brick (a tabloid which riyas komu publish as part of his art practice)

8/9/2019 BRICK (a tabloid which Riyas Komu publish as part of his art practice)

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GANDHI AND MARX

Gandhi and Marx were two think-

ers deeply committed to the

idea of a non-hierarchical socialorder. Both of them advocated

the need for a socialist society by morally

critiquing capitalism. Gandhi borrowed his

denition of capitalism from Marx; it was

the private ownership of the means of pro-

duction. Despite these similarities, however,

there were fundamental differences in their

philosophical orientation. For Gandhi, it was

ethics, which distinguished humans from

the rest of animal life. Marx, on the other

hand, identied productive capabilities as

the distinguishing feature of human life. It is

the primacy accorded to productive capabil-ities and the relations of production, which

make Marx’s philosophy a materialistic un-

derstanding of human destiny differentiating

it fundamentally from Gandhi’s philosophy,

which was based on the primacy of ethics

(concern-for-the-well-being- of-others).

Marx, according to Gandhi, made the fu-

ture of socialism precarious by placing eth-

ics in the domain of the superstructure that

was ultimately determined by the economic

base of production and relationships of pro-

duction. It was clear to Gandhi that a social-

ist society cannot be built on the Marxian premises.

It can be argued that this structural aw

in Marxism, identied by Gandhi, was ex-

posed by the collapse of the Soviet Union

and by China’s move towards capitalism.

The Marxian prediction that Capitalism

would stagnate and eventually collapse is

again an unlikely proposition. As Thom-

as Piketty suggests in his Capital in the

21st Century, capitalism will in all likeli-

hood continue to exist uninterrupted, while

throwing up conditions of severe economic

disparities.

Is there a Gandhian solution for this

malaise? For Gandhi, capitalism is inher-

ently unethical because a capitalist society,

which is also a consumerist society, can

exist only by perpetually enhancing human

selshness. As people become more and

more selsh within a capitalist dispensa-

tion they tend to lose concern for the well being of others. When the moral fabric of a

society degenerates it becomes imperative

for the State to control human behaviour

through heavy policing. This in turn leads

to the erosion of people’s autonomy and

freedom. Evidence of this can be seen in the

compulsive and widespread use of surveil-

lance cameras in human societies across the

globe. The obvious underlying premise for

this state activism is that humans cannot be

trusted and accordingly there is a need for

the State to monitor their behavior through

policing. This is only one of the many vis-

ible symptoms of the erosion of human au-

tonomy caught up in a capitalist structure.

The other symptoms of the malaise have

been thoroughly articulated by Michel Fou-

cault in his book Discipline and Punish and

KP Shankaran

Gandhi Square, Johannesburg, South Arica. 2015 is the 100th anniversary of Gandhi’s return from South Africa. Riyas Komu, 2010

For Gandhi, capitalism is inherently unethical because a cap-italist society, which is also a consumerist society, can existonly by perpetually enhancing human selshness.

KOCHI | MAY 2015 | VOL III


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in his writings on governmentality in which

he demonstrates the multifarious ways in

which power is exercised over individ-

uals in order to create a well-ordered and

efcient population for the uninterrupted

growth of capitalism.

Thus the popular association of capital-

ism with freedom begins to unravel upon

close scrutiny and it becomes clear that

under capitalism individuals and communi-

ties are subjected to unprecedented controls

of various kinds. A consumerist society,

which is very much a product of modernity/

enlightenment that celebrates human auton-

omy and freedom, in fact ends up negat-ing the very same autonomy and freedom.

While there seems to be a paradox here,

past experience has made it clear that as

institutions of modernity become more and

more entrenched in society, whether capi-

talist or those associated with Soviet/Mao-

type socialism, human behavior becomes

increasingly susceptible to external con-

trols. Gandhi did not see this as a paradox,

but rather recognized this as a contradiction

built into the project of modernity/enlight-

enment. He therefore outrightly rejected so-

cial structures based on presuppositions of

enlightenment/modernity, be it capitalism

or Marxian forms of socialism.

Marxian socialism is of course just one

among many types of socialism. Socialist

thought has a long and rich history, and

various visions of socialist societies have

been articulated both before and after Marx.

Marx himself acknowledged the existence

of other kinds of socialist thought but he

disparagingly referred to these as “Utopian

Socialism” because he believed that these

were unattainable and therefore beyond the

realm of possibility.

While the viability of Marxian social-

ism has been seriously questioned follow-

ing the fall of the so called Marxian states,

there has been renewed interest in other

socialist voices that had so far been dis-

missed as “utopian”. Gandhi, a strong critic

of Marxism, articulated his own vision fora socialist society, which was based on the

idea of Swaraj. Grounded in ethics, Swaraj

exemplies a concern for the well-being of

others. It is this concern for the other andthe need to reduce selshness among hu-

man beings that also animates Gandhi’s

other well known principles such as ahim-

sa, satya, aparigraha etc. Central to Gand-

hi’s Swaraj was a belief in the possibility

of and need for a stateless society and he

realized that such a society could only be

brought about through a considerable weak-

ening of selshness.

In early 1940s, Gandhi formulated 18

constructive programs, and these programs

were aimed at setting up a non-hierarchical

social order (Swaraj). Their declared pur-

pose was to bring about “self-improvement

by building structures, systems, processes,

and resources that are alternatives to oppression and promote self-sufciency and

unity in the community.” Gandhi believed

that ‘essential capabilities’ by which he

meant a series of freedoms, like freedom

from hunger and thirst, freedom from op-

pression, freedom from exploitation, etc

could be attained only in a non-hierarchical

social order.

Gandhi recognized that under the Indi-

an state these freedoms/capabilities would

continue to elude large sections of the so-

ciety. Not only would they continue to be

plagued by hunger and disease, but theywould also remain victims of oppression

and exploitation. He therefore advocat-

ed the implementation of the constructive

programs through communes within the

boundaries of the Indian state. These social-

ist communes within the Indian State were

intended to put an end to capitalist exploita-

tion and to the ethical degradation that was,

for Gandhi, a characteristic feature of all so-

cieties under capitalism. The Indian state’s

failure to rid its people of hunger and desti-

tution demonstrates not only the prescience

of Gandhi’s thought but also its continuing

relevance in today’s world.

K mÔnb pw amÀIvkpw

D¨\oNXzanÃm¯ kmaqly{Ias a¶Bib¯n\p thïn {]Xn Úm_²Xtb msS \nes Imï cïv Nn´IcmW vKmÔ nb p w amÀI vk p w. apXe mf n¯s¯ [mÀ

anIamb n hnaÀi n¨p s Imïv t kmj yenÌ vhyhØnXn¡p t hïn Ccphcpw hmZn¨p.apXe mf n¯¯ nsâ \ nÀhN\ w amÀI vk nÂ\n¶mW v KmÔn kzoIcn¨Xv. DÂ] mZt \m]m[nIfpsS kzImcy DSaØ Xs b¶Xm

W v B \nÀhN\w. Cu kam\XIfpsï¦nepw CcphcpsSb pw XXzimkv{ X]

camb Nn´mKXnIfnÂ auenIamb hyXymk§fpïmb ncp¶ p. K mÔ ns b kw_Ô n¨ nS

Communist Party Office, Kollam, Kerala Riyas Komu, 2015

h ni¸ nÂ \ n¶pw Zml¯ nÂ \ n¶pa pÅ k zmX{ ́ y w , AS n¨aÀ¯e nÂ\ n¶pÅ k z mX{ ́ yw, NqjW¯ nÂ \ n¶pÅ k z mX{ ́ yw XpS§ nbkz mX{ ́ y¯ nt âX mb ]c¼cIÄ DÄs ¡mÅ p¶ AX nPoh\ tij nIÄ D¨\ oNX z§f nÃm¯ kmaql y{ Ia ̄nÂ IqS n a m{Xa mW v km[yamIpIsb¶ v KmÔn hni zkn¨p.


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t ̄ mfw [mÀ½nIaqey§fmW v a\pj ys\aä v PohPme§fnÂ \n¶ pw hyXykvXam¡nb ncp¶Xv. At Xkabw amÀIvkn\vAXv DÂ]mZt \m·pJamb Ig nhpIfmb ncp¶ p. DÂ]mZt\m· pJa mb t ij nIÄ¡pwDÂ ]mZ\_Ô§Ä¡pw \ÂInb { ] m[m\ ya mW v a mÀI vk nsâ XXzi mk v{Xs¯ a\pj ysâ \ ne\ nÂ¸ ns\ Ipd n¨ pÅ ùX nI]camb Xncn¨d nbem¡nbXv. aä pÅhcpsSt £a¯nÂ Du¶p¶ [mÀ½nI kwl nXsb ASnØm\am¡p¶ K mÔnb psS XXzimkv{ X¯nÂ \n¶pw auenIamb n hyXykvXamWXv.

DÂ¸mZ\hpw DÂ¸mZ\_Ô§fpwt NÀ¶ km¼¯nImSn¯db mÂ \nÀWb n¡s¸Sp¶ t aÂ¡qS ns â ` mKamb n [mÀ½nIaqey§s f Øm] n¨ amÀIvkv tkmjyenk¯nsâ `mhns b A\nÝ nXam¡nsb¶mWv KmÔnbpsS A`n{]mbw. amÀIvknb³ASnØm\¯nÂ Hcp tkmjyenÌ v kaqlw cq]s ̧ Sp¯m\mInsÃ¶ t _ m[y¯nemb ncp¶p KmÔn. amÀIvknk¯nÂKmÔn Isï¯nb LS\m]camb XIcmdpIÄ t k mh nbä v bqW nbs â XIÀ¨b nep wa pXe mf n¯ ̄nte¡pÅ s sN\b ps S NphSpamä¯nepw Xpd¶ pIm«s¸«Xmb n hmZn¡mhp¶XmW v.

apXemfn¯w \nÝemhØ t\cnSpsa¶ pw HSphnÂ XIcps a¶papÅ amÀI vk nb³ { ]hN\ w k m[ yXb nÃ m¯ h nizmk{ ]amWamW v. Im¸näÂ C³ Z 21sk©pd n b nÂ t Xmakv ] ns Iä n \nÀtZi n¡ p¶X v t]mse apXe mf n¯ w XSk§sfm¶ panÃms X XpScm\mW v km[yX, ISp¯km¼¯nI AkaXz§fpsS kmlNcy§ÄXpd¶ psImïp Xs¶.

Cu AkzmØy§Ä¡v Fs´¦nepwKmÔnb³ ]cnlmcapt ïm? KmÔnsbkw_Ôn¨nSt ̄ mfw apXemfn¯w ss\kÀK nIamb n Xs¶ A[mÀ½nIamW v. D]

t ̀ màr kaqlw IqSnb mb apXemfn¯kaql¯n\v a\pjys â kzÀ°X ]cnt ]mj n¸ n¨ v a m{Xta \ ne\ nÂ¡ m\mIq. a pXemfn¯ coXn{Ia¯nÂ BfpIÄ IqSpXemb n kzmÀ°cmIp¶tXms S klPohnIfpsS t £a¯nÂ AhÀ¡pÅ XmÂ]cy wI pdbp w. kaql ̄nsâ [ mÀa nILS\ P oÀW n¡ p¶tX ms S a\ pjysâ {]hÀ¯\§sf IÀi\ \nco£W¯neqs S cmj v{ Sw\nb{ń t ¡ïXv A\nhmcyamb n¯ocp¶ p. CXv ê¯nÂ P\§fpsS kzbw\nÀWbmh Imis¯bpw kzmX{ýs¯bpw_ m[n¡pw. \nco£W IymadIfpsS D]t b mKw temI s a¼mSpw \nÀ_ÔnXhpwhy m]Ihpamb n cn¡p¶Xv CXn\v sXfnh mW v. a\ pj ys c h nizk n¡ m\mI nsÃ¶ pwAhc psS s ]c p a mä§Ä t ]me ok nM ne qsS

\nco£ n¡W sa¶ papÅ hneb ncp¯em

W v Cu t Ìä v BIvSnhnk¯n\v ] n¶ nÂ adª ncn¡p¶Xv.apXemfn¯ LS\b nÂ Ipcp§ nb nc n¡p¶ a\pj ysâ kzbw\ nÀWb mhI mi w He n¨ p t ] mI p¶X nsâ hyàamb e£W§fns em¶p am{XamW nXv.

apXemfn¯hpamb n _Ôs¸« Akzm Øy§fps S aä ve£W§Ä U nk n¹n³ Bâv]Wnjv F¶ ] pkvXI¯nÂantjÂ ^pt¡m hyàamb nh niZ oIc n¨ n«pï v. Kh¬s aâmenä ns b kw_Ôn¨ ^ pt ¡mb psS cN\IfnÂ A[nImcw_lpXe¯nÂ hyànIÄ¡pt aÂ ASnt¨Â ̧n¨v { Ia_²hpw I mcy£ah pa mb P\ka qls¯ hmÀs¯Sp v̄ apXemfn¯¯nsâ XSkc l nXambhfÀ¨ Dd¸ m¡p¶s X§ ns \s b¶ v At ±l w hyàa m¡ p¶p.

