NEWS ANALYSIS -- Political shades of Art
By Kartik Lokhande
Of late, the country is talking about a spate in the protests of the kind of returning of awards especially by writers. Some are referring to Dadri lynching incident, some to murder of acclaimed writer M M Kalburgi, and some to secondary political party like Shiv Sena’s diktat forcing cancellation of the concert of Pakistani ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali in Mumbai.
Of course, Dadri lynching must be condemned in the harshest words. Of course, Kalburgi’s murder must be denounced. Of course, political party must be criticised for issuing diktat against performance of a popular and eminent artist from Pakistan in India. However, at the same time, one must make an attempt to look into political overtones to the protests especially by artists, and that too, award-winning writers.
It all became a talking point in electronic media and activist-media, especially after Nayantara Sahgal, daughter of Vijayalakshmi Pandit (who was sister of India’s first Prime Minister Pt Jawaharlal Nehru), announced to return Sahitya Akademi award she received in the year 1986 for her English novel ‘Rich Like Us’. So, it becomes essential to examine her case first. Sahgal’s uncle’s daughter -- Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister of India. In 1984, Indira Gandhi was gunned down by her bodyguard. Following this, the slain leader’s son Rajiv Gandhi took over as Prime Minister. And, during these tumultous years between 1984 and 1986, the nation saw thousands of Sikhs being done to death, backed by the ruling party -- Congress.
During this difficult period, Nayantara Sahgal was busy in her creative pursuits, writing ‘Rich Like Us’, which won her Sahitya Akademi award. When the anti-Sikh riots and the then Prime Minister’s silence were much criticised at various levels, Rajiv Gandhi had uttered the infamous line, “When a big tree falls, the earth shakes.” Sadly, an enlightened and superiorly sensitive writer like Nayantara Sahgal did not feel disturbed at this. Instead, she preferred to bask in the glory of Sahitya Akademi award during the tenure of the Government formed by a party that had unleashed killings of Sikhs not far ago.
Again, she chose to remain busy with her creative pursuits (in effect, being a mute spectator) in all these years that saw ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits forcing their eviction from Kashmir Valley, various riots, atrocities on Dalits, political vendetta against dissenters and Governments of other parties in different states? Probably, she did not feel it appropriate to speak up when the Government of the day led by her uncle’s daughter’s son over-ruled the Supreme Court verdict in Shah Bano case. For, in her opinion, the Government might have been empowered to enact a law to effectively set aside the Supreme Court verdict.
Now, with a non-Congress party coming to power with a majority, Sahgal and others like her are feeling that the country is witnessing something more horrible than what happened in Congress regime. Everyone agrees that Dadri lynching or other distasteful incidents should be condemned, but when people like Sahgal cry hoarse to provide political shades to the voice of artists, it also deserves criticism.
As far as other writers following the suit of returning coveted awards is concerned, they are what they are -- followers of powerful among politically-oriented artists or writers. One does not remember them speaking in equally loud voices when the country saw suppression of voices when some writers wrote what was objectionable to the previously ruling party of the day. One does not remember them writing some books or organising artists and writers across the country to return awards and honours of Government-backed institutions when political murders took place in Kerala or West Bengal.
One does not remember them crying hoarse together and issuing statements condemning murders of writers, journalists, activists, and even the bloggers in countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia. One does not remember them getting organised against cruelties on writers and intellectuals in neighbourhood countries just because they preferred to be dissenters there. Of course, there are honourable exceptions among award-winning writers who did speak up. But, among the latest breed, most are followers of politically-motivated eminents in the field of arts.
Now, let us examine the episode of a political party like Shiv Sena, which has powerful yet limited presence in Maharashtra, issuing a diktat against concert of eminent Pakistani singer Ghulam Ali. True that artists should not be confined to a geopolitical situation. But, how can one explain the attempts by Congress, Samajwadi Party, Aam Aadmi Party, and some politically-motivated artists and intellectuals to drag eminent artist like Ghulam Ali into political slugfest? How can one explain their extending invitations to Ghulam Ali sahab only after a ‘right wing’ political party like Shiv Sena issuing diktat against his concert in Maharashtra that is currently ruled by another ‘right wing’ entity -- Bharatiya Janata Party? If they were so concerned, why did not they invite the eminent and much-loved artist for concerts before Shiv Sena’s diktat?
As for the intellectuals and artists who speak that freedom of artists is in danger in India, they should also pay attention to the point that artists from Pakistan only have been facing this. For, those against Pakistani artists performing on Indian soil are of the opinion that India should not welcome even the artists from neighbouring country that has been harbouring terrorists for years. How many of the intellectuals and artists who are shouting for ‘freedom of art’ only now, have been to the borders with Pakistan where thousands of Indian soldiers have been killed so far fighting terrorists. How many of these phony intellectuals and artists wrote condemnations to Pakistan when a young Captain Saurabh Kalia was taken prisoner by Pakistani Army, tortured, killed, his body mutilated before being returned to India?
There are many such questions that could be asked. And, these politically-motivated activist-artists or activist-writers will not be able to answer those. The fact that these dissenters are free to express their opinion freely, speaks a lot about atmosphere in the country. They must speak, write, criticise but not with a political intention and also irrespective of political party in power.
Else, people will start believing in existence of what was rumoured so far -- the political shades or art.
