Letter of Daddy about Arundhathi Roy's controversial Statement "Azad Kashmir"

27th october, 2010.

Akhil Dearest,

I looked into your mails, Arundhati is in news for her outrageous talks. This is not the first time she is talking like this. Her walking with a Gandhian with a gun was equally outrageous. I have writen on subject in some of my earlier mails. I am for freedom of speech and delivering justice to the poor. But Arundhati is stopping at that doesn't proceed further. Minimum, is it not necessary for Taslima Nasreen to get justice? Some time back she was attacked at a Hyderabad function by some muslim fanatics that was aimed to murder her. There is the Nobel Peace Prize winner a Chinese sentenced to jail by the communist regime. There were several death sentences brutally committed by Pak & Afgan Taliban as well as the Iranian regime. Did Arundhati open her mouth and used her verbal tirade against any of these incidents? I have not come across any such statement from her side. Prakash Karat went to Cambridge to learn that the left is still in the mindset of 1940s. I think it was Eric Hobsbahm (I have penned two notes on his last books in the blog) who reminded him of outdated language of the left. It could be directed to Arundhati as well.
Let us look at her claim to have heard millions of Kashmiris shouting Azadi It is sheer one sided exaggeration as if there are no others in Kashmir. What is the people of Jammu and Ladak shouting about? She had no time to hear those voices or she thinks that those are not real people. Why did she not raise the fundamental rights of the exiled Kashmiri Pundits for the life and home in the valley? To her claim that Kashmir was not part of India in historical times, It seems a tame justification of separatists. Was any state of India was part of the country in all historical times? At least I could say that Kerala was not part of India or Bharat from time immemorial. The justification for Azadi is precariously balanced. She might be a greater master of English language even bettering the English themselves.But that doesn't give her license to make comments on all subjects. Much of her talks and writings are based one sided and or dubious sources. Statistics can be quoted selectively to tighten one's views. Here is something of an American mag.

28th October, 2010.

Dear Akhil,

I did not complete the message yesterday as it was time for both to view a TV serial. I continue

According to reports there were a large number of comments in web and other media both in Support of Arundhati and against. Even those said something against her of the view that prosecuting is against the freedom of expression guaranteed in our constitution. I am also of the same view. However there is some cliche here. She or anyone else in the seminar advocated violence. They are intelligent enough not to. As I pointed earlier they seems to be selective. Violence from the Indian state is unjust. What about non-state violence? Arundhati's justification as in the case of Maoists is that those who for non-state violence either act in protection or retaliation.

Arundhati is said to have asked Geelani as to the nature of state he is envisaging whether there will freedom and equality. Geelani responded saying that Azad Kashmir will be a state in which all these will be guaranteed. There is no report whether Arundhati is satisfied with reply. Is it not true that the Indian constitution guarantees all these and more? Will there not be a government
and other administrative machinery in Kashmir? If Indian inspite of the constitutional guarantee acts contrary what is the guarantee Azad Kashmir administration will be lily white, uncorrupted and non-violent one? The stone trowing and bomb making ones will turn out to be Buddhas?

Take the case of Tibet as a contrast. Did any one including Arundhati raised any voice against the occupation of Tibet by Communist Chine? If Kashmir was not part of India at any time; was Tibet a province of China? One thing the Chinese did was to Dalai Lama and his thousands of followers to get out of Tibet as the separatists did to pundits in the valley.

Did Arundhati voice her outrage against the fate of Aung San Suu Kyi, by the Myanmar junta?

Dear Akhil,

I went thru both websites and found that they are saying nothing. When it comes to freedom of speech our courts invariably overturned the IPC sections. Let me recollect some. The book Dwikhandito by Taslima Nasreen was banned by West Bengal Govt but the HC overturned it. The SC maintained that the ban on Shivaji was un-constitutional and the case against the American author was squashed. I also remember the Mumbai HC allowed the Marathi play Mee Godse Boltho a defense on assassinating Mahatma by Godse. So let us not blame all for weakness of our system. It was reported today that a retired IG of Kerala was convicted for life for killing a naxalite named Verghese in 1970 i.e.after 40 years. I say that though our system works slow it still works.

