Writer and revolutionary worker Yashpal (1903–1976) was an important member of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA), a radical political group involved in India’s freedom struggle. After his arrest in 1932, he famously turned—in his own words—‘from bullet to bulletin’. This was the beginning of a long and prolific career as a novelist, short story writer, journalist and political commentator.
This book offers a reappraisal of Yashpal’s work and legacy, critically examining his crucial role in both the literary and the socio-political history of India and focusing on his preoccupation with questions of gender and sexuality. An international group of scholars, working in both Hindi and English, has contributed to this volume, which also features a personal essay by Yashpal’s son Anand.
A comprehensive volume on an inimitable figure in modern Indian history, it is essential reading for scholars of literature, cultural studies and those seeking to engage with modern Hindi literature.
Simona Sawhney is Professor of Literature at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.
Kama Maclean is Professor of History at the South Asia Institute, University of Heidelberg, Germany, and Visiting Professorial Fellow at UNSW, Sydney.
Acknowledgments xi Publisher’s Acknowledgments xiii List of Abbreviations xv PART 1: INTRODUCING YASHPAL 1. Yashpal: Political Passions 3 Simona Sawhney 2. Yashpal, a Revolutionary Life 58 Kama Maclean PART 2: NOVELS 3. Can a Women be a Comrade? Sexuality, Gender and Political Affiliation in Yashpal’s Gita 77 Ania Loomba 4. Reading Yashpal’s Divya (1945): Ambivalences in the Narration of Gender 93 Nikhil Govind 5. Buddhism and Charvaka in Yashpal’s Divya (1945) 108 Ashley L. Cohen 6. ‘Jhootha Sach’: The Partition, Nationalism and the Question of Feminism 125 Virendra Yadav; translated by Pratik Ali and Shubham Solanki 7. Punjabi Refugee Women in Urban Spaces in Jhootha Sach 134 Ritu Madan 8. Narrative Critique of the Congress Rule in Yashpal’s Jhootha Sach 149 Xiaoke Ren 9. Rivals and Allies: A Study of Masculinities in Yashpal’s Deshdrohi 168 Sevali Hukku 10. Meri Teri Uski Baat: A Dialogue Between Viveki Rai and Yashpal 181 Viveki Rai and Yashpal; translated by Pratik Ali, Shubham Solanki and Simona Sawhney PART 3: SHORT STORIES 11. What Did Lenin Say to Clara Zetkin? Sexuality and the Question of Feminism in Yashpal’s Short Stories 203 Sanjeev Kumar; translated by Pratik Ali and Shubham Solanki 12. The Recurring Riddle… Sexuality and Society in the Stories of Yashpal 217 Mrityunjay; translated by Pratik Ali and Shubham Solanki PART 4: ESSAYS 13. Whose Truth? Cold War Journeys 231 Vasudha Dalmia 14. On her Own Terms: Viplav, Women and Prakashvati Pal 245 Francesca Orsini 15. Viplavi Bharat: A Journalist and His Discontents 260 Gautam Choubey PART 5: REMEMBERING YASHPAL 16. The ABhaYa Trayi of Lucknow: Amritlal Nagar, Bhagwati Charan Verma and Yashpal 279 Deeksha Nagar and Richa Nagar 17. Yashpal, My Father 291 Anand APPENDICES Timeline 311 Publications by Yashpal 316 Notes on the Contributors 322 Index