Unravelling the ‘Standardization’ Conundrum

In their quest for demystifying life, human beings have resorted to a variety of strategies, such as categorization, codification, generalization, etc. It seems to me that standardization is one such strategy that is employed by the human race, for want of a better reason that I could locate, to be able to make a better sense of the various stimuli that compete with each-other to attract its attention. This is what I think is the rationale behind the dire need that is felt by the human race to standardize.

On another level, if we look at the history of this global movement towards standardization, we will be able to locate its linkages with the processes of industrialization, imperialism, capitalism and finally, globalization.

The 18^th century Industrial Revolution was marked by a shift from small-scale, home based, non-standardized manufacturing to manufacturing on a mass-scale with the help of standardized machinery. Frederick Taylor, through his ‘Principles of Scientific Management’, made efficiency the buzzword, which was to be achieved through the standardization of processes and work-flow techniques.

This mechanization and standardization sufficiently aided the imperialistic powers in further consolidating their hold on the territories controlled and administered by them. The growth and progress in standardization on the one hand sounded the death knell for small-scale, diversified and localized industry and processes, on the other.

The end of the imperial era led to a bipolar world for some time, the bipolarity giving way to a unipolar world after the breakdown of the Soviet Union. This breakdown coincided with the death of socialism, the breakdown of USSR being portrayed as an undeniable proof of the failure of the system (whether it actually was or not, is another question altogether. In fact, this instinct of trying to portray things as simple cause-effect phenomena is yet another proof of the human urge to simplify things). This unipolar world, dominated by the USA, established capitalism as the victorious ideology that could no longer be challenged, and was established as the only operative world ideology.

The interpretation of capitalism that dominates the world today looks at straitjacketed ‘one size fits all’ solutions to everything. It is assumed that entire societies and people driven by the economic imperative, pushing into background the social, moral and the humanitarian imperatives.

There is now a standardized definition of growth and a single interpretation of development. These can be measured with the help of standardized indexes and scales. Standardized rating agencies can then arrive at a ranking for nations, based on the scores achieved on these standardized scales.

And finally, all of the above leads towards meeting the requirements of the globalized world. Such a world increasingly wishes to obliterate the need and the importance of local contexts, local knowledge and local solutions. Context specificity is paid only a lip service in this content driven world.

The world of education is only a sub-system in this entire global trend, and has thus, not remained untouched by this quest for standardization. The imperial forces that ruled over India for close to two centuries developed the basic framework for the Indian education system, from which we have not much deviated since and even after independence. What constitutes education and what should be taught in our schools, colleges and universities is decided by the political leaders, bureaucrats and the educational experts (the role of the third category of individuals varying with the political dispensation in power). The role of students, teachers and parents in this whole process is minimal. It is only incidental that these are the three constituencies that are most effected by even the smallest of the decisions taken by the first three groups of people. This is the standardized process that is in fact followed globally (in majority of the nations at least), irrespective of whether a nation is a democracy or not, in fact more so in avowed democracies. A democracy, at least purportedly, is all about the voice of the people, however, in actual practice it has been definitively concluded that ‘common people’ are not worth giving a voice to.

In such systems, completely devoid of context specificity and local influences, the needs of an individual do-not find any space in the ‘bigger’ scheme of things. In this context, the individual is forced to adapt to the system rather than the system tailoring itself to the needs of the individual.

Keeping all of the above in mind, the latest intent of the Indian government to scrap the ‘No detention policy’ introduced by the Right to Education Act, 2009, doesn’t come as a surprise. Any act promulgated for the whole of a nation, that too as diverse as the Indian nation, can at best provide only the broadest of framework and guidelines, to be sufficiently tweaked to suit the local conditions. However, this is seldom what actually happens. The lure of standardization is too strong to be easily swept aside. So, readymade frameworks, formulae and solutions are cherry-picked from one context and blindly implemented in a completely different one.

In the extant case, the results of standardized evaluation techniques used to evaluate a child, irrespective of any other contextual consideration, convinced the policy makers and the implementers alike, that the ‘No detention policy’ had in fact turned out to be an abysmal failure. Again succumbing to the temptation of simplifying the problem, and as a consequence simplifying the solution as well, it was definitively concluded that scrapping the ‘No detention policy’ would solve all the problems ailing our education system. The policy may well be scrapped in the coming session of the Parliament. However, in the above pandemonium, we might have just succeeded in compounding the problem.

The basic problem with the ‘standardized’ world today is that it has long forgotten the fundamentals of problem solving. Each and every problem that faces an individual or a society as a whole, is unique in itself, and thus has a unique solution. It cannot be solved by ready-made, standardized, copy and paste methods. The very first step of this process is forming the problem statement correctly. The next step is breaking down and internalizing the problem statement to such an extent that the possible solutions become visible in the problem statement itself. Then comes the cumbersome but equally significant task of data collection, followed by hypothesizing, testing of the hypothesis, its validation, the listing of possible solutions, and implementation of the one thought of as the most appropriate. However, even this remains forever open to the rigor of testing, and the possibility of being falsified in light of better research. In this entire process, the context of the problem needs to be always kept in mind. The second thing that needs to be severely guarded against is the prejudices and biases of the problem solver that may creep in at any time and place.

On the road from a problem to a solution, simplification is an inevitable pit stop, without which, a solution possibly cannot be arrived at. However, the nature of simplification that one attempts, together with its consequences, needs to be problematized. In some cases and at some places, short-cuts may work, but the mainstreaming of ‘short-cut societies’ is, I think, the biggest challenge that faces our world today.

Deconstructing the “Education – Industry interface”

With the instrumental value of education acquiring center-stage in today’s world, it is being increasingly and more and more vociferously argued that forging and fostering strong education-industry linkages is the need of the hour. Two reports that I read in the Indian Express (http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/digitisation-partnership-of-ideas-4951582/) and (http://indianexpress.com/article/business/companies/bharti-airtel-foundation-artificial-intelligence-4952074/), encouraged me to articulate my thoughts on this growing trend, which is generally portrayed and perceived to be an extremely positive one. However, I wish to disagree with this dominant view, and also wish to place my disagreement, along with the reasons for the same, on record.

In the first of these reports, the author is arguing for harnessing the opportunity provided by digitization to strengthen the ties between industry and academia. This caters to the dominant narrative about the education system today, which views it as a means for securing decent and well-paying jobs, as far as individuals are concerned, and a means to move forward on its defined agenda of ‘growth and development’, as far as society is concerned. The second article which I have referred to above, if looked at with a critical lens, clearly delineates the extent to which the dominant narrative, of the need of education to align itself with the trends in industry, has established itself in the public psyche. The largesse being offered by a big technology giant for opening a University in India, with a special focus on artificial intelligence, robotics, virtual reality and the internet of things, with the added promise of providing this education free of cost to the children from poor communities, is being portrayed as addressing two challenges at the same time, one that of the woeful state of the present education system, and second that of threat of innovation, by embracing it upfront.

In the above mentioned narrative, however, many things have been left unsaid. Firstly, the altruistic motives of the technology giant, in open and complete display here, may be in need of further examination. The motive of industry or a ‘for-profit’ organization, when it indulges in philanthropy also, need to be subject to examination. The first and foremost motive of the industrial and technological world is to ensure its own growth and development. This, of course, is as per the natural order of things. The industry-technology lobby will thus always push for the alignment of educational goals with its own goals. In keeping with this, Bharti Airtel, while announcing its huge philanthropic effort, also made it clear that the focus would be on development of future technology. When I argue, therefore, for deconstructing the above narrative, I am not coming from an anti-industry, anti-technology mindset. However, what I want to emphasize is that the slogan should be “Technology for Education” rather than “Education for Technology”. By this what I mean is that the growth and development in technology should aid and assist in furthering the goals of education rather than adapting the education system to fit the needs of industry and technology. This definitive shift towards completely instrumental goals of education is deeply problematic.