I have asked so many questions in my last two mails. I am adding one more. Why muslims alone in Kashmir are said to have demanding Azadi not others? Might be that the Indian state is a hindu corporate state in Arundhati's words and they need one for muslims of Kashmir. According to Arundhati and the supporters of separatists the Indian army in Kashmir is getting hold of people and kill them and or raping the women found there. It seems that they have no other duties than killing and raping. It is too clear that these are too big exaggerations of reality on the ground. I don't maintain that army and police are blameless but think that they are human enough to realize the enormity of such acts. They have families parents wives and children. Accuation does not see this at all.

In one of her latest articles published all over the web Arundhati says that neo-capitalist economy has raised the number of middle classes whose consumerist tendencies fueled the Indian economy while the poor increased. What does it mean? Our families should not have striven to raise up from poor? She has not given any relative number of population increase. I will stop the topic here.

I am to familiar with Outlook Weekly for years and was subscribing to it in the past along with many more such as India Today, Mainstream, Economic & Political Weekly, Manushi, Frontline etc including some Malayalam magazines. Nowadays I regularly open many of their web sites and try reading any interesting materials. My time for writing to magazines is gone and I don't aspire to be one.

Yours Appa.

Letter to his grand child about Hinduism.

Rajesh Dear,

I was reading and re-reading your letter so that I could respond to it in a proper manner. I don’t know you and anyone else should feel rootless in ‘a foreign country’. I think that my family and I also should feel like outsiders in Mumbai since we left our original home while we were out of our teens. If you mean to say that religion, region, or language defines your roots, the same will have to be taken true for people all over the world. Archeology, anthropology and sciences have established that human race is one and the same having trekked up down the several continents thousands of years back from the original home in North African deserts. During their trekking, they picked up several traits making them different in their physical and mental make up. The Australian aborigines and tribes of Andaman & Nicobar Islands were from the same roots but did not go beyond a stage while so many others progressed up several steps in the ladder. I for one am against differentiating people on any basis. Unfortunately, today people are being divided and discriminated in almost all countries around the world on these really fictitious grounds by people supposed to lead them ie. Politicians mainly and sociologists in general. I would like you to read some writings of Richard Dawkins, Karl Sagan and others on the evolution of humans. Evolution is not a lineal process but multifaceted and moving back and forth-in line. Some progressed and slid back in more occasions than one. Only in this sense, human beings are seen different. Therefore, while everyone’s root is same they branched off into several shapes, sizes and colours. The families in Mauritius are insular as the case in many other groups. This has resulted in inseparable differences among religions through historical times ending in mutual killings that has yet to see an end.

Man evolved from his animal ancestors and carry vestiges of that origin and tradition. I have a slim book titled “Naked Ape” by Desmond Morris a zoologist, where in he has convincingly mapped the evolution from ape to man. I have also copy of “Ancestors’ Tales” by Dawkins, which starts from present to back in time through evolution. Another one (just now, I don’t recollect the title & author) which details the life from its beginnings as single cell organism to present day human.

The term Hinduism is an indefinable word. While other religions could be defined more or less precisely Hinduism is an amalgam of several ways. The most earliest seem to be based on Vedic rituals and practices. It was prevalent for some centuries. In time it slowly under went a transformation to be philosophical during the years of Upanishads. Crude Vedic rituals were refined and some of them diminished. The third stage starts with several separate sects claiming authority to separate gods based on Puranic lore or may be that the puranic came into being after the sects. In between the second and third there were several prophets who advocated their views completely in contradiction to earlier two. The main trends were that of Jain and Buddhism. According to historians, these two dominated most of land from north to south. However, the Brahmanical Hinduism gained again after Ashoka and Mauryan dynasty collapse. The Puranic face also had several sectarian conflicts in it. There were efforts at isolating one another since the kingdoms were in conflict mode after the great Gupta period. Todays Hinduism is the results of conflicts and conciliations among all sects facing with foreign invasions.

Now let me try to explain my own understanding about the gods of Hindus. The Vedic corpus are a collection of family hymns supposed to have been heard (Sruti) from the mouth of Brahma which is not specifically mentioned in any texts at that time. The later texts attributed such an origin. The Rigveda hymns are not of uniform view. There are several versions of the origin or creation. There are down to earth prayers to obtain wealth of cattle. There are praises of chieftains for bestowing wealth and cattle to Brahmins. There are some which a discerning reader might find evasive about life here in earth. A few are some kind of exorcisms from perceived evils. There are hymns with sexual connotations etc.

