JANGAM FELICITATED IN BANGLADESH
Kathmandu Post, February 1, Sunday 1998
By a Post Reporter

Nepali litterateur and novelist, Bharat Jangam has been felicitated in Bangladesh, recently. According to an information reached here, various Bangladeshi literary figures and journalists hailed Jangam’s talent, and welcomed the novelist’s recently translated the Black Sun into Bangladeshi literature.

Addressing from the Chair, Bajrul Rehman, Editor of “Daily Sambad” expressed sadness that despite being so near Nepal and Bangladeshi litterateurs and journalists have minimum interaction with each other. He, however, expressed happiness to find one of the Nepali literary creation, the Black Sun, into Bengali language.

In the programme organised by Dhaka Publication, Ambassador of Nepal to Bangladesh, Mr.Lok Bahadur Shrestha, said that despite lots of interest, there was no means for Nepali people to enjoy Bangla literature.

Earlier, senior litterateur Mr. Sahebuddin Ahmed said that Jangam’s work was not only popular in South Asia, but it has gained reputation in Europe and America as well. Ahmed said that he opted to translate the Black Sun into Bangladeshi, after being convinced by both Nepali and English versions of the novel.

On the occasion, Bharat Jangam thanked Bangladeshi literary circle for nice words and encouragements. “This is not only a felicitation to me, but it is a good will gesture shown by Bangladesh to Nepal, Nepali society and Nepali literature,” he said.

The programme was attended by well known literary figures like Mr. Jyoti Prakash Dutta, Mr.Santosh Gupta, Dr. Sultana Nahar, Mr.Nirmalendu Goon, Mr.Sohara Bhasan, Mr.Masuk Choudhary, Mr.Khalim Azad, Mr.Kujhesh Salma Abhullah etc.
Mr. Safikul Aunos of Dhaka Publications played special role for the success of the programme.

LITTERATEUR JANGAM BAGS GOLD MEDAL
Kathmandu Post 25th Nov, 1998
KATHMANDU, Nov 24 – Acharya Dinesh Chandra Sen Research society of Calcutta has announced to honour litterateur Bharat Jangam with the prestigious gold medal. This medal is given to litterateurs who contribute significantly for the enrichment of Bengali literature.

Jangam is given the award for his book the Black Sun, which was translated into Bengali by Sehabuddin Ahmed, a Bengali litterateur. Jangam is sharing the medal with Dr. Pratap Chandra Chandu, ex-education minister of India , and Mohammed Ramjan Ali, a senior social worker of Bangladesh .

The Dinesh Chandra Society was established in the memory of famous Bengali litterateur Dinesh Chnadra (1866-1937) , who was born in Bakchuri if eastern Bengal.

The winner of the gold medal will be felicitated at Sujata Sadan Hall of Calcutta on November 27.

Litterateur Jangam Felicitated
Kathmandu Post, 1st December, 1998
Kathmandu, Nov30 – Acharya Dinesh Chandra Sen Research Society, as announced earlier, has felicitated Nepali Novelist Bharat Jnagam along with ex-central education minister of India Dr. Pratap Chandra Chand and Bangladeshi social worker Mohammad Ranmjan Ali on Friday.
Acccording to report received here, Minister of West Bangal State Prabhodh Chandra Sinha feliciated all the recipients with a Gold Medal and a shawl. On the occasion,Minister Sinha commended effort of Society to honor a litterateur of Nepal. “The award which was so far concentrated with India and Bangladesh has now been extended to Nepal. This effort will certainly enhance the friendship and relations with Nepal,” the minister said.

After returning home, litterateur Jangam said that the he has considered the award as a recognition to the literary works of Nepal as a whole. “I told our Bengali friends that we Nepali are not unaware of Bengali literature, and told them I would convey their respect to Nepali literature, he said.

Jangam was given the award for his book The Black Sun, which was translated into Bengali. The Bengali translation was done by Bangladeshi litterateur Shahabuddin Ahmad in 1996.

Comments of a National Daily -”The Rising Nepal”

Bharat Jangam’s pen is dexterous enough to analyse the human problems and grievances by experimenting innovative approach in the genre of novels. One will not find any love affairs and romantic dialogues in his novels, nor will one find any tussel between the rich and poor in his novels. Nevertheless, he successfully catches up the kernel of main human problem in literary works.

Bharat Jangam always came in for favourite and critical comments from the literary critics. Here is what Dr. Tara Nath Sharma said of him, “Bharat Jangam is a social writer with a political vision. His cherished goal is the achievement of honesty, integrity and morality in the conduct of social and individual life.”

Besides being a successful novelist, Bharat Jangam is also a distinguished journalist. He was the editor cum publisher of the weekly Nepali Awaz for some time.

He further said, ” There may be many reasons behind this. Lack of publishing houses, lack of readers and low purchasing power of the readers have resulted to this. The affluent and well-to-do people do not have time to buy and read literary books. In such context, only the government must come forward to improve the situation of worsening Nepali literature”.

