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Role Of Literature To Stir People's Conscience

By KR Rao

15 February, 2016
Countercurrents.org

From a culture of passivity and inaction To A Culture of Concern, and Becoming Part of Agents of Change for a Better Tomorrow. Literature should stir people’s conscience and herald a Cultural Revolution

A speech delivered By KR Rao at UGC- Human Resource Development Centre , Karnatak University, Dharwad during Inter-disciplinary Refresher Course in Languages

Thanking Prof Harish Ramaswamy and his colleagues of the renowned Karnatak University, Dharwad, for the kind invitation, and all of you, the learned language teachers of various colleges, I take this opportunity to share my views with you. I shall try to utilize one hour for my talk, and 30 minutes for interaction, as suggested. By way of preface let me state at the outset : Sweet is bad, we are told, in these days of diabetes. They also tell us: Karela is good, “Bitter Guard” is healthy. So, I would leave sweet things to others, many of them would speak to you in the coming days. I would confine to a few bitter things. For, TRUTH is bitter.

[I] The Focal Theme assumes : Firstly, that literature and culture have a relationship with social concerns, i.e., art for art’s sake is not the way. Secondly, that social concerns need to cater to 21st century, i.e., to changing times. It assumes 21st century is a new, changed time. Yes, the first assumption is widely “accepted” in modern times, but quite a few don’t really practise it. They are often too philosophical, too subjective, too nature-loving or too aesthetic as to have any “social concerns”. Obviously they have no concern for “social concerns”. Lot of poetry and poets have such a tendency, perhaps prose has less scope for it. A little allowance to such a tendency may be ok, but beyond that, it is an escapist way. “Unsocial” is their “social concern”, perhaps. Not acceptable, but, after all, they have a right!

Second assumption: 21st Century is a new, changed one, or changing. Is it correct? India is vast and varied, so is Karnataka which equals the size and population of many European countries. So vast and varied, that there are too many areas, too many people who are living not even in 20th century, the “modern” era, but in pre-modern times, in medieval times, steeped in orthodoxy, superstition, ignorance, narrow – mindedness, religious dogmas, clan and casteist outlook and mindset, male chauvinism, feudal loyalties, nepotism, communal outlook (in terms of not only religion(s) but also its sub-sects, and of caste(s) and its sub-castes. Thus, though we physically entered 21st century, our literature and culture still need to address , in fact need to FOCUS, on problems plaguing us since the last century. We need to identify certain concrete features of our society so as to mirror them well in our literature and art :

In the rural backward pockets, it is too evident, thankfully too transparent, perhaps abhorrently so, like the half-dressed ruralite. But in the urban, modern, developed pockets, it is basically no different in content, but neatly couched and “tucked in” modern dress of suit. It is “concealed” but in a revealing manner. Our elite, our academics and academies, our Mathas and Swamis, our polity is stinking with both the above. (naked variety as well as the dressed up). Let me share : Recently, I heard a popular Swamy telling in private how he was stunned to see so rampant casteism among swamis and Mathas.

Thus both sections are mostly living in medieval times, not even in 20th Century. Development, industrialization, capitalism, democracy, Constitution and laws, we believed, would reduce if not eliminate casteism within a few decades after independence. But it is more rampant than ever in the past. Our offices, campuses, legislatures, Mathas, literature and sahitya academies etc are reeking with both the varieties. It is such a divisive and diversionary phenomenon that no impersonal and objective discussion is possible on the subject. The literary and cultural world itself is riven with that. The Sahitya Parishad elections are now driven more by caste and money than any other factor. The rot of both these variants – has NOT stopped with casteism, but is wallowing in sub-casteism too. We swear by or mouth Basava, but swim in the polluted Koodala Sangama of casteism and sub-casteism. We swear by or mouth Ambedkar, but are lost in ghettoes of casteism and sub-casteism. We now have a “nationalist” leader who campaigned in Bihar polls mentioning his caste, the first time a Prime Minister of India did so.