Secondly, the manner of presentation of such philanthropic efforts permanently casts the targets of this largesse in the frame of passive receivers, devoid of any agency, to be pitied upon and rescued from the abysmal conditions they are in. Such a frame of reference is forever defined in terms of “large-hearted rich vs needy poor”, “decision-makers vs meek followers”, so on and so forth. There is an inherent problem in such kind of a world where the poor and their poverty need to be put on a perpetual showcase, so that the rich are able to justify their wealth.

Thirdly, by not questioning and critically examining the narrative of the industry leaders, and their constant demands for establishing industry-academia linkages, a tacit support is being rendered to such a narrative, and as time passes, a situation might arise where it will then become impossible to question this narrative at all. This has already happened in case of ‘capitalism’ having established itself as the only currently operative and possibly operative ideology in the future as well, throughout the world. Any alternatives, even if mentioned, are sidelined and hardly taken seriously.

Lastly, I think it is imperative that education and learning is rescued from the hold of instrumentalism, as soon as possible. The survival of this world and this earth crucially hinges on this. The loss of social, environmental and humanitarian perspectives from human lives, is leading the world on a fast track road towards destruction. The sooner this is realized, the better it shall be, for all mankind.

 

36 years apart: Two deaths, one in matter, the other in spirit

6^th December 1956: B.R. Ambedkar, the architect of the Constitution of India, leaves this world, albeit, physically.

6^th December, 1992: B.R. Ambedkar, the architect of the Constitution of India, leaves this world, this time, in spirit.

36 years separate the two incidents, both of which can be said to be among the landmark moments in the history of India. 6^th December, every year, marks the anniversary of both of them. While on the one hand, it commemorates the death anniversary of the one who nurtured to life the Constitution that is the fountainhead of this nation, on the other hand, it also commemorates another death anniversary, of the spirit of the very same Constitution.

The struggle that defined the life of B.R. Ambedkar was his struggle against the most depraved institution of the Hindu religion, the caste system. Born in the so-called ‘low-caste’, he lived the reality of extreme caste discrimination, right from his childhood. Despite all odds though, he succeeded in educating himself and in growing up to be a man of an independent mind, a rational and critical thinker. Throughout his life, he waged a continuous struggle against the institution of caste entrenched in the Hindu religion, so much so that a few months prior to his death, he decided to disown the religion of his birth and converted to Buddhism, the religion of his choice, in the process, taking along millions of his fellow-sufferers who had been at the receiving end of this atrocious practice.

The fundamental principle that lies at the foundation of the caste system is the principle of exclusion. It is so defined as to exclude certain people from being treated as equal human beings to the rest, based solely on the accident of their birth. This very same principle of exclusion is also the one that drove the Babri Masjid demolition, the anniversary of which also happens to fall on 6^th December.

Exclusion may take any form and may be practiced on any basis, be it caste, religion, region, gender or any such force that seeks to discriminate against one human being, in favor of the other, solely based on the characteristics defined by birth. The Babri Masjid demolition of 1992 was a fructification of the idea of exclusion based on religion. It was an act that sought to establish the supremacy of Hindus in India. It was an act that sought to exclude Muslims from the idea of India that B.R. Ambedkar had sought to establish irrevocably through the Constitution of India.

And so, after experiencing the death of the man as well as his idea of India, this nation was made to experience a peculiarly interesting commemoration on the occasion of death anniversary of both, on 6^th December, 2017. Quite interestingly, the very same people who have been watching over an entire nation being torn apart by the idea of exclusion that B.R. Ambedkar spent his entire lifetime fighting against, were seen paying him their ‘heartfelt’ respect and homage. The very same people, who have been the torchbearers of the very idea of Hinduism that he fought tooth and nail against, were seen co-opting the man, without the slightest of compunctions.

The most interesting part of this entire experience, though, was that it failed to elicit a cry of disbelief from the very nation that was thus being so openly and blatantly deceived. Such is the irony of the times that we are living in.  

Labelling Theory and the Classrooms

Labelling Theory was primarily developed through the work of sociologists in the decades of 1960s, mostly in the context of classification of certain behaviors as deviant from socially acceptable norms. This theory basically posits that self-identity and behavior of individuals may be influenced by the terms used to describe them or by the ‘labels’ the society chooses to attach to them. This theory gained traction in the decades of 1960s and 1970s. Sociologists like Emile Durkheim, George Herbert Mead, Howard Becker, Edwin Lemert etc., variously referred to it and used it in different contexts and in the process, also developed upon it.

This theory is also closely related to the concept of self-fulfilling prophecy. This expression was coined by the sociologist Robert. K. Merton. In simple terms, it means the following: Certain professed expectations (positive or negative), may affect behavior so much so that the expectations actually come true.

Although the abovementioned theories have been invoked in various contexts, I would like to talk about these in the classroom context, by the means of an example. The incident that I am now going to discuss is an actual classroom experience that occurred in the Nursery class of a reputed private school that prides itself on being an innovative and progressive school.

The said school uses storytelling as a major learning resource for the pre-primary students. The school planned on holding a story-telling session in front of an audience, in this case, the parents of these 3-4 year olds. A story which was transacted often with the kids in the classroom was chosen to be enacted in front of the parents. This was the first time that such a ‘show’ had been envisaged by the school. For the show, the class-teacher of the kids selected 2-3 students who would be given the roles which had certain dialogues to be spoken. The rest of the students were supposed to be holding certain props like trees etc. and standing on the stage with these props. The selection of the students who were required to be delivering the dialogues was done by the teacher based on her judgment on who would be able to memorize the dialogues and deliver them confidently on the stage. In fact she called the parents of the few she had initially chosen separately and asked them to make the children practice the dialogues at home as well. However, mid-way she decided to change the students (without informing the parents and for undisclosed reasons), and selected some other students for the roles with dialogues. On the day of the ‘show’, the teacher began by mentioning in her speech how each and every student was participating in various capacities. She added that the dialogues had been given to those who were more self-confident on stage. The 5-7 minute show thus completed uneventfully, and very ‘successfully’ according to the school and many parents.

This entire incident above, sounds pretty innocuous and commonplace and many of you would be wondering what I am actually trying to convey here. Imagine a bunch of 3-4 year old kids. At this age, children are dominated by a curious spirit, wanting to explore things, play and run around. They are at their inquisitive and playful best. In their journey of exploration, storytelling is indeed a very powerful means of nurturing and developing their inherent abilities. However, when the same tool is used as a means of showcasing the development of children by putting them up on a display as above, the entire purpose is itself defeated. These children, who have been growing and developing beautifully as a group are now classified into groups, some who are more self-confident and are thus chosen to play the parts with dialogues, and the rest who may not be thought that suitable for these roles. They are thus introduced to the process of ‘labelling’ that they will have to undergo throughout, beginning this very day. At this young age, they might not understand any of it and may just follow their teacher blindly. Yet, as they grow, they will slowly begin to internalize the expectations of the teacher and her perception of their own selves. Self-fulfilling prophecy may then kick into play, and the inherent unique strengths and capabilities of the children may be pushed into the background and much worse, may die a natural death.

