tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-541988681105767002.post7664046912401530791..comments2024-03-28T13:25:12.398+05:30Comments on My Travels, My Life: Art takes a step BackwardBalachandran Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10174364716507089780noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-541988681105767002.post-25374528750207075122012-07-30T03:07:41.570+05:302012-07-30T03:07:41.570+05:30Meena admits the influence of Sylvia Plath's &...Meena admits the influence of Sylvia Plath's 'Daddy'. Placed in that context, I can see what she is attempting to convey about the general feelings of the younger generation of Dalits with regards to Gandhi- the same feeling of love-hate displayed by Plath towards her father.<br />Yes, Gandhi's efforts to bring the Dalits into the mainstream were instrumental in starting their journey from oppression into mainstream society. But the labels like 'Harijan' served as a demeaning nomenclature among caste Hindus for quite a while. Ambedkar's attempts at self-empowerment of the Dalits without an assumption that they had to be servile and grateful would be more to the taste of contemporary Dalit writers, as far as empowering them.<br />Sugathakumari is perfectly entitled to her opinions and her protest at the release of the book, as Meena is to her opinion of Gandhi and her writing about him as a 'Daddy' that she loves to hate.Sujathahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16602206543960349999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-541988681105767002.post-40433144541575868292012-06-30T20:25:48.433+05:302012-06-30T20:25:48.433+05:30Balan, The subject matter is not the relentless, s...Balan, The subject matter is not the relentless, selfless service and work of Sugatha Kumari affecting many matters in our life. Nobody can dispute or ridicule her for what she has done and continues to do.<br />My comments about her being autocratic was based on some inferences. However, with you who have had a long association with the lady, categorically emphasising that I was wrong, I do acknowledge my statement may have been based on incorrect information.<br /><br />The subject is the vile and profane poem in question. In fact an utterly nonsensical work without knowing who Gandhi was and his work has become the raison d'être for this hullabaloo. Well, there are two ways of tackling creativity and art that is primarily designed to generate controversy and thence publicity. One can ignore and desist from commenting and critique. Or one can join issue and dissect it to reveal the insipid and triviality of the nonsense. You will recall the subject of M.F.Hussien’s painting of a nymph like figure from Hindu pantheon and naming the painting “Mother India” or “Saraswati”. Though his work needed no controversy to be carried far and wide, he quite foolishly named it so. And the bigoted Hindus did the rest.<br /><br />I would have wanted Sugatha Kumari to historically and based on facts enlighten this young woman the falsehood on which she disparaged Gandhi. Such frivolous writers will pick up themes that can be contentious. Either they are naïve or are cunning in the business sense. In both cases they have to be put in place, not by violence but by art itself. A blasphemous writing has to be dealt with the pen and not by guns, swords or brick bats.<br />Certainly the young poet has her right to eulogise or besmirch Mahatma Gandhi . But it will brood well to know on what factual materials she crafted her creation.<br /><br />When Salman Rushdie’s “Satanic Rites” was creating frenzy, a Muslim politician vociferously called for its ban and ostracizing the author. When he was asked if his demands were based on inferences after reading the book, he was honest to admit that he had not read the book and he added,” One doesn’t have to crawl through slush and dirt to know it is dirt, one can tell by looking”.<br />That was a strange analysis of literary creationanilkurup59https://www.blogger.com/profile/07961961217418715354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-541988681105767002.post-83917312240429579532012-06-30T18:16:19.335+05:302012-06-30T18:16:19.335+05:30@Sujata; You are right, everything is a creation, ...@Sujata; You are right, everything is a creation, every activity is creative ( except banking!!:-D ). One should look only at the product, the creation. But for most, art is a tool, not for art's sake, but for something else!Balachandran Vhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10174364716507089780noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-541988681105767002.post-45789404696679108172012-06-30T18:10:25.659+05:302012-06-30T18:10:25.659+05:30@Anil: As someone who has had a long association w...@Anil: As someone who has had a long association with Sugathakumari in matters relating to environment, I can tell you for certain that many Malayalees are irked at the very mention of her name, forgetting that they have not/cannot/will not do even an iota of social service she had done/ is doing. I have also sensed that it is more so among the men, typical of the Malayalee men. Teacher is not autocratic as you have said. I can vouch for that. She may have her shortcomings like any other human being. Whatever trees that remain standing in Trivandrum owes their lives to her - K was studying at Abhaya for 2 months - people don't have any idea of the service that Institution is giving - <br /><br />Beliefs - Teacher's or mine are not threatened. But just because of the 'freedom of speech' available in this country, Ms Kanadasamy has gone around besmirching Gandhi's name - please read the poem in full and also other poems - ( parroting another poet who had Electra complex about her father - Sylvia ends the poem calling her daddy, Bastard and committed suicide right after that). <br /><br />Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was just another human being; but to heap the kind of filthy abuse the way Ms Kandasamy has done- like I said, you don't feel angry at that young woman. Actually you only feel revulsion...