Lecture Notes on "Dweepa" by Na. D'Souza

Introduction

• Author: Na. D'Souza
  • Kannada writer and essayist born on 6th June 1937, in Sagara, Shimoga District, Karnataka.
  • Written over 40 novels, short stories, plays, and children’s literature.
  • Awards:
    • Central Sahitya Akademi Award for children’s novel.
    • Karnataka Sahitya Academy Awards (1993, 1998, 2006).
    • Honorary Doctorate (D.Lit) by Kuvempu University.

About the Novel "Dweepa"

• Title: Dweepa (Translation: The Island)
• English translation by Sushila Punita, published by Oxford University Press.
• The backdrop includes the Linganmakki Dam, constructed across the Sharavati River in 1964, leading to submersion of villages and displacement of inhabitants.
• Themes: Displacement, tradition, human-nature relationship, emotional struggles, socioeconomic impact.
• Made into a movie by Girish Kasaravalli which won national awards.
• Original language offers deeper cultural and traditional context.

Linganmakki Dam Context

• Constructed in 1964 across the Sharavati River in Karnataka.
• Major hydroelectric project and provides irrigation but led to displacement of local villages.
• Around 99 villages of Sagara and 77 villages of Hosanagara affected.
• Key to understanding the novel is the impact of dam’s construction on local communities.

Storyline Summary

• Setting: Island village called Hosamane on the banks of Sharavati River in Western Ghats, Karnataka.
• Main Characters:
  • Ganpaya: Protagonist, simple farmer.
  • Nagavini: Ganpaya's wife.
  • Krishnayya: Orphaned friend of Nagavini, symbolizes unfulfilled love.
  • Parameshwarappa: Wealthy landowner.
• Plot Progression:
  • Government announces dam leading to submersion threat of the village.
  • Villagers prepared for displacement except Ganpaya's family (due to lack of money for bribes).
  • Interpersonal conflicts and emotional turmoil, including Nagavini’s attraction to Krishnayya.
  • Ganpaya’s traditional father symbolizes old customs, dies, and nature mourns with him.
  • Climax: Nagavini and Krishnayya get intimate; Ganpaya witnesses them drowning without intervening. Ganpaya faces a tiger and dies.
  • Result: Highlights how the dam project disrupts lives, both human and animal.

Themes and Motifs

• Human and Nature: Emotions represented as flowing river and stagnant dam; natural harmony disrupted by human intervention.
• Displacement and Loss: Physical and emotional displacement of villagers; impact of progress vs. tradition.
• Symbolism: Animals (e.g., tiger in climax) signify nature encroaching upon human life due to displacement.
• Emotional Struggles: Characters’ internal conflicts depicted vividly; struggle to maintain cultural identity.
• Highlights critical viewpoint on large-scale development projects affecting marginalized communities.

Conclusion

• The novel serves as a powerful commentary on the human cost of development.
• Advocates balance between economic growth and environmental/social sustainability.
• Recommendation: Read the original novel for complete understanding and cultural context or watch the movie for a visual experience.
• Important to critically analyze the themes and emotional undertones in the work.

Additional Resources

• Links to movie “Dweepa” available on YouTube for further exploration of the story.