Indian writers have become conscience of nation: NZ writer

Trisha Mukherjee New Delhi, Aug 30 (PTI) New Zealand born author WitiIhimaera feels the real role of a writer is to become theconscience of the nation and that Indian writers have set a"fantastic example" by using literature to address issuesconcerning the mankind. "To me, the most important role of a writer is to be theconscience of the nation and I am really moved that yourwriters are doing that. They are writing about climate changelike Amitav Ghosh. Ihimaera recently purchased a copy of Ghosh’s latest bookon climate change, "The Great Derangement." "They are going into non-fiction and becoming leaders;articulating concerns on behalf of the Indian people. They aretaking up the original role of the writer which is to standbeside the government and become their conscience. ArundhatiRoy is another such writer," he says. Ihimaera became the first Maori writer to be publishedwith his debut book "Tangi" that came out in 1973 and hassince then penned 14 novels and 7 collections of short storiesincluding "Yellow Brick Road", "Pounamu" and "The Whale Rider"which was also adapted into a film of the same name. According to the 72-year-old writer who has also worked asa diplomat at the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs,literature must not be used only to draw attention towardsissues of environmental collapse but also other concerns likegender discrimination, immigration etc." While Indian writers have already began the drill here, hesays he is attempting to do the same in New Zealand. "I am modelling my own attempt to become the conscience ofmy nation on the fantastic example of Indian writers. Theconscience must not only be in terms of environmental collapsebut also in terms of the relationship between men and women,immigration issues and other global issues. "Your writers have always had a history of doing that, innot just non-fiction but also in what they say in theirspeeches. I am attempting to do that in New Zealand," he says. Among his efforts in this context is a new cookbook thathe is curating with New Zealand based chef Robert Oliver. Thebook will advocate not just a healthy lifestyle but also drawattention to the burning issue of climate change. "Climate change because people living in New Zealand havealways thought of the Pacific as a food basket and so if we donot watch out we won’t have a source to eat from. "To cook and eat healthy because otherwise we will be atrisk of heart diseases and these are two things that continueto contribute to the death rate of the maoris in the region,"he says. (MORE) PTI TRS ANSTRS