Anyone remotely familiar with the Shiv Sena knows that it routinely attempts to thrust itself in the public eye by protesting stridently, and sometimes violently, against the contents of books, films, and paintings. However, its recent campaign against Rohinton Mistry's Such A Long Journey — which resulted in the Man Booker Prize-shortlisted novel being withdrawn from Mumbai University's curriculum — has raised the question: Why did the Shiv Sena suddenly decide to target a work of fiction published two decades ago, which has been a part of the university's B.A. English literature syllabus for the last four years? The answer is this is in honour of Aditya Thackeray, recently inducted into politics by grandfather Bal Thackeray and appointed head of the Yuva Sena. The new youth wing chief and his party have argued that parts of this finely crafted, socio-politically sensitive novel — which is set in the early 1970s and revolves around a middle-aged Parsi bank clerk struggling to stay out of poverty — are offensive to the Shiv Sena and Marathi manoos. Such expressions of simulated hurt sentiment were used to justify the Sena's campaign of intimidation, which included burning the book on campus. Even more cynically, they were used to provide a platform for the young Mr. Thackeray to make a dramatic entry into politics.
Books have been banned before by governments on account of threats but it is unusual for a university to capitulate as meekly as Mumbai University did. Following the protest, the matter was referred to the Board of Studies, which recommended withdrawing the book from the syllabus — a decision Vice-Chancellor Rajan Welukar, who echoed some of the Sena's views about the novel, seemed tacitly to endorse. It is shameful that instead of standing up to political intimidation and preventing book-burners from influencing the curriculum, a reputed institution of higher learning cravenly abdicated its responsibility to foster and protect intellectual freedom, critical thinking, and creativity. Not surprisingly, Mr. Welukar and the university authorities have come in for strong criticism in Mumbai's academic circles. Another distasteful aspect of this episode is the stance of Maharashtra's Congress Chief Minister Ashok Chavan. Agreeing readily with the Sena that the novel contained abusive language, he has chosen to distance himself from the withdrawal issue — saying it was for the university to decide. In fact, the complicit attitudes of Maharashtra's major political parties only legitimise and strengthen the Sena's intolerance as it attempts to erode the shores that protect freedom of thought and expression in India.
Led by Shiv Sena and its colorful personas' the city of Mumbai is making strides. Unfortunately for all Indians these are not strides of progress but of decadence and eventual death. The consensual moral degradation of the state of Maharashtra and the unscrupulous surrender of collective social righteousness in exchange of narrow sectarian benefits for the ubiquitous Marathi Manoos, has been elemental in precipitous decline of Mumbai as the City of Desire for the Middle Class (Erudite and Hardworking) Indian.
I do not understand why the media has gone all guns blazing against the Shiv Sena in this incident. The Shiv Sena as a group have their right to express their views non violently, which they have done this time. The Mumbai University has removed the book from its curriculam after the due recommendation of the board of studies, which is the right procedure to be followed. The very purpose of education is to enhance one's knowledge. Care should be taken that the content does not favour or ridicule an individual or a community in the society. Why should there be so much debate about a book which has controversial content?
Shiv Sena took up this issue on expected lines; it sits on judgement on every trivial matter that is remotely connected to its so called ideology and throws tantrums. What has the liberal and secular part of the government, that was elected with a very decent mandated done to curb this intimidation?It succumbed to the Sena's threat without even a murmur. For it knows, which side of the bread is buttered, as Mr Mistry's comments in some way have shaken the otherwise sober and stable local populace and could become a talking point at the polls. In their hurry to not give an advantage to the Sena, they have overreacted without much noise and have, in a complying fashion banned the book without giving a thought of the damage it does to the values of personal liberty and expression which our constitution advocates.
This is business as usual for the Shiv Sena, who have made a success of marketing their USP : selecting issues which they can safely exploit. They get away with it the way a roadside ruffian gets away with insulting a man with his family in tow. The victim feels that it is better to hurry past the ruffian rather than to enter into an argument. They also have a penchant for picking up the middle classes' bias against the influx of people who "do not belong". Starting with Gujaratis, they worked their way through South Indians, Muslims and North Indians. This strategy, coupled with the realpolitik of unscrupulous "mainstream" parties brought them the control of Maharashtra and Mumbai. And acceptance in society - the Mafia does have quite a lot of influence in Italy, but we don't see the dons gracing cultural events with the "cognoscenti" dancing attendance on them. And made its leaders multi-millionaires. Now for us to believe that they will give up a proven, successful business model would be, to put it mildly, foolish. What we have to accept is that it is civil society's unwillingness to face up to these ruffians that has brought about this situation. Most goondas are businessmen - when they realize that their product has consumer resistance, they normally phase out the product. So, stop buying!
