Radhakrishnan, who recently turned 85, speaks to TNIE on his decision to quit the Kendra Sahitya Akademi, why he believes reservation does little to uplift the downtrodden, how the RSS has been nullifying the achievements of renaissance, and his long literary career spanning six decades
A scientist who is a writer, or a writer who is a scientist? Who is C Radhakrishnan?
I am neither. I am just an ordinary person. I have studied science and done a lot of writing. I have also done some work in science. I have found that both can be managed together and complement each other. Essentially, both require logic. Writing can’t survive without logic, and science must have some literature. Without imagination, one can’t gain new insights. With imagination and a touch of logic, one finds the way.
You come from a background steeped in rigid customs and ritualistic traditions. How did you enter the world of science?
At a fairly young age, I was introduced to Advaita through my grandfather, or perhaps it entered my consciousness naturally. The early exposure made the transition to science easier for me. One advantage of Advaita is that it doesn’t centre around customs or rituals. So, when science dismissed rituals, it was not a surprise to me; it was easy to embrace.
We have heard that you endured poverty in childhood. How did that shape you?
I come from a family that was into farming. So, there was no poverty in terms of availability of food. But, in other matters, there was poverty. There won’t be money, there won’t be enough clothes, no gadgets…. But food was available in plenty. My father was not with us, so you can say there was a ‘father-poverty’.
You once said that Marxism was one of the aspects of Christianity. Could you please elaborate on that?
It’s not Engels or Marx who first said that those who toil would attain heaven. According to Christianity, who holds a higher position before God? It’s not the faithful or the priest, but the righteous and just. Justice, as defined in the Ishavasya Upanishad, is the key. So, who was the first Marxist? Why did he drive the money changers out of the temple? This idea emerged later as a revolution. The difference is that Christ was not inciting anyone; he himself took action. In reality, the first Marxist was Jesus Christ. There’s no doubt about it (laughs).
Could you tell us how you began your literary journey?
When I was studying in Kozhikode, I needed some money. My father’s friend, N P Damodaran, was an editor and Congress activist there. He used to receive foreign magazines, and would ask me to translate excerpts from them. He would publish these translations in the newspaper on Sundays as fillers. At the end of each month, I earned around Rs 10-15, which was quite a significant amount back then. In my final year of undergraduate studies, I was given a book to translate into Malayalam. It was Daniel Defoe’s Moll Flanders, a satire about 500 pages long. I was paid Rs 500 for the translation, and I used that to fund my postgraduate studies.
The translation work boosted my confidence. Then, during one Onam vacation, I returned home, but my parents had gone to Guruvayur. With nothing to do and no books to study, I decided to write a novel. I completed Nizhalpadukal in 10 days and left it at home before returning to Palakkad. Shortly afterward, Mathrubhumi weekly announced its first novel-writing competition. I submitted Nizhalpadukal, and was informed two years later via telegram that the novel had won the first prize. I was working as a scientist in Kodaikanal at that time. That’s how my career as a writer began. Like the saying “The jackfruit fell, and the rabbit died”, I became a writer unexpectedly.
In which field do you seek answers, science or spirituality?
The answer is neither in science nor in spirituality, it is in our mind. I don’t know where to search for an answer, but the search continues. If we search for spirituality, the doubts remain. The Gita says God does not have any sympathy or grudge towards anyone. If it is so, why do some people suffer? We have seen children as young as five suffering from cancer. What sin did they commit? Is there any element of justice? This is my search.
As a writer, who are your inspirations?
In Malayalam, Kumaran Asan and Uroob. As for the writers from the West, it is Fyodor Dostoevsky and Leo Tolstoy.
All your nine novels have unique names…
They were all based on the poems that I had read.
You stand out as one of the most prolific writers in Malayalam. Yet, your perspectives haven’t received the critical attention they deserve. Why?