Literature should play a unifying role….unity for struggle against this unjust system

This is also a social concern – yes, caste and casteism are “social”, even if “unsocial”, sometimes crossing into the realm of “anti-social” too. We have entered 21st century, but very much with this baggage we have been carrying since medieval times, not merely 20th. It is a “social” concern, “divisive” but not unifying; it is “diversionary” – diverting from basic issues of poverty, inequality, oppression and exploitation. Can there be literature and culture of human equity and dignity in such a climate?

Our concern in literature should be to criticize, expose and fight the medieval mindset, not only its naked-transparent variety, which is not shy of its communal, casteist, orthodox etc outlook; but more so, its sophisticated, dressed up variety, masquerading in its “secular”, cosmopolitan get-up and posture; you scratch a little, you will find it is equally, if not more, stinking. Revealing itself not only in computerized vaastu and astrology, in dowry- and caste-based, nay sub-caste based, matrimonials, in English dailies too, but also in so many other ways as follows. Thought-provoking prose, stirring poetry, preferably in the form of songs that can go into lakhs of people, insightful essays through media, dynamic speeches that stir people into action, on the above aspects, with unity for struggle as its chief message, is the need of the hour.

People’s life, their suffering, their struggles, more so of the rural poor and other toiling classes, are a great mine for endless supply of raw material for any writer. If one spends a month with them, and closely observes them, perhaps one will get enough material for ten short stories. Better, I feel, prefer prose to communicate more effectively to your audience. Poetry , free verse in particular, often is ending up with other poets. If you want to write poetry, try writing songs -- folk songs and bhakti songs and bhajans are so catchy, so effective in form, we can learn from them – but write with current themes, reflecting current contradictions in a thought-provoking manner. . The written literature is having less and less readers in this century, more so among youth who mostly are reading only books of their career or so-called personality-development books. After the arrival of cable TV, with dhaaraavaahis, cinema, sports, game-shows etc., readership has been less. So see how we can consciously use TV, somehow penetrate it with stimulating and critical writing. There are so many channels , and they need content to fill 24X7. Utilizing the various slots, progressive writers and their literature should systematically penetrate various forms and formats in the electronic media, the most powerful in the 21st century, that goes into people who are illiterate as also the majority of literates who have no time for the printed word, whose access is increasingly limited. But we must also use the print-media ,still read by serious sections, make a systematic and concerted effort.

As to content : We have communalism for example, but note it is political communalism, that is promoting religious divide to cultivate and serve vote-bank politics. It is not enough to write against it as many progressive writers are indeed doing.In the name of secularism, political casteism is promoted towards the same end. Casteism is also one kind of communalism, no less dangerous. Both are equally divisive and diversionary, and our literature should bring it out. It should play a unifying role, unity for struggle against this unjust system. Politics of 21 st century India made it much more complex, confusing, divisive. The writer should be able to capture this complexity, put it in a creative manner, to touch the conscience of his audience, so as to mould it.

How do we translate the word secularism? Language teachers should be able to answer it . Is it dharm nirapekshata or sarva dharma sama-bhava? It is the latter that is being pushed. Catering to all religions as part of vote-bank politics has been secularism in practice, not separation of state from politics, as it should be. Can there be sama-bhava between majority and minority when vote-bank politics drive our discourse? It is political communalism, not merely religious.

