R K Narayan

R K Narayan’s novel Waiting for the Mahatma covers in considerable detail the years of political turmoil preceding the Partition of India, taking Mahatma Gandhi as one of its leading characters. The article attempts to analyse how the novel illustrates the role of Gandhi as a political leader and philosophical guide and the influence of his ideology and philosophy on other characters during the Indian independence movement. First, it pinpoints Gandhi’s philosophical thoughts as documented in his own writings and activities and then points out how those are integrated into the novel. The article also investigates the attitudes of Gandhi’s followers (as the characters of the novel) as well as those of the common people towards his thoughts and activities. Thus, the study aims to offer a textual analysis of the novel by revisiting Gandhian philosophy focusing, especially, on values of ahimsa, Satyagraha and non-violent resistance.

although «selvi» is one of the finest stories by Narayan, it has never received specific critical attention, possibly on account of its collocation among the «new pieces» in the 1982 revision of Malgudi Days, which is mostly a collection of reprints, or perhaps because it is rather difficult to tackle women characters in Narayan’s stories. p.B. Jyoti 2008, for instance, in an article devoted to Psychoanalysis of Women in R.K. Narayan’s Short Stories introduces her half paragraph devoted to «selvi» with these words:

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs), well known as anionic clays or hydrotalcite-like compounds consist of positively charged layers. Net positive charges on the layers are balanced by exchangeable anions along with water molecules in the interlayer space. In the present research, the potential for use of Ca/Al-LDH as local hemostatic agent is evaluated in vitro by measuring the coagulation time of human fresh blood in the presence of LDH powder. Crystalline Ca/Al-LDH powders required for these experiments were synthesized ...

Silicon-substituted hydroxyapatite (Si-HA) bioceramics are widely used as bone replacement materials. The incorporation of silicone into hydroxyapatite (HA) has been shown to increase the rate of bone apposition into HA bioceramics implants significantly. Si, an essential trace element required for healthy bone and connective tissues, influences the biological activity of Cal)(calcium phosphate) materials by modifying material properties and it has direct effects on the physiological processes in skeletal tissue. Silicon has been ...

From the 1960s to the 1990s, the corrupt building contractor was a stock-villain of Bombay cinema. He was, this article argues, emblematic of crony capitalism prior to the liberalization of the Indian economy. This filmic role was, however, foreshadowed by his depiction as cynical accomplice and profiteer of British rule in fiction of the early and mid-twentieth century. Furthermore, the figure’s ultimate origins lie in colonial literature, in which he is often identified as a threat to the British civilian community that nourished itself with the ideal of its disinterested civilizing mission. This article traces the genealogy of the contractor-as-villain in fiction and film, demonstrating a continuity of themes, and persistence of concerns, across the work of Rudyard Kipling, Flora Annie Steel, Premchand, R. K. Narayan, and Mahasweta Devi. Using historical sources to contextualize these texts, it will also suggest possible explanations for the ubiquity of contractors in the Indian ...