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Source: The Hindu (http://www.hinduonnet.com/2010/01/23/stories/2010012352010500.htm)
Andhra Pradesh
-
Visakhapatnam
Yarlagadda’s ‘Draupadi’ comes under criticism
Special Correspondent
The book hurt the feelings of Hindu community, say literary associations
VISAKHAPATNAM: Some of the Telugu literary associations in the city have condemned the depiction of the character of Draupadi as a woman of lust in a book by the same name authored by Padmasree Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad.
Representatives of Telugu Bhashasamvardhana Samthi, Bharatiya Sikshana Mandal, Visakha Sahiti and Visakha Saraswatha Vedika noted that the author deviated from the original Mahabharata to resort to obscene portrayal of Draupadi. He not only showed Draupadi, Pandavas and Srikrishna in poor light but even introduced illicit amorous relationship between Draupadi and Srikrishna which all had hurt the feelings of the Hindu community, they stated.
The speakers – D.V. Surya Rao, Rajeswari Sankaran, D. Visweswaram and K. Bhavani Shankarudu -- also demanded that the Central Sahitya Academy should withdraw its award for the book which had deliberately attacked Hindu sentiment and Indian culture. Such writings would not have been tolerated by other religions which had in the past insisted they be proscribed, the speakers pointed out. They also urged dropping of the proposal to translate the book into foreign languages as it would give a wrong picture of the rich Indian culture.
Dr. Rajeswari Sankaran said not only the author, but the personalities who expressed their opinion on the book which was released three years ago, and also the jury of the Sahitya Academy should be blamed. Prof. Visweswaram said Dr. Lakshmi Prasad being a good friend, he should try to come out with a better book and bag the award.

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/hyderabad/award-draupadi-hold-398
Award for Draupadi on hold
Hyderabad, Jan. 11: The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) on Monday directed the secretary of the information and broadcasting ministry to submit a report on the selection of the book Draupadi in the Best Novel Category by the Central Sahitya Akademi and also to consider postponing the the awards ceremony by Sahitya Akademi, which is scheduled to be held on February 16.


http://www.ragalahari.com/news/8224/ylp-felicitated-by-dasari-and-young-india-team.aspx

http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/art-culture/disrobing-draupadi
Disrobing Draupadi
A Telugu novel, honoured by the Sahitya Akademi, has both the literary community and Hindu rightwing worked up over its ‘pornographic’ depiction of Draupadi.
The Sahitya Akademi’s decision to select former Rajya Sabha MP Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad’s Telugu novel Draupadi for its prestigious award given to books of literary merit has not just bitterly divided the literary community, but also angered the Hindu right wing. Both hold the same objection: that this piece of fiction based on The Mahabharata is tasteless and titillating trash. Hindu extremist groups have especially berated the author for allegedly presenting Draupadi as a sex maniac and in a perverted manner.

The controversy has even invited the attention of the Andhra Pradesh State Human Rights Committee, which has directed the Union Information & Broadcasting Ministry to submit a report on the book’s selection and keep the presentation ceremony, scheduled for 16 February, on hold until the air is cleared.

Prasad , though, is unfazed (see interview) and maintains that Draupadi is a popular work of fiction. “Such outbursts are natural when a character is interpreted from a new angle. More so when it is a strong character like Draupadi, who people venerate unquestioningly,” he says.

The human rights committee’s decision, according to its chairman, Justice B Subhashin Reddy, was made on the basis of excerpts from the book presented to it by the petitioners, which, they felt, could hurt the sentiments of the Hindu community. “I have directed the Information & Broadcasting Ministry to keep the award presentation event in abeyance, as well as the process to translate the novel into 24 Indian languages," says Reddy.

The Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha, one of the petitioners to the committee, is elated. “If the book is conferred the Sahitya Akademi award, it will desecrate the award’s sanctity, as the book is full of perverted descriptions and humiliates the character of Draupadi,” says Dr V Nageshwar, a Sabha representative. He believes the author has deliberately distorted parts of The Mahabharata in his book to create sensationalism.

Draupadi first appeared in serial form in a popular Telugu weekly, Andhra Jyothi, four years ago. It had then created a sensation, shocking writers with the way Draupadi, wife of the five Pandavas, was portrayed. Sections describing in detail the visions that flash through her mind while spending five amorous nights with each of her husbands and her hidden sexual preferences created a commotion, leading to the weekly pulling out some steamy passages. But the controversy worked well for Prasad, winning his work fans among housewives and teenagers across Andhra.

Late last year, the book was selected for the award by the Akademi’s Telugu Advisory Board, whose members included former Karnataka Governor VS Rama Devi, and noted Telugu writers B Ramabrahmam and Kalipatnam Rama Rao. With this, Prasad’s work joined several others nailed to the cross for depicting Draupadi in allegedly derogatory terms, from Oriya writer Pratibha Ray’s novel Yajnaseni (which apparently had derogatory statements on Draupadi’s character) to MF Husain’s nude portrayal of Draupadi.

