WAR AND ITS IMPACTS ON LITERATURE

 
WAR AND ITS IMPACTS ON LITERATURE

When I’m writing this article, the world is already on the brink of yet another world war. A bloody war between Russia and Ukraine has been going on since 2022. And unfortunately, it shows no sign of stopping anytime soon. Uncountable lives have already been lost on both sides and still, they are killing each other relentlessly. 

When the world had already suffered a lot due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, things have further turned bad to worse with yet another war between Israel and Hamas jihadists. This war, as such, can further escalate at any moment. The war between Israel and Hamas is more religious than economic, and therefore its impact and implications can be more devastating. The countries of military strength are already divided into two factions. And they can begin yet another bloody war at any moment. 

Literature has always suffered heavily from wars, whether it is a civil war or when a country is at war with another country. The literature of the country cannot remain aloof in such situations. Nepali literature came under direct influence when Junga Bahadur Rana began ruling the country. He declared himself Prime Minister and virtual ruler of Nepal from 1846 to 1877. He established the powerful Rana dynasty of hereditary ancestry, whose family remained in power until 1551. 

During the Rana regime, Nepali literature suffered a serious setback. Writers, poets, scholars, and great thinkers had no freedom to write. Newspapers, authors, and publishers needed to receive a no-objection letter from the authorities right before publication. Many writers, poets, and publishers had been arrested for writing against the establishment. 

The situation could have been better even in India when the country was under British rule. The British ruler heavily scrutinized the Indian press and all kinds of publications. Even the all-time great Indian litterateur Munsi Prem Chand, the great novelist and short story writer, was jailed for writing provocative articles in Jamana, a prestigious literary magazine of the time. Later, when Prem Chand was running his own literary magazine, Hans, he was asked for one thousand rupees as a security deposit. The British magistrate was sure Prem Chand would not be able to deposit the security amount. But Prem Chand made the money available and continued the publication of Hans. 

There was a time when Nalanda University in Patna, Bihar, was the epicenter of knowledge in the world. Over 10,000 students, mostly foreigners, would come to join Nalanda University for higher education. Nalanda University was actually founded over 500 years before Oxford University came into existence in England. 

What a glorious time it was then! But, alas! Again, war destroyed everything. In 1193, a Turkish army led by Bakhtiyar Khilji, the general of Sultan Qutubuddin Aibak, ravaged the entire area of the university. He burned libraries and destroyed nearly 9 million manuscripts. The most valuable books about philosophy, history, science, literature, and Ayurveda had been reduced to ashes. Because of the destruction of Nalanda University, the Indian golden era of knowledge and wisdom received a serious jolt, and it could not be revived for centuries.     

Back in Nepal, when the Nepalese Civil War was fought in the country, press freedom was muzzled and publishers were not free to publish, which goes against the publication guidelines issued by the government. The Nepalese Civil War continued from 1996 to 2006. During a decade-long insurgency, almost all educational institutions in rural Nepal were shut down. Due to their fear of life, many scholars, writers, and poets feared expressing their ideas. And such things happen during wars and conflicts. 

The civil war disrupted Nepalese tourism, agriculture, and the country's socio-economic structure. The protracted war caused more harm to the country than good. The war completely disrupted the social fabric of Nepali society as a whole. 

War destroys everything. It sucks up human lives, civil structures, wealth, prosperity, and hope. War also destroys all forms of creativity. During the war, reading, writing, and literature go to the backseat, and their places are taken by guns, bullets, and grenades.

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