Australian novelist Lang lost to dustbin of history

Australian novelist Lang lost to dustbin of history

Raju Gusain
Mussoorie, December 19
Regarded as the first Australian born novelist, John Lang was among those rare white men who provided support to Indians during the 'First War of Independence'. Yet, writer and lawyer Lang remains an unsung hero both in India and Australia.
John Lang is a forgotten man in Australia and not even one annual function takes place there to remember this literary figure, whose life was lived in a revolutionary spirit much ahead of his times. The situation is no different in India. Even his 188th birth anniversary passed away silently in Mussoorie on Sunday as Lang's date of birth remains unknown in the hill station.
Besides this, the grave of Barrister John, who fought the famous case of Rani Laxmi Bai against the annexation of the province of Jhansi in 1854, remains in neglect at the Old English Cemetery here.
John George Lang was born on 19 December 1816 at Parramatta in Australia. After completing his legal studies at the Middle Temple in England (1841) he returned to Australia to be admitted as a barrister at the Sydney Supreme Court. In 1842, Lang left for India. He practiced law and did journalism in India.
Head of the English Department at the Flinders University (Adelaide) Dr Richard Hosking informs HT, "As far as I know, there are no ceremonies or programmes held annually in Australia in the memory John Lang. I have discussed this matter with the chairperson of the Australia-India Council. They may take an interest."
Lang published at least eleven novels, one/two volumes of short stories, two plays and a travel book 'Wanderings in India'. He launched a newspaper, 'Mafasilite' (as originally spelt) from Meerut, which was later on shifted to Mussoorie.
As a lawyer, Lang fought the case for Rani Laxmi Bai against the British rulers.


HINDUSTAN TIMES
New Delhi edition (Late city)
20 December 2004


BOX item: 'Mafasilite' copies missing

Even the India Record Office (IRO) of the British Library in London does not have the complete file of John Lang's newspaper, the 'Mafasilite'.
Hedley Sutton of the reference service (IRO) informed via email, "We have microfilms of the 'Mafasilite' issues from 2 August to 22 November 1845 and from 1 January 1847 to 24 May 1876."
So, the 1846 issues of the 'Mafasilite' are missing. And the million-dollar question is, were they destroyed for reporting against the British?
HTC, Dehra Dun