What are the learning goals that were fulfilled for the children after this ‘show’ was ‘successfully’ conducted? A few of them developed their skills of rote memorization, whether or not they actually understood what they were speaking is another question. The rest of them had a great time enjoying themselves in their own little ways (they were innocently playing with each other and chatting among themselves) even while standing on the stage with props in hand. That it can be concluded from the above that those who were chosen for narrating the dialogues were necessarily more capable of doing it is highly doubtful. Also, the teacher (who narrated most of the story herself) got to showcase her ‘achievements’ with the kids to the entire group of parents. Are these the goals that should be sought to be fulfilled? This is a moot question indeed.

A story-telling session, conducted as a part of the natural routine of students, where they are not tied down by being forced to ‘perform’ for an audience, is an immensely powerful learning tool. During such sessions, children listen, ask questions, develop an understanding of the language, enhance their vocabulary and can also be made to understand various deep concepts in a fun way. In fact, some systems of education, like the Waldorf system, emphasize greatly on the use of such tools.

(Waldorf system is based on the educational philosophy propounded by Rudolf Steiner. This system emphasizes on the holistic development of children weaving together, arts, crafts, manual activities, storytelling etc. in the classroom experience, especially in the elementary stages. The early childhood education, in this system, emphasizes on hands-on activities and creative play, the elementary education emphasizes on developing artistic expressions and social capacities and the secondary education focusses on critical reasoning and empathetic understanding. In the kindergarten stage, storytelling is one of the many powerful tools used in this system. Story-telling sessions are part of the daily classroom routine for the kindergarten kids. The love of language and learning is built into the children through these daily animated sessions which also harness the creative energies of children. A key aspect of this system is its non-competitive nature, focusing instead on harnessing the capabilities and inherent strengths of each and every child.)

The classroom is like a second home for the child. Each and every child requires to be nurtured with unadulterated care and love to be able to realize her complete potential. For this, it is essential to harness the inherent strengths and unique abilities of each and every child. Classifying them, labelling them, ranking them may have their limited uses (more so for the schools than the children), however, if the goal is to ensure that the every seed planted blossoms into a beautiful flower, then the practices followed inside the classrooms will need a serious rethink.

 

Welcome to ‘New India’

Wish you a very happy independence day!

On a new journey…towards a ‘New India’, we are being ably led, being guided all the way

This ‘New India’ will be something like we have never seen before

Or is it that we have been seeing it so often that our eyes have now dulled and turned sour?

 

They say that truth emerges out of deep and constant churning of a lie

And that pain needs to be inflicted to a point of numbness….only then does it succeed in suppressing and stifling a cry

In the ‘New India’ that we are being led into on this day

All confusion shall be cleared, we shall be cured of all the silly thoughts that play havoc with our minds and make us lose our way

 

We keeping on harping upon our freedom of thought speech and expression

Without ever understanding its real import, instead interpreting it in any random fashion

On entering the ‘New India’, for the first time we shall understand

The real meaning of freedom, the actual interpretation that would now be the law of the land

 

Freedom of thought was never meant to mean that we shall be entitled to our thoughts

That we could not be incarcerated to hold on to our views, no matter what;

It very clearly meant the freedom from the very process of having to think

We were free from the huge burden that ‘thinking’ was forcing us to shoulder, we were free birds now; free to rejoice in our new found freedom, everything had changed in a blink

 

We had all along actually been misinterpreting the freedom

The real meaning had only now been revealed, all along, some insidious forces had succeeded in keeping it hidden

Now that it was clear that what we enjoyed was the ‘freedom from thinking’

Anyone who dared to hold any independent thought would be automatically doomed from the very beginning

 

Now that the rules of the ‘New India’ are suitably clear to you

Don’t cry foul tomorrow when your thoughts are policed and held up against you

For you were the ones who had wanted this freedom all along

This ‘New India’ is the culmination of all your dreams and struggles of the innumerable years all gone

The Faltering Humanity

They had neither coveted for the stars nor for the moon,

At most, they would have just wished to regain their health soon.

So that they could get back to the ‘normal’; be that normal be exciting or mundane,

At least it was better than lying sick in a room, experiencing all this pain.

 

They didn’t think what they were wishing was something very special,

For they had been falling sick and getting well umpteen number of times, it was all very casual.

 

They were mere kids….eager to grow up…to form a part of the world of adults,

For the adults had seemed to them all-knowing and knowledgeable, whose world rarely had time for all their fuss.

They did want to grow up, because they would also then gain legitimacy,

Their thoughts and words would then have a meaning…. Right now they were only kids who rattled and prattled with annoying frequency.

 

The adults had thought of them as mere fools unaware of real serious things in life,

They had gleefully kept up the facade; after all, their future lives would anyway have their usual share of strife.

 

But in the safe haven of their hearts,

They had harbored numerous dreams and thoughts.

Some of them wanting to lead ordinary routine lives, as their parents were doing,

Earn their living, take care of their families, such responsible roles they were for themselves envisaging.

Some others had some special ambitions hidden in their hearts,

Of touching the skies, becoming this and that, having their names written in history, before this world they depart.

 

Lying in that hospital room that day, restless to be cured and out of there soon,

Some would be sleeping, some awake, some already thinking what they would do when they were out of this gloom.

Oblivious were they of the developments in the adult world,

Naïve in their belief that hospital was a place where one went to get cured.

How could they think otherwise? This is what they had always been told,

They had read it in books, heard it from their teachers, their parents, who had them completely to this idea sold.

 

Although not completely understanding the adult language when they spoke big words like duties and rights,

Still they knew this much that if they were born, they had the right to breathe, no one in their sane mind could deny it to them, try how much ever they might.

 

What did they know, how naïve were they,

How grossly they had underestimated the adult world, which was much more capable of turning everything into ‘child’s play’.

 

Capable of conveniently forgetting its duties,

The duties for which someone was being paid by the day.

Capable of murder of innocent little children,

And calling it by innumerable other names, so that its deeds could remain hidden.

Capable of trivializing and politicizing almost everything under the sun,

Because humanity and tenets fundamental to human existence were increasingly on the run.

 

Into the permanent state of silence though they have now been forced to enter,

This deafening silence will continue to haunt us forever.

For there is no place to run from one’s conscience,

No place that will be able to provide, even for a second, any shelter.

The Story of our tryst with fasts

As Medha Patkar and other Narmada Bachao Andolan activists continue their peaceful and non-violent protest by going on an indefinite fast, for just rehabilitation (as mandated by the Supreme Court of India), to be provided to the 40,000 families affected by the closing of sluice gates of the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) dam, the state administration has replied by using violence against the activists and arresting and re-arresting them. The central government has not deemed it fit to intervene in the matter and the mainstream media finds it unworthy of coverage, other than small bits of references here and there.

The alternate media, activists and some of the general public are increasingly concerned though, as the duration of the fast is gradually increasing and the state government rather than trying to engage in a constructive dialogue with Medha Patkar and her colleagues, is, on the contrary, using all kinds of repressive measures to drown out any voice of protest.

With concerns for Medha ji and her colleagues’ health prevailing and the state government not looking inclined to relent, I got thinking about the history of our tryst with fasts, and their responses by the authorities in power.

