So, Who Needs Secularism?

When Kamala Suraiya converted to Islam from Hinduism, she was asked in an interview why she converted to Islam, when the religion is notorious for not granting freedom to women. Her reply was,” who needs freedom?” A considerable portion of India also seems to ask “who needs secularism?” Being communal in India can be considered "natural", in the same vein as gay rights activists say that being gay is "natural” for them. Non-secularism is a better option, for a majority of the population and often the only one.
Consider this—the story of an average Kannadiga born in Bangaluru, (it is a cliché, but to one has to embrace different clichés time to time to understand human psyche and society.):
"I was born in Bangaluru in early eighties. My father is a daily wage laborer. He managed to give me education till twelfth standard. After that he could not afford my education. So I took driving classes to work as a driver. I thought I was qualified enough to make a "decent living". I went to IT companies to drive their cabs, or work in any job to make a comfortable living. But I could hardly find jobs. I was enamored by how my city has grown--grown big and grown strange to me. People around have been speaking languages, which I am not comfortable with. I became insignificant. I struggle to eke a living doing all kinds of jobs. I am estranged and confused. But I tried to pick up the strange languages around me.
I often sensed that I was been derided and mocked at; I am not sure whether it is because of my demeanor or because I was not conversant enough in their language or because I was not at par with them. But I used to dismiss these thoughts just as my gut feeling. Later, I managed to open a pan-cigarette shop-- very much below my expectations for a decent livelihood. I converse to the customers in the strange languages I had picked up.
They seemed condescending again and again. But I justified it as my feeling every time I felt it. Nevertheless, these feeling clouded my conscious and unconscious alike. My parents have been saying that, this is our place, and that they have lived here for quite a long time. But why do I find this place more and more distant from my needs, and me as days pass? My identity was being pulled and drawn thin like a gold foil, so much that I don't exist.
I couldn't brush it aside--because I encounter it on a daily basis. Neither could I forget it because, I my meager earning didn’t give any material comfort indulge myself in. So I made up my mind and I said "enough is enough."( I said it much before the terrorist attack in Mumbai.)
I don't know exactly when I did give up trying to speak in the strange languages. But I remember that on when a customer argued with me in his strange language about the price of a pan, I lost my nerve and asked him to get lost. It was so spontaneous that it took a minute or so for me to realize that I had spoken in Kannada, which he would not have understood. I was speaking the language of my soul. I was speaking my soul out.
Understanding that there is no-point arguing with an arrogant person like me, he went away. He may or may not have had his reasons for arguing with me. But why will I care? I had been trying to understand people of his kind for years, just to fit in. But they never seemed to take any effort to understand me. Now, I gave up on understanding them and on my own sensibilities. Neither do I expect them to understand me. All I need is a dignified life. I don't want to argue or debate with them. They would have understood it long time back even if they had half-a-brain. I will make them understand in the tough way. Soon I found that many of my peers share my view."
With majority of political parties contesting the election having made their USP secularism, the issue has found place in the heart of the public morale of progressive India. But what do we mean by secularism?
True secularism starts from the grass-root, not from utopian ideologies. Our idea of progressive India’s secularism is vague and skewed to suit our narrow goals. Thackery and Muthalik wouldn't have existed, but for Mumbai and Bengaluru. Frustrations in a metropolis easily finds echo through out the state.
Identity is not an optional extra, but is a function of a dignified life. The less privileged are the most vocal and aggressive about their identity, though privileged class of the same ethnic or linguistic group do reflect it with lesser intensity. Greater one’s dignity is at peril, the more intensive will be the struggle for identity.
To say that people at the helm of communal and regional political parties started the divide is not true. They merely give it a national expression and identity. The problem was already there. Whether they capitalize on it or not is a different issue.
India is divided on numerous linguistic and ethnic lines which need regional solutions. There can be no one universal secular agenda for India. The litmus test of India's true democracy lies in formulating and implementing it's indigenous secular policy.

Deciphering the Antulay Conundrum

AR Antualy was a name relatively unheard of in the national political scenario, until recently. The Congress Cabinet Minister for Minority Affairs, to put it inomplexly, has simply asked for a probe into the death Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare and two other officers during the Mumbai 26/11 terrorist attack.

Though Mr. Antulay was asking for a probe into the suspicious circumstances of Karkare’s death his remarks have insinuated a conspiracy theory that the Hemant Karkare was deliberately targeted as the organization he headed was for the first time bringing up Hindu names for the in Malegaon blasts. Vague premonitions in the public opinion could find consummation with his remark. This was a theory which many Urdu media pundits were also contending for sometime now.

