Interview by: Dr. Ramavat Kusumakumar, M.A., M.Phil.,Ph.D.,D.Lit. Principal of a degree college.
(On Completion of Research for D.Lit. Degree on the Telugu Literature of Jayanthi Paparao, Author.)

Abbridged, updated and translated into English from Telugu.

Q: 1 : Namaste, Sir! I have completed my Research for D.Lit with your close and keen guidance. I want to interview you and publish it in my Research work.

A: 1 :Congratulations! I am proud to say that you are the FIRST WOMAN from BANJARA TRIBALS who did D.Lit.

Q: 2 :The peoples' ideas, thoughts, opinions and concepts of the political, social, economic and cultural impact on and run the peoples' life and their social living in democracies. The peoples' literature analyses them, points out the wrongs in it and direct the living in a constructive way to better their living and the democracy. It also unfolds the realities and truths even that history could NOT. It is therefore necessary that the Research and Investigation of Literature should be done applying the methods and processes followed in the Research of Social sciences. It is what you told and guided me. Sir, I followed your guidance in my Research.

A: 2 : It is your sincere understanding and hard work. Resolve builds great things. Your research work is regarded as the best and excellent and won some honors and awards. You richly deserve them and more.

Q: 3 : Sir, there is a concept that the writer should not appear anywhere in his writing. Do you agree with this concept?

A: 3 : There are two important facets. The writer's ideas, ideology, thoughts, experiences, creativity, what does he want to write about, what is his objectivity, how does he want to write and all such factors create a creative writing. The writer therefore appears in his writing. The other facet is that he tries his best NOT to appear directly with his skills so that his creations of characters and other elements of the writing could play their role independently and naturally.

Q: 4 :Sir, what is the function of Literary Culture?

A: 4 : Literary Culture is a Culture of all Cultures such as social, political, economic. It throws light and creates awareness on all other cultures with the objectivity of building harmonious social living and true democracy.

Q: 5 : Sir, you wrote around 150 short stories in Telugu and English and they were transcreated into Hindi and Malayalam. How do you choose the theme and style of writing?

A: 5 :A short story or any literary genre is a powerful tool for creating awareness and understanding. The people have a big sea of issues and problems which make social living unhappy and suffering. I take a small drop from it for the theme and create awareness and understanding on the issue or problem throwing some light on solving the problem. I write always the people's literature only. As regards style of writing or literary sculpture, the writing should be easily readable and understandable for all classes and all levels of people. It is the primary and basic requirement of people's Literature. Further, the theme itself suggests the style of writing. I apply a different style of writing in each writing so that the readers could enjoy reading without vexation. There is no hard and fast rule. It depends upon the writer's learnedness and experience.

Q: 6 :Sir, you wrote only one novel which you transcreated into English. Why did you not write more?

A: 6 : Novel writing needs long time and I could not spare my time.I attempted one or two more novels, but left them uncompleted.

Q: 7 : Sir, you wrote and published books of historic and everlasting immense importance doing Research and Investigation in Ancient and Modern Indian and Telugu Literature and built histories of Story genres and other genres during the last 20 years. How did it come to your mind and how could you do it? You gave fresh life to many forgotten books and writings of great importance!

A: 7 :Thanks! The answer is in your question itself. The details of the works are available in my blog. I observed that due importance is not given to Research and Investigation of Literature and histories of the Literary genres and Literary Criticism. I therefore took it up. I worked single handed for 15 years continuously and wrote and published them with my hard-earned money. There always remains much more to be done.

Q: 8 : Sir, You stopped writing in Telugu for the last four years! Why?

A: 8 : Yes, no enough readership and sales of books! I think similar is the situation in all Indian languages. I could not even get back what I had spent for publication of those books.

Q: 9 : Sir, how did that miserable state occur?

A: 9 : The consumption was made a powerful and propelling and driving force for Economic development. The Economic globalisation grew up.The digital world came in. The media became dynamic tool for raising the growth of consumptions. All these strong forces transformed the living styles of all classes of people. Earn, buy, consume and live with comforts- became the new style of living. They created a material world and life and living. Along with it grew - No values, No ethics, No morals and Nothing matters! Live with comforts- as torch directing the New style of living! This is the mother cause for making the Literature of Values as unwanted. From this mother cause, many causes arose. But, one thing I say! The intellectual and enlightened class never gives up writing literature of values for harmonious and peaceful social living for all with equality and freedom and for building TRUE democracy!

Q: 10 : Sir, I understand from your writings that you are a progressive and revolutionary writer writing on the basis of the theories of the Marxism. Leninism and Maoism. Am I right?

