Remembering Nirad C. Chaudhuri: A Life of Contradictions and Cultural Encounters
Celebrating the 100th Birth Anniversary of an Extraordinary Writer
This day marks the 100th birthday of the extraordinary writer Nirad C. Chaudhuri. His lengthy life was filled with both challenges and benefits. Chaudhuri was going to survive for nearly two more years.
"One of the most remarkable products of the encounter between India and European culture," was how one author put him. He became one of the most well-known Indian writers thanks to his book The Autobiography of an Unknown Indian. Because some saw this as the work of a "British imperialist," Chaudhuri caused controversy. However, he was equally as critical of British culture as he was appreciative of Indian and Bengali culture. Everywhere he was the strange man.
His previous employer was All India Radio. Chaudhuri moved to Oxford, England, in his seventies after leaving India. However, the England he imagined was not the same as the England of reality. He discussed this in his book Thy Hand, Great Anarchy.
It discusses the downfall of his native country as well as his adopted one. In 1990, the University of Oxford bestowed upon him an honorary doctorate, and in 1992, the British Empire's Commander of the Order (CBE) was bestowed upon him. He wrote both English and Bengali.
Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Press Time staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.