Mr Antulay’s remark is dealt in the mainstream media in one of it’s pet fashions—politician bashing. Typical media sentiment was that India should not give Pakistan a chance to think that we have dissident voices just as Nawas Sherif is trying to nail President Zardari for restrictions in entering or talking to anyone in Amir Ajmal Kasab’s village in Pakistan. The talk shows are scrupulously scripted so as to avoid spinning the debates to uncomfortable realms. Media which apparently acted as a third party neutral observer pandering to public opinion throughout the 60 hour encounter, is now cautious.

So is the Government. It cannot muster enough will to suspend Mr. Antulay, especially when he has found support along many party lines as his comment found support from Muslim community. With the JD(U) MP Ejaz Ali has also voiced his support for Mr. Antulay, means the Muslim vote bank of one or more allies of the UPA coalition is dented. At the same time, the government is losing it’s diplomatic credentials to leverage Pakistani government to act on LeT camps in its soil. No doubt the government is treading on thin ice.

There is an increasing need in the Muslim community to militate against the insecurity that is plaguing (especially in employment and housing) after the Bombay riots and Barbari Masjid demolition. The condition has worsened with anyone with a Muslim name becoming possible terror suspect. In 2005, Assam United Democratic Front founded by Maulana Badruddin Ajmal won 10 out of 126 assembly seats. The same experiment is also being done in Maharahtra by Badruddin Ajmal. Antulay’s remark makes more sense in relation to these developments.

Even Antulay is mincing words carefully. In the interview with Rajdeep Sardesai in CNN IBN, he said that he is not a fool to say that Hemant Karkare was not killed by Pakistani terrorist, that he was asking for a probe into the killing not only of Hemant Karkare but also that Ashok Kamte and Vijay Salaskar. And he has not even raised Malegaon blast issue. M.J Akbar in his column, ‘The Siege Within’ in TOI (dated 21/12/08), has said that in a democracy there must be a balance between the “freedom of expression” and “freedom of impression” and that a “clever politician is a master chef in cooking up a broth of impression and expression.”

AR Antualy who was an Indria Gandhi loyalist, was the Chief Minister of Maharashtra for a two year term and had to resign on corruption charges. Antulay says he is not eyeing the Muslim vote and that his constituency of Kolaba has a mere eight per cent of Muslim voters. Whether Antulay’s stance help him or harm him needs to be seen. But it is going to bring political upheavals like never before as this conundrum unravels.

The Dog, the Martyr and the Chief Minister

“The more I see the representatives of the people, the more I love my dogs” , said Alphonse De Lamartine. These words reflect public sentiments after26/11 Mumbai attacks, especially after the remarks by Kerala Chief Minister V. S Achutananthan.
Mr. K. Rajeev, relative of the NSG Commando Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan who was killed in the encounter, pleaded with the media to end the controversy over the remarks of the Chief Minister. On behalf of Mr. Unnikrishnan, father of Major Sandeep, he apologized for his unruly behavior at the Chief Minister and his colleagues. With that, ‘the dog’ issue was put to rest.
As the fog created by the media lift, we can clearly see the facts—that a man lost his son and left a vacuum that no words, ex-gratia or musical tribute can suffice. And, greatest of all tragedies, that we as a nation has not learnt from our mistakes. It is banal to talk of media hype and media fuelled controversies. Common man seems to know as much about the media construction of reality as communication theorist does. And it has become habitual for the public as well as politicians to place the onus on the media for their own incompetence and lack of sensibility.
This is not to deny the role of media in the present controversy. They are only the catalyst of the controversy not the fuel of it. At the worst, media can be considered as pesky intruders.
The Chief Minister was replying to a question by a reporter as to what he had to say about being not allowed in Mr. Unnikrishnan’s house. One can easily make out from his words that he felt insulted at the house of Mr. Unnikrishnan . Speaking to the media in Malayalam Mr. Achutanandan said “Karnataka Chief Minister reached his house earlier than us. Was it agreed upon by the two CMs to go together?” And then he uttered those calamitous words “Had it not been for Sandeep, a dog would not have visited the house.” Media immediately capitalized on this as it promised higher TRP ratings. The sentence was promptly highlighted in the subtitle of the video and aired again and again by news channels.
To use a word like “dog” is not becoming of a Chief Minister. Further, there were efforts to clarify the CM’s statement as a colloquial expression. Anyone who knows the language will find these remarks as uncouth. Mr. Achutanandan was simply playing into the hands of the opposition and the hawkish media.
E.K Nayanar was known for his quirky comments and retorts which at times created controversies. When the idol from a temple in Kerala (Ettumannur) was stolen, he was accused by the opposition that the heist occurred because his government failed to ensure police security at the temple premises. Nayanar retorted, “ Does God also need police protection?” It will be remembered not only for the controversy it created, but also for the uncomfortable truth it drove home into the minds of the masses.
Mr. Achutanandan’s words were not just insensible but unhealthy for a democracy. His words could be misinterpreted as comparing the armed forces of a country to a dog.( And this misinterpretation was almost achieved.) Cumulative insensitive comments of this sort could actually weaken the morale of the armed forces. But let us hope that the harm will undone, thanks to short public memory.

