One of the books recommended for new members of Communist parties in Tamil Nadu is From Volga to Ganga (Volgavilirundhu Gangai Varai) by Rahul Sankrityayan (1893-1963) – an eminent scholar, travel writer, and a founding member of the Communist Party of India (CPI) in Bihar. However, the appeal of the book is not confined to Communist circles alone.
The late Valampuri John, in one of his television lecture series, devoted an entire episode to the work, praising its exceptional significance. Its enduring popularity is reflected in the fact that it has appeared in six different Tamil translations, with another one on its way.
The latest translation has been undertaken by Mangai, a theatre practitioner and English teacher. She has translated into Tamil the English edition published by LeftWord. This English translation was produced by noted painter and sculptor Kanwal Dhaliwal and British Marxist historian Victor Gordon Kiernan, who was also a teacher of CPI(M) leader Prakash Karat.
Mangai’s translation in 424 pages has been published by Seer Vasagar Vattam at the modest price of ₹100, with the aim of engaging with discerning readers. This edition, combined with its affordability, has already reached a wide audience. Already, 20,000 copies have been booked, and another 10,000 copies will be distributed during the Chennai Book Fair this month.
“Tamil literary circles have celebrated the book for the past 70 years. In 20 chapters, Rahul Sankrityayan narrates the history and evolution of human society. Its pre-publication sale is a testament to its popularity,” says Thambi of Seer Vasagar Vattam.
Mangai says her desire to translate the book was sparked when she read the LeftWord publication, which included a preface by the legendary Communist leader S.A. Dange to the Marathi edition, along with other historical details. The first Tamil translation was undertaken by Gana. Muthiah.
“Volga se Ganga, Sankrityayan’s most popular book, is a genre-defying work of historical fiction that seeks to track the migration of peoples from the banks of the Volga in 6000 BCE to the banks of the Ganga in 1942, the year it was first published,” says LeftWord. The preface for the first edition was written by Rahul Sankrityayan from Hazaribagh prison on 23 February 1942. To date, over one hundred of Sankrityayan’s books have been translated into Tamil.
V. Arasu, former head of the Department of Tamil at Madras University, who has written a detailed introduction, suggests that a new book, Sind to Tamirabharani, could be created using From Volga to Ganga and another work, Sindu to Ganga, as background material, incorporating new insights into the Dravidian civilisation revealed by recent excavations in Tamil Nadu.
Curated by James Chen