Things are not simple and straight-forward in these times, more so of of 21st century. Modern in form, reactionary in content is there for us to unravel. Indian , national and traditional Vs. foreign, western, modern -- which is to be chosen? Neither is wholly wholesome. There is some good in tradition, even some science like traditional medicine or architecture. But lot is orthodox, outdated, undemocratic, unscientific etc. Likewise Western is not all modern and scientific -- orthodoxy and reaction are concealed but often glaring behind the suit -- but also has many degenerate features, vulgar profit-motive driving the West. Take the healthcare system for example : The science of modern medicine increasingly has been reduced into unabashed, hitech commerce. Dr. BM Hegde, Padma Bhushan Awardee, London-trained cardiologist wrote an article published with the titlt : 10 ways doctors LOOT their patients. We at Vishwa Shrama Chetana, took up the problem of fluorosis threatening 10 crore Indians, including those of 6000 plus villages of Karnatka, when we found the modern healthcare system utterly neglected the whole problem. ( We request your cooperation in our endeavours by motivating your students.) Therefore, shun negative and decadent features in both, take what is relevant and useful today, from both tradition and modernity, Indian and Western.

Our writers have been writing against the chatur varna system, which however, simply failed to encompass the thousands of castes and sub-castes, engendered, revived, and consolidated by our vote-bank politics. So much so, the Centre withheld caste and sub-caste details of the recent Socio Economic and Caste Census 2011(SECC), released in 2015. The Registrar General of SECC was bewildered and has come out with 46.73 lakh (yes, no mistake) categories of caste, sub-caste, synonyms, different surnames, gotras in the caste and clan names. Rabid casteism and sub-casteism is displayed, (ABCD within each Group, and maha dalit and MRPS (sub-reservation for madiga etc) within SCs are a phenomenon now; STs are also asking for sub-categories now), more so among the educated and employed in Govt. sector, more so in our Universities, not to speak of electoral politics where it is the first criterion. Now there is a proposal to extend it to private sector too.

Reservations is indeed a very sensitive subject, the related contradictions are displayed often in an unashamed, aggressive and brazen manner, either by way of pressing for or opposing reservations.With all the development claimed, unemployment, or under-employment even of the educated, even of B Techs MBAs and MCAs is rampant ( Lakhs of them are applying for Class iv jobs, for constable posts, even in developed Punjab, not to speak of Karnataka ), not to speak of rural unemployment. Stagnation and jobless growth has been our bane. So it becomes a sensitive subject, born out of heart-burn. With all the reservations , there are lakhs of dalit graduates and PGs who remain unemployed. There are elite classes of elite communities seething with anger about their feudal-dominant paradise lost with reservations. Now they too want the reservations. The Jats of North and Patels of Gujarat, and now Kaapus of AP, all so-called dominant communities, are out on the streets and ruling parties promised them reservations as part of vote-bank politics. To be listed as backward is now in the premium. And the newly emerged elite of so-called lower castes, are craving for, or zealously guarding, the paradise gained – for some of them it is for the 3rd or 4th generation but they would not accept the creamy-layer concept suggested by the Supreme Court. There was some sense of shame among the educated in the “modern” decades of 20th century, perhaps the “Indian” identity of Mera Bharat Mahan variety, even if shallow and showy, was clouding the primordial instincts. But as we advanced and entered the 21st, it is in all its naked, fashion-parade, dressed up in revealing post-modernist identity garb, applauded promoted and patronized by the State and polity, the academics and media. The shallow, ephemeral, too-transient “Indian” identity of 1947 – Mera Bharat Mahan variety -- gave way to our original, true, feudal, even pre-feudal, primordial divisiveness, made “honourable” and rationalized by post-modernist identity theories that flowed from the West via the academics and the media. As Marx said so aptly : The ruling ideas of a period are the ideas of ruling classes of the day.

Sarve Janaa Sukhino Bhavantu and such like have become platitudes, worn-out clichés, subhaashitaas. Our forums, our media, our mathas, our literature and lectures reverberate with this and similar slogans. It is claimed as part of our cultural heritage, our legacy. But what is the reality? In the absence of empathy in practice, is it NOT mere platitudes? Mere Sushka Bhashana – empty talk? Is it not a culture of hypocrisy to mouth it, to hear it , to write it, without an iota of practice? Are we ready to break this hypocrisy? The same applies to egalitarian–sounding phrases liberally used in the Constitution, like liberty, equality, fraternity, socialism, Right to livelihood, secularism etc. etc., while ground realities are bitter. Dr.Ambedkar on 25th November 1949, while addressing the Constituent Assembly on the occasion of moving the Draft Constitution said :