A§s\ apXemfn¯¯nsâb pw kzmX{ý¯ns âbpwGsd h mg v¯s ̧ « P\Iob klIcW¯ns â bmYmÀ°y wIÀi\ \ nco£W¯ nÂ N pcpfg nb m³ X pS§p¶p. apXe mf n¯

̄n\ vI og nÂ h yà nIf pw kaql§fpw ap¼nÃm¯ hn[w hnhn[ Xc¯nepÅ\nb{´W§Ä¡v hnt [bam sW¶ vhyàamIp¶ p. B[p\ nIXbpsS AsÃ¦ nÂÚmt\mZ b¯nsâ DÂ¸¶amb D]t ̀ màrkaql w kzb w`cWhpw kzmX{ ́ yhpw BtL mj n¡pt¼mÄ , bYmÀ°¯nÂ CXp cïpw \nt j[n¡s¸SpIb mW v. hnt cm[m`mks a¶ v t Xm¶ msa¦ nepw B[p\ nIXb psS Øm]\§Ä, AhapXemf n¯a mb mepw t kmh nbä v As Ã¦ nÂamt hm s sS ̧v tkmjye nkamb mepw ka ql

¯ nÂ Bg¯ nÂ t hc q ¶ pIb pw, a\ pj yÀ_ ml y\ nb{´W§Ä¡ v I qSpXe mb n h nt[bcmb n¯ocpIbpw s N¿p¶p sh¶ mW vap³Imem\p`h§Ä hyàam¡p¶Xv.KmÔn CXns\ hntcm[m`mkamb n Iïncp¶ nÃ, ]s£ B[p\nIX AsÃ¦nÂÚmt\mZbhpamb n _Ôs¸« ]²XnIfnse s shcp²yambmW v At ±l w CXns\Xncn¨d nªXv. AXpsImïp Xs¶ Chb pamb n _Ôs¸« kmaqlyLS\Is fAt±lw \ncmIcn¨p, Ah apXemfn¯ambmepw tkmj ye nk¯ ns â a mÀI vk nb³cq]§fmb mepw.

hnhn[ Xc¯nepÅ tkmjyenk§fnÂH¶ p am{XamW v amÀIvknb³ tkmjyenkw. ZoÀLhpw kar²hpamb Ncn{XapÅt kmj yenÌ v NnÍfpw hnhn[ t kmj y

enÌ v kaql Img vN¸mSpIfpw amÀIvkn\v

ap¼ pw t ijhpw {]Ncn ̧n¡s ̧ « n«pïv. aä vXc¯nepÅ t kmj yenÌ v NnÍfpsS\ne\nÂ¸v amÀIvkv AwKoIcn¨ncps¶¦nepwAhs b Dt« m ̧nb³ tkmj ye nka mb n AhaX n¡pIbmW pï mbX v. Ch ssIhc n¡m\mIm¯Xp w km[yXIÄ¡ v A¸pdh pa msW ¶mW v At±lw hni zkn¨ncp¶Xv.

amÀIvknb³ tÌäpIfpsS A]Nbt ̄ msS a mÀI vk nb³ t k mjye nk¯ ns âkm[yXIÄ K uchmhlamb n t NmZywsN¿s ̧ s«¦nepw Dt «m] y\mb n XÅ n¡f

ª ncp¶ aä v tkmjyenÌ v i_ vZ§fnÂ] pXnb XmÂ]cy§Ä DSseSp¯p. amÀIvknk¯nsâ ISp¯ hnaÀiI\mb ncp¶K mÔn tkmjyenÌ v kaqlw kw_Ôn¨k z´w Img vN¸ mS v , k zcmP v F¶ Bibs¯ap³\nÀ¯n AhXcn¸ n¨ncp¶ p. aä pÅhcps S t £a ̄ne pÅ C u DX vIW vTb p w a\pjyÀ¡ nSb ns e kzmÀ°X Hg nh m¡Wsa¶Bhiyhpw K mÔnb psS aä v { ]ikvXXXz§fmb Alnwk , kX y , A]cn{ Kl F¶ nhsb t] mse ktNX\amIp¶p.c mj v{Scq]a nÃm¯ ka ql ̄nsâ k m[yXIfpw Bhi yhpw KmÔnPnb psS kzcmPnsâ tI{ µamW v. kzmÀ°XmÂ]cy§s fZpÀ_es ̧ Sp¯n am{ Xt a C¯c¯neqsSkaql w k m[yamIqsh¶ X nc n¨d nh p w At ±l¯n\pïmb ncp¶ p.

1940IfpsS BZyL«¯nÂ Xs¶

K mÔn 18 krj vSn]camb ]cn] mSnIÄ¡vc q] w \ÂI nb ncp¶p. D¨\ oNX z§f nÃ m¯kz cmPv F¶ kmaql y{ Ia¯ns â krj vS n e£ ya n«pÅX mb ncp¶ p C u ]c n] mS nIÄ.LS\IÄ , kwhn[m\§Ä , {]{InbIÄ,hn`h§Ä F¶ nhbps S \nÀanXnb neqsSkzbw ]ptcmKXn km[yam¡pI, ASnäÀ¯e n\ v _Ze mh pI, k z m{ibX zhpw sFI yh p wkaql¯nÂ t{] mÕml n ̧n¡pI F¶ nhbmb nc p¶ p CX nsâ {]Jy m] nXe£y§Ä.hni ̧nÂ \n¶ pw Zml¯nÂ \n¶papÅ

kzmX{ ́ yw, ASnäÀ¯enÂ \n¶pÅkz mX{ ́ y w , NqjW¯ nÂ \ n¶ pÅ kzmX{ýw XpS§ nb kzmX{ý¯ntâXmb ]c¼cIÄ DÄs ¡mÅ p¶ AXnPoh\tij nIÄ D¨\oNXz§fnÃm¯ kmaql y{Ia¯nÂ IqSn am{XamW v km[yamIpIsb¶ v KmÔn hni zkn¨p.

Cý³ cmj v{S¯n\v Iog nÂ Cuk z mX{ ́ y§Ä/AX nP oh\t ij nIÄkaql¯nse hensbmcp hn`mK¯n\v{] m] vXamInsÃ¶ v K mÔn Xncn¨d nªp.h ni¸p w tcmK§fme pw AhÀ t h«b mSs ̧Sp¶Xv XpScpsa¶ v am{ XaÃ, ASnäÀ¯ens âb pw NqjW¯ns âbpw CcIfmb n\ne\nÂ¡pIbpw s N¿pw. cmj v{S¯nsâAXnÀ¯nIÄ¡I v̄ s Ndpkaql§fneqs S k rj vS n]ca mb ]²X nIÄ Bh nj vI

cn¨v \S¸ m¡Ws a¶ v At±l w Bl zm\wsNb vXp. apXemfn¯ NqjW¯n\pwapXemf n¯¯ n\ v I og ne pÅ ka ql§f nse kz`mhkh ntijXbmb n KmÔ n Ic pX nb[mÀ½nI t imjW¯n\pw Aý w Ipd n¡m³ Dt ±i n¨pÅhbmb ncp¶ p Cý³cmj v{S¯n\I v̄ Xs¶b pÅ CutkmjyenÌ v I½yqWpIÄ.

hni ̧nÂ \n¶pw ]caZmcn{ Zy¯nÂ\n¶pw P\§sf tamNn¸n¡p¶XnÂ Cý³cmj v{S¯n\pïmb ]cmPb w hyàam¡p¶X v KmÔ n¡ v CXpkw_Ô n¨ pïmb ncp¶ap¶d nhv am{ XaÃ C¶s ̄ temI¯nÂCXn\pÅ \ncć {]kàn IqSnb mW v.=

]cn`mj: \nPmkv PphÂ

The writer is a retired associate professor,

St. Stephen’s College, DelhiNervous System, Iron and Automotive Paint, 5 f x 15 f Riyas Komu, 2005

Designer, Oil on Canvas, 7 f x 5 f Riyas Komu, 2012


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The morning after we began our tryst with destinywe thought we would reinvent our traditions incontemporary contexts and live new lives. Wenever did. The Partition of the subcontinent had

driven a wedge through the hearts of people who shared acommon history. It uprooted a whole generation. However,the division, and the bloodshed, had started a year before

Independence dawned, when Jinnah made the call fordirect action, triggering communal violence across the

subcontinent. Ever since, the spectre of sectarian violencehas stalked the people of the subcontinent. Competinginterest groups leaned on myths to invent histories, butthe ghosts of Partition were never exorcised. In fact, theyassumed new forms and threatened to rupture the fabricof the new Republic that in its soul carried the Nehruvianvision of a liberal, secular and socialist nation and built on

the rock of Vallabhbhai Patel’s idea of no-nonsense nation-

STONED GODDESSESRiyas Komu

The legacy of a fractured society has been the basis of myquest as an artist to understand the nature and texture of

prejudice.

Borivili Slum, Mumbai Riyas Komu, 2013

building. That edice, we now realize, is no monolith.Why was our freedom followed by a spate of violence,

pain and hostilities? The communal massacres thatfollowed even after the traumatic episode of Partition aresomething I am yet to comprehend. I realize I was not alonein failing to understand the logic of people killing people.In her book, The Pity of Partition: Manto’s Life, Times, and

Work across the India-Pakistan Divide, historian AyeshaJalal, the grand-niece of Saadat Hasan Manto, discusses in

depth his non-acceptance ofPartition in his writings andthe communal narrative thatdivided India. New Indiawas jolted out of its smug belief that the ghost ofcommunal politics was laidto rest with the Partition

when a Hindu chauvinist and a proponent of Hindutva, Nathuram Godse, shot the Mahatma. Godse’s was awarning shot about the future that awaited the Republic.

The legacy of a fractured society has been the basis ofmy quest as an artist to understand the nature and texture of prejudice. InStoned Goddesses, I have attempted to capturemy understanding of independent India’s psyche through

important events that scarred its history and, in the process,

Partition Riots: The last months of the British rule in the Indiansubcontinent was bloody. Beginning with the Direct Action Daykillings to the eve of Independence (August 1946-August 1947),

communal violence claimed thousands of lives.


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shaped my identity. It is an identity that has presented mewith several moments of anguish but has been at the heartof much of my work.

In two of my important shows, Faith Accompli and Related List , I have tried to come to terms with thatidentity. As a native of Kerala, I am someone who has

admired the legacy of Raja Ravi Varma, perhaps the rst practitioner of visual arts to migrate from Kerala. In manyways Ravi Varma was a pioneer. He was the rst to masterthe European medium of oil painting and make it veryIndian. He was the rst to make visual arts accessible tothe common man by doing several series of oleographs.The use of litho blocks in this work is my way of payinghomage to Ravi Varma. It is a reading of our history inreverse.

