68 SOCIAL SCIENTIST
tmurders, etc. so that the official government could be formed—and ^refers to contemporary political history in very pungent words.
Almost the same feelings find expression in another poem "Statement of the Corpses" written by Sriharsh. As said in this poem, the onTy fault for which "democracy" punished fatally a doctor in Bengal was that "I wanted to open a new hospital to cure my country of cancer, and preserve the health of unborn children—my fault! I kept to the left."
With the short stories of Israil and Vo An Nh (a Vietnamese writer) and poems of Shriram Tewari, Rituraj, Akshey Upadhyaya, Savita Bannerjee, etc. the present Samayik offers a virtual contrast to most i of the Hindi magazines (specially those which are run commercially) and poses a serious question before the Hindi writer : Would you dare confront the horrifying reality of our society, or would you with closed eyes, dream of some unreal themes, thus denying yourself the essential value of involvement and commitment ?
^Apart from this human and intense writing, Samayik 3 has also a lot of analytical and thoughtful content. It contains a number of long articles on various literary issues and basic Marxist outlook, the most notable among them being "Qijture and Superstructure", in Hindi translation, by the well-known Marxist leader and thinker, E M S Namboodiripad. Particular mention can also be made of Bhagwan Singh, Sudhish Pachauri, Karan Singh Chauhan, and the editorial article by VimalVarma, all of these being written with a fair degree of intellectual ' compentence.It is not surprising though that a state where democratic fight of the masses is getting stronger with every new day is also able to contribute such quality of committed writing.
One is heartened to see in Samayik that the Hindi writer is learning to hit back if the power-wielding men try to disrupt the growing democratic consciousness of the people. He (The Hindi writer) seems to be realising gradually that power to create conditions for justice and equality rests in the intelligent collective action in which the people who actually take part in production (the working class) remain in the lead. He is also becoming aware of his own specific role which cannot be other than giving expression to the just aspirations of the people and educating them in objective scientific outlook. By sealing his fate with the toiling masses who are deprived of dignified living at the present time and thus separating him finally from the middle class mentality of vacillations, dillydallying and seeking opportunist gains, the writer might, with the onward march of history, be able to produce works of immense literary value and lasting importance.
ANAND PRAKASH