"On 26lh January 1950, we are going to enter a life of contradictions. In politics we will have equality and in social and economic life, we will have inequality. In politics, we will be recognizing the principle of one man one vote, and one vote one value. In our social and economic life, we shall by reason of our social and economic structure, continue to deny the principle of one man and one value….. We must remove this contradiction at the earliest possible moment or else those who suffer from inequality will blow up the structure and political democracy which this Assembly has so laboriously built up".

Can we say today the situation of social and economic inequality has been removed? Are we, the educated elite, bothered IN PRACTICE about the suffering, backwardness, ignorance, superstition etc of the rural India? Though many of us have our roots in such rural life, how many of us go and ENGAGE in an effort to CHANGE the rural scenario? Do we not run away from our villages, to the small comforts of the town or city? In a country of highest illiteracy, we are not in a position to assert mother tongue as medium of instruction. And the Supreme Court comes to the rescue of English medium . What an irony of democracy ? In a situation when our young graduates, and even teachers, are unable to write one page in mother-tongue, absolutely free from mistakes, we are so servile as to demand or accept English as medium of instruction, ostensibly in the name of unemployment. Ground reality ? With all our English medium, millions of educated are unemployed and under-employed. What is the duty and role of teachers, writers and literature on these questions? Further, how many of us and our kin strive to improve the Govt. school in the village, in our neighbourhood, improve the quality of education there?

Three lakh farmers committed suicide in the last decade or more in India, as per Govt. statistics. Thousands of them were from Karnataka. If one farmer committed suicide, we can take it, it would mean there were a hundred who faced similar distress and dilemma. Only they were not timid, not overly down cast, as to commit the worst of the weak moment. Was this tragedy ever highlighted and headlined, analysed deeply and in a soul-stirring manner, in the media, in our writings? Beyond time-serving, tinkering, headline-grabbing palliatives, did the authorities go to unravel the stubborn semi-feudal foundations of our agrarian structure, evident even from Govt.’s latest data, topped by an imperialist-driven market anarchy with all its vagaries? Did we sensitize our classrooms, our students, our laboratory, our NSS, our elocution on this so as to stimulate thinking, and more, promote action to stem this rot ? We know of Nero who was fiddling while Rome was burning. Nero was not a person, but an Institution. Is not our University, our academic world, an institution created at great cost to address the concerns of our society, of our people? Are we any different from Nero? Our classrooms , our lectures there, more so of languages and social sciences, are a potential forum of literature we should utilize in the cause of a better society and a better world.

Day in and day out, we hear Basava quoted : Kaayakave kailaasa. It is chanted by one and all. But what is the value most of us attach to Kayaka in the sense of physical, manual work? Do we practise it in our daily life? Do we have any respect for dignity of labour? Do we value it? Do we respect the labourer, the toiler? Do we care if he is paid even prescribed minimum wages, if the labor laws are implemented favorably? Do we cultivate, promote, nurture dignity of labour in our children? Even if it comes to mental labor, how many teachers toil to update, to relate themselves to the present and present day problems? Do we realize, we are living with a two worlds theory? Kayaka for one and Kailasa for the other? Kayaka for most, and Kailasa for few? Kayaka for you and Kailasa for me?

Apart from rural-urban dichotomy, even within our villages, is there concern from the elite towards the poorer, the more deprived brothers? Or within our towns too is such a culture of empathy surviving, prevailing, let alone thriving? Beyond the Facebook, do we care to see even their faces? Mind you, 93 percent of our workforce is unorganized, have nothing to fall back upon….may I mention, we of Vishwa Shrama Chetana, led by our senior Prof KS Sharmaji, are also working for them, through Unions and Krantikari Janandolana focusing on rural poor. Social concerns and attitudes vary from the class point of view also, those of the exploited vary from those of exploters. Is not vasudhaiva Kutumbam a slogan merely meant to benumb and befool the toiling masses ? How does literature treat all these questions? It should tear into this hypocrisy.