There is no Brahman mentioned in the earliest Rigveda. The word Brahma occurs very rarely as compared to the word Prajapati. Prajapati is the priest of the gods born much before the gods. The Vedic gods are Indra, Varuna, Soma, Maruts (seven in number), Rudras (eleven), and Adityas (twelve) and so on. None of these gods remained in their position in later day Hinduism. Instead some selective ones like Vishnu, one of the Adityas, Shiva one of the Rudras and some goddesses. Each of the Puranas upheld one or other of these deities as the sole and omnipotent etc.

The word Brahman comes in the upanishads and later in Vedanta philosophy. The other strands of philosophical thoughts do not subscribe to any Brahman. Nagarjuna the scholar of Mahayana Buddhism conceived the world as Sunya (void) which then borrowed by Sankara to mean Maya or false image. For centuries, the philosophies were debated using rhetoric among great scholars. However all these debates and discussions were confined to learned Brahmins in the main. The vast majority of the populations were denied access to any literacy and they were innocent of learning those philosophies.

But people cannot be kept out of thinking for themselves for too long. This might have been the reason for puranic lore to spread among common people. Lore was the making of Brahmins mainly though some contributions might have come from others. It is also possible for local lore of deities getting mixed and absorbed by Brahminical ones making those Puranic gods and goddesses. Still, the literates were Brahmins the contours of these lore became Brahminical, There seems to be a lot of mix up which we are unable to unravel. For example, for years no one outside Kerala seems to know or understand the origin of Sabari Mala Ayyapan.

(The legend is that a chieftain or king of Pandalam a very small region in Kerala prayed to gods for a heir in his family. His queen remained childless for too long. Once king went on a hunting trip as usual, found a baby boy abandoned in that forest. He took the boy as a gift of the gods and presented him to the queen to care. He was growing with lot of love and care bestowed on him. The boy was christened Ayyapan. As years passed, the queen became pregnant and delivered a boy. The love and care changed from forest boy to her own. But she was not satisfied. She expected the king to bestow the kingdom to Ayyapan. Then she pretended to be sick and restless. Ayyapan took note and asked the queen about getting some medication. She told him that her sickness would not go without taking tigress milk. It is said that Ayyapan went inside forest and brought a herd of lactating tigresses riding himself on a tiger. King, queen and all people present were astonished and prayed to Ayyapan to calm himself and protect them. Ayyapan conveyed that he has finished with the kingdom and going back to the forest. He got a friend named Bava a muslim to accompany him and keep guard at the foot of the hill Sabari Mala.)

The legend completely Keralite transformed as Brahmanic in the form of Shasta a son to Vishnu as Mohini and Shiva. Similar is the transformation of Murugan or Andavan of Tamils into Kumara or Karthikeya etc.

As I said earlier gods and rituals differ from region to region and caste to caste. I might refer to another Kerala ritual. Almost all the Kerala temples celebrate an annual festival with caparisoned elephants with elaborate accompaniments on them. Trissur Pooram is biggest show of them. They are taken in procession accompanied by drummings that are specific to Kerala alone. Panja Vadyam & Chenda Melam. You have to witness it to know its specifics. This system of temple celebrations were adopted in Tamil Brahmin temples in Kerala. Such celebrations did not go anywhere outside Kerala.

Just completed Navaratri/Dassera celebration, though spread all over India; has differences from region to region. It is observed as Durga Puja of nine days in Bengal ending with immersion of murthies in rivers or ponds. Little further, west it is celebrated as part of Ramayana battle against Ravana. On tenth day evening the trio ie. Ravana, his brother Kumbhakarna and son Meghnad are burned publicly to the delight of the people with fire works added. In Gujarat the nine nights of group singing and dancing are performed. Women alone take part in Garba Dance while Dandiya is for the mixed men and women of young and elders. Nowadays all these are commercialized. In the south the Nava Ratri is performed more soberly, people visiting all nearby temples. At home they prepare a Kolu an exhibition of metal and ceramic figurines of animals, birds, humans and gods. Neighbors and families visit each other in the evenings. The ninth day is observed as Sarasvati puja when books and manuscripts are gathered from shelves and made puja for them. Tenth day morning is auspicious for initiating children to start learning. It is called Vidyarambham. In Kerala, they conduct Aayudha puja devotion to weapons. I have not conducted any investigation on many other ways of celebration in other regions. The concepts of gods and goddesses are so varied among Hindus, it is impossible to list them all by any group of individuals.

You could find more of my thoughts in the blog.