My attempt with this work is to capture the concerns,anxieties, and dilemmas of an individual born inindependent India. In the introduction to his book, MakingSense of History, Mushirul Hassan argues that India’shistory is based on three contradictory themes - colonialism,nationalism and communalism.

Three other landmark events -- the Emergency in 1975,the nuclear explosion in Pokhran in 1974, and economicliberalisation in 1991 -- do not have a direct communalface but may have sharpened other divides and destroyedmany beliefs about modern India. In terms of historicalsignicance, for instance, the nuclear test in Pokhranin 1974 was India’s big break with the pacist ideal thatformed a core of the new nation’s world vision.

There are, of course, other events that shaped thecourse of modern India’s history. The death of Nehru wasreally the end of an era and the beginning of a new India.Similarly, the Communist Party of India gaining ofcein Kerala had ramications that went beyond even India.Ambedkar embracing Buddhism with his followers in 1956was a reassertion of the Dalits. The Mandal Commissionin the late 1980s triggered a radical shift in the politicaltrajectory of northern India.

The 1980s saw the narrative of communal politicsdominating the political discourse nationally. Hinducommunalism riding the Ayodhya movement shook the

secular core of the Republic. The early years of this decadewas marked by the Khalistani movement and the terror itunleashed in Punjab and its neighbourhood. It culminated inOperation Bluestar and the assassination of Indira Gandhi.The anti-Sikh killings that followed were a reminder thatthe people and the state had learnt little from the harrowingexperience of the violence that preceded Partition.

The 1980s was subsumed in bloodshed as politically-

sponsored and state-sponsored violence wrecked social peace in the north, west and eastern parts of India. Themacabre dance of death was witnessed in Bhagalpur, Nelliein Assam, Kashmir Valley, and many small towns. If itwas anti-Muslim in some places, it was anti-Sikh or anti-

Hindu elsewhere. L K Advani’s rath rode on the Ayodhyamovement initiated by the Hindutva forces to polarize thecountry in communal terms, according to many, in a mannernever seen since the days of Partition. The destruction ofBabri Masjid in 1992, the Mumbai riots, and many such

catastrophic events were the outcome of the communalmobilization that the Rath Yatra achieved.

Umebrto Eco in his essay, Inventing the Enemy, writes:“Having an enemy is important not only to dene but alsoto provide us with an obstacle against which to measure

our system of values and, in seeking to overcome it, todemonstrate our own worth. So when there is no enemy,we invent one.”

Could that explain the spate of communal riots after therst big one since independence in Gujarat in 1969? Eco

further adds that from the very beginning, however, the people who become our enemies are not those who directlythreaten us, but those whom someone has an interest in portraying a true threat even when they aren’t.

In the bloody history of India there have been several

bouts of violence whose genesis was the assertion ofan identity or suppression of another. In a place, say

Keelvenmani in Tamil Nadu and Laxmanpur-Bethe in

Bihar, the victims were poor, landless, dalit farm workers.Class and caste were at the core of the violence andKeelvenmani or Laxmanpur-Bethe were not exceptions.When the Indian nation-state exed its muscle ahead ofthe merger of Hyderabad or in Mizoram, Nagaland andManipur or Jammu and Kashmir, the victims were thosemarked as enemies of the state. When an insurgency brokeout in the Kashmir Valley, Hindu Pandits were identied

as targets, in Assam ‘outsiders’ suffered. Gujarat in 2002saw a section of the society and the State administrationcollaborate to target Muslim residents of the state.

Gujarat riots, as Mushirul Hassan points out, were thesecond Partition of India. Now there are two sets of people- those permanently scarred by the incidents in Gujarat andothers dismissive of those scars and living in a permanentstate of denial.

British poet Kapka Kassabova in her ‘Patriots ofGujarat’ recounts the suffering in Gujarat:

She has extinguished eyes. She foldsand unfolds her hands, then pulls a photo from a plastic pouch.

Samira and Salma, she says, Engaged. University students.Their fancés gave me this.

Salma and Samira. I could do nothing. I couldn’t watch, how could I watch. I had to watch. Why do I live now?

The men came with big kniveslaughing while they did it.They were laughing.

I could do nothing. I couldn’t watch. I had to watch. I couldn’t help them.Why do I live now?She puts the photo back into the pouch, And smooths it carefully, a sheet Over a sleeping child.

We pretend that the nation has moved on. Politicians

unapologetic of their crimes seek the people’s mandate to

rule. And the crowds cheer them on. “Our real problemin India is not political. It is social,” wrote RabindranathTagore. The poet, as always, was prescient.

Is Ãd nb s ̧ « t ZhXIÄ

`mKt [bhp am b pÅ k wK a¯ n\ p t ijapÅ {]`mX¯nÂ \½Ä \½psS ] mc¼ cy §Ä kaImeo\k mlNcy §f nÂ ]p\ cm h n j vIc n ¡p sa¶ pw ]pX nb Poh nX§Ä Poh n¡ psa¶p w Ic pX n. ]s £ AXp ïm b nÃ. D]`qJ W vU¯nsâ hn`P\w s ]mXpNcn{ Xw t]dp¶ P\XXnb psS lrZb¯nÂ tImd nbXv Bg tad nb hnShmW v.AXv Hcp Xeapd bps S Xs¶ thcdp¯p. Cu hn`P\hpwcàs¨mcn¨nepw bYmÀ°¯nÂ kzmX{´y{]`mX¯n\vHcp hÀjw aps¼ Bcw`n¨ncp¶p. Pn¶ b ps S Blzm\t ̄ msS D]`q J W vU¯ nÂ hÀKo bm X n{Ia§Ä¡ v \mµ nIpd n¡s¸« p. A¶ papXÂ hn`mKob el fIfpsS t{]Xmcq] nIÄ D] ̀ qJW vU¯ns e P\§s f Bthi n¨p.h n` n¶ XmÂ] cy§ f pamb n ]ck v]c w aÕ c n ¡ p¶ kwL§Ä sF X nl y § f nÂ Nc n{ X w s a\ bm³ {ia n ̈ p. ]s £h n`P \ ̄ nsâ cà ¡d amªp t ]m b nÃ. bYmÀ° ̄ nÂAh ]pX nb cq] w ssIs ¡ mï v ]pXp d n ̧ » n¡ nsâ LS\Is f XIÀ¡ps a¶ v Bi¦s ̧ Sp¯n. hni mehpw atXX

chp w t k mjy e n k¯ ne q¶ nb Xpamb c mP ysa¶ s\l vdphnb³ Img vN¸ mSv BßmhnepÄs¡mïv, hÃ v̀`mb n ]t «e ns â cmj v{S \ nÀa mWh pa mb n _Ôs¸« b pà n`{Z h pwIcp¯päXpamb ASn¯dbnÂ ]Sp¯pbÀ¯s¸« cmjv{ Ss¯bmWv CXv C¯c¯nÂ Bi¦s¸Sp¯nbXv. Bku[w, Ct¸mÄ \½Ä Xncn¨dp¶p þ GIinemcq]asÃ¶v.

F´p s I mï mW v \½ psS k z mX{´ ye_ v[ n A{ I a §f psSb p w t hZ \If psSb p w i{XpXIfpsSb p w { ]h ml¯ nÂa p§ n bX v? thZ \ m P\ I a mb h n`P \¯ n\ p t ijh pw Act§d nb hÀK ob I q« s¡me]m XI §Ä F\ n¡ v Ct ̧ mgp wDÄs¡mÅ m\ m Im¯ H¶m W v. a\p jyÀ a\pjys c s ImÃp¶ bpà n a\k n emI m¯X v F\ n¡ v am{Xa s Ã¶ v R m³Xncn¨d nbp¶ p. Ncn{ XImcn Ab nj PemÂ Xs â Z v ]nä nHm^v ]mÀ«nj³: amtâmkv sse^v, ssSwkv Bâv hÀ¡vFt{Imk v Z v C ́y þ ]m¡nØm³ U nsshU v F¶ ] pk vXI¯nÂ kmZ¯v lk³ amtâmbps S cN\Isf B[mc

am¡n hn`P\w kw_ Ôn¨ At ±l ̄ nsâ XnckvImc

Gandhi/Godse:The ght for the soul of India began soon afterIndependence. Nathuram Godse, a Hindu fanatic, shot MahatmaGandhi on January 30, 1948. Gandhi’s crime was that he spoke forHindu-Muslim unity.

1969: Ahmedabad riots in 1969 broke the lull in communal violenceafter the Partition riots. Soon after, Hindu-Muslim riots became a periodic feature.


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» q Ì md nepw CµncmKmÔnb psS h[¯nepamW v AXvIem i n ̈ X v. h n`P \¯ n\ v apt¶m S nbm bp ïmb A{ I a§fps S ]oU\m\p`h§ fnÂ \n¶ pw cmPys ̄ P\§Ä]mTw ]Tn¨ns Ã¶ v hyàam¡p¶Xpw HmÀas¸ Sp¯p¶Xpamb ncp¶ p XpSÀ¶ pïmb knJ v Iq«s ¡meIÄ.

c mj v{ S ob ] n´p Wb pÅ A{Ia§f nsem gp I nb t N mçpg IfnÂ ap§ nb 1980 IÄ cmPy¯ns â D¯c, ]Ý na,]qÀhtaJeIfpsS kmaqly kzmØyw sISp¯n. `KÂ]qÀ,Bkmans e s\Ãn, Imi vaoÀ Xmg vhc F¶ nhnS§fnepwaä v s Nd p\K c§ fnepw acW w XmW vUh\r¯amSn. Nneb nS§fnÂ apÉn§ fmb ncp¶ p CcIsf¦nÂ aä nS§fnÂAh knJ pImÀt ¡m l nµp¡Ät ¡m FXns cb mb ncp¶ p.cmPys ̄ hÀK oba mb n tNc n X nc n¡pI s b¶ e£y t¯msS l nµpXziànIfps S t { ]cW b nÂ Atbm[y { ]Øm\¯n\mb n Nen¨ FÂ.s I. AZzm\nbpsS cYw, ]ecpsSbpw A`n{]mb¯nÂ hn`P\¯n\v tijw aps¼mcn¡epwI mWm¯ kz`mh h n t i j¯ n e pÅ X m b ncp¶ p. cY b m {Xb neqs S ss Ih¶ hÀKob tNcnXncnhns â A\ćê§fmbncp¶p 1992se _m_vdn akvPnZv XIÀ¡Â, apwss_Ie m]w F¶ n hbp w AX p t ] m epÅ Zpc ́ k am \a mb aä vkw`h§ fpw.

"C³shâ nM v Zn F\ na n' F¶ t eJ\¯ nÂ D w_Àt«m

Ft ¡m Fgp X p¶p: ""i{Xp DïmtI ïX v k p{] [m \am W v,

\s ½ \nÀhNn¡p¶ Xn\v am{XaÃ aqeyhyhØb ps St XmXf¡p¶Xn\pÅ XSksa¶ \neb nepw, AXns \XcW w s N¿ p ¶ X n \ pw , \½ps S h ne hyà am¡p ¶X n\ p w.AXpsImïv Ft¸ ms g¦nepw i{Xp CÃmXncn¡pt¼mÄ ,\½Ä H¶ ns\ Isï¯p¶p.''

1969Â KpPdm¯nepïmb henb hÀKobmXn{Ia§Ä¡p tijapÅ Iem]{]hmls¯ hniZoIcn¡p¶Xn\vCXv aXnbmIpt am? Dw_Àt« m Ft¡m Iq« nt¨À¡p¶p:XpS¡w apXÂ Xs ¶ \½psS i{Xp¡fmb n amdp¶hÀ\s½ t \c n« v `bs ̧ Sp¯p¶ hc Ã. ]s£ AhÀ A§s\b Ã mX n c n¡ p t ¼mg p w Ahsc A§s \ N n{ XoI c n ¡p ¶XvNneÀ¡v XmÂ]cyapïmb ncn¡p¶ Xn\memWv.