Just as non-violence was popularized by Mahatma Gandhi as a potent tool to fight injustice, similarly, fast unto death was a tool he used quite often as a part of his satyagraha. Those were pre-independence times, and almost always did Mahatma Gandhi succeed in drawing the attention of the British authorities to his demands, leading to a dialogue and emergence of some sort of a resolution to the situation which had forced him to undertake the fast in the first place. (Dr. Sunilam makes the same observation in his article, which can be found on the URL: https://sabrangindia.in/article/medhaji-govt-worse-british-please-break-your-fast).

One of the fasts he undertook was against the provision of separate electorates for the Untouchables, whom he called Harijans, which led to the signing of Poona Pact of 1932, between him and Dr. Ambedkar. Though, this particular fast undertaken by him was not seen in favourable light by many, as it was felt that he betrayed the cause of the untouchable community, however, it could not be and was not ignored and some sort of a resolution was resorted to.

Another fast, probably his last, was the one he undertook to convince the independent Indian government to not withhold from the newly independent nation of Pakistan its rightful material dues, after the Partition. Though the Indian government was irritated and frustrated with his demand, yet it acceded to it and gave Pakistan all its dues.

He similarly succeeded in establishing Hindu-Muslim unity, howsoever precarious, in Noakhali in Bengal, by undertaking a fast unto death.

There may be various reasons for Mahatma Gandhi’s success with this instrument of indefinite fasts. One may be his stature at the time, such that no-one wanted to even imagine the consequences of his perishing as a result of one of his fasts. Another reason may be the fear of the British of losing their legitimacy if they dealt with such a situation in an excessively stern manner. Or maybe the fear of the public backlash that would follow if Mahatma Gandhi was allowed to succumb to one of his fasts was too big a fear for the British, or anybody else, to not take his fasts seriously. A third reason may be a genuine concern and love for the man and the impossibility of losing him so. A fourth reason may be that a semblance of humanity was still alive and a human being’s life was valued for what it was worth.

We shall now come to some incidents where people have resorted to indefinite fasts in independent India, and the response by the authorities in power to such fasts.

Akshay Brahmachari, an avowed Gandhian, and the Secretary of the Faizabad District Congress Committee in 1949, undertook two fasts in order to convince the government of the communal hatred being spread in Ayodhya by Hindu fundamentalists. The first time when he undertook the fast, he was persuaded to end it giving some reassurances which never, however, materialized. The second time, the government though sounded concerned, yet it did-not take any concrete steps and he was forced to end his fast by two fellow Gandhians who feared for his health.

Potti Sreeramulu is another name which is inextricably linked with fast unto deaths. He undertook the same for creation of an independent Andhra state and lost his life in the process. Three days after his death, the creation of an independent Andhra state was announced by the Central government.

Talking of fasts, the name of Irom Sharmila is registered in the annals of history. She went on a hunger strike for 16 long years against the draconian AFSPA in Manipur. The state response was to keep her in confinement and force-feed her through a nose-tube. AFSPA has remained in effect in Manipur and the North-East all this while.

Anna Hazare undertook various fasts throughout his career, most well-known and widely supported being for the passage of the Jan Lokpal Bill. Although the Lokpal and Lokayukta’s Act was enacted in 2013, however, according to Anna Hazare and its team, it is far from the draft proposed by them. Though Anna Hazare’s version of the bill also received criticism, however, his fast became very popular and the government was wary of using extremely repressive tactics against the movement.

Analyzing all of these cases, apart from Gandhiji’s fasts, it appears that the response to indefinite fasts has been varied.

The longest and yet the most delegitimized has been the hunger strike undertaken by Irom Sharmila. Even after 16 long years of fighting for the repeal of AFSPA, she could not achieve her objective. A possible reason for this may be the unanimous stand of the Indian state, irrespective of the political party in power, against the dilution of AFSPA in J&K and North-Eastern states. This is an indication of the increasing domination of the concept of mechanical nation-state over the concept of real humanity, something that Rabindranath Tagore, so strongly, guarded against.

Coming to the ongoing fast by Medha Patkar and others, and the response of the state government to the same, some peculiar observations straightaway come to mind. Firstly, the blatant and brazen disregard of Supreme Court strictures, and its continued inability to get them implemented, is pretty unprecedented. Secondly, use of violence against peaceful protestors, after failing to break their resolve by ignoring them for days altogether, is against all norms of functioning of a democratic state where rule of law is supposed to prevail. Thirdly, the silence of the central government on the entire issue is again a tactic that has been increasingly used by the present dispensation, indicating its tacit support to the state government. The saddest part is however, the baffling silence of the so-called fourth pillar of our democratic state, supposed to be independent from the other three –the mainstream media - in unequivocally condemning the state on its response to this situation.

This is probably another warning signal making us aware of the fledgling condition that our democratic state has been reduced to, and purposeful destruction of institutions that is being resorted to, silently yet unequivocally. It is high time we understand this grand design and be suitably guarded against it.

 

PS: To read about the tryst of current Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s tryst with fasts (who is the key to resolving the present impasse and is stubbornly refusing to do so), please refer to this link - https://scroll.in/article/840357/mp-farmers-stir-how-shivraj-singh-chouhan-pulled-a-fast-one-and-not-for-the-first-time. It is a very interesting read!

Heroes and Sheroes of Plural India: Akshay Brahmachari

The Babri Masjid – Ram Janmabhoomi dispute is not unknown to many. However the sordid details of what happened on the night of 22 December 1949, the preparations that went into achieving what was achieved that night, what happened in its aftermath and the various characters involved and the roles played by them, may not be very widely known. “Ayodhya: The Dark Night – The Secret History of Rama’s Appearance in Babri Masjid”, a book by Krishna Jha and Dhirendra. K. Jha, researches and documents in detail, the cast, characters, plot and story of what happened at the Babri Masjid site in 1949 (Jha & Jha, 2012, 2016). In this entire account of deceit and the communally charged atmosphere that was created, there was one man who stood out and fought for communal peace and harmony, and did it till the very end of his life.

An avowed Gandhian, Akshay Brahmachari was Secretary of the Faizabad District Congress Committee in 1949. He made numerous attempts to first prevent and subsequently douse the communal flare up that was threatening to engulf Ayodhya at the time. The authors of the book write:

“As early as in the middle of November 1949, when the communalists were busy digging up Muslim graves and desecrating the graveyard outside the mosque, Brahmachari personally visited the spot and raised the issue with District Collector K.K.K. Nair, unaware that everything was happening with the connivance of the administration. It did not take him long to realize the truth. For, barely hours after he discussed the issue with Nair, a group of communalists barged into Brahmachari’s house and assaulted him brutally.”

Although he could not prevent the installation of the idol in the mosque, which was installed on the night of 22 December, 1949, by Abhiram Das, however, it did-not deter him and he continued his fight for truth and justice, writing a memorandum to the then UP Home Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri, on 20 February, 1950, hinting at the complicity of the District Magistrate, K.K.K. Nair in the process.

The authors further write:

“He persisted with his protest even if it meant travelling all alone, for all those who mattered in Ayodhya and Faizabad seemed to have ganged up against the mosque, and Muslims were too frightened to come out in his support. Communalists, who roamed the street of Ayodhya without any fear, started calling him ‘Islamophile’ and ‘the real trouble maker’, and within days, Brahmachari was forced to leave Ayodhya. Once he left, the mob broke open the lock and occupied his house.”

