thoughts...

November 6, 2008 The internet was troubling; so couldn’t keep in touch. It’s feel nice to be blogging again. Thanks Dithi and Baadsha for your encouraging comments. One thing i would like to clarify with my dear brother; he seems to have felt that i didn’t like Amitav Ghosh’s Sea of Poppies. It’s not that dear. I didn’t get a total impression. I’m waiting to read the entire trilogy. Then i feel that the picture will be completed. Actually the problems with this book according to me is that the issues that it deals with are too overtly done. The main issue of Ghosh’s novel has always been the politics of identity formation, especially at the backdrop of troubled times. The related tropes of home, foreign, transit, etc. Were always there, but they were very craftily enmeshed amidst the narratives. Here the issues stare at your face; I didn’t like that aspect. It has its moments of glory of course, indded they are many. Again we are congronted with unknown histories. But the way the issues are tackled troubles me. My research premise is that identity issues has been the main trope or the leit motif of all the Ghosh novels. The topic that I would like to discuss with you my friends has everything to do with this identity politics. Recent editions of the Indian dailies are filled with nauseating reports of clashes between Biharis and Marathis, or the Rajasthani tribal skirmishes and many other such nonsensical conflicts. I think that day is not far behind when we will fight just because you are not me and I am not you. People seem to have forgotten that all the fingers in our hands are not the same. Diversity is the norm of nature. This was bound to happen. Everybody is gradually losing out their individuality; so are all getting infested with the gregarious instinct. It’s true that I am a Bengali but equally true is that I am also a devout Hindu, who loves reading as well a teacher as well a daughter and many other selves. Every person has so many roles to enact. But why this violence abounds? The answer lies in the fact that in today’s age of media proliferation when people should have been more aware about the real priorities the opposite has occurred. Confusion and chaos are ruling roost; very few know what they really need. Bu thanks to this few the world still moves. I think we should be reading the great minds and their thoughts. Recently I just read through the few pages of Sri Ramkrishna Kathamrita where he is deliberating on which kind of deity to worship- the Sakar[the deity with a form] or the Nirakar[ the formless one]. He does not advise; rather he narrates an interesting anecdote- a family has procured a large fish, the mother cooks different preparations according to the different gastronomical preferences of the five sons. So you can worship the deity according to your own preferences. These great minds are always so relevant; they are always there to guide us. Another guiding factor is love, love for our fellow beings. So one of my favourite poems is Arnold’s ‘Dover Beach’ which gives us this message of love. And anyone who would like to read further about this issue can go through Amartya Sen’s Identity and Violence. Believe me it is an amazing read and going through its pages you will never feel bored. It is one of those very few books which keeps up to the promise that its blurb makes. You can even watch Jodha Akbar the recent bollywood blockbuster from this angle. I think the end of this movie particularly celebrates the plurality of identities of a single individual.
What is troubling that people are catching on to a singular aspect of their multiple identities and are getting into murderous conflicts. And when I read all these happening in Mumbai I get even more sad. Mumbai is the city of my early childhood. I particularly remember Hawa Mahal the building where we lived. All the families there belonged to diverse backgrounds; we the children used to converse in the particularly mumbaia hinglish having a slight more English to it. We have celebrated holi, Christmas, New Year, Ganesh Chaturthi, diwali, together. We also went to the Durga puja. Piku my sister was a baby during those days. Sangeeta took care of her. We left Mumbai in 1986. We went back for a very short visit in1997. Again we went to Hawa Mahal. Sangeeta then a young mother with not so good health came a long distance at 10pm just to have a look of Piku. This is the Mumbai I have in my mind and I will always cherish that memory as long I live. Its true people there are getting further from their Marathi roots; but violence is never an option. They should vigorously popularise their cultural products which are very rich. Marathi theatre is very rich. It has produced greats like Vijay Tendulkar whom we, the bengalees read at our universities in translation. There has been great Marathi actors like Amol Palekar. But these sectarian violence and empty rhetoric of regional jingoism is another of the many ugly faces of vote bank politics rampant in India. But I am definite people will surelyregain their sanity and REASON will prevail. So keep reading great minds and stay in love. Bye ...
I am eager for comments from my friends.