Was Hitler Another Dr. Faustus? By A.N.Kanthasamy

The late A.N. KANTHASAMY was a writer with proficiency in both Tamil and English. He is considered one of the pioneers of Sri Lanka's progressive Tamil literature.

He was multi-talented in literature, and his contributions to the novel, short story, drama, poetry, and literary criticism are significant. His English writing cannot be ignored either.

Though his life was short (1924 - 1968), his literary contributions were immense. He was also a social and political activist. The essay 'Was Hitler Another Dr. Faustus?' appeared in Tribune (an English magazine published monthly in Sri Lanka) in the September 1965 issue.

Goodbye Scarborough Chapters!

Book stores and libraries are my temples. It's sad to see Chapters' Scarborough branch, located in Kennedy Commons shopping mall, closing its doors on January 27th. This store has been with us for many years. My daughters and I have been using it since their childhoods. For them, it's very special, carrying lots of memorable moments. I bought all of my favorite astro-physics books written by my favorite authors Stephen Hawking, Michio Kaku, and Brian Greene here. I bought many fictional books, including my favorite novels by Fyodor Dostoevsky such as 'Brothers Karamazov,' 'Crime and Punishment,' 'The Idiot,' and Tolstoy's 'Resurrection,' among many more classics.

One of the features I like the most about Chapters is their reading facilities for their customers. Anyone visiting to buy books can also enjoy reading using their chairs. In that sense, it serves as both a bookstore and library. While I was shopping, I enjoyed reading many books to select and see their literary value.

Bharathiyar: A Great Tamil, Indian poet!

Bharathiyar, known as 'Maha Kavi Bharathiyar,' is a revered Tamil and Indian poet. 'Maha' means great in Tamil. Among Tamil writers, he is my personal favorite. Despite his short life, his literary achievements were incredibly impressive. Not only was he a prolific poet, but he also played a crucial role as a social and political activist. During the British rule, he ardently fought against their dominion, making him a notable freedom fighter in India's nationalistic struggle.

I appreciate his writings for the following reasons: his thoughts, as expressed in his writings, were not narrow-minded. He contemplated the social and political perils facing his society, the nationalistic struggle of his country, and the class differences prevalent in Indian society. When considering his country's national struggle, he also envisioned a classless society within India. Simultaneously, he extended his thoughts to encompass the planet we inhabit, the fellow creatures that coexist with us, and the nature.

On Canadian Tamil Literature!

Diaspora Tamil literature is a common term denoting the literature of expatriate Tamils. Tamil people live worldwide in many countries, including Western countries. Most of them migrated to other countries after the communal riots that happened in 1983, which is generally known as 'Black July '83.' Now, more than thirty years have passed since they left. During this time, the diaspora literature of Tamils has achieved many milestones in various literary forms such as short stories, poems, dramas, novels, and non-fiction.

The common, general term 'diaspora literature' for the Tamil people is no longer needed, as the literature of the Tamil diaspora has matured in the soil where they live. Since countries differ in terms of their culture, language, economy, and politics, the literature produced in each country also varies based on these factors. Therefore, the general term 'diaspora literature' for Tamil people does not accurately depict the true nature of Tamil diaspora literature.

Many critics have already begun to use terms like Canadian Tamil Literature, British Tamil Literature, Australian Tamil Literature, French Tamil Literature, and so on. This is the right way to approach this matter.

In this context, it is better to explore some aspects of Canadian Tamil Literature. The views expressed here on this topic won't be detailed or researched but will serve as examples to initiate the discussion.

Unforgettable Canadian Experience!

One night in the mid-nineties, I was walking along Richmond Street West towards University Avenue. As I passed the Hilton Hotel, I encountered a panhandler. He stood out from the regular panhandlers, wearing a worn-out coat and pants – a rich-to-rag figure. Politely, he asked for money, and I gave him a toonie, a Canadian two-dollar coin. Grateful, he handed me two quarters and suggested I give them to my daughter, assuring me she could use them to call me when needed.