Who Said Folk-Music is Dying?

He got on the bus from the IIT-gate stop. And he started playing the his string instrument.(Later when I googled for stringed folk-instruments of India, I found that he was playing 'ektar' one of the main accompaniment of Baul songs of West Bengal.)
He simply stood just behind the bus-driver, leaning against the steel railings. As he played his ‘ektar’ it rang crisply and clearly inside the bus. May be that's when I would have noticed him. Because I never thought that an instrument like that could sound so loud.
After doing up and down from my room to college for an year, by the suburban trains of Chennai, I am used to seeing blind people sing and beg. So much that I recognize some of them. Most of the time, their songs are attempts at arousing pity. Though I don't understand Tamil well, I have observed that people gave money to those who managed to evoke pathos through the lyrics. I consider them a nuisance or sometimes take pity on them, as my whim; but have never tossed even a single coin to them.
I am no music pundit. But listening to him play ‘ektar’ was an intimate and personal experience. It seemed to add life and meaning into the predictable life of mine. I was enchanted. The music seemed to percolate everything around. As bus moved past the Delhi Metro constructions, it added a rhythm into the work in that sultry afternoon. This may be common description of the effect of music, but I experienced it in its full bloom for the first time.
It was pure music. Music without any pretensions. So was the musician--he was just another tramp. Age between 40 to 50, disheveled hair and dirty clothes are ample description of him. His only striking feature was that the tip of his forefinger which was deformed by pressing against the string of ‘ektar’.
He played for twenty minutes before he got down somewhere before Safdarjung airport. There was a sense of generosity that flowed out from him with the music. I said to myself "freely you have received, freely you shall give". There was no haste to collect money and get into another bus. He went to those he saw taking out their wallets or fumbling their pockets. I gave him a generous three rupees. But it took me a little more to realize that he was not a beggar, but a musician. He didn't need no generosity of people like me.
Well, this is not a comparative study of the quality of music among the poor vagrants of India, saying that one should be prudent when giving to them, because economy is in recession. What I am saying is that unadulterated music is sadly missing in popular culture. People are willing to shell out thousands listen to folk music held at a five-star hotels. But it is not just music that is appreciated here, but the paraphernalia associated with such a elite gathering. Who said folk-music is dying? It is well and alive in streets.

Is Money the Root of All Evil?

The mental health of the in America is worsening. Oliver James, a media analyst cites the new disease Affluenza as the cause. James defines Affluenza as "a contagious, middle-class virus causing depression, anxiety, addiction and ennui'. If the virus of reason during modernity said, "god is dead", this virus says, "man is dead." Anxiety, depression boredom and deadness are its symptoms.
He argues that in present system of democracy means the right to vote for people who make you richer. Meaning the cause for the disease is in the society. Many poor Scandinavian socialist countries have good mental health.
James Hillman a couple of decades back argued with similar sentiment that human illness are caused in the violent individual conflicts between human desires to live and think in a rational ways and the requirement of the society that we live and think in ways that are absurd. And not by sexual repressions in childhood as believed by Freudian psychoanalytical school.
The most obvious and clear answer to this argument is that the mental condition is worsening because there are more psychologist in the country. Behaviors which were seen as normal sometime back are pathologised today. Is Affluenza a product of society awash with therapy?
Richard Easterling's research in 1974 shows that the happiness level of American's after the post war boom in 1945, and in 1974 remained the same. Experts at that time ridiculed his work. In 1900's the economist at Warwick University rediscovered his work. They found out that affluence had no-correlation with happiness level. Unemployment and lack of good life style didn't make people any happier. Andrew Oswal reviewing the book Affluenza on national review.com says "On one thing he is right. There is evidence that all is not well. Mental health in the UK is getting worse, according to an annual survey of 10,000 Britons analysed by myself and Nattavudh Powdthavee at the University of London" But points the cause of illness to the childhood poverty rather than the emotional maladjustment and misery because of affluence.
Easterling in his paper Is There an Iron Law of Happiness published in 1995 says that "although genetic factors help to explain individual differences at a point in time, survey evidence demonstrates that over the life cycle economic circumstances, family life, health and work are important in determining the course of happiness. However, life events do not necessarily dominate life cycle satisfaction in different domains and economic theories would benefit from following psychologist lead by incorporating goals and adaptation."