N B. For Trissur Pooram photos try click in google.

Yours NANA.

He's 16, she's 40; they're married 21 Sep 2007, 0110 hrs IST,Sachin Parashar,TNN

NEW DELHI: This is one ‘Ek Chhotisi Love Story’ which has left the cops dumbfounded. On the lookout for a 16-year-old missing boy, the south district police’s search ended on Thursday when they came across a couple, who claimed to be legally married, in Nangloi in West Delhi. While the missing boy turned out to be the husband, his wife was a 40-year-old woman. Even as the police detained both of them immediately, till late in the night they were trying to figure out what charges to slap on the woman, who is an Alaknanda-based dance teacher and lived with her ailing mother. She told the cops that the two had "eloped" on August 28 and then got married in Manali. The two, who had met on the internet, told the police that they got married at the Hadimba temple in Manali. After spending several days in Manali, they went to Patiala inPunjab and stayed there for some time. Then they decided to return to Delhi and hired a one-room flat at Nihal Vihar in Nangloi. "They lived there for more than a week as husband and wife," said a police officer. The boy, who is a class X student of a school inChittaranjan Park and lived in the same locality before ‘eloping’, had been reported missing on August 28. His father, who works with a private firm, told the police that the boy left for his tuition in the afternoon but did not return. According to the police, the two chatted on the internet for several weeks before deciding to meet in a restaurant. The boy told the police that it was a case of love at first sight and that they fell madly for each other.

(To my knowledge there were no follow up reports in the matter. As per law, the boy is underage and the marriage if performed was illegal. However, I feel that an older woman falling in love with a much younger boy should not obstructed by society. There is no infidelity here and therefore the couple should be allowed to marry when the boy attains major.)

K.N.Krishnan.

At 90, Man Fathers A Girl.

AT 90, MAN FATHERS A GIRL

TOI on 5.8.2007 had this news. The man concerned is from a village in Rajasthan. The background given needs a little probe. The report says that earlier another claimed having sired a bonny boy but he was much young in comparison, 88 years of age. I might have read this report when it was published but given no notice to prepare any comment. This is something different. The lady concerned is said to be 60 years junior and that meant that she is in her prime and capable of conceiving and delivering.

Though report said that she is the old man’s newest wife. The interesting is to note as how she came to be his wife. Originally the lady was the wife of his son who died a few years back might be 3 – 4 years. Then there might be some waiting period to settle. The report did not say that this lady had any child from the son, may be no children. Then it is said that the old man in a compassionate mode married the daughter in-law to retrieve her loss. Instead of living as a grass widow her father in-law made her his own bahu. One cannot say whether they were really in love or only a way to keep her from others. It seems that she wanted to have a child and the marriage to father in-law ensured it.

Of course this arrangement of marrying a widow of his own son must be having social and traditional approval. The report did not mention about it. Whether there were more of this mode among the villagers of Rajasthan is not clear. Must be. Otherwise there would have been uproar in the society. There are very many reports of villagers acting against people traversing established customs and traditions. These villagers were not averse in mating violent punishments to defaulters including murder.

Only thing we could assume is that the lady is lucky and her sexual life fructified by giving birth to a baby and ensuring the family ties for the future. Cheers to her.

There is another story reported a few days later that follows.

Emperors'

EMPERORS’ SOLITUDE by David Davidar

Today I completed reading the novel “The Solitude of Emperors” by David Davidar. The story is more like journalistic account of a fictional situation. However the story seemed simple. The narrator Vijay a south Indian Brahmin brought up in a small town in south. Unable to think of a way to get out of the rut associated with life in such surroundings Vijay goes out to Bombay and joins as journalist with Sorabji of Indian Secularist. There is the influence of his father who was not an orthodox person.

While in Bombay he comes across the riots that erupted in 1993 in the aftermath of Babri Masjid demolition. Though he was not able to do anything in the happenings, he tried to get the pictures thru interviews and investigations from the riot affected areas and people. The stress tells on his health and he was given a time to go on holiday to the south in Nilgiries. The main action is in Mehem an area of Nilgiri a tea plantation area. A similar situation analogous to Ayodhya exists in the local. A granite tower is used as the disputed structure the hindutva claiming it to be a Shivalinga while there is already one cross on its top. One Rajan who originally was a local and then a Bombaybusinessman is the leader in organising the hindutva groups. Such efforts at claiming the tower for them was organised from the thirties on. But Vijay feels that this time such a demonstration is intended to displace the cross and install a Shivalinga there. The Bombay businessman was interviewed by Vijay. The man Rajan comes out as a very reasoned personality in defence of the idea that Indiabelonged to the majority i. e. Hindus and the past glory of a Hindu rashtra should be bought back at the latest. He maintains that it is the duty of every thinking person to not just support but work to bring the future even if it involves violence and destructive activities. Most of the important personalities of Mehem perceive Rajan as an amiable social activist who has funded many charitable activities in the area. They try to assure Vijay that the man is only interested in social activities and will not allow himself to be organiser of violence.

