R.K. Narayan (1906 -2001) R.I.P

Today, the flags at Malgudi are flying at halfmast. Have been sinceyesterday. The talk of thetown, as usual, is centered around the Boardless and the Bombay AnandBhavan where people are poring over the Banner (printed by TruthPrinting), and for some reason, Gaffur's taxi cannot be found -- he sayshe is not feeling well. Except for the Mempi Hills and the Sarayu whichseem to remain as inscrutable as ever, the whole of Malgudi is inmourning today: forget about Sir Frederick Lawley, the true founder ofMalgudi, R. K. Narayan, is no more. 

"Died of cardio-respiratory failure in a private hospital on the 13th. morning at 3.05 A.M. He was95", as the agency despatches crudely put it. 

There have been, and no doubt there will be, many more dissertations inthe future assessing Narayan's contribution to literature, in particular to whatis termed now as IWE. This is not an obituary, nor a eulogy. This is anexpression of a sense of personal loss. For I shall personally remain gratefulfor Malgudi. A place he created. A world by itself.

As the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship citation conferring its highest honour on him says, "The world of Malgudi is peopled with ordinary men and women, sometimes indulging in extraordinary yearnings, dreams and schemes and enduring tragi-comic or even grotesque and weird destinies". A place where I take (and willcontinue to take) refuge from time to time. A place I feel home at, and yet findinteresting and stimulating. 

For sure, Malgudi has changed over the years, but it has changed in step withmy own age, remaining as familiar as ever. This is a place I love, now, and thisis where I have always wanted to settle after I retire. One always needs a place one can call one's own -- the attic in thehouse, or a particular corner in the local library. But sometimes our needs arelarger, and then weneed a whole locality, a way of life, whole set of people we can relateto. 

Nishchindipur, the village where Apu grew up in Bibhutubhushan's PatherPanchali was such a place for me. But, let me confess, I don't think I canretire to such a village anymore. I can visit such a place, yes, but I cannotlive there -- I would need a Boardless, a newspaper,occasionally a taxi, and, a medical center where I can submit myself to Dr.Krishna'r probing stethoscope and questions, not always related to my currentdiscomfort. 

Malgudi, for me, has just the right amount of everything that Ineed. And for that I shall ever remain indebted to Narayan.

What will happen to Malgudi? Hard to say. The Mempi Hills and the Sarayu haveseen their share of great people come and go -- the unknown cave painters,Shankaracharya, the founder of the Iswara temple, the Britishers like SirFrederick Lawley, and then Gandhiji. But thelife here has gone on in its own rhythm. I am sure it will go on just as well inthe future. At least so long as the Sarayu flows by it.

Narayan's legacy will be there for all of us. But with him gone, who willchronicle the further changes in Malgudi?