Cý bps S càcq£ nX Ncn{ X¯nÂ A{ Ia¯nsâ\ nch[ n Bhr¯ n If pï v. ChbpsS DÛh w kzXz ̄ ns âAS n¨pd¸ n ¡e nte m As Ã¦ nÂ asäm¶ nsâ AS n¨ aÀ¯ent em Bb ncp¶ p. Xang v\m« ns e IoÄsh¬aW nb nepw_olmdnse e£va¬]qÀþs_sYbnepw CcIÄ ]mh§fpw`qcl nXcpamb ZfnXv IÀjIs¯mg nemfnIfmb ncp¶p.hÀKhpw PmX nbpw A{I a ̄ nsâ t I{ µØ m \ ̄ pïm b ncp¶ p. IoÄsh¬aW n AsÃ¦nÂ e£ va¬] qÀþ s_sYA] h m ZaÃ. s s lZ c m _m Z ns\ As Ã ¦ nÂ a ntkm dm a ns\ ,\ mKm em³U n s \, aW n ̧ qc ns\ AsÃ ¦ nÂ P½p þ I mi va o

cns\ eb n¸ n¡p¶Xn\mb n Cýmcmj v{Sw t]i o _ew

Im« nb t ̧ mÄ CcIÄ cmj v{S¯ns â i{Xp¡fmb ncp¶ p.Imi vaoÀ Xmg vhcb nÂ òIcX \SamSnb t ̧ mÄ l nµp ]W vUnäpIfmb ncp¶p e£ y w. BkmanÂ ] pdw\m« pImc mW v {]bm k a \p ̀ h n¨X v. 2002Â KpPdm¯ v IïX mIs «kaql ̄ nse Hcp hn`mKhpw kwØm\ `cWIqShpwtNÀ¶ v kwØm\s¯ apkvenw P\hn`mKs ̄ e£y anSp¶ XmW v.

apjndpÄ lk³ Nqïn¡m«p¶Xv t]mse KpPdm v̄Iem]w Cý bps S cïmw hn`P\amW v. Ct¸mÄ cïvhn`mKw P\§fmWpÅ Xv. K pPd m¯nepïmb kw`h§fmÂ Øncamb n {hW nXcm¡s ̧ «hÀ, Cu { hW§Ä_ m[ n¡ ms X \ nt j [ ̄ nsâ Ø mb n` mh ̄ nÂ Ig nb p¶hÀ.

"t]{ S n b« vk v H m^ v K pP d m¯ v' F¶ Ih n X b nÂ{ _ n« oj v Ih n Im] vI Ik t _ mh K pP dm¯ nse P oh nXZpcnX§sf Ipdn¨v ]d bp¶p:

She has extinguished eyes. She folds

and unfolds her hands, then

pulls a photo from a plastic pouch.

Samira and Salma, she says,

Engaged. University students.

Their fancés gave me this.

Salma and Samira. I could do nothing.

I couldn’t watch, how could I watch.

I had to watch. Why do I live now?

The men came with big knives

laughing while they did it.They were laughing.

I could do nothing. I couldn’t watch.

I had to watch. I couldn’t help them.

Why do I live now?

She puts the photo back into the pouch,

And smooths it carefully, a sheet

Over a sleeping child.

cmPy w apt ¶m«p t]mbXmb n \mw `mhn¡p¶p. X§f ps S I rXy§ f nÂ Ipät_ m [ t aXp a nÃ ms X cmj v{S o b ¡mÀcmPy w ̀ c n¡p¶X n\mb n P\§ fpsS AwKoI mcw tXS p ¶ p.P\ w AhÀ¡ mb n Bchw apg ¡p ¶ p. ""Cý b nÂ \½psSbYmÀ° {]i v\w c mj v{Soba Ã , k ma ql n Ia m W v '' þ cho{ µ\mY S mt KmÀ Fg p X n. Ih n , F¶t¯b pw t ]ms e, ZoÀLZÀi nb mW v.=


Godhra/Modi:The train tragedy in Godhra and the anti-Muslim violence unleashed soon after with the overt support of the state

government was the beginning of the rise of Narendra Modi as a Hindutva mascot.

Poverty Pokhran: India in 1974 was sheepish about the nuclearexplosions it conducted in Pokhran. However, when history repeateda second time in 1998, it was celebrated as an emerging power ex- pressing its new-found aggress ive nationalism.


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The photograph was shot in 1931 when Gandhi was

62. Hind Swaraj had been written. It was 16 yearssince he returned from South Africa. The Khi-lafat and Non-co-

operation movements were behind him. A year before,he had walked to Dandiand made his countrymentaste the salt of history. TheCongress had become a massmovement and swaraj, most Indians thought, was their

birthright. What had then caused the sorrow, so revealing in

FRAMING GANDHIAmrith Lal

Since the 1940s, physical annihilation and intellectual appropriation have been deployed to wipe out Gandhi from publicconsciousness.

the eyes despite the smile on his face? Was that a momentwhen he had had a glimpse of the future? The bare-chestedold man with taut arms and ribs visible in the photograph

could have been a representative Indian peasant, the LastMan for whom Swaraj was to be gained. Did he sense a

betrayal by his own people, as early as in the year of this photograph? Did he foresee a future where he would belost to his own people?

The photograph sets the context for the explorationthat the artist invites us to undertake with him. First ex-hibited as Black & White in 2014 as part of The Missing

Pavilion, the painted Gandhi portraits were set inside acrate, covered on all sides except in the front. The cratestands as if it had just been shipped in or is about to beshipped out. The port of arrival or departure is not known.However, the crate marks its space in its location. It is anexclusive world the artist wants us to investigate. A set ofve portraits with key words/titles embossed on top were

placed inside the crate, one after the other, as if led in a

cabin. There was just enough space for us to step in and peep at them. We walk past Satya, Ahimsa, Antyodaya andSarvodaya to reach Swaraj. The path ended with Swaraj.

We now confront the wall and the space closes in. We tracethe steps backwards and step out. By changing Black &White into On International Workers’ Day, Gandhi From

Kochi, Riyas experiments with Gandhi. He changes Gand-hi’s background.

The titles hold the key to Gandhiji’s universe; they arehis panchsheels. These may appear as separate ideas, butare inter-linked and together constitute the essence of his

truth. These suggest a moral vision and constitute togetherthe political idea of India as envisaged by him. Satya toSwaraj is a continuum. These establish the pact betweenthe individual and the society, the citizen and the state.Without Satya, there is no Swaraj; without Antyodaya,there is no Sarvodaya. Ahimsa, of course, is the core of

every act. Each exists in the other and together these makethe whole.

The artist has pitted them against a new set of keywords - ‘perception’, ‘violence’, ‘victim’, ‘fear’ and ‘con-

trol’. When words are cleansed of their moral essence, theyacquire new meaning. The newspeak hinted at by the artistsuggests the possibility of making a deracinated Gandhi,who could be commandeered at will for propaganda. Thestaff he is seen to be holding during his journeys to Dandior Noakhali could be interpreted as a lathi that disciplineda people. His insistence that each person clean his ownlatrine – a revolutionary idea in a society that invented acaste to handle human waste – could be reduced to a fetishfor public sanitation.

On International Workers’ Day, Gandhi from Kochi isnot to be passively consumed; it is a wake-up call for usto reect on our times. It reminds us of the necessity to

be on guard against loss of memory and manipulation ofideas. It tells us about the need to retrieve words and theiressence. The message of On International Workers’ Day,Gandhi from Kochi, indeed, is explicit.

Since the 1940s, physical annihilation and intellectu-al appropriation have been deployed to wipe out Gandhifrom public consciousness. His opponents knew of theradical edge in Gandhi’s ideas better than his followers.Who better understood his subversive potential than hismurderer, Nathuram Godse? Godse recognised that theself-proclaimed sanatani Hindu, who had created his spir-itual universe with Satya and Ahimsa as the core beliefs,and had said that if some found his Hinduism eclectic thenthat was their problem, was the biggest obstacle towardsestablishing the Hindu rashtra outlined by Godse’s ownmentor, VD Savarkar. Despite the savagery that accompanied

the Partition, a Hindu swaraj would remain a marginal ideain Indian politics for a long time because Gandhi stood

Black & White (On International Workers Day, Gandhi from Kochi),Oil on Canvas, 6 ft x 4.5 ft (Series of 5) Riyas Komu, 2013-15


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sentinel to the new nation. Hindutva was unacceptable because it was tainted by Gandhi’s murder. NehruvianIndia deliberately ignored Gandhi’s Hind Swaraj but itdid share his respect for all religions and support for fos-tering pluralism in the society. Answering a student fromGujarat Vidyapith about the concrete form of religiousinstruction to be followed in the institute, Gandhi wrote:“Just as preservation of one’s own culture does not meancontempt for that of others, but requires assimilation ofthe best that there may be in all other cultures, even soshould be the case with religion. Our present fears andapprehensions are a result of the poisonous atmospherethat has been generated in the country - the atmosphereof mutual hatred, ill-will and distrust. We are constantlyunder a nightmare of fear lest someone should undermineour faith or the faith of those who are dear and near to us.But this unnatural state will cease when we have learntto cultivate respect and tolerance towards other religionsand their votaries.” These words, written in 1928, need to

be remembered in times of political mobilisations in thename of religion. The pact between religions, irrespectiveof their numerical strength, was very clear to him: It had

to be of ‘mutual respect’, not ‘toleration’.Writing in the 1950s, socialist leader Rammanohar Lohia

warned of governmental and priestly Gandhians, who wereinstrumental in appropriating Gandhi for the State. TheirGandhi was a depoliticised ‘saint’ who provided amplematerial for peace seminars and the like, and had forgottento stand up for rights and justice. Now, a new Gandhi, morea sanitary inspector than a saint, is being sought for. Lohiacalled for a retrieval of the heretic Gandhi, who could saywestern civilisation was a good idea without malice andsubvert tradition by speaking with a vocabulary drawnfrom the very same tradition. The heretic Gandhi was nota saint or a conformist. He was political to the core andconstantly inventing and innovating to make politics an actof truth and an agency for antyodaya and sarvodaya. Hisswaraj was about being fearless, and ahimsa was not therefuge of the coward. He was not a pin-up or a photo-op,

but a man of action who spoke his mind without cunningand conceit. The heretic Gandhi is someone we may spotin anti-state stirs, in the struggles of the landless and themarginalised, in debates for re-thinking democracy anddevelopment.

On International Workers’ Day, Gandhi from Kochi isa reminder of the possibilities of Gandhi. In the decadessince his murder, he has been caged by friends and foes.There may even come a time when Godse would assumecustody of Gandhi and claim to represent him. If the threatof closure to Gandhian possibilities is real, so is the potential

to retrieve his legacy and make him the pivot of a politicsof resistance. The choice is ours.

K mÔn AXncpIÄ¡pÅnÂ

1931Â K mÔn¡v 62 hbkpÅt ̧ mÄ FSp¯t^ mt «m{ Km^ mW nXv. lnµ v k zcmPv Fg pXs ̧« ncp¶p. Z£ nW m{ ̂ n¡b nÂ \n¶ pw KmÔn Cýb nse¯nb n« v 16 hÀj§Ä. J nem^ v̄, \nÊlIcW { ]Øm\§Ä At ±l¯n\v ] n¶ nemWv. Hcp hÀj w ap¼ vAt±l w ZW vUnb nt e¡v bm{X \S¯n, Xsâ \m«pIms cNcn{X¯ns â D¸ v cpNn¸ n¨p. tIm¬{ Kkv _lpP\{ ]Ø m\a mb n a md pIb p w _l p` qc n]£ w C´ y¡ mc p wk zc mP v X§fps S P· mhImiams W¶ v Nnń¡m\pwXpS§ n. ] ns ¶´mW v Cu k¦S¯ n\ v ImcWw? apJs ̄N nc nb nÂ Hf n¸ n¡ m\ mI ms X I® pIf nÂ AX vh yàa mW v. ̀ mh n b nte¡ pÅ kqN\ At±l¯ n\ v e` n¨\ na nja mt Wm CX v? X pd¶ a md nShp w s ae nª s sIIfp wsXfnª hmcns bÃpIfpamb n Cu Nn{X¯nse K mÔnCý³ IÀjIsâ {]XoIamI mw, kzc mP nsâ {]tbmP\we`nt¡ï Ahkm\a\pjy³. kz´w P\§fmepÅh©\bps S kqN\ At ±l w A\p`hnt ̈ m, AXpw Cu

N n{ Xs aSp¯ hÀjt¯mf w t \cs̄ ? k z´w P\§Ä¡vXm³ \j vS amIpsa¶ v At±l w ap³Iq«n Iïncpt¶m?

