. Over the years, translations of classics from Sanskrit into other Indian languages knit together regions, languages and cultures. Translation involves many things at the same time: It is a cultural gesture, a form of interpretation, a political act, a mode of appreciation, a judgment of a discerning reader, and a medium of transmitting refined sensibility across ages-languages-cultures.
Telugu poetry could be traced back to the 11th century A.D. Palkuriki Somanatha (1160-1210) of Telangana was the first poet to write kavyas independently in chaste Telugu. Earlier, Nannaya has recreated in Telugu a part of Vyasa's Mahabhrarata from Sanskrit. Palkuriki Somanatha's Basava Puranam and Panditaradhya Charitra were composed in the form of metrical couplets called dwipadas.
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