CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS OF CHHAYAVAD

Chandigarh, April 11, 2019: The Hindi Department, University School of Open Learning, Panjab
University, Chandigarh organised a one day National Seminar on Chhayavad under the auspices of Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi, to mark the completion of its hundred years. The seminar was titled ’’Chhayavad: Samvedna evam Shilp” and it coincided with the first day of the Nation’s election festival.
Chhayavad as a movement continues to be interrogated by scholars as it was a milestone in the refinement of Hindi Language that came to be known as khadi boli’ (standard Hindi) which was capable of communicating new literary sensibilities.
Professor Karunashankar Upadhya, Professor of Hindi at Mumbai University, was the keynote speaker, who dwelt on the various aspects of Chhayavad poetry. He expressed his views on diverse issues as national liberation, women’s emancipation and varied forms of the love of Nature.
He dwelt on the four seminal figures of Chhayavad Poetry – Jai Shankar Prasad, Suryakant Tripathi ‘Nirala’, Mahadevi Varma and Sumitranandan Pant. It was no less than a Kavya Aandolan’ (literary ovement).
PU VC Professor Raj Kumar in his address underscored the importance of the literary movement as anticipating the key issues of the contemporary world –ecology, environment and pollution. He also said that the overriding concerns of Chhayavad were emotions and a keen observance and expression of Nature.
Professor Jayaprakash Sharma, former Chairperson of the Hindi Department, P.U spoke on the genis and evolution of this literary movement which was primarily located at the two holy cities of Prayag and Kashi. For him, Jai Shankar Prashad, the author of the seminal Hindi text ‘Kamayani’, was the second greatest poet after Tulsidas. The philosophical depth
of this movement derived from Vedanta and Upanishads has helped to sustain itself despite the systematic efforts made to destroy it.
Dr. Madhav Kaushik, President of Sahitya Akademi, Chandigarh and Vice President Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi highlighted ‘Romance and Rebellion’ as the cornerstones of this movement. The roots of current social movements like Feminism, Eco-Criticism and Dalit Studies, could be located in the chhayavad movement.
Professor Kuldip Chand Agnihotri, Vice-Chancellor, Central University, Dharamshala in his presidential remarks said Hindi should be treated as Lingua-Franca and not a national language.
He also talked about the inter-lingual dialogue amongst various regional languages which could, culminate in the making of “Bhartiya Sahitya”.
Earlier, Professor Yojna Rawat, Chairperson, USOL, welcomed and introduced the guests and the theme of the seminar.
As many as sixty participants read out their research papers on various aspects of chhayavad. Eminent scholars and faculty from various parts of the country participated in the seminar.
Valedictory address was delivered by Professor Pankaj Malvia, Russian Department Panjab University, Chandigarh.