Even after this, he continued to liaison with the higher-ups trying his best to undo the damage that had already been done and to prevent any further damage to the Hindu-Muslim relations. However, his attempts didn’t yield any concrete result. And so, following in the footsteps of Mahatma Gandhi, he decided to fast unto death.

The authors write:

“On 17 January 1950, a day after Gopal Singh Visharad’s suit seeking permission to use the Babri Masjid as a temple and calling for an injunction against the removal of the idol from the mosque was admitted in the civil court of Faizabad, he wrote a short and straight letter to Lal Bahadur Shastri, expressing his distress at the government’s reaction to the developments in Ayodhya and declaring his intention to sit on a fast unto death from 26 January 1950 to force the government to take appropriate action in the case.”

Due to 26 January, 1950, being the day when our Constitution was adopted, he could not begin his fast on that day. However, he began his fast on 30 January, 1950, only four days later. Attempts were made to discredit the fast, however it could not be ignored. Due to assurances given by Lal Bahadur Shastri, he agreed to end his fast on 4 February, 1950.

Even after this, seeing that the situation wasn’t improving, he continued to write to Lal Bahadur Shastri, sending him reminders after reminders.

The authors further write:

“Simultaneously, Brahmachari took the battle to Delhi. On 8 July, 1950, he had a long meeting with Nehru to whom he explained in detail all the happenings in Ayodhya and Faizabad as well as the apathetic attitude of the provincial government.”

 Jawaharlal Nehru wrote to Shastri and directed Brahmachari to talk to him. However, nothing concrete emerged out of this too. And so, he wrote to Lal Bahadur Shastri intimating him of his desire to renew his fast on 22 August, 1950, which he began as promised. This fast to be a much longer one and continued for thirty-two days. The issue was discussed and debated in the legislative Assembly again and again, however, still no concrete promises were given.

The authors note:

“Akshay Brahmachari, therefore, continued with his fast, which had already entered its fourth week. He had become very weak, and his health was deteriorating fast. It was in these circumstances that two prominent Gandhians of the time – Vinoba Bhave and K.G. Mashruwala – intervened to prevail upon Brahmachari to end his fast.”

Akshay Brahmachari broke his fast on 22 September, 1950. However, his struggle for communal harmony did-not end with the fast and continued till the end of his life.

The authors finally state:

“He spent the rest of his life attempting to resolve the Babri Masjid – Ram Janmabhoomi problem and to deepen the roots of communal harmony. But it was a silent struggle all through. And when he died after a prolonged illness in Mayo Hospital in Lucknow on 28 April, 2010, only a small group of his friends and his long-term companion Meera Behn felt the loss. The Akshay Brahmachari Ashram in Chinhat on the outskirts of Lucknow still carries on the mission the Gandhi of Ayodhya had set for it.”

Such are the unsung heroes who have faced all adversities and stood tall for peace and communal harmony. Their lives need to be retrieved from the annals of history, committed to memory, told, re-told and again re-told for generations together, and celebrated for all their worth.

 

References

Jha, K., & Jha, D. K. (2012, 2016). Ayodhya: The Dark Night - The Secret History of Rama's Appearance in Babri Masjid. Harper Collins Publishers.

Heroes and Sheroes of Plural India – Suresh Bhagat and Girija Devi, Muhammad Zahir and multitude of common people

I am dedicating this piece to all the common people who, in their small but significant ways have stood up for peace and communal harmony that unequivocally underlines the cultural heritage of this nation.

I would first like to share a news report that I came across while reading a newspaper back in 2014. The link to the news report, featured in Indian Express, is given below:

http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/left-behind-by-muslims-a-tomb-now-has-hindu-caretakers/

The news report is about a Hindu couple taking over the maintenance and upkeep of the mazaar of Baba Hazrat Wazidali Shah Rahmatuallhe Allaihe after about a dozen Muslim families were forced to flee Hindu-dominated Pakkisarai village following the 1989 riots. The tomb, according to the report, is situated on the Bhagalpur-Kahalgaon Road. This family is taking care of the mazaar since 1989. Girija Devi continued her husband Suresh Bhagat’s legacy after his death. She acts as the caretaker of the mazaar and stays in a hut near the mazaar.

When I read this news item, I felt that it would not be possible for anyone to discredit this gesture. I felt that this gesture of this Hindu couple could only be appreciated. I don’t know whether this is true or not, but on reading the online version of this story I found some comments by certain readers that I felt should not be left unanswered.

One of the comments reads, “this hindu family got the business with no investment now since dargha as more customers income must be good but since there is no muslim in village this dargha should be razed to ground” ( http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/left-behind-by-muslims-a-tomb-now-has-hindu-caretakers/).

I don’t have anything to offer to people with such mentality, but only a prayer for their speedy recover from the disease of blind and senseless hatred that is eating up their very being.

Some other comments read, “Muslims on the other hand, would have demolished the "infidel" structure or converted it into a mosque long ago”, or “Bring me the proof of the where "muslim head of village performs all rituals of durga pooja”?” ( http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/left-behind-by-muslims-a-tomb-now-has-hindu-caretakers/).

I felt that there was a need to satiate the desire for proof expressed by this person. And so in search for that ‘proof’, I hit upon this story, the link to which is provided below:

https://thelogicalindian.com/story-feed/get-inspired/a-human-who-takes-care-of-both-shiva-temple-and-masjid/

I think, the story of Mohammad Zahir, the caretaker of Lord Shiva temple in Khandwa, Indore, along with the dargah there, is enough ‘proof’ to quench anybody’s thirst.

If still there remains a doubt in anybody’s minds on the deeply entrenched nature of communal harmony in our country, here is something that one should at least cursorily go through once:

http://www.thebetterindia.com/37927/communal-harmony-in-india/.

 

The short point that I am trying to make here is that we have inherited communal harmony, respect for each-others’ faiths and beliefs and an inherent instinct to stand by each-other in hours of need, through our rich cultural heritage. This is the hallmark of our culture, an inseparable part of our ‘nationalism’. Our love for our nation cannot be ever separated from our inherent trait of living in communal harmony. This is what defines our nation, and will always do. Anything contrary to this is completely unnatural to our national characteristic. And come what may, howsoever slow and gradual the process might be, the natural characteristics of a people or a nation cannot be destroyed. All attempts at doing so will only make these rise back with double force, and shine even brighter than before. It will only need a bit of effort from our side, to keep on spreading the message of peace and communal harmony, to ensure that our real past and history remains alive and is not allowed to be forgotten or erased, and to create a future that is secure from all hatred and false propaganda, and truly defines what our rich culture and people really stand for.

Heroes and Sheroes of Plural India – Irom Sharmila Chanu

Irom Sharmila Chanu is not someone who is yet a part of only history books. She is very much a contemporary personality, living and breathing right now, as I am dedicating this piece to her. However, she is very much a super-shero of plural India. Her life story is also not hidden from anyone, so there is nothing new that I have to share about her. Having said that, I have my reasons of wanting to write and talk about her as a part of this series. That reason is to remind oneself and everyone around, of how demanding and at the same time how thankless we can be towards the very ordinary people who dare to step out of their comfort zones and do the extra-ordinary. The reason is also to remind oneself and everybody of the ever-widening gap between the mechanical functioning of the nation-state and the human values that are attached to each and every living being. The reason is also to again acknowledge the sheroic efforts made by the strong-willed lady in trying to talk humanity to those who operate mechanically, devoid of any emotions. The reason is also to thank her for all the efforts that she made solely out of a sense of solidarity with those that were and are suppressed and treated shabbily, not even being granted the basic human rights. The reason is to tell her and the world what an inspiration she has been for people like me and may be many others. The reason is to celebrate her and remember her with gratitude and undying fondness.

