Dr Jernail Singh Anand is the greatest moralist and satirist of our times, comparable with Daniel Defoe. He is President of the International Academy of Ethics. He was interviewed by Dr. Shiv Sethi, a renowned scholar and reviewer.
Excerpts
Q : Dr. Anand, with 150 books to your credit, which makes you one of the most towering literary figures of our times, may I know which of your books you consider most phenomenal?
A : I think ‘Lustus: The Prince of Darkness’ [Book I of Mahakaal Trilogy] is the most phenomenal work of modern times. It represents the corporate evil of modern times. Lustus, a young cousin of ageing Satan, wants to imperialize the world by disturbing the mental balance of mankind. His ‘homovid vaccine’ ‘humanizes’ the animal world with traits like deceit, hoarding, jealousy etc. At last, he declares war on angels, and nearly defeats them, when Goddess Durga vanquishes him. The Book II, The Dominion of the Netherworld, depicts the working of Lustus’s powerful empire. Lustus again wins an electoral battle with gods. In Book III, the Kalyuga comes to Avi [the god] gets into a rage and kills n end, and gods, instead of men, now anoint Queen Ultroniato reign over Ultronia, a neo-Eden.
Q : What is the Theory of Biotext? Please let us know your Iran connection?
A : I innovated Theory of Bio-text which was articulated by Dr. Roghayeh Farsi, from Neyshabur Univ. Iran, who wrote several articles on my works, including Biotext. Biotext says that every text is rooted in the biography of the writer, [a ‘literariabiographia’] and then the reader, and is impacted by the element of time as well. I have a deep connect with Iran. Dr. Farsi recently conducted a Research Project on my poetry comparing it with two Iranian poets. She has also translated ‘Lustus’ into Persian. My books ‘Bliss’, ‘I Belong to You’ were translated into Persian by Prof. Nargues Mohammadi, Iran. And novel ‘The Broken Narrative’ too.
Q : What is your take on the present system of Education? And the role of International Academy of Ethics?
A : Flawed. It encourages dry intellectual aridity and is divorced from life. Education means the culture of the mind and training of the soul. Our Universities, which work like Groups of Industries, have everything except a Dept. of Ethics. They have no faith in Poetry, History and Creativity. The International Academy of Ethics is trying to focus attention on the study of ethics as a compulsory subject in all classes.
Q : Can you share your vision of humanity?
A : Humanity is suffering because it has lost the ‘original intelligence’, and given the go by to simplicity, love, happiness, goodness. Life has become toxic because of the disconnect with natural forces. Man, with his AI, has turned inimical to the life-support systems. I wish that he regains his balance by returning to nature. He has to unlearn so many things, and embrace the natural quotient of birds and animals.
Q : Dr. Anand you have written a huge body of work. What about your future plans as an author?
A : I wish to keep writing and bridging the gap between literature and the common man. Presently, I find the writers turn into elite groups, and they cater only to writers. Ordinary people cannot understand their scholarly jargon. In this way, the man in the street for which they write remains unaffected by their high-flown theories. Literature must come out of the ivory tower and embrace the common man.
In our poetry readings, we must invite some general people and tell them in plain language, what we are writing and thinking about their issues. I think it can help them understand their dilemmas better.
Dr. Shiv Sethi is a renowned author, thinker and reviewer.