When Vijay comes as an active defender of secularism there comes another by name Noah who is a recluse after experiencing a life in cities in his youth. Finally, Vijay gives up his efforts and goes to the location on his own. But the climax is something unexpected by Vijay. On the day and time of demonstrations people find two as dead Rajan and Noah. Since there is no one eyewitness for the scuffle or fight between the two the events are constructed by the journalists including Vijay. Vijay goes back to Bombay and changes his profession. He concludes that the fight between fanatical religionists will go on sporadically and individual action cannot change anything.

The interesting parts of this novel are the discussions conducted between Vijay and the Major. Menon, Noah, Mansukhani and Rajan. They give us a general idea of popular personalities both political and social. Though not completely convincing the episodes are described in precise terms. As I said earlier the writing is journalistic.

Lastly about the manuscript of Sorabji. It is a good essay in looking back in history to find reasons for present day actions to solve social problems. The essay is concise but not all embracing. Does this show that there are only three in our history who could be sited as examples? Why the huge gap between one and the next? There could be answers but Sorabji did not dwell on this and the journalist Vijay did not raise them.

This book could not be included as novel in accepted meaning. It is a journalist’s tract written as fiction. Still good enough. It took a couple of weeks for me to complete it.

Narahari Kaviraj

Narahari Kaviraj: “Post Modernism.”

This is a slim book a Marxist critique of postmodernism. The author tries through quotations from Lyotard, Foucault, Derrida and others is an excuse not to act against the rich poor divide. He also includes the critique of orientalism Edward Said in this category beside so many subaltern studies put out in India a few years back. One might agree with many of the arguments and reasoning used by the author but cannot be carried away with his Marxist advocacy of the so called proletarian revolution or proletarian dictatorship. He maintain that some one from outside has to impart class consciousness to the poor, landless and peasants. He also says that revolutionary consciousness in the worker also comes out of the ideological guidance. He ignores the view that any such imposition could be brought through power alone and then the power wielding becomes another class. He finds faults with post Lenin phase of the Soviet Communist rule. Stalin and his successors continued more and more dictatorial and the final result was the collapse of the Soviet and East European communist regimes. Kaviraj hints that anti socialists had some role in this downfall. Kaviraj did not take cognizance of the situation under the three decades rule of West Bengal by the Marxists which did little to or nothing to change the class structure and consciousness of the people of the state. The latest developments in the state when peasants rose against land acquisition for industrial development, the ruling communist party was aghast and succumbed to the regressive forces. This happened due to the idealization of peasant class in communist vocabulary. All the way communism failed not only in places it ruled for decades but at other places where it had substantial following at certain time. Italy, Francefor example. The Stalin and subsequent regimes in theSoviet Union fostered dictatorships in the newly independent postcolonial states. Every goon who was able to wrest power in the once colonies were acclaimed as liberators. These liberators continued as dictators unto the end of their life. The example of Robert Mogabe of Zimbagve is still with us.

Kavitaj often recalls the Marxist concept of linear progress of society from lower to the higher levels. The theoretical model Marxism teaches is that of society progressing from primitive communism to slavery then to feudalism to capitalism and finally communism a paradise on earth. Lenin entered imperialism as the last phase of developed capitalism. Kaviraj repeats all these without any critical view. He hides the fact that no ancient history or archeology attests to the truth of such linear progression of any ancient society. Almost all ancient societies progressed to a certain level and then digressed to a place leaving little traces in history. The Marxist historical materialism remained a lone theoretical model a caricature of true history. If communists are banking upon such a model they will have to wait for infinite future. But it seems they are dreaming of that future if one takes notice of the recent writings of them all.