She had seen naked death, unbound and unfettered. She had seen human lives wasted, ending with a blink of an eye, terminated with a random gunshot, lying motionless in a pool of blood. She was awestruck, dumbfounded with the meaninglessness of it all. That was the moment it all began. That was the moment she realized that the privilege and comfort of ‘routineness’ would elude her forever. For she was unable to eat after that, not being able to pass that morsel of food down her throat. That was also the moment when the journey from ordinary to extra-ordinary would begin for her, a fast unto death for the repeal of the draconian AFSPA in Manipur. This was a journey that had never been a part of her plans, a journey in which many would join her, a journey that was now her life but that she would never be allowed to be in charge of. She would soon be placed on a pedestal she never intended to be on, she would be transformed from a living human being, with all her weaknesses, emotions, her frailties, into a goddess that was not allowed to possess in any of those. She had begun this journey in a child-like hope, a hope of a future for herself and her people that would not hold in its womb unspoken horrors of death and destruction, but the seeds of a life full of beaming promises and endless opportunities. She had a hope that she and her people, who were as equal as anyone else, who had as much right to a normal and ordinary life as anyone else, would be allowed to do that, to live a life that was normal. She, who had not been able to eat at first, had thought that may be this was a sign, may be her giving up food would be it, the push that was needed, the nudge that would change her and her people’s future, for good. She had believed unflinchingly in Mahatma Gandhi, his non-violence, his numerous fasts that had changed lives and made histories. This was the child-like hope she harbored. Child-like, because she had been unaware of the world she was breathing in, she was unaware of what this innocent wish could lead to. She was unaware that she could be charged for trying to commit suicide, she was unaware that she could be force-fed like an animal, she was unaware that she could be confined to a life of isolation within the four walls of a solitary room, she was unaware that such unthinkable callousness, apathy and insensitivity was possible to be displayed by human beings. Yet she soldiered on, not letting that flicker of hope die within her, for sixteen long years she survived, stealing tiny little moments from life, when she felt love, joy, hope and promise, all the emotions that each and every ordinary human being was entitled to feel. But she had forgotten that she had been catapulted out of the ordinary, not because she wished to but because others thought it should be so. It had been decided that she was not allowed to feel, to live, to love, to laugh, to be an ordinary human being again. That she could only be a goddess now, devoid of all human emotions. That her life could no longer be governed by her wishes but by everybody else’s. Then one fine day she decided. Decided that she wanted to live, to love, to laugh and to cry, to be human again. She wanted to marry and to have kids. She wanted to struggle but not how she had done for the past 16 years. She wanted to do it in a different way, in a way she thought would be more fruitful. She thought may be this was the way that could help her hopes be realized, her hopes for herself and her people. The goddess had decided to become a human again, and what a scandal that was. She was disowned and discarded, by those who proclaimed to love her, by those who hated her and buy those who were indifferent. She was left alone to make whatever she wanted of her life, it was inconsequential and useless for them now. She was also threatened that she would be robbed of this life if she dared to live it on her own terms.

However, she remained undeterred. She went ahead and declared that she would be participating in the very democracy that had chosen to ignore her for 16 long years. She declared that she would be fighting elections in Manipur, the state and the people she had fought for all these years. And she fought. And then she lost. And lost comprehensively, managing only 90 votes. Her reaction: ‘Thanks for 90 votes’. These are not just four simple words but hidden in this sentence is her complete personality and also the personality of the people she stood for.

I have nothing to say to her. Except a big Thank You.  Thank you Irom Sharmila Chanu, for being what you are. Thank you for reminding me the meaning of life.

Heroes and Sheroes of Plural India – Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain

I would like to begin this piece by first delineating the importance of this initiative for me, the importance of again celebrating the plurality of this nation, the importance of revisiting the glorious chapters of our past, some widely known, some less so, and some, may be, completely unknown. The significance of indulging in this exercise, especially now, can at best only be understated. First and foremost, it can never be out of context to remember and to celebrate those on whose shoulders we are standing today and are being able to look as far ahead as we are able to. Secondly, in the present day and age, when the fundamentals of existence are themselves being challenged openly, when an attempt is being made to rob the nation of its longstanding and most natural cultural heritage of plurality and peaceful and harmonious co-existence, when histories are being re-written and statement of facts being convoluted and contorted to the extent that they become totally unrecognizable and when there is a conscious attempt to direct the collective energies of the nation only in these directions, then it is high time that what is actually significant and meaningful is brought to the forefront. Revisiting the lives of these sung and unsung heroes and sheroes will familiarize us with our past, will inform us of the multitude of people that have existed in the past and achieved that which might have seemed almost impossible if seen within the context of the day and age, will inspire us to move towards our goals with renewed vigor and will celebrate what is really worth celebrating - the tireless efforts of people to uphold the rich cultural heritage of our nation that has taught us to stand for plurality and for amelioration of the ills plaguing our society, those of differentiations based on caste, religion, gender, language, region, ethnicity etc. This series, for me, is a celebration of those who have dared to dream and have fought against all odds to try and realize their dreams. Some of these have fought for religious and communal harmony, some have fought for amelioration of gender differences, some have stood for the rights of ethnic minorities, and so on and so forth - the list is endless. Some of the people figuring in this series, and their work, may be very well known, some may be those who are known but their work and their message forgotten and some those who are as yet unknown or little known, despite having done significant work.

Through this article, I wish to discuss the life and work of Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain. Some would have heard about her, some would have read about her and her work and some probably would not be knowing about her. There are various existing competent sources that aptly talk about her life and her work. My purpose here is to not say anything about her that may not be existing in the public domain already. My purpose, however, is to try that more and more people get to know about her and the tremendous contribution made by her towards women education, specially, Muslim women.

“Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain was born sometime in 1880 in the district of Rangpur in a village called Pairaband in British Indian Empire.  She was also known as Roquiah Khatun at birth.  Her father Zahiruddin Mohammad Abu Ali Saber was well educated, bilingual and a landowner.  Rokeya’s father had four wives and her mother was Rahatunnessa Sabera Chowdhurani.  Chowdhurani birthed two sons and three daughters, of which Rokeya was one.” (Hakeem, 2015).

 

Rokeya was born in a traditional conservative Muslim family of Bengal in British India (now in Bangladesh). As was the prevailing custom in those times, the education of girls was not given much importance. Even if considered worthy of being imparted any kind of education, it was felt that women need to be educated either about religious matters or about their duties as wives, mothers, daughter-in-laws and homemakers. Born in such an environment, Rokeya was blessed to have the unfettered support and guidance of one of her elder brothers and her elder sister. “At the dead of night when the entire household was fast asleep, Rokeya’s brother would teach her Bangla and English secretly under the glow of candles. Rokeya could learn Bangla due to the assistance and encouragement that she received from her elder sister Karimunnessa, a lady of great qualities and extraordinary courage. (Murshid 172) In an era when women’s education was frowned upon, Rokeya’s brothers secretly taught her to read and write English and Bangla.” (Mahmud, 2016). “Rokeya‟s second phase of inspiration came from her husband Sakhawat Hossain. He was highly educated, progressive and a real gentleman who believed in the education of women. He always inspired her and opened a wider world to apply her dream with courageous steps. Under Sakhawat’s influence Rokeya began to write about her thoughts on social issues of womanhood and women’s degradation. (Hossain 79)”. (Mahmud, 2016).