Professor C Mrunalini, writer and academic who teaches at Telugu University, though, says she sees the problem largely one of giving the book India’s highest literary honour. “There were many more books during this period [2006-2009] which deserved the award, and which would have enhanced the reputation of Telugu literature,’’ she says.

Mrunalini agrees that Prasad’s book is not entirely demeaning to women, but says it does show Draupadi in an undignified light, mostly as a woman always pining for her husbands out of sheer physical need. “Personally, my complaint is that the book is 75 per cent word-to-word copy of the Telugu Mahabharata and 25 per cent distasteful in originality.’’

Opinion among scholars and writers in Andhra is divided, with a section feeling the book deserves the award. However, few are now willing to support the book openly. “Why not [give it the award]? It is a work of pure fiction and we should just leave it at that. Nobody is being forced to read it,’’ comments a writer who says he does not want to be dragged into the controversy.

As far as artistic licence is concerned, Mrunalini says fictional works woven around mythological characters should have “propriety and probability”. For instance, she says, a story by feminist writer Volga, based on The Ramayana, shows Sita and Ahalya as friends, discussing the problems they had to face from their respective husbands. “This was both probable and proper since it discusses the institution of marriage from a feminist point of view. But this novel [Draupadi] does not have these two Ps.’’

“I have no objection to such a book being written. Like most trash that goes by the name of literature, this book also can be read by like-minded readers. My objection is to its getting the recognition which should have gone to some other genuine and superior work,” she emphasises. Draupadi, more than anything else, Mrunalini says, is a blemish on Telugu writing


http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Draupadi%E2%80%99s+unending+circle+of+suffering&artid=q2yIqbYxfV0=&SectionID=41ptteGX1Qw=&MainSectionID=41ptteGX1Qw=&SEO=Sahitya+Akademi,+RSS+camp,+Draupadi,+Dwapara+yuga,&SectionName=42QPdTRt8sE=">Draupadi’s unending circle of suffering
C Mrunalini
First Published : 23 Jan 2010 10:55:00 PM IST
Last Updated : 23 Jan 2010 11:01:42 PM IST

Controversies are not entirely new to Telugu literature (any literature for that matter) especially where awards are concerned. But the latest controversy regarding this year’s Sahitya Akademi winner for Telugu raised more than an eyebrow; it raised furore. Though it appeared as if the whole mantle of protest was taken over by the RSS camp, it isn’t entirely true. Sane, thinking, broad-minded and even feminist critics shared the view that this was an award that would only bring shame to Telugu literature. The rage is still going on and it may not really result in any concrete action. But it has provoked many legitimate questions about rewriting myths (the book in question is a novel named Draupadi).
Poor Draupadi. The end of the Kurukshetra war did not bring an end to her suffering. Not even the end of Dwapara yuga. She seems to be suffering even in Kaliyuga. Of course, she is, by far, the most interesting female character of Hindu mythology with all her strengths and weaknesses. And thus, very tempting to authors who run out of subjects. The latest novel by Padma Shri Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad, a former Member of Parliament, has now portrayed her as a woman whose life revolves around romantic (I am being very gentle and polite) endeavours. In an otherwise prosaic rendition of the Mahabharata (which, of course is not his), the only places he deviates are those describing her nights with the five husbands and her obsession with Krishna. Both these interpolations are tasteless to say the least, and improper, too. My objection is not about the harm done to the sanctity of a Puranic character or maligning a Pativrata; it is a question of interpreting a known character, someone who has been part of our collective unconscious. Everyone has a right to interpret our traditional literature in their own way. But any interpolation should have at least two credentials; propriety and probability. The reader should feel that this character could behave in this way; could feel this way; and could be interpreted in this manner. Moreover, care should be taken to see that at least the basic nature of the character does not suffer. (one can offhand recall Bairappa’s Kannada novel Parva based on the Mahabharata, which was an intellectual exercise with good insight into the mythological characters). This is where the present author could not do justice to the text or the character. Even if it weren’t Draupadi and some fictional writing, this book would classify as an undignified statement on womanhood.
But, all said and done, one can write only what one is capable of; no one blames Padma Shri Dr Y Lakshmi Prasad for writing what he did. That was what he was capable of. The point of the argument is, how can such a sub-standard novel be selected for a prestigious award? This selection presupposes that this is the best representation of Telugu writing in the past three years. It will obviously be translated into all languages recognised by the Akademi (it already has a Hindi translation) and be known as a sample of contemporary Telugu literature. Therein lies the tragedy. When there were much better and, more importantly, original writings available, for some ignoble reasons, this is selected for the award. All this boils down to the taste and integrity of Telugu readers and pundits who send nominations and who occupy the jury. I wish we Telugus could send better nominations for this award so that the deserving would be honoured. The Akademi can only carry the recommendations sent by us and the onus is on the Telugus.
C Mrunalini
is a well-known writer of short stories, a translator and a critic mrunalini8@gmail.com