Of late, the country is talking about a spate in the protests of the kind of returning of awards especially by writers. Some are referring to Dadri lynching incident, some to murder of acclaimed writer M M Kalburgi, and some to secondary political party like Shiv Sena’s diktat forcing cancellation of the concert of Pakistani ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali in Mumbai.
Of course, Dadri lynching must be condemned in the harshest words. Of course, Kalburgi’s murder must be denounced. Of course, political party must be criticised for issuing diktat against performance of a popular and eminent artist from Pakistan in India. However, at the same time, one must make an attempt to look into political overtones to the protests especially by artists, and that too, award-winning writers.
It all became a talking point in electronic media and activist-media, especially after Nayantara Sahgal, daughter of Vijayalakshmi Pandit (who was sister of India’s first Prime Minister Pt Jawaharlal Nehru), announced to return Sahitya Akademi award she received in the year 1986 for her English novel ‘Rich Like Us’. So, it becomes essential to examine her case first. Sahgal’s uncle’s daughter -- Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister of India. In 1984, Indira Gandhi was gunned down by her bodyguard. Following this, the slain leader’s son Rajiv Gandhi took over as Prime Minister. And, during these tumultous years between 1984 and 1986, the nation saw thousands of Sikhs being done to death, backed by the ruling party -- Congress.
During this difficult period, Nayantara Sahgal was busy in her creative pursuits, writing ‘Rich Like Us’, which won her Sahitya Akademi award. When the anti-Sikh riots and the then Prime Minister’s silence were much criticised at various levels, Rajiv Gandhi had uttered the infamous line, “When a big tree falls, the earth shakes.” Sadly, an enlightened and superiorly sensitive writer like Nayantara Sahgal did not feel disturbed at this. Instead, she preferred to bask in the glory of Sahitya Akademi award during the tenure of the Government formed by a party that had unleashed killings of Sikhs not far ago.
Again, she chose to remain busy with her creative pursuits (in effect, being a mute spectator) in all these years that saw ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits forcing their eviction from Kashmir Valley, various riots, atrocities on Dalits, political vendetta against dissenters and Governments of other parties in different states? Probably, she did not feel it appropriate to speak up when the Government of the day led by her uncle’s daughter’s son over-ruled the Supreme Court verdict in Shah Bano case. For, in her opinion, the Government might have been empowered to enact a law to effectively set aside the Supreme Court verdict.
Now, with a non-Congress party coming to power with a majority, Sahgal and others like her are feeling that the country is witnessing something more horrible than what happened in Congress regime. Everyone agrees that Dadri lynching or other distasteful incidents should be condemned, but when people like Sahgal cry hoarse to provide political shades to the voice of artists, it also deserves criticism.
As far as other writers following the suit of returning coveted awards is concerned, they are what they are -- followers of powerful among politically-oriented artists or writers. One does not remember them speaking in equally loud voices when the country saw suppression of voices when some writers wrote what was objectionable to the previously ruling party of the day. One does not remember them writing some books or organising artists and writers across the country to return awards and honours of Government-backed institutions when political murders took place in Kerala or West Bengal.
One does not remember them crying hoarse together and issuing statements condemning murders of writers, journalists, activists, and even the bloggers in countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia. One does not remember them getting organised against cruelties on writers and intellectuals in neighbourhood countries just because they preferred to be dissenters there. Of course, there are honourable exceptions among award-winning writers who did speak up. But, among the latest breed, most are followers of politically-motivated eminents in the field of arts.
Now, let us examine the episode of a political party like Shiv Sena, which has powerful yet limited presence in Maharashtra, issuing a diktat against concert of eminent Pakistani singer Ghulam Ali. True that artists should not be confined to a geopolitical situation. But, how can one explain the attempts by Congress, Samajwadi Party, Aam Aadmi Party, and some politically-motivated artists and intellectuals to drag eminent artist like Ghulam Ali into political slugfest? How can one explain their extending invitations to Ghulam Ali sahab only after a ‘right wing’ political party like Shiv Sena issuing diktat against his concert in Maharashtra that is currently ruled by another ‘right wing’ entity -- Bharatiya Janata Party? If they were so concerned, why did not they invite the eminent and much-loved artist for concerts before Shiv Sena’s diktat?
As for the intellectuals and artists who speak that freedom of artists is in danger in India, they should also pay attention to the point that artists from Pakistan only have been facing this. For, those against Pakistani artists performing on Indian soil are of the opinion that India should not welcome even the artists from neighbouring country that has been harbouring terrorists for years. How many of the intellectuals and artists who are shouting for ‘freedom of art’ only now, have been to the borders with Pakistan where thousands of Indian soldiers have been killed so far fighting terrorists. How many of these phony intellectuals and artists wrote condemnations to Pakistan when a young Captain Saurabh Kalia was taken prisoner by Pakistani Army, tortured, killed, his body mutilated before being returned to India?
There are many such questions that could be asked. And, these politically-motivated activist-artists or activist-writers will not be able to answer those. The fact that these dissenters are free to express their opinion freely, speaks a lot about atmosphere in the country. They must speak, write, criticise but not with a political intention and also irrespective of political party in power.
Else, people will start believing in existence of what was rumoured so far -- the political shades or art.
(12-10-15)
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