3/13/2015

TherealreasonsforhurtsentimentsTheHindu

Today'sPaperOPINION
Therealreasonsforhurtsentiments
RomilaThapar
Inthenameofreligioussentiments,anattemptismadetopreventtheemergenceofasocietythatcanthinkandactforitself

PerumalMuruganPhoto:BySpecialArrangement

TherighttofreedomofexpressionispartoftheUniversalDeclarationofHumanRightsandthisrightisincorporated
intheIndianConstitution.Yet,weekafterweekitisbeingviolatedbywhatareeuphemisticallycalledfringegroups.
Thisallowsthosewhogoverntoremainunconcerned.Itis,therefore,amatterthatconcernscivilsocietynow.Wehave
toreactirrespectiveofpromisesfromthegovernment.Itisincumbentonustoprotectourrights.Thisrighthastobe
discussedopenlyandfullybecauseitsustainstheautonomyoftheindividualinsociety.Weare,afterall,humanbeings
andnotrobots.
Thisisespeciallysosincetheclaimisalwaysmadethatwhatisobjectedtohurtsthereligioussentimentsofthe
communitystatingtheobjection.Butthisraisesimportantquestionsthatareneitheraskednoranswered.Doesthe
objectionreflectthesentimentsoftheentirecommunityoronlyasmallfractionofit?Whoconstitutesthiscommunity
andrepresentsit?Itistimenowthatweallstartassertingthatwetoorepresentacommunityinsociety,andthatour
sentimentsaredeeplyhurtwhenfreedomofexpressionisdeniedtous.Wedonotstampoutotherpeoplesrights,but
wedohavetodefendourrighttoexpressourselves.
Objectiontothenovel
Wealsohavetoquestionwhatmaybetherealreasonforthehurtsentiment.Isitreallycausedbyasluronreligion
orisreligionbeingusedasamaskforotherreasonsmorecloselyrelatedtooursocialvalues?WhatisPerumal
MuruganaddressinginMadhorubhagan?Itisahumanpredicamentachildlesscoupledesiringachilddepicted
withadmirablesensitivity,anguishandgentleness.So,arethereotherthemesimplicitinthestory?Istheobjection
reallyconcernedwiththerevivalofapastHindureligioustraditionthatisnolongerlegitimatefromtheperspectiveof
thelawsoftheland,oristhereanobjectiontothenovelbecauseitcastsasluronareligioustradition?
Whatisimplicitinthenarrativeisthejuxtapositionoftheindividualtosociety.Themaincharactersarehappyasa
couplebutaretauntedforbeingchildlessbythefamilyandthecommunity.Asalwaysitisthewomanwhoisblamed
morethantheman,andhastofindasolution.Sheisadvisedtoresorttowhatwasregardedasalegitimatesolutionin
traditionalterms.Itwasnotregardedasimmoral.Wasthisperhapsakinderwayofresolvingchildlessnessinthedays
goneby?Consensualsexwithastrangerforpurposesofconceptiononaparticularreligiousoccasionwouldnothave
beenconsideredadulterybutacceptedasasanctionedreligiouscustom.Peopletodaydonotrecognisethefactthatin
pasttimes,customarylawthatwasoutsidethesocialcodeofbrahmanicallawwasregardedasquitelegitimate,aslong
asithadthesanctionofthecommunity,andthissanctionismadeexplicitinthenovel.
Istheobjectiontothisactionbecauseitisacustomthatwasoncepermittedbutisnowcontrarytothelaw,and
thereforeshouldnotbelegitimisedinanovel?ButtheobjectionistodepictingitassanctionedbyHindureligion.But
towriteaboutanactivitythatwascurrentinthepastisnotanendorsementofwhatistoday,contrarytocontemporary
law.Norisitinanywayasluronreligion,sinceitisanactivitythatisregardedaslegitimatebythecommunity,asthe
novelmakesclear.
Istheresomeotherreason?Thesolutionsuggestedcouldbeasluronthehusband,forifthewifeconceiveswitha
stranger,thenitreflectsontheimpotencyofthehusband.Thisisunacceptableinamalechauvinistsocietywherethe
womanisalwaysatfault.Inahighlypatriarchalsocietysuchasourpresentdaysociety,suchaslurwouldbe
unacceptable.Ultimatelythewomantakesanindependentdecisioninthisaction,asthehusbandsconsentremains
somewhatambiguousuntiltheveryend.Isallthisseenascontrarytopatriarchy?Andisthattheunderlyingreasonfor
theobjection?IstheobjectionthentothenovelevokingareligiousritualthatisdegradingtotheHindureligion,orjust
amaskfortherealobjection,whichistherightofawomantotakeadecisioninamatterthatisofimportancetothe
husband,hisfamilyandthecommunity?Isitanoutofdatecustomassociatedinpasttimeswiththecommunitiesof
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3/13/2015