Though lucky to have such positive influences in her life, Rokeya was also unfortunate to lose her husband and her two infant children, at the age of five months and four months. Yet, with her daunting and unwavering spirit and strength of character, she went on to read and write and produced works that were much ahead of her times. She also opened a school for Muslim girls and campaigned widely for women education, especially that of Muslim women.

“Rokeya’s writings are not voluminous but full of significance. Her literary career starts in 1902. The first composition is “Pipasa” (The Thirst). Most of her writings are in Bengali. These include two anthologies of essays, satires, short stories which are entitled Motichur and divided into two volumes– Motichur- I (1904) and Motichur- II (1922), a novel– Padmarag (1924), Avarodhbasini (1931), a narration of 47 historical and true events of the miserable plight ad indignities which women have suffered in the name of purdah. She also wrote a few works in English. The most famous of those is Sultana’s Dream (1908). Other than Sultana’s Dream, she also wrote two essays– “God Gives, Man Robs” (1927) and “Educational Ideals for the Indian Girls” (1931) which were published in The Mussalman magazine. Besides, she has some unpublished essays, short stories and comic strips. She also wrote several poems in various magazines.” (Mahmud, 2016).

Her most popular work, Sultana’s Dream is a fictional work where she dwells into a utopian world in which the roles of men and women have interchanged. Comparing the practice of purdah to seclusion, in Sultan’s Dream, Rokeya creates an imaginary world called ‘Ladyland’, where men are so ‘secluded’. “On page fifty-seven of Sultana’s Dream, I will summarize her story as a simple story of a woman that is dreaming and happens to visit a land where men are confined in a system called

mardana and women bear the responsibility of advancement in society.  The land is called

“Ladyland,” where there is law and order.  The land is devoid of violence, corruption and crime. 

The people of “Ladyland” have learned to appreciate Nature and treat each other with respect and love.  In “Ladyland,” child marriage is banned and education is encouraged amongst women. 

Quayum, the editor of The Essential Rokeya, explains Sultana’s Dream here: “In other words, the people of this land do not care about any extra-terrestrial power or adhering to a set of senseless rituals, but only the values that are directly beneficial to the human community and to the human soul” (Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain, 1988, pp. 1-2).” (Hakeem, 2015).

 

Her take on the practice of purdah is also to be noted here, where she differentiated between the negative impact of the practice in that it ‘secludes’ women, at the same time, personally not being against adorning it as a way of dressing that she preferred. Thus, her call for emancipation of Muslim women was much deeper than the superficial aspects of how to dress etc. Her emphasis was on the provision of equal rights to women to educate themselves and fulfil their dreams and hence, break the shackles of the ‘secluded’ environment that is forced on them by the patriarchal set-up of society.

 

Her work, Sultana’s Dream, is also path-breaking in terms of the creativity and imagination that has gone into this writing. To write a novel that creates a utopian world and to convey a social message through it, was an exemplary accomplishment at the time. If Ayn Rand’s writings, “The Fountainhead” and “Atlas Shrugged” are best-sellers today, there is no reason why this visionary piece of work by Rokeya should not be treated as equally powerful, in the same genre of writings, that of utopian novels. The social structure of society existing in her time, despite which Rokeya was able to accomplish this feat, makes this work and other works written by her, all the more worthy of admiration. Her untiring efforts in spreading education among Muslim women by running a school and convincing families to send their girls to study are extremely praiseworthy and worth emulating.

 

Today, more than a century after Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain fought for the education and emancipation of women, this issue still plagues our society. There are people still fighting for the liberation of women. A century has not been enough time for us to provide equal status to women, as is provided to men. Yet, instead of trying to eradicate evils like gender discrimination from our society on a war footing, all the energies are being directed at proving a false sense of nationalism. The greatness of our cultural heritage is from such people, who have visualized much ahead of their times and have left no stone unturned in working towards their vision. This is the need of the hour, for us to know about such gems of our historical past, draw inspiration from them and chart the course of history in a direction that triumphs the principles of humanity.

 

Hakeem, S. (2015). The Writings of Rokeya Hossain: A pioneer of her time whose writings hold relevance today.

Mahmud, R. (2016). Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain: Tireless Fighter of Female Education and their Independence – A Textual Analysis . International Journal on Studies in English Language and Literature (IJSELL) , 40-48.

Hailing the vision of Rabindranath Tagore: Human over mechanical

I was recently reading Rabindranath Tagore’s essay on Nationalism and that was when the enormity, farsightedness and the sheer genius of his thoughts stuck me….and stuck me hard. While we are busy today, coming to terms with a whole new dimension that is being provided to the term ‘nationalism’, while we are busy defining and redefining the ways in which a ‘nation’ needs to be respected, while we are busy internalizing the code of conduct we need to follow at each and every of our movie outings in order to prove that we are deserving and true citizens of our nation, the man who wrote what came to be our national anthem, had, almost a century ago, laid bare before us the contours of a world that would idolize ‘nationalism’. And so accurate do his insights seem today that one could only be awestruck and gasp in admiration at the unmatched vision of the man.

His writings on Nationalism repeatedly warn about the possible threat that humanity faced from patriotism, and he always remained an unequivocal supporter for the triumph of humanity above all else. About a century ago, Tagore believed that nation as a political concept was something alien to India, and that India’s strength lay in not letting the mechanical concept of a nation rule over our hearts and minds, as had already happened in the West.

Today, a century later, the concept of a nation as a political entity has become so entrenched and omnipresent throughout the world that even a passing thought about an alternative world is treated as a thought crime and penalized. Yet, for those who wish to pause and reflect, the distant voice of this man in warning one and all of the dangers and pitfalls of blind and unchecked nationalism, could not be clearer and louder.

Nationalism, in today’s times, is enjoying unprecedented triumph over humanity, which lies bruised and battered, pushing hard at its vocal chords to be heard, craning its neck to be seen. The entrenchment of the nation state as a separate political and legal entity, apart from the living entities that compose it, has been made so completely unquestionable that humanity has been slowly and steadily strangulated and buried under the huge weight of this all-pervasive concept.

The political entity that is the nation reigns supreme. The boundaries that crisscross the entire physical mass of the earth today are more important than any number of human lives that may be inhabiting this physical space. The fact that this huge landmass with all its precise and well-defined lines, is still only that, mere flesh and bones with no heartbeats to make it alive, to make it meaningful, is only incidental. It does-not matter in the actual scheme of things. These heartbeats are easily dispensable, because there are so many of them, because there is an unending supply. What does one life matter in this whole big system that has been so meticulously developed and entrenched over ages? What difference does it make?

If this is the thought process that is behind the glorification of the mechanical over the human, if it is believed that hiding behind systems and processes and procedures is possible, to the extent that the human is totally extinguished from the face of the earth, if it is believed that individual human lives are mere cogs in the wheels of the huge machines in the shapes of the nation states, then this hubris is going to lead to a disaster with no precedent, a disaster for the mechanical though, not for the human.