On the other hand, capitalism whose death was forecast much earlier by Marx and others continues to influence the major part of the world. Every sign of its downward trends even if that was only a slight was proclaimed as the end of capitalism. Every strike or stoppage of work or protest demonstrations are proclaimed as the revolutionary acts of the classes concerned. The recent economic crisis in US and other developed countries gladdened the Indian communists and they were too happy to propagate the downfall of world capitalism. But belying all the forecasts the world economy is recovering though slowly. It means that capitalism has enough reserves to meet exigencies. It is capable of self generation. Natahari Kaviraj and people like him should not go on repeating the dogmas even if they are being refurbished. Freedom and market go together self-correcting the flaws.

The Last Brahmin.

THE LAST BRAHMIN

Life and Reflections of a Modern Day Sanskrit Pandit

By Rani Shiv Shankar Sharma

Translated from Telegu by D.Venkat Rao

This is a strange and fascinating book. I have not read anything like this all these years. Possibly no one has written about people like Rani Narasimha Sastry.

He is the father of the author. The introduction gives an idea of the contents and matters dealt with in this narrative. Narasimha Sastry is last in a line Vedic of scholars who observe the Vedic norms and practice fire sacrifices without any pomp or publicity. They are simple, content and exclusive. They don’t mingle with the crowd visiting the temple and pilgrim centres. They though outworldly civil they are on their own. The narrative gives an idea as how Narasimha Sastry thou teaching Sanskrit in a college is not one of it. He teaches only Brahmin boys. He performs all Vedic rites properly and in correct times. He observes all pollution rituals. He is concerned only with the Vedic and not at all worried about anything worldly.

Though it is fascinating to know of the life of such a Brahmin, the book is disappointing. The telling does not follow any chronological system or it follows a subject wise division. There are a good lot of repetitions of words, sentences, entire paragraphs at several occasions. They come in the way of a serious reader.

The author styles himself as an atheist and communist. His elder brother is termed as the modern Hindu meaning a political entity. Both were disinherited by their father who wanted to remain a true Brahmin till end. The father and Brahmins of like minded were of the view that there is no such thing as Hindu in any of the ancient Vedic or Sanskrit scriptures. There is Sanatana dharma that each one to follow according to the birth. They do not agree with the saying “Janmana Jayate Sudra: Karmana Jayate Dvija:” Man is born in a particular varna due to the doings in his earlier birth. If one follows the duties fixed for ones varnaby birth the he might take to higher varna in his next birth. Duties and cultures of varnas could not and should not be changed. Certain varnas do practice animal sacrifice and it is justified.

Although the father is of the view that Vedanta has no Vedic authority and Adi Sankara has thus corrupted the Vedic dharma he has every respect and devotion towards two of the mutts namely Sringeri Saradaa Peedham and Kanchi Kamakodi Peedham. As a true Vedic Brahmin he does not visit any temples. According to him no Brahmin has constructed any temple. Temples were constructed by Kshatriyas for non-Brahmin use. Brahmins should concentrate on Vedic rituals that eventually benefit the universe as a whole.

At some places, the author resorted to a kind of dialogue between people of different persuasions. They are informatory rather than explanatory. Still that makes you think. Since the author is a Sanskrit scholar with no English education he uses his knowledge to quote and cite several facets of his understanding of scriptural and puranic stories to explain some practices adopted by Brahmins. He brings out contradictions and confusions inherent therein.

However there are places where one gets puzzled. Who is speaking; whether the father or the son? His ideas of socialism and communism are second hand and not cogent enough. We come to know that at least in Andhra; Brahmins are found in all parties from far right to far left. I think that this is mostly true at every other state and at national level as well.

Kunti Earth Godess

KUNTI THE EARTH GODESS

On 6.12.2007 the TOI carried an article titled Kunti Personifies Mother Earth by S.M.Bhaskar in Speaking Tree column. It is a fashion of our learned to find heroes, heroines and episodes from epics and impart new meanings according to the inclination of the writer. They might be moralists, mystics, spiritualists and else. The Sanskrit language used in our epics is so flexible that each word could have many meanings and sometimes contradictory. In Sanskrit words, have roots and syllables denoting different meanings. It facilitates the scholar to go beyond the felt ones. It is a game that is going on for centuries. The exemplary examples are the commentaries to ancient works like Brahma sutra and Bhagavat Gita by adherents of advaita, visishtadvaita and dvaita. In fact Bhagavat Gita has more contradictory commentaries from ancient times and additionally expanded by modern scholars.

