Day 302 - Cultural Terrorism

I am probably inviting trouble by writing this.  Nevertheless, I think this is important.

Over the last few weeks there has been news of a piece of literature - Rohinton Mistry's Such a Long Journey - being banned from the course syllabus of the Mumbai University.  This was in response to the student demonstrations led by Aditya Thackeray, the grandson of Shiv Sena founder, the original tiger!  The demonstrations and the burning of the book were conducted because Thackeray and his supporters feel that the book contains an unfair portrayal of the party.  I haven't read the book but it is widely reported that in the book Shiv Sena is portrayed as a party that uses violent tactics; hiring goons to roughen up opponents.  I am not sure if any of the protesters themselves have indeed read the book.  Interestingly, this incident happens around the same time when Aditya Thackeray is announced as the head of the youth wing of the party.  Very interesting, but very obvious!

Courting Controversy - Such A Long Journey by Rohinton Mistry

The university authorities did not waste any time in banning the book fearing trouble.  This is cultural terrorism.  It is an affront to the basic human right of freedom of speech that every individual in this world is entitled to.  Culture being used as a spring board to promote fascism and insinuating beliefs is not new.  The destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas comes to my mind as a good example.  Taliban destroyed the two colossal statues of Buddha carved into the sandstone cliffs of Bamiyan, in Afghanistan, in March 2001.  Burning a piece of literature and getting it banned from the university syllabus is no different.  Protesting about the contents of a novel which one might find objectionable is understandable and very acceptable, but, using the fear of violence to get it banned is indeed terrorism.

Salman Rushdie and the fatwa issued against him by Khomeini years ago for his book, The Satanic Verses, is another case in point.  The fatwa still stands to this day.  The other glaring example is of M F Hussain, also called the Picasso of India by some, who lives in self-imposed exile in Qatar.  Someone who should be celebrated and feted across the country for his body of work, finds himself exiled from his own land due to fear of violence.  One might argue that a lot of his artwork might be sensationalist in order to stay in the news, create controversies and this add to the legend (and of course the market price of his paintings).  However, I see it as artistic freedom.  Art and literature are creative pursuits and trying to confine them to certain norms and an acceptable framework of artistic expression, would result in only killing the creativity. 

I believe, culture should define us and not the other way around. 

Take care.