Rahul Gandhi.

Rahul Gandhi’s (self-righteous) response in dealing with Youth Congress workers who landed in controversy for slaughtering a calf in public in Kannur as part of the protests against Centre’s recent notification appears excessive. The three Congress leaders were suspended from the party. 

CPI (M) MP, M.B.Rajesh was correct when he reacted to the (calf slaughtering) exhibitionism as ‘Woeful!’ This kind of buffoonery will only help the Sangh Parivar,’ he said.

That’s it. The act does not deserve suspension.

Maybe, Rahul Gandhi could have advised or censured the Youth Congress leaders. Instead, by suspending them, the Congress scion has once again proved that he is still clueless in politics.

On M.K.Stalin.

A leader isn’t a leader if he is not capable of building bridges with his foes. The public rally is over. The noise, plaudits and rhetoric’s have died down. The leaders of various political parties who had flown in to Chennai for the rally to coincide with the nonagenarian’s birthday have gone back after selling /reinforcing a dream to DMK patriarch’s son; that of leading the State in the near future. Stalin as Chief Minister. Like his father. Or in his hallucinations, better than his father, ‘Kalaignar.’  ‘Ilaya Thalapathi,’ perhaps sounds better.

But where are the regional leaders?  Whoever they might be. Spent forces or acerbic critics. If Stalin thinks he can do without them he is mistaken…

Chennai: It is quite comprehensible if the Dravidia Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) rank and file appears animated when the party chief M.Karunanidhi, who is indisposed, turned 94 on Saturday. 

If sycophancy has become part of Dravidian parties, trust their cadres to outdo others in celebrating their leaders, though one doubts whether DMK could beat AIADMK herein, as the latter is believed to have taken sycophancy to new levels or lows.  

Having said that, this year’s birthday fete of Karunanidhi holds some political relevance for people of the state, considering the current state of affairs under the Edappadi K.Palaniswamy-led government. Governance looks to be in shambles while the tug-of-war for power between the ruling faction and the splinter group led by O.Panneerselvam persists.  The absence of a coherent opposition is badly felt.  So people cannot be faulted if they expect some changes to emerge as a sequel to the opposition leaders’ get together at a public meeting in Chennai on the occasion of Karunanidhi’s birthday on Saturday evening.

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI leader D.Raja among others are expected to participate in a public meeting at Royapettah here. Leaders including Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Lalu Prasad Yadav have wished the DMK patriarch in advance.

In her greetings, Sonia Gandhi referred to Karunanidhi as one of the tallest among contemporary political leaders. It was not an easy task to remain at the helm of a political party for 48 continuous years. It is quite possible that it is a record in politics in any democratic country, she added. The same sentiment has been reflected by Gopalakrishna Gandhi in his piece of writing on Karunanidhi in a leading English language daily today.(Gopalakrishna Gandhi reminds : “Has he not, as the one and only Kalaignar, the supreme word artist among its leaders, dominated the State’s political stage since 1969 when he became ChiefMinister at 45, reaching that office four more times, in 1971 at 47, in 1989 at 65, in 1996 at 72 and then in 2006 at the very mellow age of 82?”)

The mainstream media which saw an ‘able administrator’ and a `strong leader’ in Jayalalithaa but found a ‘shrewd politician’ in Karunanidhi. 

If the DMK patriarch is  ‘Kalaignar’ to his fans, he is a ‘Tamil fanatic’ to a section of the elites; he is a `hypocrite’ to pro-Tamil outfits. 

Or to be more precise, he was `pro-Tamil’ for the elites’ and ‘anti-Tamil’ for pro-Tamil outfits. 

Above all, Karunanidhi bashers can always fall back on the multi-crore 2G scam when they feel like assailing him.

On various occasions in his political career Karunanidhi has played a crucial role in national politics. Today, with the party reins in the hands of his son M.K.Stalin, this year’s fete can either be a game –changer or a drab affair.

Ends

Perumal Murugan on Muthukrishnan.

Translated from Malayalam. Perumal Murugan on Dalit scholar Muthukrishnan (Why did Muthukrishnan aspire for more?) in Civic Chandran Chinnangath's Patabhedam, May, 2017 issue.

(V.P.Jishnu in Malayalam)

----
I work as a professor in a government college where ninety percent of the pupils are first generation students. These children, due to economic conditions, take up some physical labor when they were in school. In college, they are part-timers who do some odd jobs to fulfill the needs of their family, so also to meet their own expenses. They, for whom an elaborate meal is a distant dream, stay content with one meal a day.

Among this lot, most choose Economics, History or Literature for their degree course for the simple reason they would get spare time to work even as they pursue their education. These kids learn almost nothing during their three-year under graduation course. Seventy- five percent of them drop-out after landing some job. Only twenty-five percent go on to pursue further education, that too, in government colleges.

A student of a government college completing his Masters degree successfully is a big event. For professor’s like me, it is a matter of pride and celebration when a student gets admission to prestigious institutions such as Jawaharlal Nehru University. We refer to such students as role models with the hope it would inspire others like them. But is it possible anymore after what has happened to Muthukrishnan?

Muthukrishnan who was doing PhD at Centre for Historical Studies in Jawaharlal Nehru University belonged to our Salem district in Tamil Nadu. He completed his B.A and M.A in History from Salem government Arts College which was considered one of the oldest institutions in the state. He did B.Ed from Ramakrishna College in Coimbatore and M.Phil from Hyderabad University. I met Muthukrishnan when I went to address a group of Tamil students in Hyderabad University. I remember appreciating Muthukrishnan for his determination, for having come this far: from Salem government college to Hyderabad University.