Jangam went on saying, ” Writer have an important place and role in the society. But writers and literatures cannot and will not produce classics of any genre until and unless there prevails an atmosphere conductive to their calling in the society and country where they are residing. Until and unless the environment under which writers can eke out their livelihood through writing is developed, it is futile to expect qualitative literature.”

Do you find any difference between earlier novels and novels written now ? I asked him. He replied, ” Earlier there are classical rules and regulations as how to write poems and novels. Novels were written about the emperors and well-to-do people. Poems and epics also used to have fixed metrical expressions, similes and metaphors. But, at present, there are no fixed rules for writers. A number of writers are carrying out innovative literary experiments.”

Many critics did not recognize ‘The Black Sun’ as a novel at the outset, but now it is becoming popular amongst the readers as a novel”, said Bharat Jangam.

Replying to another query, Jangam said, “The literatures and novelist are the beacons to show right trails to the people and the society. Literature can bring about such socio-political changes that are difficult even for law rules. Literature can change the heart of the people and mold the public opinion in favor of the society.”

A news piece from The Kathmandu Post
“The Black Sun marks the beginning of an era of political diction in Nepali literature. It’s seething stone of fury flung at autocratic partyless Panchayat system which crumpled only recently. It is a subtle exposure of the round-the-clock corruption.”

A great Democratic Leader and Former Prime Minister of Nepal – Mr. B. P. Koirala:

Dear Bharat Jangam, I read your novel entitled The Black Sun with keen interest. In it you have attempted to portray the present day decline of values in every area of our national life. For a sensitive Nepalese citizen such a situation has become subject of great agony. In your writing you have exposed such a corrupt system, which is an admirable attempt. In daily life common people have to undergo great suffering resulting from such a state of affairs. 

In case those who rule the present establishment read your novel, it is likely it would prick their conscience. Possibly it would wake up their sleeping consciousness. They might feel guilty in some lonely corner of their soul. Your novel has presented a bleak and pitiable picture of the society and that’s what seems to be its ultimate objective. Your intention seems to be to expose how corrupt our national scene is. And now isn’t there a need to improve such a disturbing situation ?Who is it that has thrown the nation into such a bog ? How did it all happen ? Who will raise finger at him ? In such a context your are very well familiar with my thought. The aim of my efforts in political field is the revival of moral value in national life. From the place where you stand you have helped me in my mission.

Ram Krishna Sharma, KingPong, India.
(The Noted Critic and a Judge of Calcutta High Court in India)
“It is a beginning of the revolution of the pen. On the horizon of Nepalese society enveloped in white darkness, the emergence of The Black Sun has blown the bugle of revolution”.

I. K. Sharma
(Professor of Jaipur University, India)
“The Black Sun is an authentic microcosm of the contemporary Nepal.”

Rishikesh Shah
President, Human Rights Association of Nepal
“The subtle hint for one have been able to deduce is that the first flush of victory and exultation brought about by China’s 1949 revolution may prove to be after all short-lived and age-old historical condition and deeply ingrained habits of thought may prompt that society to move one day in a different direction, along the path of ancient wisdom as dictated by the principal of nonviolence, fellow feeling and good neighborliness”.

Sher Bahadur Deuba
Former Prime Minister of Nepal
” A popular novel “The Black Sun” written by Bharat Jangam has given a lively picture on the present problems in Nepalese Society and has contributed to develop the democratic feelings among Nepalese People”.

From the note of Publisher
The Black Sun marks the beginning of an era of political fiction in Nepali Literature. It’s a seething stone of fury flung at autocratic Partyless Panchayat system which crumbled only recently. It is a subtle exposed by nexus that exists between bureaucrat, businessman and the Boss. The plot that starts rolling with a common man’s struggle against the stinking system culminates in the hero’s fretful effort to recapture a plot of ancestral land symbolizing the nation itself, torn apart by malignant business – tycoons, smugglers and treacherous officials.

A famous writer and exile political leader of China
Mr. Liu Binya
Because of all kinds of factors it could be surprised to know that how little Chinese perceive the outside world Nepal is our neighbor country and we always have good diplomatic relations, but not until when I read Mr. Jangam’s novel “The Black Sun” (In Chinese Haithayang), I found that I rarely knew anything about the neighbor but the name of the capital city and the King. However, to Chinese ourselves, it may not be a good thing even to get to know our own country.
This novel, in fact, can be described as a documentary literature. Mr. Jangam uses the first person in the novel, it depicts his own experience of observation, so that it become
even more truthful and believable to the audience. His own simple and unexaggerated writing style with hinted satire and humor, attracts us to fellow the guide enthusiastically, stepping in and see Nepal’s politics and normal citizen’s life, observing all kinds of scenarios which are not unfamiliar to us, it may even remind us the memories of past days.
Mr. Jangam’s another literature work is “The Red Sun”. It narrates directly our past which is still not far away. It is one of the pioneer realistic literature which records our country’s early stages of economic reform and bloom. He illustrated the similar situation through his eyes, reflect another country with similar problems.
Liu Binyan
30 Hampshire Drive
Pleisboro, NJ-08536