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Basic Concepts and Format developed by KRS Murthy.
We have chosen Veda Vyasa's Mahabharat for the pilot
project, in which the forum would focus on Karna talks back
to Veda Vyasa. The forum would attempt to:
1 Raise a lot of issues on the theme
2 Analyze characters
3 Question the author on the treatment of characters and
events.
4 Debate with the author on moral and social values
5 Dialogue with the author on the selection of heroes versus
villains
6 Understand the intentions of the author through direct
discussions about good guys versus bad guys
7 Pin point to the author on disturbing events.
Discuss regarding potential alternative events and other
potential alternative tracks for the story.
8 Understand the authors intentions on the creation of VIP
characters like Krishna
9 Ask the author for the reasons of the interlocking
relationships with other epics like Ramayana.
10 Set a stage for team effort with open participation by
all novices and scholars would be participating at different
levels of the forum.
11 Use internet for publicity, awareness, coordination and
distribution.
12 Encourage all web based forums to participate and
cooperate
13 Hold interim discussion groups on web and in many parts
of the world
14 Use characters in the epic to ask questions back to its
creator Vyaasa
DEBATES AND DISCUSSIONS OF SPECIAL CHARACTERS
Even though Karna is the character of interest in this pilot
web forum, we could also allude to other characters as
needed.
* Seriously disadvantaged: Karna, Ekalavya, Draupadi, Kunthi,
and Abhimanyu
* Unnecessarily privileged: Arjuna, Bheema, Krishna,
Draupadi, Nakula and Sahadeva.
* Over idealistic characters: Bheeshma, Dharmaraya, Vidura
* Authors involvement: Vyaasa and other sages fathering of
too many important people in the epic.
* Incapacitated characters: Paandu, Drutharaastra
* Moral Values: Arranged impregnations of many important
characters.
* Child bearing out of wedlock: Kunti, Matsyagandha
FORUM GUIDELINES
1 The web-based debate will take the form of dialogues,
critical and constructive discussion groups. We have set up
two sides on this web stage: Karna Team and Vyasa Team.
2 In the Karna Team, Karna is the main character, with
supporting characters like Duryodhana, Dushyasana and Kunthi.
The Vyasa Team is headed by Vyaasa supported by characters
like Krishna, Vidura and Bheeshma.
3 Anyone can decide to post on Karna's side or Vyasa's side.
The posting can be a question, challenge, simple query or
response. Participants submission will be in the form of a
dialogue, with a mention of response to another dialogue.
Alternatively, it can be a question posed to one of the
characters on the opposing team.
4 Please note that both men and women can freely decide to
take any side and any role, irrespective of their gender.
Any one can respond to the question / challenge / statement
made by the opposing team.
5 The web forum is made up of two important parts:
· For invited scholars
· For general web forum readers / participants.
(Based on the quality and substance of the posting by this
group, selected individuals may be invited to the scholars
group for a limited time.
6 Everyone can read the posting in both groups, while only
invited scholars can post (Web forum staff may post on their
behalf) in scholars group.
Participants fill out the web form (example shown) and
submit the following:
Real Name: Ram Singh or Savitri Shenoy
Alias name: NaatakPremi
E-mail: my_email@MyInternet.com
Debate Team: Vyasa or Karna
Role for the dialogue: Krishna or Kunthi
Question or Response: Refer to the dialogue from the other
team, if it is a response. Click
here if you would like to Contribute.
Click
here if you would like to send Feedback.
BENEFITS OF THE FORUM
1 Encourage a lot of people to read Mahabharatha seriously,
not merely read passively, but critically and
constructively.
2 Encourage kids and youngsters to understand with a
questioning and constructive mind
3 Increase awareness of the epic around the world.
4 Encourage translations of the epic to many more languages
5 In addition to taking current interpretations, encourage
expanded constructive interpretations.
6 The forum may trigger scholars of many types of genres to
write poetry, drama, essay or story. The benefits are
similar to that of a brain storming session.
7 We will maintain an archive of the forum for reference.
8 Based on the ideas and challenges presented by Karna team
and the responses of the Vyasa team, dramatists could
prepare drama dialogues. This is better than a solitary
dramatist trying to write it. Many heads are better than a
lonely one. The dramatist could credit the participants and
scholars of the panel debate. Please understand that this
type of writing a drama has never been attempted. This could
make a new wave of dramas and movies to be made.
9 Because scholars would be invited and they read all
postings in the scholars group and open group, this is an
opportunity for aspiring scriptwriters and upcoming authors.
10 This could be a project for some research scholars in
Indian universities and Ph.D. students. This may also create
serious interest from international universities and
scholarly organizations.
11 This technique and its implementation create a new
movement of Group Literary Creation or Samoohika Sahitya
Rachana. The web forum would stand out as a web based
literary incubation environment.
12 Media would be invited to observe the forum on the web.
Media coverage would really enhance the visibility and give
a serious additional impetus to the movement. As dramatists
and filmmakers start watching the forum, they can write
powerful dramas based on this technique, where Veda Vyasa
would be the real hero! After all, it is OK to talk back to
the great master, and shine the spot light on him.
EXAMPLE QUESTIONS FOR KARNA
1 Karna would directly interrogate Vyasa and challenge him
on the creation of the character and the ways character has
serious discriminative disadvantages starting from
childhood.
2 Karna stays with Duryodhana in spite of being told about
his birth by Krishna. For him serving his master, (Duryodhana)
is more important. But when Bheeshma insults him, his
personal ego overrides his duty of serving his master and he
stays away from the war for precious 10 days. Why did Vyasa
make him do this mistake?
3 He makes so many stupid promises to Kunthi knowing very
well that this will harm his purpose of staying with
Duryodhana. Is this not an inconsistency in the
characterization of Karna?
4 He wastes his Shakthi given by Indra for killing
Ghatotkatcha. He could have waited to use it on Arjuna. Why
did Vyasa let Karna make such unwise decisions?
5 Karna gets another chance to use Sarpasthra. He refuses to
do it. Why did Vyasa not give fair chances to Karna?
6 Karna was doomed to fail, be insulted, insult others, make
unwise decisions, and not really serve his master and friend
Duryodhana through out his life. Did Vyasa have any other
alternative ways to develop the character of Karna?
7 Karna can directly ask these questions. Alternatively,
other characters can ask these questions on behalf of Karna.
We could also use characters from literary works of other
authors to question and examine the author. Could characters
from Ramayana ask questions?
8 You may create your own fictional character to dialogue
back to Vyasa.
9 Ww can ask why Vyasa wrote the literary work, with a
special mention of the role and characterization of Karna.
What was the event or experiences in Vyasas life that
triggered or prepared for this writing? Was there any
reflection of personal life? Was it just observation of the
society? Was it all or part imagination?
It is time that we really talked back to these literary
masters and asked them directly anything all of us want to
really ask.
Be part of the new wave creation.
KRS Murthy
geniuspoet@hotvoice.com
(408)-219-2236
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