<br /><br />And Sugathakumari had the decency and dignity to keep away from that function. Perhaps what the likes of Kandasamy would have wanted is to provoke - that's the easiest way to gain publicity for a mediocre writer.Balachandran Vhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10174364716507089780noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-541988681105767002.post-62286506947913658172012-06-30T12:18:05.573+05:302012-06-30T12:18:05.573+05:30Very thought provoking. Just like you say for the ...Very thought provoking. Just like you say for the arts/creative segment, I will say also for the 'non-creative' sectors, which is a fallacy anyway as everything is creative, else it wouldn't be. I believe that anything which is produced by a human should be judged on its merit and not on who produced it. I have noticed that whenever we look at something that gives us a 'wow' feeling, the thing we want to know is who produced it, girl or boy? age? name? surname? the questions are endless. Why cant we just look up the person shake his/her hand and say "wow!"sujata senguptahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13101153080266818022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-541988681105767002.post-36490970765814095912012-06-30T11:40:39.109+05:302012-06-30T11:40:39.109+05:30Again signs of intolerance.
SugathaKumari, from w...Again signs of intolerance.<br /> SugathaKumari, from what I have understood of her through her words, speeches, interviews etc. has a side that is autocratic and conceited. She certainly has her right to repudiate and distance from what she calls is a disparaging and venal poem on Gandhi. She has the right to feel incensed when a comparatively non entity like the young poet pens verses such as these. (I have not read the poem in full except for the little notes from the media) Her declining to attend the function was her impetuous way when her beliefs were threatened. Most people do this when their beliefs are threatened. However, I feel the logical and wise reaction would have been to attend the function and strip naked the alleged anti Dalit moorings the young poet asperses on Gandhiji.At the same time, I feel that the young poet with a doctorate may have been unfamiliar with the social movement orchestrated by Gandhiji, that enabled the voice of the untouchable to be heard above the din and cacophony of the prejudiced upper caste.<br />In a lighter vein a story once told to me goes like , if the Olympics that was held in Los Angeles was held in India, the sprint Queen of India would have won the 100 meter dash hands down as she may have had to run only 75 meters as she is a Dalit.<br /><br />And Balan, creativity in all walks of life must not be judged in a biased, intolerant or lopsided manner. There should be no discrimination on creativity, not at all and ever.anilkurup59https://www.blogger.com/profile/07961961217418715354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-541988681105767002.post-57932790391904714432012-06-30T07:04:09.273+05:302012-06-30T07:04:09.273+05:30@Sreejith: Who is this Gandhi anyway? You mean th...@Sreejith: Who is this Gandhi anyway? You mean the guy in granite and cement and cast iron standing at every corner of every city in India? <br /><br />How convenient it is to forget Gandhiji, when we have filled ourselves with the fruits of his labour. One can only pity the poet's ignorance, character and immaturity!Balachandran Vhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10174364716507089780noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-541988681105767002.post-87430708727430819472012-06-29T20:49:31.806+05:302012-06-29T20:49:31.806+05:30Hmm touchy topic indeed.
We are a country of fre...Hmm touchy topic indeed. <br /><br />We are a country of free speech(even this is a doubt now).<br /><br />Even if she had written about Ambedkar, Christ or Muhammad, we should just treat it as her view <br /><br />But I doubt if she has in her mind to write about them as wellInsigniahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09819054091062923489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-541988681105767002.post-23921167444235497282012-06-29T09:29:31.476+05:302012-06-29T09:29:31.476+05:30Presume what is being discussed is the vigor of a ...Presume what is being discussed is the vigor of a Dalit to become heroic by humiliating Gandhi. I agree with the first few lines – art should not be compartmentalized depending on the roots and source of the artist. I do not find any reason to contempt what Sugathakumari had done as well; that being against her principles. <br /><br />There is a tactic in Group Discussions (mainly to get admitted into B-Schools); when the discussion seems to go one sided, one smart fellow takes an opposite stand just for the sake of it, even though he does not really believe in what he says. Just an attention grabber. That would almost sure see him through the GD. May be this was one such attempt.<br /><br />Disclaimer : I have not read the poem yet, or any of Meena’s poems for that matter.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04653482057818368303noreply@blogger.com