Literature should fight against fate, superstition, strengthen conviction to fight injustice

Everyday we see, hear, read about, participate in Jyothi Prajwalana somewhere. But almost after 70 years of independence, darkness of ignorance, orthodoxy, superstition, casteism, religious bigotry is spreading, gaining new and renewed life, no less among the educated – or better call them literate–elite? Is there Jyothi Prajwalana in our heart of hearts? Way back Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902) said in his essay titled Man is the maker of his destiny :

“I have seen some astrologers who predicted wonderful things; but I have no reason to believe they predicted them only from the stars, or anything of the sort. In many cases it is simply mind-reading. Sometimes wonderful predictions are made, but in many cases it is arrant trash….It is the coward and the fool who says, 'This is fate'" — so says the Sanskrit proverb. But it is the strong man who stands up and says, "I will make my fate." It is people who are getting old who talk of fate. Young men generally do not come to astrology.”

But even today the educated are more taken in by Jyothishya, Muhurat, Horoscope, Jathaka Chakra, Divine Ring or Stone. The most frequent outing, picnic, or tour with family is to a neighbourhood temple, Matha, Shirdi, Savadatti, Mantralaya, Sreesailam, Tirupati…Many are in search of moksha, of course not now, a concept strictly individual by its very nature . We are lost in rituals, we have little time or interest for history, art, architecture. Any dance, drama or music programme is attended by not more than 500 people in population of 5 to 10 lakhs. Beyond cinema-based TV programs and escapist Dhaaravaahis (portraying mostly only the upper and upper middle class with their gaudy life, often making many villains out of family women), we have less and less of variety of art and culture. Even when we have some stage program we have music, dance, drama, Yakshagana etc. rooted in mythology, in the past , but with little contemporary social thinking, little of present problems and contradictions. Even where it is dealt, it is by way of allegory, often too obscure.

Literature should not shy to become more political, to champion struggles of the oppressed and exploited

“The hottest place in the hell are reserved – for those who maintain neutrality at times of crises”(Dante). Yes, we are living in such times, with a culture that is hypocritic. A few aspects of this we shall see:

[a] A culture of silence:- With harmful orthodoxy, inhuman economic inequality, shameful social discrimination, brazen autocracy dancing around us, we are stoic, we are unperturbed with a culture of silence. We displayed Sthitha prajnya of abhorrent variety. we have the freedom of expression, safe in the statute book, very sparingly used. It is like the new book in the shelf never opened.

[b] Even when we dislike and detest something like these, we are steeped in a culture of passivity, of inaction, of unresponsiveness bordering on irresponsibility. We have the freedom of association, right to organization, all kept in blissful disuse most of the time.

[c] We have the “biggest democracy”, remembered every January 26. We exercise it only once in 5 years. The educated middle class avoid even this most of the times, more out of lazy relaxation than conscious decision (NOTA–like). But we remain inactive, we are mostly part of the silent majority, while some small groups of lumpens, hordes of hirelings – hired by vested interests, money bags, or wily unscrupulous politicians -- take over the streets, play havoc, tear up our social fabric with venomous propaganda. Be it ragging in the campus, rigging the polls, or eve-teasing in the street, rowdyism in the society -- very few indulge in them – we of silent majority bear with the minority’s havoc, mayhem and massacre.