I never gave it much thought. I tried very hard not to become a writer, but it happened anyway. As a student, I couldn’t resist scribbling poetry on torn notebook pages. One day, my father caught me and urged me to stop, leaving me disheartened. Years later, when I received an award for my writing, my father reminded me of his earlier advice. His concerns stemmed from a place of love. He had seen his friends Changampuzha Krishna Pillai and V C Balakrishna Panicker struggle as writers. They faced hardships and were unable to afford food or medicine. However, I eventually embarked on my journey as a writer. As I wrote, readers embraced my work and provided me with the financial support to sustain myself. What more could a writer ask for than the approval of readers?
You have worked in diverse spaces with different political leanings. For instance, you worked as an editor with Veekshanam as well as Madhyamam…
I worked there as part of my profession. I spearheaded the launch team of Science Today of Times of India, Bombay. My decision to join Times of India wasn’t based on my alignment with Shanti Prasad Jain’s philosophy. They had decided to appoint me as the editor after considering my expertise in the field. Later, I became the editor of Veekshanam daily. It was A K Antony who called me there. After that, worked as editor-in-charge of Manorama group’s yearbooks and Bhashaposhini. Then, Madhyamam contacted me, and I decided to work with them. Sidhique Hassan, a knowledgeable scholar proficient in Persian and Sanskrit, approached me. He mentioned that they had plans to launch a weekly. But even after a year and a half, it didn’t materialise. I had declined to work at their office, and worked from home instead.
What is the politics of C Radhakrishnan? You recently resigned from the Kendra Sahitya Akademi in protest against the decision to allow a Union minister to inaugurate the annual festival…
That wasn’t the only reason. The Kendra Sahitya Akademi used to be the sole autonomous, democratic cultural body in India. The Lalit Kala Akademi and Sangeet Natak Akademi are now ad hoc bodies. The situation in the Kerala Sahitya Akademi is no different. In the Kendra Akademi, there are two ex-officio members – IAS officers from the department of culture – in the executive committee. They have no voting powers, and their duty is solely to oversee administrative affairs. However, they began to exert control over the Akademi, and that led to resentment in the executive committee. For the past five years, we had not allowed their interventions. No one from outside attended the Akademi’s programmes. However, last year, a Union minister attended a programme. When questioned, they said it was a mistake and would not happen again. The same person inaugurated a programme this year. Hence, I decided to quit. They are controlling Akademi members from behind the scenes and politicising the institution. Universities contribute to the Akademi, Individuals backed by universities are appointed to committees. However, when the ruling party takes control over the universities and decides the nominees from their party, there will be division. They start implementing their party’s decisions in all matters. Then, where is democracy? These issues started occurring after the Modi government came to power.
What is your political stand?
My politics is Mahatma Gandhi’s politics. In 1947, Gandhi said that we should not have politics in the country. India should not be governed by political parties… India should be governed on a grama panchayat basis. If that had been implemented, we might not have faced the current issues.
You once said that a literary person can only be associated with leftist ideology…
A writer only likes to see all people being good. No writer can be a writer without dreaming of good for people and the world. The current Left politics here is sectarian politics. If a person wins the election and forms the government, does he represent all the people? Also, I don’t support the reservation system here. In Europe, people from Africa were made slaves. But they were not given any reservation later. Instead, they were given equality. Here, reservation is given based on caste and religion. Thus, caste is imprinted on a person’s record forever.
You mean to say the reservation system is undemocratic?
How can it be democratic? It fuelled hatred among communities. Opportunities should be created for them. What is this uplift? It has created further division in the community. Within the community, an uplifted community has emerged. The majority of the lower-caste people are still (remaining as) lower-caste people. They aren’t going to school, don’t study, have no job, earn no money, and have nothing.
Talking of caste, some time ago, some criticised you for turning (Thunchath) Ezhuthachan into a Nair...
That’s the issue. When I was writing about the life of Ezhuthachan, I didn’t give any thought as to whether he was a Nair or not. No such thought crossed my mind.
Was Ezhuthachan a revolutionary figure?
He was the main figure of the renaissance movement in Kerala.
What was the truth about you portraying Ezhuthachan as a Nair?
What can I do? My grandfather, grandmother, etc, told me the story. When the Portuguese arrived in 1498, Ezhuthachan was about 20 years old. He died in 1560. They told me what they grasped from their ancestors. There is no reason why I shouldn’t believe that. And I don’t need to convince anybody about that.