A: 10 : I am often misunderstood like that! Marxism is a great social, political and economics science. It created awareness on value of labour and its contribution in creating wealth. It creates additional value as the Capital does. The progressive literature adopted and developed on Marxism. Later, Revolutionary literature came up with the theories of

Marxism, Leninism and Maoism. When the Movement transformed as violent Armed Movement, it lost the sympathies of the people including the intellectual class. The movement failed to recognize that in democracies, the people reject the violent armed movements and it led to its failure and fall. I investigate on why the majority of the people are sufferig from poverty, why the fruits of the democracy are not reaching their mouths, why and how they are exploited, why and how they are deprived of equality and freedom ,why they are suffering from discrimination's and find out the causes, realities and truths from the life and living of people before my eyes and present them in my literature. This is the basis and process I am following from the very beginning of my writings in 1957,say sixty years of my literary works. This leads often to misunderstand me as a progressive and revolutionary writer writing on the basis of the theories of Marxism, Leninism and Maoism! I do not want to claim so! I tell the truth only. I am not even a member of any Iiterary organization as I could not spare my time to work for it. When I can not serve, why should I accept any chairs and positions in any organization?

Sir, I agree with you. Further, you have deep knowledge in social and psychology sciences and apply realistic and scientific approach which is useful to you althrough in your writings. You are a committed writer of people's Literature. That is what I focused in my research work. Thanks a lot for your detailed clarification.

Q: 11 : What is your opinion on creative literature coming in the present times?

A: 11 : Durig the last three decades many changes and transformations took place. The Life styles changed as ' Live with Comforts' which I have explained afore. The people are imposed to live in the material world and materialistic life. The organized modern literature which came up around the times of the First Independence war of 1857, next the Progressive literature and next to it the revolutionary literature became disorganized around 1990. The literature of values and commitments slowly lost their importance are presently in the age of disorganized literature with no organized commitments. Live with Comforts and Kill your time Literature is rushing in. What could it do for the good of the people at large and the society and Nation? Further, the CAPITAL acquired a very important place and role in the rule and governance of our democracy either directly or indirectly. In such circumstances and situations, what could such literature do and achieve?!

Q: 12 : Sir, then, what is the solution?

A: 12 : The non- violent people's well organized and well committed movements and with it the organised literature are the need of the present times. The History says that NO democracy could improve and develop without peoples non- violent movements.

Q: 13 : Sir, you had a plan to write a big novel which may extend over 1000 pages and made a beginning also!

A: 13 : Yes, but I could not do it. I wanted to write a historical novel covering from the First Independence war of 1857 till date. I wanted to highlight all important movements events and occurrences with true characters of the great leaders of the National movements and architects of our democracy and then the rulers thereafter till date. I was ten years old when we got Independence. I wanted to do it an authentic work in such a way that it would throw some light in the direction of building true democracy. I believe that people are the true leaders in all peoples movements. My family responsibilities, financial problems and advanced age did not allow me to do it. I dropped it.

Q: 14 : Sir, We hear a say that modern literature should be freed from the chains of Religions. How is it possible?!

A: 14 : Faith of Religions is a fundamental right which can not be abandoned by any Law. The Religions are the first birth place of creative literature. It is the Religions which first recognized that creative literature is the strong weapon to create awareness and bring people under that Faith! It is true that Religions now grew harmful to the people and the society. It is the people alone who could hate their harmful actions and drive them away. The modern literature should create awareness.

Q: 15 : Sir, Some writers say that Literature should not involve in POLITICS! What do you say about it?

A: 15 : The origin and development of Creative literature is the kingdoms and Religions in the ancient times. They created it for their fame and winning the hearts of the people. It is they who identified and recognized that creative literature is a strong weapon for creating awareness among the people to serve their vested interests. In democracies, the creative literature shoulders the social responsibilities. It creates awareness to building the true democracies in such a way that the fruits of democracies reach the mouths of all people without any discrimination's with equality and freedom for peaceful and harmonious social living. The rulers of democracies know the powerlessness of creative literature! They in their vested interests propagate that literature should not involve in Politics. Why so many writers are arrested and prisoned by the rulers of democracies all over the world?!

Q: 16 : Who and what books impacted on your writings?

A: 16 : Books : Rigveda and Mahabharatam. Who : The peoples' life and their social living.

Q: 17 :Sir, thank you very much for your clarifications and Enlightenment.

A: 17 : Wish you all the best. I know you prepare your students useful to themselves, their families, the people and the Nation.