BÀ«nÌv \S¯p¶ ]cyth£W¯nÂ ]¦mfnbmIm³At ±l w \s ½ £W n¡ pt ¼ mÄ AX n\ v ]Ý m¯es a mc p¡ pIb mW v C u t ̂ mt« m{K m^ v. »m¡v & sshäv F¶ Xes¡«nÂ 2014Â sP.F³.bphnÂ \S¶ Zn anÊnwKv]hen b³ {]ZÀi \¯nÂ K mÔn O mbmNn{ X§Ä Hcps ]« n¡pÅ nemW v Øm] n¨ncp¶Xv. ap³`mKsamg nsIFÃm hi§fpw ad v̈. s ]« n Ct¸mÄ XpdapJt¯¡vIbänhn«Xv AsÃ¦nÂ F ̄nbXv F¶ a« nemW nc n¡ p¶Xv. h¶Xv GXp XpdapJ¯p \ ns ¶t ¶ m F¯ nbX vFh ns Ss bt ¶ m Ad nb nÃ. \½t f mS v At \zj n¡m³BÀ« nÌ v Bhi ys¸Sp¶ t emIamW nXv. { ][m\hm¡pIÄ/XehmNI§Ä apIfnÂ tcJs ̧ Sp¯nbA©v Nn{X§fpsS Iq«w s]«n¡pÅnÂ ASp¡nbncn¡p¶p. H¶ n\p ] n¶ mse H¶ mb n, Hcp Im_ n\nÂ ^bÂs N¿ p¶Xv t] mse. H¶ p IS¶p sNÃm\pw t \m¡m\pw

am{ XapÅ CSta Dïmbncp¶pÅp. kX y w , Al n wk ,At ́ y mZb , kÀt h mZb F¶ nhb ne qs S \½Ä \Ss¶¯p¶Xv kzcmPnemW v. hg n kzcmPnÂ Ahkm\ n¡ p¶ p. ̀n¯ nsb A` napJ oc n¡ pt¼mÄ CS w CÃmXmIp¶ p. ] n¶ nt e¡ v \S¶ v \½Ä ] pds¯¯ p¶p. » m¡ v& sshä n s \ kÀÆ cmPy sX mgn emfn Z n\ ̄ nÂ sIm ̈nbnÂ \n¶pw KmÔn bnte¡ v amäns¡ mï v, KmÔ nbpambpÅdnbmknsâ ]c o£W§Ä XpS cp¶p. K mÔ nb ps S ]Ý m̄ e w d nb mk v a mä p¶ p. C u Xeh mNI§f mW vK mÔ nP nb ps S t e mIt ̄ ¡ v hg n Xpd¡p¶Xv. ]©ioe§Ä. Ch { ]t XyI Bib§f mb n tXm¶ ntb¡mw,]s£ ]ckv]c_ÔnXhpw KmÔnbpsS kXy¯ns âk¯bpamWh. [mÀanI ImgvN¸mSv apt¶m«p h v̈ ChHcpa n¸ n¡p¶X v K mÔ n h n` mh\ w s Nb vX C´ ys b¶c mj v{ S ob mibs ̄ b mW v. kXy w apXÂ kzcmPv hs cHcp XpSÀ¨b mW v. Ch hyànbpw kaqlhpw X½nÂ,h yà nb p w c mj v{ Sh p w X½ ne pÅ kÔ nb mW v.kX ya nÃ ms X kzcmPnÃ; At ́ ymZbb nÃmsX kÀthmZbb pw. Al n wk , X oÀ¨b mb p w FÃ m¯ ns âb p wt I{ µ_ nµ ph mW v. Hmt cm¶pw as ä m¶ nÂ \nÂ¡p¶ p,Hcpan v̈ Ch ka{KamWv. Chsb BÀ«nÌv asämcp Iq«whm¡pIÄs¡X ns c AW n\ nc¯ p¶ p þ I mg vN¸ mS v, A{ Ia w , Cc, ̀ bw , \ nb{ ́ Ww. Ahb psS [ mÀa nIk¯b nÂ\ n¶ v thd ns«Sp¡ pt ¼mÄ hm¡ pIÄ ] pX nb AÀ°§Ä{Kl n¡p¶p. BÀ« nÌ v kqNn¸ n¡p¶ ]pXp`mjWw\nÀt Zi n¡p¶Xv D· qe\w s N¿s¸« K mÔnbpsSk m[ yXb nte¡mW v, {]NmcW§Ä¡ mb n BÚm\ phÀ¯nbm¡m\mhp¶ K mÔn. ZW vUnb nt e¡pw \hvJmen

b nte¡papÅ b m{Xb nÂ At ±l w I¿ nÂ IcpXnb ncn¡p¶ hSn, P\§s f A¨S¡¯nem¡p¶Xn\pÅem¯ nb mb n h ymJ ym\ n¡ mh p¶XmW v. H mt cm h yà nb pwAhchcps S i uNmeb§Ä hr¯nbm¡Wsa¶At ±l¯ nsâ \ nÀ_Ô w þ a\pjyh nkÀPw s sIImcywsN¿p¶Xn\v Hcp PmXns b Xs¶ ]S¨pïm¡nbka ql ̄nse h n¹hmib w þ s ] mXpiuN kuIcy§Ä¡mb pÅ AanX{i²b mb n XcwXmg v¯ntb¡mw.

\nÀPohambn { Kl nt¡ï H¶Ã kÀÆ cmPy sX mgne mf n Z n\¯ nÂ s Im¨ nb nÂ \ n¶ pw KmÔn . \½ psS Ime¯nsâ {]X nê\¯ n\pÅ DWÀ¯ ph nf nbmWX v. k vacW m\j vS§Ä , Bib§fpsS ZpÀhymJym\w F¶ nhb vs ¡X nsc P m{KX ] me nt¡ïX nsâ Bhi yIX AX v\s ½ HmÀas¸Sp¯p¶p. hm¡pIf pw Ahbps S k¯b pwhosïSpt¡ïXns â Bhiys ̄ ]ä nb mW v AXv ]db p¶Xv. kÀÆ cmPy sX mgnemfn Z n\ ̄nÂ sIm¨ nbnÂ

\ n¶pw KmÔn bpsS kt µi w hfs c kv]j vSamW v.1940IÄ a pXÂ KmÔnsb sImes¸ Sp¯pI am{X aÃ,Installation view o Black & White (2014) at JNU, New Delhi as p arto Te Missing Pavilion exhibition.


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\½Ä \ncćambn Hcp Zpkz]v\¯nsâ t]SnbnemWv. Btcm

\½psStbm \ap¡v thïs¸«hcpsStbm hnizmk¯nsâASnthcdp¡psa¶ `nXnbnemWv \½Ä.

_u²nIm] l cW § fmÂ s ]mXpt_ m[¯nÂ \n¶pwK mÔns b XpS¨p \o¡m\pw {iaw \S¶ p. KmÔnbpsSBib§fnse hn¹hmßIX At ±l¯ns â A\pbmb nIt f¡mfpw \¶ mb n i{Xp¡Ä Xncn¨d nªp.At±l ̄ns â L mXI\mb \mYpd mw tKmU vt kt b¡ mÄ\¶ mb n aä mc mW v K mÔ nbpsS h n¹hmßI km[yXIÄXncn¨d nª n«pïmIpI? kXyhpw Al nwkb pw tI{ µh ni zmk§fm¡ n kz´ w BßobtemIw s I« ns ̧ S p¯kzb w{ ]J ym] nX k\mX\ l nµp, Xs â l nµpXzwhni meho£WapÅXmsW¶ v Bsc¦nepw Is ï¯p¶psh¦nÂ AXhcpsS {]iv\amsW¶v ]dª hyànþ Ct ±lamW v Xsâ amÀKZÀibmb hn.Un. khÀ¡ÀDZvtLmj n¨ l nµpcmj v{S kwØm]\¯n\v Gähpwhe nb XSks a¶ vt K mU vs k X nc n¨d nª p.

hn`P\ ¯n\v ] n¶ mseAct §d nb A{Ia¯n\pti jhpw K mÔn Cu] pX nb cmj v{ S¯ nsâ I mhÂ`S\ mb nc n¡ p¶X n\ mÂ C´ y³ c mj v{ S ob¯ nÂl nµ p k zc mP v F¶X v t Ihes a mc p ] mÀi zhÂI rX miba mb n X pSÀ¶p. K mÔ nb psS sI me]mXIt¯ msS Id hoW l nµpXz AkzoImcyamb n. s\l vd phnb³C´ y K mÔ nb ps S l nµ v k zc mP n s \ a\ x] qÀh wAhKW n¨ p , ]s £ FÃm aX§t fmSpapÅ At±l¯nsâ BZchpw kaql¯nse _lpkzcXb v¡pÅ] n´pWbpw ]¦ph¨p.

KpPdm¯v hnZym] oT¯nse Hcp hnZy mÀ° n, X§Ä] n´ pSt cï aX] mT§s f I pd n¨ v D¶b n¨t N mZ y¯ n\ v ad p]Snb mb n KmÔn FgpXn: ""HcmfpsSkwkvImc¯ns â kwc£Wsa¶Xv asäm¶ nt\mSpÅCIg v¯eÃ , ad n¨ v FÃ m kwk vImc§f nepapÅ Gähpw

anI¨hb ps S kzmwioIcWamW v. CXp Xs¶b mW v

aX§fpsS Imcy¯nepw.\½ps S hÀ¯am\Ime ̀ oX nIf pw a p³h n[ nIfp w Cu

cmPy¯v krj vSn¡s ̧ « ncn¡p¶ hnjabamb Aćo£¯nsâ êamW v þ ]ckv]cs s hc¯ns âb pw,Zpj vShnNmc§fpsSb pw Ahni zmk¯ns âb pw Aćo£ w. \½Ä \ncćamb n Hcp Zpkz] v\¯ns â t ]SnbnemWv. Btcm \½psStbm \ap¡v thïs¸«hcpsStbmh ni zmk ̄ns â AS nt hcdp¡ps a¶ ̀ nX nb nemW v \½Ä.aä v aX§tfmSp w Ahb ns e h niz mk nIt fmS p w _lpam\hpw kl nj vWpXbpw ]men¡m³ \½Ä ]Tn¨mÂ CuAkzm`mhnIamb AhØ CÃmXmIpw.'' 1928Â FgpXs¸«Cu hm¡pIÄ , aX¯nsâ t ]cnepÅ cmj v{SobimàoIcW§fpsS Ime¯v HmÀant¡ïXmWv. aX§Ä

X½ nÂ, Ahb ns e A wK_e w IW¡ ns eSp¡ms XbpÅkÔn, At ±l¯n\v hs c hyàXbpÅXmb ncp¶ p.tIhew kl nj vW pXb v¡ p]c nb mb n ]ck v]c _l pam\¯neq¶ nbpÅXmWXv.

tkmjyenÌv t\Xmhv cmw at\mlÀ temly 1950IfnÂkÀ¡mÀ hnemk¯nepw ] ptcml nX`mh¯nepapÅKmÔnb³amsc Ipd n v̈ ap¶d nb n¸ v \ÂIn. cmj v{S¯n\v t hïn K mÔns b Zpcp]t bmKs¸Sp¯p¶hsc Ipd n

v̈. Ahsc kw_Ôn¨nSt ̄ mfw KmÔn Acmj v{SobhÂ¡cn¡s ̧ « hnip²\mW v. kam[m\ skan\mÀt] mepÅ Imcy§Ä¡v Bhiy¯nt es d hnjb o`hn¡p¶ H¶ v. AhImi§Ä¡ p w \oX nb v¡ p w t hï nbpÅ\nes ImÅepIÄ hnkvacn¡s ̧ «p. Ct¸ mg nXm as ä mcp

