A mellifluous voice with mirthful literary vibes once raised in a tiny village called Kuanrpur in Jajpur district as the Rock Pebbles, a peer- literary review journal at present published quarterly in English from Bhubaneswar, could be heard reverberating in all corners of the world today after a long and arduous journey over a period of thirty years from its inception in 1987. Creating opportunity for eminent and emerging Indo-Anglican writers as well as providing a stage for translation of Odia literature, the magazine has forged intimate bonds with a lot of readers across countries like the US, the UK, Canada, Italy, Greece, and Australia. Besides being approved by the UGC as a quality journal for reference of research scholars, it is also an avenue for publication of their research works. Generating a genial literary culture behind this journal stands Dr Udayanath Majhi, a noted poet and litterateur, as its founder-editor. Having had a brief stint as a lecturer before being an administrator in the Heads of Department of Mass Education, Odisha, Dr Majhi has been conferred a D.litt. by the Open International University of Kuala lumpur. In an interview to The Pioneer, Dr Majhi spoke to Sugyan Choudhury covering a wide range of subjects from Indo-Anglican literature to elementary education.
You are the founder editor of the Rock Pebbles and a senior administrator in the Department of Mass Education. How do you reconcile bothIJ
I find no problem in reconciling my literary pursuits with professional responsibilities. In my view, they are not opposed to each other. In literature, we talk of glorification or violation of human values that we miss in other branches of human knowledge. A public officer has to be a humanitarian over and above being a dutiful and committed worker. A public officer with human values can perform more efficiently and prudently and strike a balance between code of rules and rules of humanities. Moreover, my literary activities never usurp my working hours. I indulge in creative chores during my leisure time. I believe that what we do in our routine hours gives us what we have, but what we do in our leisure hours speaks others about what we are. In my leisure, I write poems and edit articles sent for publication in my journal. It is at late hours of night that I do all these things. Every day I spend two to three hours at night for my journal and literary work.
How do you account for your fascination with Indo-Anglican literatureIJ
Indian literature, especially Odia literature, is too rich and exotic. During my childhood, I used to listen to my mother when she sang Upendra Bhanja and Sanskrit verses from scriptures that inspired me to roam in an imaginary world of creative art later. Very sweet melodies! That also attracted me to study literature. So, I started the Rock Pebbles. Now it has become a very good platform for researchers and Indian English writers.
How does your magazine help Indian writers writing in EnglishIJ
At present, the Rock Pebbles is the only journal in English from Odisha. We publish young and budding poets who directly write in English. We also publish translations of good writings especially poems and short stories from Indian regional languages and present before world readers. Frontline Indian English writers like Manoj Das, Jayant Mahapatra, Khushwant Singh, Mulk Raj Anand, Nissim Ezekiel, RK Narayan, etc., have been published in our journal. literature can sustain humanity in human society. Without sense and sensibilities, humanly feelings, we are just like robots. In this digital world of science and technology, human beings are being turned into machines. We encourage youngsters to indulge in creative writings with commitment to human values. The Rock Pebbles is also a good platform for researchers in language and literature. Recently, the UGC approved the journal as a standard one in the category of Arts and Humanities. The National Institute of Science and Communication and Information Resources (NISCAIR) has also allotted ISSN to the journal.
Your magazine has aged thirty this year and recorded wide circulation. What have you to say about its long journeyIJ
The Rock Pebbles is the other self of mine. I have no identity minus the Rock Pebbles. I started it when I was jobless. I was struggling to earn my bread and butter by doing private tuition .Still, I never quit publishing it. It has seen many ups and downs, experienced many bitter episodes. From 1987 to 1992, I went from door to door, visited many colleges in Odisha requesting to subscribe to the magazine in order to keep it afloat. As an editor, I was scraping alone the pinching times. Those hard days are long gone! Now, subscriptions lifetime as well as annual pour in every month. Increasing numbers of writers, researchers, college and university teachers are showing interest in the Rock Pebbles. Every year, we organise workshops, seminars, poetry reading programmes to promote literature and to inspire budding writers. We also give literary awards on national and international levels. In the days to come, we are planning such programmes in a better and grander way.
The age of poetry has expired giving way to the dawn of song-lyrics. This has somewhat been substantiated by Bob Dylan being crowned as a Nobel laureate. This notion has sparked a debate around the world. What will be your take on this matterIJ
Poetry is more alive and vibrant today. It can never die. It never ages; it’s ever young and majestic. It catches up with changing time with novelty and verity. The notion of poetry becoming a minority taste is a misnomer. Good and classic poetry always moves the aesthetes. What I had read in my schooldays is still green in my memory. The poems of Sachi Routray, Binod Naik, Radhamohan Gadanayak can never go to oblivion and will always be read with fervour. The present change in trend is temporal. Classic literature will always be there. No other genre can replace it. We have to amaze at the fact that poetry still enlightens and entertains in this age when materialistic man of twenty-first century suffers from deficit of imaginative space in his head.
How do you visualise revamping the curriculum of primary education in our State to inculcate yet more literary vibes into school-going young mindsIJ
Child is the Father of Man. Present-day schoolchildren are the future of humanity. Education is a process of man-making, citizen-building, skill-learning. Every nation should design it's education system in such a way that the products which will come out of it will be complete in all respects, body, mind and spirit. Our curriculum should be balanced, complete in all respects. It should contain physical science, social science, environmental studies, ethnical study, mathematics, literature, art, music, physical education, yoga, Pranayam, food and nutrition study, healthcare study, etc. Our future generations should know our past. Past study can prepare them at present to challenge the future. In some Western countries, there are courses on creative writing. In the primary education system, children should be facilitated to learn literature, music, art along with science and mathematics. Yoga and meditation should be included in curriculum. Yoga is the science of cure. We can build our schoolchildren better capable to burden future responsibilities if we design the curriculum as a balanced one taking all these parts within it.