Propelled by a lot of hard work and zest, Muthukrishnan ended up doing his doctorate at JNU. 
But unexpectedly one day I heard he was found dead (Hanging from a ceiling fan) at his friend’s room. It was said to be a suicide. The cause, however, still remains a mystery.

Muthukrishnan’s family background was similar to that of ninety percent of our government college students. His father is a watchman. Mother, a daily -wager. Of his three sisters, one was married off, while marriage of another sister has been fixed. They live in Swaminathapuram in Salem. How did Muthukrishnan find money to meet his educational expenses? 
He took up several physical labors. Sold a cup of tea for Rs 1 and worked as a waiter in a restaurant.

Besides his work, he was a frequent visitor at the college library. The district central library was his another home. There were professors who encourage students like Muthukrishnan, and also those who ridicule them. After being mocked by one such teacher, Muthukrishnan vowed to study in JNU, become a professor and come back to this same college. His dream was to become a professor in History. But English language was a main stumbling block. So he underwent private tuition. I think it helped him. His friends tell that he was capable of engaging himself in lengthy discussions in English. He liked his friends calling him ‘Rajini Krish.’ He had a Facebook account n that name. Now, how could a new generation youth like him identify himself with an yesteryear’s star? The trait of roles the actor played in his movies—men hailing from poor background making it big through hard work and honesty-- maybe a reason.

Muthukrishnan liked the books of Romila Thapar, R.S.Sharma, Damodar Dharmananda Kosambi among others. Gaining admission to JNU appeared something ‘historical’ to him. It was after four years of hard work, written test and interview did he get admission to JNU. He had planned to write a book describing his journey to JNU titled, `A Junket to JNU.’

His death now raises hundreds of questions and dread within me. Is it possible anymore to refer to Rohit Vemula and Muthukrishnan as role models to other aspiring students? What if the students retort back, do you want the same fate that befell Vemula and Muthukrishnan to befall us?”

Why do students who study in Tamil language find it so difficult to get through the doors of higher education? Students in north India can write their entrance tests in English or Hindi language. Even after learning English for ten years in school our children approach English with dread. We do not learn Hindi in school. Even if we do, just like English, it remains unfamiliar to us. Because Tamil language belong to a peculiar family, Dravida family. We were forced to write entrance tests in a language in which we are not fluent. Why this discrimination among citizens of the same country? Why we are denied of an opportunity to pursue our education in our mother tongue? When we were forced to give all our efforts to master a foreign tongue, how could you expect us to focus on the subject?

Does it take so much effort from a youth of the country to reach its capital Delhi? Is this how the capital welcomes him? By taking his life? It was said that Muthukrishnan was forced to rip away a portrait of Ambedkar which he had pasted on the wall of his room. Isn’t it a shame if Ambedkar is denied a space in JNU?

As a professor I hold it my responsibility to encourage students to learn and keep away from physical labor. Muthukrishnan encourages me to reflect on this duty. But we are forced to be content with odd jobs and be content with one meal a day. Terms such as ‘education’ and ‘research’ remain out of our reach. We are expected to be content with our traditional trade or job, for generations.

Many of our students end up in the Police force or the Military. Some do make some progress by managing to get through Group IV test and becoming office clerks. That is our limit. All these are works of sacrificial lambs. Why did Muthukrishnan aspire for more? How did he consider himself entitled for such things as Research?
Hereafter this is my message to my students. This is my historical moment.

ENDS.

Men who fear the sunrise and the wind, reflected Paraashara in forgiveness, these are your twin discoveries: trade and war. In these have you barred the light and touch of God.’ Armies faced each other in battle, as in a mart of trade, with death as their tender; ants and worms, burden-carriers of the mart, heaved their tiny loads of flesh from the trenches, and hurried back and forth across the simmering line of battle.

Paraashara walked the captive Hayavadana along the mountainside, where in dugouts of snow, the soldiers kept vigil; the dead, their fingers frozen around their weapons, kept vigil over their own decomposition.

‘Look Hayavadana,’ Paraashara said,’ so many cadavers! And so much hide promises good trading.’

‘It does, indeed, General, sir.’

Imagine the fine things we can make with the hide, and the travellers who will come here to buy them.’

Hayavadana now felt at ease with his captor. He volunteered, ‘We could do many more things to please the travellers, sir. We could set up state-run bordellos. Women in cages would undoubtedly excite the travellers. It would help them experience their own brutal past again.’

‘Great will our earnings be, in precious hard currency. What then might we do with all that money?

Hayavadana smiled at the thought.

‘Sir, we can import candy and toys.’

‘What else?’

`Guns and rockets, flying machines and machines to ignite nuclear conflagrations.’

`What else?’

Hayavadana forgot his captivity as the guns aroused his lust.

‘Concubines, sir,’ said the man-woman.

‘Concubines?’

‘Yes, sir. We make Sorrows so that we can buy guns. The gun-sellers would reward us for buying from them, they will give us much gold. With that gold we can pay for more concubines.’

‘The story of the wealth of nations?’

‘So it is, sir.’

--O.V.Vijayan, The Saga of Dharmapuri.