So I was not surprised to find one like Bhasker interpreting the Mahabharata character Kunti mother of Pandava trio. By depicting Kunti as the mother earth the writer admits that the story of Mahabharata is just story teaching some mystical truths or so. Be it so. But…

Take the birth of Karna. The writer gives a meaning that the birth of Karna signifies the seed and growth of trees with their barks and fruits. Could we accept the story even if it has other meanings hidden? Kunti was a virgin and not married. She gave birth to Karna and abandoned him to float on the river. At a very late stage of the story she tried to claim him as her eldest son. Could we not conclude that virginity in girls is not as understood today at those ancient times?

Bhaskar takes up explanations for the birth of five Pandavas. Yes, the elder three were from Dharma, Vayu and Indra. But the two younger ones were born of Madri and not Kunti. If Kumti is the Mother earth then there is no need for Madri in the story. Why hide Madri so as to interpret Kunti as earth?

Next the author introduces a twist in his interpretation. The sequence of the five or is four births are first brain next mind third energy fourth twin legs. What a wonderful way of interpreting epic episodes? We all should appreciate Bhaskar for enlighten us and be thankful for it.

Tasleema & CPM

TASLEEMA &CPI(M)

It is unfortunate that Ms. Taslima Nasreen has to run around this secular country for protection against the threat of Muslim fundamentalists who in fact form a miniscule body of the community. What is more shameful is the attitude and acts of the CPI(M) and its govt. in West Bengal. Instead of standing up to the threat of the fundamentalists both buckled and allowed the writer to seek, fresh abode in other parts of India. Once in the past the Rajiv Gandhi Govt succumbed to fanatical fringe of the same groups and amended the constitution in order to deny maintenance to divorced Muslim women as ordered by our Supreme Court. The result of such abject surrender to Muslim fanatics pawed the way for the Hindu groups headed by BJP to come to power. Similarly, the CPI (M) has given up the secular space to communalists. Even if liberal minded Hindus come to the conclusion that secularism is sham idea one may not be surprised. The so-called pillars of secularism crumbled at the first test against real communalism. It seems that Islamic fundamentalists became bold to act in West Bengal because of the misguided stand of the left supporting the Islamic regime in Iran in the name of anti-imperialism. The left Govt. in West Bengal banned Tasleema’s book Dvikhandito at the behest of the same forces. Then judiciary stood up to secure secularism and ordered the ban to be withdrawn. When in last year the Muslim fringe protested and threatened death to creators of the Prophet Cartoons communists were prominent in the crowd at Azad Maidan in Mumbai. While our own nuclear projects suffer from lack of technology and material the left constructed hurdles in the way of the Nuclear Agreement 123 again in the name of fighting American Imperialism but firm in supporting the Iranian efforts at becoming a nuclear power. The leaders of CPI (M) like Biswas and Yechuri were bending backwards to wriggle out of a situation that is unconvincing. They acted to mollify the anger of communalists at the cost of secular values. The results could be predicted in advance. As in the aftermath of Sha Banu case, the Hindu fundamentalists headed by their political outfit BJP will be the party to benefit from the left betrayal. No excuse and or correction could make amends to the situation. A final question. If communists could not stand up for secularism who else will?

However, Tasleema is in good company with Rushdie, Hussain, and Ayan Hishie Ali. As in, the case of the last who was given space by a far right think tank in US Tasleema is backed by the BJP spokespersons. They in fact demanded giving citizenship to her. Does this mean that only antagonists will protect the dissidents in other’s camp? The religious fundamentalist believe that those who were born in their faith have no choice but remain in it and not speak against it. At the same time they want to convert people from other faiths i.e. speak and act against other faiths. What a monstrous perversion!!

The Assault on Reason.

By Al Gore (Former US Vice President)

This book was published in the first quarter of 2007 while self and Annam were in the US. This was selected by Anil for my reading though at first I was sceptical about the seriousness of the writing by an ex administrative. From the pages I found that Al Gore is not just any politician he has to his credit near about a dozen books on politics and allied subjects. On first reading I found that Al Gore is well trained academic and intelligent political writer. He has grasp of the subject and control of language to present it. He has history at his side and masters evidence and arguments on the theme he presents.

This book is well considered exposition and critique of the Bush administration both in foreign and domestic spheres. Al Gore goes back to history to find flaws, transgressions and outright contradiction with the intentions of the founding fathers of the US. He traces as how the values and morals advocated and based by the former are being subverted by the present day administration. It is sad fact that the well-meaning populace of the states has given the consent to Bush to head for a second term.

