E-Paper
Emphasis on cultural interface with China
PROFESSOR OF classical Chinese literature in the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (Beijing), Dr. Li Mei said on Monday that Indian drama had substantially influenced Chinese drama.
PROFESSOR OF classical Chinese literature in the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (Beijing), Dr. Li Mei said on Monday that Indian drama had substantially influenced Chinese drama.
Dr. Mei was expressing her views in a round table conference at the Gandhian Institute of Studies in Rajghat area during her five-day tour (February 1 to 6) of Varanasi held under the auspices of the Indian Council of Social Science Research.
Dr. Mei said that poetry made its appearance in China in the 11th century B.C. whereas Chinese drama developed much later, almost after a millennium. She also described the outlines of Chinese classical literature.
Former Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Shimla University and renowned progressive literary critic, Prof. Buchchan Singh chaired the conference aimed at promoting Indo-Chinese ties.
Director of the Gandhian Institute of Studies, Prof. Dipak Malik said that whereas the Indian intelligentsia had substantial knowledge of English and western literature in general, it had no windows to neighbouring China, which had one of the richest cultural heritages.
“Such exchange visits fill up that gap”, he said, adding that Dr. Mei’s visit would strengthen the two nations’ relationship on people to people level as well as build friendship between the Hindi heartland intelligentsia and their Chinese counterparts.
Prof. Malik said that it would be better if China opened up to the east by sharing its rich classical literature.
The round table was addressed by Dr. Awadhesh Pradhan of Hindi Department in Banaras Hindu University, who recalled the attempts by Nagari Pracharini Sabha to bring out Chinese literature in Hindi in the 1930s.
Prof. Surendra Pratap of Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth said that cultural exchange was a better mode of promoting the Indo-Chinese relations than political and diplomatic mode.
Dr. Sadanand Shahi of Premchand Sansthan agreed on the initiative of Gandhian Institute of Studies to bring a special Chinese literacy issue in its journal ‘Sakhi’.
The round table was attended by Neeraj Kumar, Prof. Balraj Pandey, Prof. Kamal Sheel, Dr. Muniza R. Khan and a host of literary figures and professors of literature. The meeting ended with recitation of a Chinese short poem of Li B’ao by Prof. Li Mei.