In that instant, he became a unique and mysterious figure. Intrigued, I decided to engage in a short conversation with him. I noticed he carried a plastic container with 'Clarke for Mayor' written on its surface. Surprisingly, he shared that he was running for Toronto Mayor. He also  told me that he was running to champion people's rights. His revelation astonished me, given the media's portrayal of homeless individuals often dealing with mental illness.

My New York Experience and the Memory of a Street Artist!

This portrait of me was drawn by a street artist in the early eighties in New York. I don't know his name, but I still keep this drawing as a souvenir of that time. It's a pencil drawing, and surprisingly, it's still in good shape. Amazing!

A scene from Jeyakanthan's Tamil novel 'A Man, A House, A World' ('ஒரு மனிதன்! ஒரு வீடு! ஒரு உலகம்!')

Jeyakanthan's best novel, 'A Man! A House! A World!' ('ஒரு மனிதன்! ஒரு வீடு! ஒரு உலகம்!'), introduces Henry as the protagonist. He is an unforgettable character, a great man. I eagerly read this novel when it was serialized in the Tamil magazine 'Anantha Vikatan.' Because of that, this novel is a time machine for me, transporting me back to my childhood every time I think about it.

My English Journey!

When I think about English, I think about the late A.S. Kanagaratnam, known as 'ASK.' His house was located at Senior Lane, Jaffna. In fact, I attended his tuition classes during my G.S.E (A/L) studies while I was attending Jaffna Hindu College to enhance my English knowledge. I learned English grammar clearly from his classes.

After that, I pursued Architecture at the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka. The curriculum was in English medium. There was no choice but to immerse myself in reading all the  theoretical books related to Architecture. Books like Banister Fletcher's 'A History of Architecture' were voluminous. They contained numerous new words related to building, Architecture, Urban Planning, and Art. Immersing myself in reading these books indeed helped me improve my English proficiency.

Mikhail Sholokhov's 'And Quiet Flows The Don': A Book and a Movie

"And Quiet Flows The Don" is Mikhail Sholokhov's famous novel that received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1965. The book consists of four volumes. The first volume was translated into Tamil by A.L. Nadarajan and published by New Century Book House (Chennai, India). The novel describes how the Cossacks' lives were affected during the First World War, the Russian Revolution, and Russia's social revolution. Literary critics consider this novel one of the best twentieth-century novels and compare it with Tolstoy's famous "War and Peace."

Toronto Public Library's Multilingual Sections vs. Canadian Multilingual Authors

Toronto Public Library branches have a large collection of multilingual books. Staff members work to curate these selections in various languages. As a Tamil writer living in Canada, I can discuss my issues here as I am familiar with them.

The main issue is that Tamil writers living here in Canada don't know how to sell their books to the library branches' multilingual sections. The staff members who select the multilingual books never inform the writers living here about how to submit their books for consideration. Many years ago, I sent a letter to the library board regarding this issue. I was told that a mechanism is in place to select books from Tamil authors. However, the major problem is that the library board doesn't know about each language spoken here; they depend on staff members who select these multilingual collections. These staff members, responsible for the selection process, purchase books from various bookshops in Tamil Nadu, India, and Sri Lanka. Additionally, they buy Tamil books from authors with whom they have personal connections.

Global Security vs. National Security

 "The world is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion." - Thomas Paine

The first time I learned about this quote was from my father's notebook. When my father passed away, I was in my teen years. After his death, I found his small notebook. The first page contained Thomas Paine's quote. That was when I first learned about this quote.

This quote reminds me of an ancient Tamil poet from the Sangam age, approximately between the 3rd century BCE and the 4th century CE,  named Kaniyan Poongunranar. His famous poetic lines are '
yaadhum ure yavarum kelir'  ('யாதும் ஊரே1 யாவரும் கேளிர்!") ,' which means 'Every town is my town, all the people are my kin'.