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.

Still

Shattered splattered
Still I lie, mute.
Muttering, why I threw my hue around,
And burned my blameless world.

In a blemished world
Still I lie.
Black jig-saws jostle around,
Remance of light that brought the black and old-yellow,
To the ends of my world,
Unto where my leg streches.

Still I lie mute;
But alive.

I have kissed my lot and wished the winds,
Oh, happy times!
Do they still send a wish after me?

Shattered splatterd
Still I lie.
Still true, still beautiful;
With my legs streched to the ends of my flaky world.

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.