TherealreasonsforhurtsentimentsTheHindu

theregion?Ifthepurposeoftheobjectionistodenyindependenceofactiontowomen,andcondemnwhatisdepicted
asanormalandaffectionatemaritalrelationship,thenwhydragreligionintoitandspeakofitasmaligningHinduism
onlybecausethatwillbringinmorepublicityincurrenttimes?
Silencingpeople
Theactiontakenistoeffectivelysilencethewriter.Therearemanywaysofsilencingpeople.Theresorttophysical
violenceisimmoralandunethicalinanysituationofconfrontation.Thealternativeisemotionalandintellectual
silencing:silencetheauthorbyaccusinghimofhavingdegradedareligion.Muruganssensitivityhasshowedinthe
wayhehassilencedhimself.Thedemandthatabookbepulped,bannedorburntisbecomingaregularagendainthis
country.Inthenameofhurtreligioussentiments,therealattemptistopreventtheemergenceofasocietythatcan
thinkforitself,thatcanopenlydiscusstheissuesthatconfrontit,thatcaneffectivelyunderstandthemassiveprocess
ofhistoricalchangethatitisundergoing.Thisisaprocessthatwillforceustofacemorechangesandmore
confrontations.Therefore,weneedtounderstandtheprocessandnotgiveintothosewishingtotakeitintheirown
direction.
Sowhatcanwedo?DowecondoneMurugansselfcensorship?Ordowestandbyhim,asIthinkweshould,andas
manyofusdo,andinvitehimtoretracthisdecisiontowritenomore?Weneedtoassurehimthathemustgoon
writingandassertthisrighttofreedomofexpression.HisshifttoChennaiisaformofexile.Wedontwanthimtoexile
himself.
Thereisperhapsnoabsolutefreedomofspeech.Butitisnecessaryforustoassertthatsuchafreedomshouldbe
determinedbyresponsiblepeoplewhosharetheauthorsprofession.Atleastthatwouldensureasensibledebateon
thesubject.Thisisnottodenyanyorganisationtherighttoobjecttowhatanyoneiswriting,buttoinsistthatnobody
ofpeoplecansilenceanauthor.Butifselfcensorshipistobetheanswerthenwheredoesonedrawthelineevenin
that?Itshouldbeinthehandsofthosewhoareprofessionallyinvolved,andnotinthehandsofthefringeelements
ofpoliticalpartiesthekindsoforganisationsthatthreatenindividualswithviolenceanddemandtheybesilenced,
irrespectiveofhowthisisdone.Authorsandpublishershavebeenthreatenedandactedagainst.Arewetobecomea
silentsociety?
Defendingaright
Canwethinkofamoreeffectivewayofhandlingsuchthreats?Itwouldhelpifthereweretobeanorganisation
committedtodefendingtherightoffreeexpression,especiallyofauthors.Itcouldbeconstitutedoflawyers,publishers
andsomeauthors,setuptochallengethosewhothreatenandabuseauthors.Thiswouldinvolvenamingorganisations
thatthreateninthismanner,andtheirindividualmembers,sothattheyarealsoknownasbeingamongthosethat
threatenauthors.Ifcourtactionisrequired,thatcouldalsobeconsidered.Astatementcomingfromsuchan
organisationwouldalsogivecouragetomanyotherswhotendtofearcontroversies.
(RomilaThaparisProfessorEmeritusinAncientHistory,JawaharlalNehruUniversity,NewDelhi.Thisisthetext
ofwhatshesaidatthemeetingorganisedbySAHMATinsupportofPerumalMuruganonFebruary17,2015.)
Towriteaboutanactivitythatwascurrentinthepastisnotanendorsementofwhatistoday,
contrarytocontemporarylaw

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