In Al Gore’s view the Bush administration has all the while assaulted reason that should be countered by right thinking persons and brought before the electorate as one of the main responsibities in order to get out of the rut. In a lengthy and reasoned introduction Al Gore summarises the whole contents of his book. He makes out that the enlightenment brought from the European renaissance was essentially the results of the printed word. “More and more people gained an appetite for current information about contemporary events and confidence in their own ability to use their reasoning capacity to sort through the available evidence relevant to decisions that affected their lives.” (Page 12) Again “You could say that the age of print begat the Age of Reason which begat the age of Democracy.” (Page 12)

Al Gore goes on postulating the changes from the age of print to present age of TV visuals. What he calls market place of ideas where thoughts are not only expressed but debated had the decisive role in the working of democracy. Literacy aids the market of ideas to function unimpeded. People read and react in assenting or dissenting. Such discussions culminate in viable policy decisions on part of the rulers. Democracy of the people by the people and for the people. But during the historical period from the print media to TV discussions and debates lessened. The TV medium did not allow the people to interact as in the case of print media. “it is important to distinguish the quality of vividness experienced by television viewers from the “vividness” experienced by readers. I believe that the vividness experienced in reading words is automatically modulated by constant activation of the reading centres of the brain that are used in co creating of the representation of reality the author has intended. By contrast the visceral vividness portrayed on television has the capacity to trigger instinctual response similar to those triggered by reality itself-and without being modulated by logic, reason and reflective thought.” (Page 19)

Further on Al Gore states “Any new dominant communication medium leads to a new information ecology in society that inevitably changes the way ideas, feelings, wealth, power and influence are distributed and the way collective decisions are made.” (Page 20) He explores “the connection between withdrawal of reason from public sphere and the resulting vacuum that is filled by fear, superstition, ideology, deception, intolerance and obsessive secrecy as means of tightening control over the information that a free society needs to govern itself according to reason-based democracy.” (Page 21)

On chapter one Gore takes up the subject of politics of fear. He says “We often take snap judgements based principally on our emotional reactions rather than considering all options rationally and making choice carefully.” He goes thru history and finds occasions when emotions carried rather than reason. Gore ventures through the research on the brain and shows that the centres storing the emotions are too frequent in showing up. He gives an example of the communist witch hunt during McCarthy era and follows with the present Bin Laden, Al Qaida and Saddam Hussein. The Bush administration specifically manufactured a fear psychosis among the US citizens to garner support to the unjustified measures in domestic and foreign policy. Al Gore takes the media as well for surrendering their reason and independent thinking. “Terrorism relies on stimulation of fear for political ends. Indeed its specific goal is to distort reality of a nation by creating fear in the general population that is hugely disproportionate to the actual danger that the terrorists are capable of posing.” (Page 38-39)

In chapter two; Gore takes up the issue of blinding the faithful. Though the United States was not formed on the basis of religion they were confidant in the capacity of people reasoning to come to fair decisions. However, there was always the possibility of religious sects intervening in national politics. There were enough instances of such interfering to distort the reality and construct it to their favour. Al Gore says “I am convinced, however, that most of the president’s frequent departures from fact-based analysis have much more to do with his rightwing political and economic ideology than with the bible.”(Page 61) Again “Bush uses a religious blind faith to hide what is an extreme political philosophy with a disdain for social justice that is anything but pious by the standards of any respected faith”. He says that it a coalition of certain interested groups that have their basic credo “there is no such thing as “the public interest”; that phrase represents a dangerous fiction created as an excuse to impose unfair burdens on the wealthy and powerful.” (Page 63) Today there are powerful and wealthy groups that propagate that “government is very bad and should be done away with as much as possible—except the parts of it that redirect money through big contracts to industries that has won their way into the inner circle.” (Page 66)

The facts and evidences massed by the author goes to prove that Bush administration thru its deliberate moves has deviated from traditional democratic norms. It does seem that administration is bent upon and succeeding in establishing a caucus of right fundamentalist rule. There is no difference between a totalitarian dictatorship and Bush administrations in today’s America. Unlike the press where dialogue is possible the TV media is one sided with no interaction with the audience. It is a devastating indictment on administration, TV media, congress and senate for not keeping to the side of the constitution ofAmerica in words and spirit.