Your initial writing had a style similar to M T Vasudevan Nair. Was it deliberate?
It wasn’t MT’s influence. P C Kuttikrishnan (Uroob) was my father’s close friend, and a food lover. While he was at Kozhikode Akashvani, he told me to meet him with an article written by me to broadcast. There were many people at the Akashvani, including Uroob. He made me record the article and took me to his cabin. He told me that there should be only one person who could write in my style – me. He asked me not to copy his style of writing. Then he asked me to read ‘Bharatham’. My first published book Nizhalppadukal had a PC style.
But many find resemblances to MT...
We both lived in the same period and came from similar backgrounds, hence you feel the similarity.
Is C Radhakrishnan, whose writings reflect optimism, a pessimist in real life?
No, no.. I am very optimistic. That’s what is reflected in my last novel Kaalam Kathuvekkunath. A traumatic change will happen in this world. If we continue like this, it is estimated that no life would survive after 30 years... We are grinding towards either new beginning. The signs can be seen everywhere.
There are two opinions within the scientific community. One says India was home to several inventions, while the other attributes them to the West. What is your opinion?
There is a truth and a lie in this. The truth is that the definition of science is wrong. People often consider science as technology. People in India never went behind technology, and people of the West never followed philosophy. For us to write the Gita or any other manuscript, we did not need a lab or appliances. Both had knowledge: of practicals and ideology. Pushpaka Vimana, for instance, came from the ideology. The Mahabharata had science fiction. Literary works like the Mahabharata and Ramayana were satirical works against authoritarianism. Authorities are not tenable. Rama committed suicide in the end, by drowning himself in the Sarayu River. Is that the act of an incarnation? Sita had to prove her chastity; she went into the earth, splitting it. Rama also had to disown Lakshmana due to his ego. In the end, disillusioned by everything, he ended his own life.
Do you believe in God?
What do you mean by God?
The traditional way of understanding God and belief...
No, I am not a believer in the traditional sense. The current form of religion or bhakti is like a nursery school emotion for reaching out. There is no point in staying there and crying out. You need to evolve beyond that and progress to higher levels.
Do you believe in astrology?
I don’t believe in horoscopes. Based on constellations, you can predict weather to a certain extent. However, you cannot predict things about an individual, tree or an incident. If anyone claims to do so, it is fraud.
Is there a trend now to blend Indian mythology with science and claim that both are complementary?
There is a dialectic in this approach. The knowledge of the Upanishads and the Gita offers one perspective, while the Vedas propose a different route of ‘Kriya Margam’ (a method). These two paths have often been at odds. When one declines, the other gains prominence, leading to renaissance. The Gita emerged during a period of intense crisis, rejecting the Vedas and stating that the benefits from the Vedas to a man were like having a well with water when the whole world was flooded. After a period of peace, the caste system and its negative consequences arose, causing tensions and leading to the Bhakti Movement. This movement originated primarily from the lower strata of society—both Vyasa and Krishna were of dark complexion. When tensions flared again, Vivekananda and the renaissance movement emerged. The RSS is attempting to reverse the achievements of that movement.
Do you mean to say that there will be a renaissance to counter the RSS movement?
In the world today, there is a dialectic between technology and science. The relevance of the RSS will decrease as the dialectic between science and technology gains momentum. This is a global development, and there will be a resolution that will hopefully favour humanity. We are approaching a final correction, which may involve some tragedy. It will ultimately happen.
How do you analyse the writer C Radhakrishnan in the history of Malayalam literature?
I don’t rate myself. I am not worth even a penny. You won’t get anything if you try to sell me.
Have you been following any contemporary writers and their works?
There are some whose work I appreciate. However, I prefer not to openly discuss them. Most of these writers show promise, but some lack the patience and perseverance needed for revision. When someone writes a novel, it has to undergo multiple revisions, providing the writer a chance to self-reflect on mistakes and excesses.
TNIE team: Cithara Paul, Anil S, Manoj Viswanathan, Rajesh Ravi, Arun M, Harikrishna B.
T P Sooraj (photos)
Pranav V P (video)