Book Review: ‘The Book of Bihari Literature’ edited by Abhay K.
The HinduPublished : Dec 29, 2022 10:15 IST Bihar’s literary legacy goes back by more than 2,000 years. The Book of Bihari Literature Edited by Abhay K. HarperCollins Pages: 408 Price: Rs.699 Later, Bihar had literary luminaries who wrote not only in Urdu, Hindi, English, and Persian, the lingua francas of their time, but also in local languages such as Bhojpuri, Magahi, Maithili, Bajjika, and Angika. “It might surprise many to know that the first Indian to write a book in English was not from West Bengal or Kerala but from Patna.” The best part of this anthology is the fact that the editor gives literature in Bihar’s five native languages ample space, thus making a pointed statement against the branding of languages like Bhojpuri and Magahi as inferior dialects. Another Bhojpuri poem that stands out is “The untouchable’s complaint” by Heera Dom, who is probably India’s first Dalit poet. However, it might have been better if instead of “The messenger”, the editor had included Renu’s most loved stories like “Maare gaye gulfam”, which was adapted into a 1966 film, Teesri Kasam, or “Panchlight”.
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