India, June 13 -- 'I used to be a hopeless letter writer before, but now I promise improvement', wrote R.K. Narayan.

In the mid-1930 of the last century, three young Indian writers appeared on the English literary landscape. Mulk Raj Anand's Untouchable was published in London in 1935. It carried E.M. Forster's preface. R.K. Narayan's Swami and Friends appeared, also in London in the same year. Raja Rao's Kanthapura followed in 1938 published by George Allen and Unwin.

All three became very intimate friends of mine. I produce below one letter from each.

The University of Texas at Austin,

Austin, Texas 78712,

Dept. of Philosophy,

September 11, 1978

My dear Natwar,

I have been meaning to write to you. I received both your letters-...