From:  Ross Clark <benlizro@ihug.co.nz>
Date:  10 Oct 2024 17:44:06 Hong Kong Time
Newsgroup:  news.alt119.net/sci.lang
Subject:  

R.K.Narayan born (10/10/1906)

NNTP-Posting-Host:  null

Indian writer (died 2001). Hm! I have a couple of his books on the shelf 
here; should put them on the "to-read" pile.

Graham Greene was an early fan: "[Narayan] has offered me a second home. 
Without him I could never have known what it is like to be Indian."

In an essay called "Street Names" (1956), Narayan writes about "the 
passion for changing names of streets, towns, parks and squares" in 
India after independence.

"Smith Lane...is always in danger of being attacked by righteous-minded 
persons. Someone will suddenly discover that Smith was an odious 
colonial administrator and transform the lane, with every pomp, to 
Jagadguru Lane."

A Jagadguru...doesn't need such an honour; nor is the change "likely to 
make the ghost of the old despot go pale with shame or remorse. On the 
contrary, the despot's name should be left untouched just to show how 
his despotism has proved futile in the long run."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._K._Narayan