]pX nb KmÔ n, h ni p²t\¡ mf p]c n k m\ näd n C³k vs]

IvSd ps S tdmÄ \nÀhl n¡p¶ K mÔnbmW v Bhi yw.h n[À½hmZ nbmb KmÔ nbpsS hosïSp¡emW v temlyBhi ys ̧ «X v. ] mÝ mX y \ mKc nIX \Ã Biba ms W¶ v ]dbpIb pw ] mc¼cys ̄ AXn\pÅ nseh m¡ pIÄ sImï p Xs ¶ { ]X nhy mJ ym\ n¡ pIb p w s N¿ p¶ KmÔn. Cu K mÔn hni p²t\m kacks¸ Sp¶ht\m AÃ. XnIª cmj v{SobhmZnb pw XpSÀ¨b mbIs ï¯enepw ]pXp¡enepw cmj v{ Sobs ̄ kXy¯ns â {]hÀ¯\hpw Atý mZb , kÀt hmZbF¶ nhbps S \nÀhmlIXzhpam¡p¶ hyànbmW v.òXncl nXamIp¶XmW v At ±l¯ns â Al nwk.òcp¡fps S A`baÃ Al nwk. At±lw Nn{ Xt amt ̂ mt« m{Kmt^ m AÃ. Iuietam Ir{ Xnatam CÃmsXXs â a\knepÅXv ]db pIb pw { ]hÀ¯n¡pIbpwsN¿p¶bmf mW v. c mj v{ S ̄ns \X nscbpÅ kac§f nÂ,

`qcl nXcpsS {]t£m`§fnÂ, ] mÀi zhÂIrXcpsSIq«¯nÂ, P\m[n]XyXs ̄ bpw hnIk\s ̄ bpw] p\ xh nN n´\w \S¯ p¶ NÀÏf nÂ h n[ÀahmZ nbmbK mÔnsb Itï¡mw.

K mÔnbpsS km[yXIs f Ipd n¨pÅ HmÀas¸Sp¯emW v kÀÆcmPy sX mgnemfn Z n\ ̄ nÂ sIm¨ nbnÂ\ n¶pw KmÔn . At±l¯nsâ sIme]mXI¯n\vt ijapÅ ZiI§fnÂ, At ±l w an{ X§fmepw i{Xp¡fmepw Iq« neSb v¡s ̧ « nc n¡ pIbmb ncp¶ p. t KmU vskt ]mepw K mÔnb psS { ]Xn\n[m\w sN¿p¶ Imeapï mtb¡ mw. KmÔ nb³ km[ yXIÄ CÃmX m¡pIsb¶òXn b mYmÀ°yamsW¦nÂ, At ±l¯nsâ ] mc¼cy]p\cpÖoh\ km[yXIfpw A{Xt¯mfamWv. {]Xntcm[cmj v{ Sob¯nsâ tI{µ_ nµphmIm³ At ±l¯n\vIg nb pw. Xocpam\nt ¡ïXv \½fmW v.=


The writer is a Delhi-based journalist.


11/16

11

GANDHI AND A QUESTIONTHAT WAS NEVER ANSWEREDS Gopalakrishnan

Gandhi appeared more graciouswhen he was lost for an answer.As we know, one’s character

shows its real strength, when it ischallenged or it encounters testing times.The ways Gandhi could justify himselfwhen his roads ahead were not clear

showed the man’s grip on the basics on

which he made his entire argumentativeexistence in public life.

Gandhi, much before Steven Pinkernarrated the decline of violence in humanhistory in his 2011 book, The Better

Angels of our Nature, believed that thehistory of mankind had an unbroken

stream of consciousness around the

idea of non-violence and that only madehuman life possible on planet. Gandhiencountered all the written historiesof the world around wars that empiresfought and he believed that it was themutual trust and love among individualsthat represents the actual histories of themankind. This uncompromising positionmade him a suitable representative of akind of modernity that looks at the ow ofhuman history as progress towards more

peaceful mutual co-existence. WhenGandhi’s image comes as the centre-pointof an exhibition in Fort Kochi coinciding

with the May Day of 2015, what came to

my mind rst are the Jewish, Christian,Islamic, (Buddhist and Jain in the caseof Gandhi) and Hindu inuences onGandhi, an individual, and Fort Kochi,a habitat. If the idea of non-violence had

played a major role in Gandhi’s life, itwas essentially because of an amalgam ofdifferent schemes of thought that formedhis philosophy of life. When it comes tothe people of Fort Kochi, the case is notdifferent either.

Here is a man, who relentlessly wroteand spoke thousands of pages and wordson battles, conicts, bloodshed and

peace. I feel ‘Truth’ and ‘Non-violence’

No wonder that he himself said once that if he had tochoose between the ideas of ‘Truth’ and ‘India’, withoutany hesitation he would have gone for the rst.


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12

are the two words that he has writtenmost in life and the word ‘India’ wouldnd a much lower place in his activevocabulary. No wonder that he himselfsaid once that if he had to choose betweenthe ideas of ‘Truth’ and ‘India’, withoutany hesitation he would have gone for therst. But, of course, there were questionswhere Gandhi had no readily availableanswers and this short note is trying tolook into one such important moment.

Gandhi’s interpretation of the

Bhagavad Gita was something that wasnever heard before. The basic premisewhere Gandhi stood for reading the textis not that convincing to me. Gandhithought the text had nothing to do withwar, but that Arjuna’s ‘vishadayogam’was not about killing at all, but wasa conict in the mind of a satyagrahicalled Arjuna. Krishna as a teacher wastrying to clear the doubts, but not in anyway pushing Arjuna to take arms to killfellow-beings.

Dutch anarcho-pacist Bart de Ligt, aChristian priest, wrote an open letter toGandhi in 1928 criticizing his positionsduring the Boer War and the First WorldWar. Gandhi replied:

“There is no defence for my conduct

weighed only in the scales of ahimsa. Idraw no distinction between those whowield the weapons of destruction andthose who do Red Cross work. Both

participate in war and advance its cause.Both are guilty of the crime of war. Buteven after introspection during all theseyears, I feel that in the circumstances inwhich I found myself I was bound to adoptthe course I did both during the Boer Warand the Great European War and for thatmatter the so-called Zulu “Rebellion”

of Natal in 1906. Life is governed by amultitude of forces. It would be smoothsailing, if one could determine the courseof one’s actions only by one general

principle whose application at a givenmoment was too obvious to need even amoment’s reection. But I cannot recalla single act, which could be so easilydetermined. Being a conrmed warresister I have never given myself trainingin the use of destructive weapons in spiteof opportunities to take such training. Itwas perhaps thus that I escaped directdestruction of human life. But so longas I lived under a system of Government

based on force and voluntarily partookof the many facilities and privileges it

created for me, I was bound to help that

Government to the extent of my abilitywhen it was engaged in a war unless Inon-cooperated with that Governmentand renounced to the utmost of mycapacity the privileges it offered me.”

It was a difcult task for his opponentsto engage with Gandhi critically. Gandhialways enjoyed the benet of crystalclarity in his arguments and simplicityin language had always been his winning

point in every argumentative engagement.There was a singular incident in

Gandhi’s life where the apostle of non-violence had no direct answer, thattoo for a question from the rst IndianCommander-in Chief of the independentIndia’s army. General Cariappa visited thefather of the nation on 3 December 1947,fty eight days before the martyrdom ofGandhi. Cariappa under the inuenceof values in non-violence approachedGandhi and asked an extraordinaryquestion, “How I can put this over, i.e.,the spirit of non-violence to the troops....without endangering their sense of dutyto train themselves well professionallyas soldiers”. Gandhi waited for a whilewith a deep silence, with an introspectivemind. Then he replied, “I am still groping

in the dark for the answer. I will nd it

and I will give it to you someday.” Itwas through one of the most unfortunateacts of violence in history, the possibleanswer from Gandhi was snatched awayfrom history as he fell victim to violence,and hence an army chief’s signicantquestion about non-violence as a methodof conict resolution still remainsunanswered.

KmÔnbpw

D¯canÃm¯tNmZyhpw

Ime nSdpt ¼ mÄ K mÔ n¡ v IqSp XÂ`wK nb pïmb ncp¶ p. ImenSdpt ¼m g mWt Ã m Hcm fpsS FÃ pd¸ v bYmÀ°¯ nÂ ]co £ n¡s ̧ SpI. AXp h niZam¡ p¶Xn\pap³] v C{XIqSn.

A^ vKm\nØm\nse t_mw_ n§ ns\¡pd n¨pw AXnt\ms Sm¸ w tZi mćòIcXb vs¡X nscbp w AXp bÀ¯p¶ F® nbmÂXocm¯ cmj v{ Sobþs s\XnIþ hwiobh njb§sf¡ p d n¨pw temI a m[ya§Ä Hc pZ pct´ mÕhw IWs¡ NÀ¨ IÄ X pS cp Ibm W v. cmj v{SòI cc p w c mj vt{ SXc` oIccp w\S ̄ nb, \S¯p¶ AX n{Ia§fpsS H mÀ½s¸cp¡w tImSn¡W¡n\phcp¶ CþsabnÂ

ktµi § fmb n \nd bp¶p. Zpc´§fpsS

Tis painting titled Gandhi’s Assassination is done by amous Polish expressionist painter Feliks opolski (1907 - 1989) in 1945, three years beoreGandhi was murdered. It is in the collection o Rashtrapati Bhavan.


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13

t\c n«pÅ CcI fÃ m¯hÀ¡ v FÃm Nc n{XkµÀ`§fpw ]T\kma{K nbmb n amdp¶ p.CXv hnhc kmt ¦XnI hn¹h¯ns â as ä mcp kw`mh\bmb ncn¡Ww.

C\ n h n jb¯ n t e¡ v IS¡ mw. bp² h nc p² h nN mc §Ä¡ v Gäh pw klm b IambÚ m\t Imi amb n KmÔ nbp w At±l¯ n

s â cN\Ifpw D]t b mK n¡s ̧ Spt¼mÄH¶ nepw Ahkm\hm¡mIm³ hnk½Xn¨p. Xpd¶ a\tÊmsS Pohn¨ B At\zj nb psS Nne [À½k¦S§ s f¡pd n¨pwFg pt XïXpïv.

lnwkbpsS HmÀ½Isf ad¡m³ t{]cn¸n¡pIbpw PohcminbpsS BhnÀ`mhwapXÂ Ah ncmaa mb n XpSÀ¶pt ]m¶ klhÀ¯nXz¯nsâbpw AlnwkbptSbpwHmÀ½Isf \ne\nÀ¯phm\pw {ian¨KmÔn, \thm°m\w sNbvX B[p\nIa\pjysâ e£W]qÀ®cmb {]Xn\n[nIfnsemcmfmWv. bp²w, kam[m\w, bp²\ ncmkw, l nwk XpS § nb h njb§sf ¡ pdn¨v KmÔn \qdpIW¡n\p t]PpItfmfw]et¸mgmbn FgpXnbn«pïv. KmÔn¡v

IrXy a mb D¯c§Ä CÃ msXs]mb N ness \X nI{]i v\§Ä Al nwkbpsS {]tbmKs¯ kw_Ô n ̈nSt¯mf w Dï mb ncp¶ p.te mIkm l Ncy¯ nÂ bp²h nc p²{]NmcIÀ¡v apt¶m«pt]mIWsa¦nÂ ]kn^nk¯nsâ Cu ]cnanXnIfpw Adnªncn¡Ww. Bbp[apt]£n¨v bp²¯ns\Xnsc {]i v\a p¶ b n¨ v AÀÖp\t \mS v A² y mb§Ä \oïp\ nÂ¡p¶ h mZKX n IÄ \ nc

̄nb n« pw AS nØ m\{]i v\ ̄n\pÅ adp]S n ]dbm³ KoXmImc\ v Ig nª nÃ Fs¶ mcmÄ¡v tXm¶nbmÂ sXänÃ. KoXm¢mÊpIqSmsXXs¶ ]mÀ°s\s¡mï v I mcy§ÄsN¿n¡m\pÅ A[nImcw ]mÀ°kmcYn¡ v Dïmb ncp¶pXm\pw. C¯csamcp h njmZtbmK¯nÂ KmÔnbpsS [À½ct£m]mbhpw sN¶ps]Sp¶p.

