[Reader-list] 2nd posting...

[Kamal Kumar Mishra]

sorry for the delay.Following is my 2nd posting regarding publishing of jasusi-upanyas in Hindi.  

  
 Commercial publishing: issues are not resolved,                      story has been left untold
 

As we know writing and publishing “jasusi ”fiction has become a highly profitable business in due course of time. For the flourishing Hindi publishing industry, this particular genre proved to be a boon. We see many people trying their luck in novel writing and publishing. And some times even without any commitment or a sense of responsibility towards their readers. Dehati pustak Bhandar Chawari Bazar ,Delhi could well be taken as an example of such publications. Established in 1930’s(Reg.1936) by Late Lala Dhum Mal,Dehati Pustak Bhandar happened to be one of the pioneer publications of Delhi as far as jasusi fictions are concerned . 

In the two novels –“ Bahram Ki Khoj dilchaspjasusiupanyas”and “Tilasmi Gupt Khajana” written by,anekon pustakon ke rachaita (writer of many books) Hukum Chand , one can see the reflections of these very tendencies. We don’t get to know the year of publication of these novels.The price of these novels is a rupee and a half. But the claims are not so small as this “ishtehar” (summary as well) also suggests: 

Riyasat vijay nagar ke mahlon rajyadhikarion dwara rache gaye ek 
 bhyanak kadyantra ka varnan aap ko is upanyas men bade hi  rochak shali men milega .Sath hi vikhyat Bahram ka vilayat men wahan ke prasidh daku Areseen Lopen se mukabla padhne se sambandh rakhta hai.Dr.Gopal aur rajkumar Romi aur mantri Sahapal ke kam prasansa ke yogya hain.Maharaja Vijay Chand kiMantri ki putri ko syahposhon ki kaid se chuda lena ek aisi ghatna hai padhne se sambandh rakhti hai. yogya lekhak ki lekhni prashansa ke yogya hai.Tiranga cover,sundar kagaj tatha chpai.Mulya 1.50.

But the threads of narrative are left unconnected and issues are not resolved ,as my reading suggests. For example we don’t get to know ,at all, what was the secret that Raja wanted to hide from Romi (his son) and why? What was the secret of the ‘safed kagaj’(Plane paper) :
                 
           Vijay Chand: yadi mujhe malum hota ki Romi mujhse itna 
                      Jaldi vida ho jayega to mai wah kagaj use dikha
                     Deta jiske liye usne bar –bar iccha prakat ki 
(p.102)

   	                   -       -         -  

       Vijay Chand: ek kaam aap aur kijiye is safed kagaj ko 
                     aslee halat men le aayeye
jab wah  
                     aslee halat men aa jaye to mujhe de den. (p.108) 

Who was Bahram ka GURU GHANTAAL,was it Raja or Some one else?And if Raja was the real Bahram then the Writer never attests it:

Dr.Gopal: “
bees varsh pahle kitne daler the-sansar aap se
            kaanpta tha. Kewal un baton ko aur is bhed ko   
            main hi to janta hoon
aap aaj raja hain par kal
            tak aap kon the?

Vijay chand ne joshile aandaaj men kaha- “doctor kya kah rahe         hon .choop raho.” (pp.105-106).


If the character of minister Sahpal helps to misguide the reader and maintain the suspense so does these above mentioned details. But then one can say that there is hardly a Systematic attempt towards explanation or a "proper" connection between clues and the puzzle.The language of these two fictions is not at all a sanskritize-Hindi it is popular hindi with a mixing of English words like Mister, Society, Address–card etc. we hardly find these words in the works of well known Benares  or Allahabad based writers or publishers of this genre.

In the 13th chapter of “Tilasmi Gupt khajana” by the same author n publisher a character called Bihari Lal starts telling story of the first novel ,I have just mentioned.

Is par Bihari Lal ne baat katte hue kaha: 

Bihari Lal:aap ki baat par mujhe ek novil jiska naam “Bahram ki Khoj ”hai yaad aa gaya jiske kuch adhyay(chapters) aapko sunata hoon suniye.

                 - - -         - - -

 yahan tak sunane ke baad Bihari Lal ne iisee upanyas ka chtwaan       adhyay sunana prarambh kiya.

                      ---    ---
pathak gan kuch adhyayeon ka vishaya mister Bihari Lal ne
samapt kiya.shesh bhag hamare novel (upanyas) “Bahram ki Khoj” nami men padhiye.
      
                           Samaptam.
                                   (Tilasmi gupt khajana,pp.110-124) 


And the real story has been left untold. so in this case the novel or story has been reduced to an advertisement or propaganda material and mystery  is never resolved. The commercial writer publisher is not at all worried if readers feel cheated in this case. 


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