Why I am confident of this is because every time a Liu Xiaobo is refused acknowledgement from this monster of a machine, every time an Irom Sharmila is forced into oblivion, every time a human life, and all the human emotions, dreams and aspirations associated with it, is thought worthy of sacrifice in the name of the absolute sanctity, inviolability and supremacy of the rule of mechanical over human, on each and every such occasion this machine will lose some of its cogs. These cogs will choose to break away from this giant machine and reclaim their humanity. The more the machine will try to run them over and accelerate its speed, the faster it will proceed towards its destruction, for that very acceleration will be the signal for more and more cogs to break away and reclaim themselves. The process from human to mechanical was a long drawn one, the reverse might be even more so, but howsoever gradual or lengthy it may be, the process of reversal is inevitable.

 

India: That what we make it

The Madhya Pradesh police has very magnanimously withdrawn the sedition charges against 15 men for allegedly celebrating the victory of the Pakistan cricket team over Team India in the finals of the ICC Champions Trophy. The men have now instead been booked under Section 153A of the Indian Penal Code, for disturbing communal harmony. As profoundly unbelievable as this seems, it is undoubtedly true. Furthermore, the Karnataka police arrested three persons for bursting crackers while allegedly celebrating Pakistan’s victory, and booked them under non-bailable and stringent sections, so that they remained behind bars. The clinching argument purportedly put forward is that the ‘accused’ had hurt religious sentiments. Again, as incomprehensible as this sounds, it is undoubtedly true.

I would like to quote a third instance here, that of a rape of a Dalit girl in Gujarat. The girl, having been first raped on June 10, and then further abused and beaten up by the police officials for seemingly trying to register an FIR against the accused, has failed till date to get a FIR registered. Instead, the case of rape has been converted into one of eve teasing and a complaint of eve teasing has been registered. In a fourth incident, Zafar Hussein, a CPI (M-L) leader in Rajasthan was lynched to death by the state employees for allegedly objecting to their taking photographs of women relieving themselves in the open, those women who do-not have any other option, what with one public toilet, with no water and flushing facilities catering to 3000 households in their basti! The gruesome story however does not end here, after lynching the man to death, the state employees also registered a case against him for trying to interfere with them in their official duties! Just for information here, public naming and shaming of people, especially women, forced to defecate in the open due to lack of facilities which the authorities are duty-bound to provide, is being used as a legitimate means of creating a clean India, under the Swachch Bharat Abhiyaan, in some states!

The first two incidents are a grim reminder of the overzealousness of the state in trying to redefine nationalism for all of us. A nation and the people that took pride in their unique heritage and culture, that was tolerant, receptive, large-hearted and absorptive, is being given a rude jolt. A nation with unmatched potential, both in terms of physical and human resources, would do much better to realize that potential completely if utilized its creative energies for some constructive purposes rather than whiling them away in arriving at a creative definition of nationalism. Would that not be the best way in which we could serve our nation? Would it not be proof enough of our love for our nation?

The latter two incidents are exemplary of the attitude that the authorities exude for the weak and the dispossessed. The basic human rights of the marginalized are being destroyed under the weight of authority and political intrigues. The very same people who are desperately keen on providing us with a rejuvenated version of their nationalism, somehow completely forget that these people who are being meted such shabby treatment, are legitimate parts of that very nation itself, which they are attempting to redefine.

The above instances and innumerable such instances which keep on repeating with a frequency that would have been unbelievable had it not been true, send shivers down my spine and leave me with a nauseating feeling. Yet, if the redefinition of nationalism needs to continue abated, then can we not define it in a way that actually takes the nation to glorious heights, rather than lead it towards unnecessary and unrewarding pursuits? Will the nation feel loved if its people raise it to the heights of glory that it truly deserves, by putting in their best in whatever they do, or will it feel loved if its own people actually inflict it with numerous cuts and bruises, such that it is forever bleeding?

These questions cannot be answered by anybody else for us, nor can they be ignored or wished away. Each and every one of us will have to answer it for ourselves, sooner rather than later, and will have to have the courage to live with all the consequences of that answer. I really hope that all of us are up to it.

 

 

The Oversimplification of the Kashmir Conundrum

In a recent article in The Wire, Partha Chaterjee had referred to the use of human shield in Kashmir, and its justification by the military and political establishment as Kashmir’s General Dyer moment. Vivek Katju has launched a spirited counter-attack to this claim of Partha Chaterjee. Katju states that, “It is one matter for an army to handle the breakdown of law and order for a short period as the colonial army of which Dyer was a part was asked to do; it is an entirely different proposition when an army has to combat a vicious and long war against terrorism. The latter, too, requires that an army adheres to norms even while it innovates, but the fact of the toll that fighting such terrorism exacts from an army and for that matter other instruments of the state cannot be overlooked. It is to the Indian army’s credit that its commitment to lawful means has never been diluted.” He further argues, “Rawat’s comments on the Gogoi case reflect the anguish of a chief whose soldiers have faced, and have done so for years, terrorism, and for months now stone pelting mobs who pose a danger to their lives. Is it fair to believe that soldiers caught up in such situations should not take steps to defend themselves? Surely that is not a sustainable position by any criterion.”

Though Partha Chaterjee has responded, restated and justified his position, I would like to take this opportunity to highlight just one simple fact, which is that when it comes to the Kashmir issue and any response to the same, I think we should all shy away from oversimplifying the debates and offering simplistic solutions. Not doubting even for a moment Shri Katju’s expertise on Kashmir, it would be a great help if he could graciously define lawful and unlawful for us. It would also be very enlightening if he could give his views on the nature of these ‘stone pelting mobs’. He has made the entire analysis of Kashmir’s problems a tad too simple I believe. The proposition, according to him, is very simple. It is a black and white case of Indian army having to fight decades of Pakistani sponsored terrorism in Kashmir. The lawful, legal, righteous Indian army and the Indian state trying to fend off the unlawful Pakistani terrorists in the valley. The entire issue, if it was so simple, would have ceased to have existed till now. Seven decades after independence, the Kashmir issue still eludes any workable solution and the people of Kashmir continue to suffer their fate. This, I believe, is the key thread that needs to be held on to tightly if any resolution of this issue is to be even conceived of. And this is the thread that does-not find even a bare minimum cognisance in the mind of Vivek Katju. The ‘stone-pelting mobs’ mentioned by Shri Katju as posing a threat to the lives of the fully armed personnel of the India army, are actually the ordinary citizens of Kashmir, and legitimate Indian citizens. They are normal civilians who want a decent life of dignity for themselves. I am sure Shri Katju is not suggesting that pelting stones in order to be lathi-charged, or hit by pellet guns, or even fatally wounded, is a favourite pastime of these people.

Whereas, the Indian army is definitely in an unenviable position having to manage insurgencies, which in ordinary situations, it is not trained for, because it is not their mandate, however, the extra-ordinary situation in Kashmir, since decades, has mandated them to perform this role. However, in carrying out that responsibility, basic human rights of civilians cannot be discounted for. The whole idea of using human shields for self-defence, rather than finding favour with the civilian as well as military top brass, should have been treated as one of misjudgement and an aberration not to be repeated again. However, unfortunately, it has taken different proportions altogether. If the army personnel are victims of the political process, much more are the ordinary civilians of Kashmir, who for generations altogether, have been part of a world that is unable to provide those basic minimum standards of a dignified human life. Using these very people, who are themselves victims of the situation, as instruments for self-protection, in whatsoever scenario, cannot be justified.

The Kashmiris will not be able to consider themselves as inalienable parts of India, if they are not meted out the treatment that every Indian citizen deserves. Forcing them to compromise on their basic human rights and then justifying the same is definitely not a step forward towards winning their confidence and trying to normalize the situation.