1928þÂ Cshmepj³ F¶ { ̂ © p { ]

Fs¶ kw_Ô n ̈ n St ̄ mf w Al n wk Hc p X¯ zh nN m cX{ ́ aÃ. AXv, Fsâ Pohhmb phpw \nb ahpamW v.

kn²o IcW¯neqsS _ n.Un. enKvä vFs ¶ mcp ]ptcml nX³ KmÔn¡v HcpXpd¶ Is¯g pXn. Al nwkmhmZnsb¶ v]pIÄsImï K mÔ n t_ mhÀ bp²¯ nep wtemIbp ² ̄ nep w ]s¦ S p ̄ X ns e s shc p²y w Nqïn¡m«p¶ I¯mb ncp¶ p AXv.CX n\p ad p]S n bmb n 1928þÂ At ±lw bM v

Cý b nÂ FgpX n: ""Al n wk b ps S am{X wAfhptImÂh¨v Fs â {]kvXpX s]cpamäs ̄ \y mboIcn¡m³ Ig nb psa¶ vF\ n¡ v tXm¶p ¶ n Ã. \miIm c n bmb Bb p[§Ä D]t b mK n¡p¶ hcpw sdUvþt { ImÊns â ]W nsN¿p¶hcpw hyXykvXmcms W¶ v F\n¡v Hcn¡epw t Xm¶ nb n« nÃ.cïpt ]cpw bp²¯nÂ ]s¦Sp¡pIb pwAX ns â KX nsb apt ¶ m« p sI mï pt]m hpIbp w sN¿p¶ p. bp²sa¶ Ipä ̄ n\ v Ccphcpw ] m{ XamIp¶ pïv. GXmb mepwC{ Xbpw sImÃ§Ä Ig nª n« pw Bß]cnt im[\b nÂ t_mhÀ bp²Ime¯pwH¶mw temIbp ²I m e¯p w 1906þs e t\ä mf ns e kpe p Ie m ] Ime¯pw \ neh n e p ï mb n c p¶ k ml N cy§f nÂ Rm³ A§s \

s N¿m³ _ m[yØ\mb ncp¶p F¶ptXm¶p¶ p.''

Hcp Poh nXw ]e ià nI fm e mW v \ nÀ®b n¡s ̧ Sp¶Xv F¶pw Hcmfps S FÃms Nb vX n If p w Htcs b mcp s] mX p X¯z ̄ ns â s hfn¨¯nÂ Xocpam\n¡s ̧ Smhp¶AhØbpïmb ncps¶¦nÂ Imcy§ÄFs ́ fp¸amIpamb ncp¶p F¶ pw KmÔnXpSÀs¶g pX n. At±l ̄ns â Poh n X ̄ nÂA¯c¯nepÅ Hä Ahkcwt]mepw Dïmb n« nÃs { X.

Hcp {]J y m] nX bp²hncp²³ F¶ImcW¯mÂ, Ahkc§Ä Dïmb n« pwPohnX¯nÂ Hcn¡epw Hcp amcImbp[¯ns âb pw ]cni o e\w Xm³ t\Snb n« nÃF¶p w AX p sI m ï mb nc n ¡W w t\c n « pÅPohl Xy b nÂ\ns¶¦nepw A¡me¯v

Hg nªp\nev¡m³ Ig nªXv F¶pw ]d

b p¶ K mÔn b p²§fns e ]¦mfn¯s¯¡pd n¨v C§s \ FgpXn: ""kmbp[iànb nÂ hnizkn¡p¶ Hcp kÀ¡mcns â Iog nÂ Pohn¡pt ¼mgpw B kÀ¡mcnsâ B\pIqey §Ä A\p`hn¡pt ¼ mgpw Ig nhns â ]cnanXnIÄ¡pÅ nÂ\n¶psImïv B kÀ¡mcns \ klmb n¡m³ Rm³ _ m[yØ\mW v. As Ã¦nÂRm³ { ]kvXpX kÀ¡mcpamb n t\ct¯Xs ¶ \nÊlIcWw {]Jym] n¨ncp¶ ncn¡ pIbpw B kÀ¡ mc ns â B\ p Iq ey §Ä_l n j vI c n ̈ n c n ¡p Ibp w sNb vX n c n¡p¶Bfmb ncp¶ ncn¡W w.''

Bi bhyàXb ne pw m̀jmip² nb ne p wA\ \ y amb ]mSha p ïmb ncp¶ K mÔ n t b mS v XÀ¡ im k v{ Xws I msï m¶ pw Pb n¡m³Ig nb ns Ã¶ v Xm¯znIþ tb mKycmb A¶s ̄ d mUn¡Â CSXp]£ _p²nPohnIÄ¡phsc D¯at_m[yapïmb ncp¶ p.]e DZml cW§Äs Imïv Xsâ hmZapJ§Ä apt¶m« p s Imïpt] mb KmÔnXs â bp²]¦m f n¯s¯¡ pd n ̈ pÅ h niZoI cWw C§s\ Ah km\ n¸ n¨p: ""` mjAX ns â D¯amhØ b nÂt] mepw H cmf ps S Nn´b psS ] qÀ® mhnj vImc¯n\pÅhl\ a m Ip¶X nÂ ]c mP bs¸ S p ¶p. Fs¶kw_ Ô n ̈ nS t ̄ mf w Al nwk Hcp X¯ zh nN m cX{ ́ aÃ. AX v, Fs â P ohhmb phpw\nbahpamW v. F\n¡d nbmw, Nnet ̧ mÄt _ m[] qÀÆambpw aäp Nnet ̧ mÄ AÃm

sXbpw R m³ ]cm P bs¸ Sm dp ï v. F¶ mÂF\n¡Xv [njWbpsS Hcp { ]i v\aÃ.l rZb ̄ nt âXmW v.''

1947 U nkw _À a q¶mw XobX n P\dÂIcnb¸ KmÔnsb ¡mWphm³ s N¶ p.Al nwkmhmZns b cmj v{ S] nXmhm¡nbcmPy¯nsâ BZy Cý³ IamïÀþC³þNo^ n\pw AÀÖ p\hnjmZ¯nsâ { ]XnkÔnbpïmb n. At±l w t NmZn¨p:""\ap¡v Hcp s sk\y apïmb mÂ AXv\·b pÅXmb ncn¡Ww. Al nwkbps Saqey s ̄ ¡pd n¨pw Bhiy s¯¡pd n¨pwF\ n¡mI mhp ¶ Xp t ] ms e ]dª psI mSp¡Wsa¶pïv. ]t £, Hcp ssk\yt ̄ mSv F§s \ Al nwksb ¡pd n¨p ]db pw?D¯ch m Z nXzt _ m[ w eLqIc n ¡ s¸ Sms XHcp s{] m^j WÂ ssk\ys ̄ cq]s¸

Sp¯pt ¼mÄ CsX§s\ km[n¡pw?''

K mÔn Nncn¨p. At±l w NÀ¡b nÂ

\ qÂ\qä ps I mt ï b n cp¶p. CSb v¡ v NÀ¡\nÀ¯n P\dens\ t \m¡n ]dª p:""\n§s fÃmw Ip« nIfmW v. Rm\pw HcpIp« n Xs¶. F¶ mÂ \ n§Ä D¶b n¨ Cu

k wi bs¯¡pd n¨ v Ipsd¡ qS n N n´ n ̈ n«pÅ X n \mÂ R m³ I psd ¡ qS n apX nÀ¶ Ip« nbms Wt ¶bpÅp. \ n§Ä t\XrX z w sI mS p¡p¶ s s k\y t¯mSv Al nwkb ps SBhiys¯¡pd n¨v ]dbWat Ã. Hcp¯

c¯ n \p t hï n R m³ Ccp« nÂ X nc b pIbmW v. Hcp Z nhk w F\ n¡ v Hcp ̄ c w e` n¡pw.

R m\X v Xm¦sf Adnb n¡p Ibp w s N¿p w.''AX n\ptij w A³]s ̄ « p Z nhk§

t f At ± l ̄ n\ p Poh n ¡m³ Ig nª pÅp.Icnb ̧ b v¡v D¯cw In« nb Xn\v t cJ IfnÃ. K mÔn¡v Ccp« nÂ sXct bïnh¶Cu kµÀ`w Al nwkmhmZ¯n\v _ e£bw \evInb nÃ. ad n¨v AXv IqSpXÂ

hn\oXamhpIb pw kXymt \zjW¯n\vIqSpXÂ kÖ amhpIbpw s Nb vXp.

Al nwk òcphnsâ D] mbas Ã¶ pwD¯ass[cy imenb psS Pohhmbphm

sW¶p w ]e h pcp ]dª v KmÔ n , X¶ nseòcphns \ A`nkwt_ m[\sNb vX Npcp¡w kµÀ`§fns em¶ v A^ vLm\nØm\nse ]¯m\pIfpsS ss[cys¯¡pdn¨v

]cmaÀi n¡pt ¼ mg mW v. Xm³ Hcp]t£tXmtä¡ m w. F¶mÂ Hcp ]¯ m³ Al n wkmhmZnb mbmÂ t emI¯nÂ Hcp iàn¡p w Abms f tXme v] n ¡ m³ Ig nb nÃ F¶ vKmÔn IcpXn. 1938 amÀ¨v 27þ\v KmÔn ]dªp: ""s Imeb m f nbpsS i_ vZ t Lmjt am

t Nmçpgt b m bp²tamIïmÂ t]Sn¡p¶hÀ¡pt hïnbpÅ XÃ Al nwkb ps SamÀ¤w. \½psS Al nwk Hcp ]¯msâ

Al nwkbmb ncn¡Ww. Rm³ AhcpsSI qsS P oh n ̈ n «pï v. sI mÃmt\ m NmI mt \ m

AhÀ¡p t] Snb nÃ. Rm³ CXv ]d b p¶Xv Fs¶ ]¯m³_met\mSv D]an¡m\pÅsImXns ImïmW v. Hcp ]¯m³ _me³

\nÀ`b\mW v ]pd¯v tNmcs b mgpInb mÂAh³ h oS n \ p Å nÂ¡bd n Hf n ¡ n Ã.

k z´ w icoc w a pg p h³ a pd n thä v tN mc sb men¡pt ¼mgpw AN©e\mb n \nev¡p¶

]¯ms\ Rm³ Iïn«pïv. Al nwki oent ¡ïXv C¯cw ss[cy imenIfmW v. Cus b mchØb nÂ Rm³ CXphscF¯nb n« nÃ. F¶ nÂ òcpXzw _ m¡nbmW v.''