Literature should expose Culture of Falsehood spread through media, the idiot box in particular:

News media , more so news channels , are a powerful tool in the hands of ruling classes meant to mould, cripple, the mind of the people. They are the new opium to the men-folk, more intoxicating , as different from dharaavaahis. This is particularly so in the 21st century. Besides DD there was not much of TV in the previous century. As Noam Chomsky , rated as one of the greatest living thinker-activists of our times even at the age of 87, put it : They are engaged in manufacturing consent to this system of exploitation organized on a global scale. It is a battle of ideas where every minute, they are fooling, benumbing, dividing and diverting, and crippling people through the idiot box as TV is aptly called. Literature should incessantly expose the true colors of the ruling classes’ war through the media, and become part of a cultural revolution to be developed and waged. Please note that today there are less space and time, and less readers, for classics and classical ways of literature. Media has become a major vehicle for literature, of course in small instalments to suit the fast-moving (but often direction-less) generation.

Many of us resent, dislike and even hate certain bad phenomena – may be in our family, society, politics, literature, cinema, etc. It may be a false, distorted and harmful Ad. But we do not oppose and resist so as to check and reverse the same. As a result, small groups, often with a vested interest, and frequently promoted by some political groups – have their ways. A Bandh or Hartal today does not require or enjoy sympathy and support of large section of people, but a handful of people wielding lathis are more than enough enforce it, often in connivance of an active, mercenary media and of passive if not conniving police. Agitations centered around, oriented to, promoted and sustained by media are quite common, while genuine public opinion and mass movement are ignored, find little space in the media. Our democracy, our media , over the decades, perfected the art , the knack, of highlighting the small vocal groups while ignoring and stifling the silent majority. And now they speak of empowerment of this or that section, revealing the disempowerment by the very sterile democracy we have had all the time.

Our teachers should actively use the media and the mike

Thus the media, as Noam Chomsky tells us, is busy ‘manufacturing consent’ towards a system of reckless exploitation and plunder, not only of people and nations but also of nature and environs, as the only way. Globalization could have become one of a humane world, but it is designed by, dictated by, and oriented to serve – imperialism. Our writers do speak against globalization and MNCs but often miss the main point: They are not here as East India company once did by invasion. They are here by invitation by our servile and comprador rulers. Irrespective of the party or coalition in power, our so called national governments have been facilitating this by inviting a flood of foreign capital, hundreds of MNCs, virtually outsourcing our Govt., our economy, our polity, our environs, our culture. This is neo-colonialism, subtle, at the same time more rampant and brazen in 21st century. With all the developments we had eversince Independence, today the number of illiterate people is more than the population of 1947. With all the GDP and its growth rate of one of the biggest economies of the world, 75% of people earned less than Rs. 35 per head per day as per the all India Socio Economic Census released few months ago. If one earns above that he is APL (Above Poverty Line). If Rs.100 is taken as the norm, more than 90% population come under the category of poor. India, the country of an Atom Bomb and Rocket and Satellites, ranks as low as around 135 in HDI (Human Development Index). And without hesitation we beautifully chant Sare Jahan Se Accha, Hindustan Hamara!

Conclusion

You are all in the noble profession of teaching, at higher levels of education. By virtue of that, we are supposed to be a part of a civil society, of opinion-makers and thought-leaders. More than all, we are training new generations of this country which is crying for a basic change towards a just order. But to be good teachers, we must become good students – not only of books, but of society, of reality on the ground. Instead of producing servile minds, voting cattle and cannon fodder for this system, we should try to grasp the inner dynamics of Inertia versus Change. We shall relate theory with practice, grasp and implement theory for practice. This society is our lab, the struggle for correct ideas is our battle. All our writings, all our class-room lectures, shall and can serve this purpose. There is no greater meaning or goal to our literature, to our art, to our profession. Literature and art cannot make revolution by themselves , true, as some people tend to believe. But they do help to usher in a Revolution of Ideas, bhaava kraanti, that supplements, facilitates, and helps the task of revolution, i.e., basic change in the socio-economic foundations, and in political-cultural realms too. A cultural revolution is needed not only for and before revolution, but also AFTER the revolution, to make it real, meaningful, comprehensive, sustainable. Therefore, let us conclude:

Literature should stir people’s conscience and herald a Cultural Revolution.

KR Rao is a social activist

 



 



 

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