ASnØm\ ss\XnI{]iv\§sf kw_Ôn¨pÅ At\zjW§ fnÂ ASª a\ÊpambÃ KmÔn CSs]«ncp¶Xv. ssZ\wZn\Ncy IfnÂ At±l w ImW n¨psh¶ p ]

d bs¸ Sp¶ {]i kvXamb ] nSnhmi nIÄC¯cw Ahk c§ f nÂ At \zjW¯ nsâ Ipeo\ ac ymZ IÄ¡ v hg nam d n s ¡m S p¡ p¶p.

bp²þl nwkm \ncmk§fpsS Bib

`wK n FÃm Ime§fnepw lrZbmhÀÖIamb n XpScpsa¦nepw KmÔn CcpfnÂsXcª AXnsâ A[nI`wK nIÄ BcpIs ï¯pw. A ̂vLm\ nØ m \ nse I mÀs ̧

ä v t_ mw_ n§ n\nSb nt em XIÀ¶ t hÄUv t{SUv skâd ntem IpSp§ nb HcpIpª nsâ Aimehncma¯nemW v AXpsXct bïXv. Nnt´m] PohnIÄ¡v CXv[ nj W b psS kak ybmW v. K mÔ n ¡ m Is«

l rZb ̄ nt âXpw.=

The writer is a columnist with various Malayalam

Publications

wo fathers from Gujrat , Aluminium, Size: Variable Riyas Komu, 2008


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UNSAID, UNTHOUGHT OF,

UNMENTIONEDAnitha Santi

Fore-thought:

In the two decades between the clear denition aboutcivilization and progress that Rabindranath Tagore explainedin 1924* to the Talisman that Gandhiji prepared in 1948, passed a world that witnessed many a change and tumultuousdiscoveries about freedom, independence and democracy.These upheavals in India were marked by the undeniablemovement of Women (a real From the Kitchen to the Stage*)into a political process we call India’s Freedom Struggle. Itwent beyond concepts like “emancipation of women” andsaw signicant participation of women (that 17,000 of the30,000 who were part of the Salt Satyagraha is not just astatistical numerical representation) and exhorted women to be think-tanks in the development of creative strategies and pro-active action programs. Apart from the usually mentioned

names like Kamala Nehru, Sarojini Naidu, Anasuya Sarabhai,

Sushila Nayyar and Miraben there were several thousands ofwomen who envisioned what India after gaining freedomshould be. It would be a dull and lifeless rhetoric to mentionhere that men like Gandhiji fought their own battles to go beyond the attitude of “giving woman an opportunity” tostate categorically that the world will view “in all its wonderand glory when woman has secured an equal opportunity forherself with man and fully developed her powers of mutualaid and combination.” (YI, 7-5-1931, p. 96)

The Context:

Kerala has a unique socio-cultural, eco-geographicaland political characteristic. The biologically-rich rainforestecosystems of the Western Ghats, high rainfall, an agriculturalsystem most suited to the humid tropical climate and ecology

form the backdrop of the people in Kerala. Although the land

has 44 rivers, numerous wetlands and backwaters, stableand rich ecosystems, the people had a culture of prudenceand simple lifestyles and ecologically viable land and wateruse practices. We knew that our rich and stable ecologicalfoundations are vulnerable and fragile, and once destroyedcan never be restored by humans. In the face of the presentecological crisis and environmental disasters, it is no wonderthat people have responded spontaneously and stronglyagainst the destruction of the vital life-support systems andoften against development. Women have naturally been inthe forefront of most of the struggles for nature and naturalsystems. As early as the 1960s, people have been raisingquestions on the very ethics and mode of development anddevelopment for whom and at what cost. They had startedquestioning not only the viability and sustainability ofthe western model of large scale development, but also

its suitability to our culture. The social, ecological and

The hidden presence of Gandhiji in the women involved in environmental struggles

Pattanam, Paravur, Kerala Riyas Komu, 2014


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generational justice which was being undermined by suchindiscriminate ecological destruction and impoverisation of people dependent on natural resources for sustenance wasalso questioned. In all these struggles, public dialogues anddebates, women have taken a prominent role, perhaps muchmore than in other spheres of conicts.

The much lauded people’s campaign for DecentralisedPlanning in Kerala “with a concern for gender equity,along with social justice and efcient implementation ofdevelopmental planning” brought into the foray the 73rd and74th Amendments of the Indian Constitution which allowed33% representation of women in all three levels of local self-governing bodies, including the leadership in 1995. Severalstudies have shown that the Women’s Component Plan fellshort of expectations and its allocation did not come closeto the 10%, and the gender stereotyping that happened in project formulation created inadequacies in implementation.The task to secure the interests of women remained a politically unsupported activity of women alone often seenas an extension of their domestic roles. The simultaneous presence and absence of gender concerns in the politicaldecentralisation process in Kerala has to be interpreted interms of the development paradigm that we are striving toachieve with women getting a role.

Struggles of women in the environmentalmovements of Kerala: What lies hidden?

The period between 1970s and 1990s saw the advent ofWomen in Development (WID) and Women, Environmentand Development (WED) but also witnessed tumultuouschange where women’s access to resources that sustain lifeand communities were increasingly usurped by developmentand progress based on exploitative, extractive patriarchaland violently undemocratic dominance. Women the worldover came out in resistance to this. Social equity came to besynonymous with ecological and sustainable equity. Thuswomen like Amrita Devi to Asu Beniwal (Hug the TreeMovement, 1730), Rachel Carson to Petra Kelly, MedhaPatkar to Wangari Maathai became female icons of socialchange and ecological thought.

In Kerala too which encapsulates all indices of

development like female literacy, bargaining and entryinto male-dominated spaces, and de-construction of familystructure, women started questioning and voicing theirthoughts. The mute button no longer worked in the remotecontrol panel held by men! The environmental movementsaw this in full measure.

How Best Do I Act And React?:The beginning of involvement

The 4 cornerstones of the logical thought structurethat prompted women to take part in the environmentalmovements in Kerala would be (to state it in the most linearterms)1.The need to question2.The need to zoom in on skills necessary for being part ofaction3.The need to sustain

In all the above one can see that women had to deny andre-dene their own and the society’s concepts and time-tested patterns of the institution called FAMILY and MARRIAGE.It became tragic and inevitable that any woman who adoptedone or all of the above 3 had to forego her family. It is herethat Gandhiji’s concepts and clearly spelt out thoughts onwomen start emerging.

The need to question:

This implies that a woman who is chaste and pure willnot question. Chastity becomes an issue that reects not onthe moral courage of a woman but on her moral conduct.Women like Darley (lone ghter in Neyyatinkara against sandmining in the Neyyar), Anita (pig farm struggle in Kainur inThrissur), Jayasree (paddyeld conversion in Eriyamkudi inThrissur) had to face ridicule and ostrasication relating totheir morality. It is here that Gandhiji’s writings on chastity becomes the strength of these women without them ever

mentioning or even thinking about him!

BRICK was born from animpulseIt took birth in the chaos of India’s nal prepa-

rations to hold the Commonwealth Games in

the national capital in 2010, spending over $15

billion. It wasn’t the splendour of the steel and

concrete structures sprouting on either side

of river Yamuna which inspired me, but that

which lay behind the view-cutters. It was what

India tried to hide from visitors and our collec-

tive consciousness that got me thinking.

Like all major events, the Commonwealth

Games too had come at a cost. The host city

Delhi was built by migrants and refugees, who

then become leftover poor of India’s econom-

ic miracle. Added to my own experiences with

migrants and workers displaced by violence of

development, these contrasting images pose

manifold philosophical questions voiced in dif-

ferent ways. BRICK strives to spark and gal-

vanise discussions as well as attract and foster

critical investigations into myth, culture, soci-

ety and politics.

BRICK is also my concerted effort to extend

my artistic and intellectual preoccupations andsocial engagement outside of the world of art,

into the public sphere. The tool of the graphic

is employed, tracing a link back with the best of

propagandist pamphleteering which succeeded

through most of the previous century as a pow-

erful medium for the creation of public voices,

leading to a collective scream of conscience.

At a time when the possibilities of dissent have

dangerously narrowed, it is clear that neither

self-realisation, nor a political vision, is possi-

ble without some civilisational anchor. Gandhi

himself was anchored in Indian civilisation,

from the syncretic customs of India’s villages

to the multifarious depths of the Mahabharat-

am. I believe that Gandhi is a compelling gurenot because of the extraordinary standards he

set for himself, but because of the extraordi-

nary standards he set for others, his intellectual

acumen and moral insight, his resistance to all

forms of oppression and his profound com-

mitment to the democratisation of the public

realm.

BRICK III attempts a relook at Gandhi, from

Kochi, through On International Workers’ Day,

Gandhi From Kochi. It reects on Gandhi, the

gure, his philosophy and his ideology, as a

tool to not only consider the historical prece-

dent but also where we are now in the present

and for political consideration by assimilating

many-sided truths.=

> EditorialThe need to zoom in on skills:The most frequently mentioned skill that women

expressed in all the oral testimonies was the capacity to break dependence on men and become fearless. Mariyammaof Kottayam, who campaigned for mangrove ecosystem,

Narayani who lived all alone marooned in a surreal landscapein the wetlands of Chemballikundu in Kannur for the migrant birds had to use “soul force against brute force” (Gandhi, Hind Swaraj, 1921). The most recent example of breakingsocially accepted norms is that of Jessira, who still questionsseashore sand mining in Kannur, along with her 3 children.

The need to sustain:

The energy and will to sustain a struggle in all the casesvisited and observed was the strength and consistence ofwomen. They remained undistracted and focused even whenall forces, including the state were against them. The actof civil disobedience and the strategy of passive resistanceevolved naturally in all the issues. The women of Muriyad – a large freshwater and paddy ecosystem – that was andis under threat from land reclamation were clear about theways in which they would resist this. The women in Chavara- Neendakara and in the more recent Villapilsala Waste Factory

struggle sustained the momentum by the power of passiveresistance. We also cannot forget the women and children ofthe Koodankulam anti-nuclear struggle in Tamil Nadu. Thedecade long sit-in that octogenarian Gourikutty Amma didto save the Kallar River from the Vamanapuram Project (inTrivandrum) the bold attempts of Leelakumari Amma whorst raised the Endosulfan issue, and the Nilppu Samaram ofthe Adivasis in front of Secretariat saw the rallying of passiveresistance and civil disobedience. The classical resistanceagainst a global corporate that Mailamma and her groupshowed and sustained in Plachimada remains to be properlyunderstood. The women in the Athirappally movement alsoexpressed deep thoughts about why they have chosen this path of struggle.

Food for thought:

The above brief record is just a window to a large worldthat remains to be explored and recorded.

The women in the environmental movements of Keralahave been thrown into the face of struggle and opposition andhave taken it on not by choice or compulsion but becausethere is no choice at all. But all of them have found immensemeaning and fullment in the sacrices, corrections,regulations and abnegation that the chosen path demandsof them. They admit that this exposure and the need to go beyond their private lives and concerns with a do or dieattitude have opened a vast and challenging world hithertounknown to them. With little or no precedence of activism orideological positioning, most of the women have stumbled,struggled, fallen and stood up with courage and honesty thatthe urgency of the situation demanded of them. When theirfood, water and life-sustaining land and air were getting lostor polluted, when they were pushed against the wall andlinks to the only free world available severed, they acquiredskills and tact necessary for survival and struggle. The pitfallsassociated with ghting the often invisible enemy (sometimeswithin too) empowers them to face it alone. An observer fromoutside or some within the group itself identify the shadowof Gandhian thought in each of this struggle. The most poignant linkages that remain as we close this sojourn fromone end of Kerala to other is about the moral courage, thecapacity to dialogue and the accidental chancing upon theirown reserves of fearlessness that the women have recreatedand rediscovered in their lives. They may not have read theCollected Works of Gandhi or even thought, mentioned orspoken at length about him but they perennially return toMahatma Gandhi, while at the same time going beyond him.The above brief record is just a window to a large worldthat remains to be explored and recorded where women go beyond Gandhian thought.

• Tagore’s talk in China about Civilization and Progress, 1924• V.T.Bhattatharipad ‘Adukkalayil ninnum Arangathekku’, 1929.

The writer is an independent researcher in ecology and environmental

education.


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Editor + Design: Riyas Komu / Graphic Design: Ceepee Lati / Malayalam ranslation: Nijas Jewel / Editorial Co-Ordination: Abhayan Varghese, Gautam Das, Susan Dileep and Manu VR

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K mÔn {]hÀ¯n¡s «.

brick (a tabloid which riyas komu publish as part of his art practice)

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