What shocks me more than the way Shiv Sena handpicks irrelevant issues, which in no way would help make this world a better place to live, is the attitude of this government while dealing with it. A political party with such a parochial mindset cannot claim to be a representative of the 'marathi manoos'. It is high time that the youth of the state who are involved in such vandalism realize that they should channelize their efforts in other productive engagements.
The banning of Rohinton Mistry's book is a symptom of a deep seated malaise in India. India has a democratic constitution that has withstood the tests of time. It also has laws that are sufficient by and large and need to be tweaked based on factors such as changes in current societal thinking and in technology.However, regardless of such solid foundation India has a worse than pathetic response to boorish, imbecilic, violent behaviors by people such as Shiv Sena members whose IQs are less than their show sizes. And why is it so? The worse than pathetic response is because the government - at ALL levels - does not enforce the laws forcefully. It seems that there is not enough separation between the administration and judiciary branches. And of course there is corruption that is endemic in EVERY sphere of societal life in India!! Though born in India, I live in Canada - the land adopted by Rohinton Mistry as well. Here or in any other western country they never tolerate this kind of shenanigans to this degree. In enforcing the rules of laws of course sometimes the western nations are faulty - but never this often or to this degree. NEVER!!
Be it Shiv Sena or any other Sena (political party) for that sake, the approach is the same and that is to remain in lime light of politics by hook or by crook. Whether their speech is detrimental for national security or not is none of their concern. The party in power is there to use force(police is meant for this purpose) in case harmony in society is disturbed. Instead of bringing harmony and peace in the society these political parties are all out to tear the already fragile harmony in the country. This is one case of creating problem in the country. These feelings and expressions of political parties percolate down to the small section of the society .Intolerance at all levels is rapidly rising in the society. Students at school level go to school with fire arms to settle their small disputes. A small scratch on a car in a busy street results into murder. It is because tolerance is nearing zero. This is the gift of political parties to the nation. The Gita firmly says that whatever great people do the same is followed by the people at the level and this exactly happening in India. The intellectuals have withdrawn themselves from the society only because they are not heard. The onslaught of materialism that has overtaken our lives is another cause of growing intolerance.
It is high time the Indian establishment grew up! Banning or removing books from the syllabus, will not stop people wanting to read Rohinton Mistry or Salman Rushdie. Maybe the VC has helped increase book sales in Mumbai. Shiv Sena is totally out of sync with new India and must be ignored. Sad to see Chavan stoop to cheap politics for a few votes!
There is and ought to be ample scope for dissent in a mature society.That the Sena disagrees with the contents of "Such A Long Journey" is also OK. I would even say that the only thing wrong in burning the book is the environmental costs involved. They haven't stopped the publishing or distribution of the book.Had they done that,it would have been an act worthy of condemnation.The only guilty party here is the VC who meekly towed the Sena's line. Curriculum has to be reviewed at the end of every academic year and then suitably revised.The less said about the honourable Chief Minister and the venerable Congress Government in Maharashtra the better. While no work of art or literature should ever be "banned" there are quite a few authors out there who take their creative and literary licenses a tad too far.It is important for them to realise that a work of fiction is also a means for mass communication which reaches and influences thousands of people.
The brazenness, with which, the Shiv Sena time and again flouts the rule of law in Mumbai is increasingly proving stark nails in the coffin of democracy. Every time they kick up a fuss for virtually no issue at all, the meek capitulation of the ruling government gives the impression of de jure but not de facto governance. The unruly bunch of Sena cadres must be dealt severely in the ambit of the judicature to assert the supremacy of law and constitution of India and establish the faith of the civilians of India in the justice system.
It is nothing less than terrorism that Shiv Sena proscribes - one recommended by a reputed University. These thuggish actions by Shiv Sena, and the inablity of Congress to take it on aggressively are sending a message that there is no Government in Mumbai. Even if there is one, it uttely impotent. Shiv Sena is black sheep of Indian Democracy and Maharastra.
Lack of strong political will to protect freedom of expression from politicians has always been an encouragement for Shiv Sena. Its time that Shiv Sainiks and Politicians of Maharashtra realise that the people of The Republic of India are not the same as they were in 1970's. We are better educated, we have better access to information, we have better things at hand to think about, we have better people to choose as our leaders, Leaders who have no fear, Leaders who belong to people, Leaders who do not divide us but unite the people.
everybody has a freedom of writing and expressing one's views and ideas.any government, political party and individual must not have any objection over any kind of art , literature. But if that work of fiction or based on reality is a part of academic curriculum , then there must be some rules and regulations. What is the need to have controversial book as a part of syllabus? The basic purpose of education is to enhance the wisdom, getting knowledge and giving exams is secondary to it.if any particular book is not serving that basic purpose then what is difference between purely commercial and academic books?
The vituperative campaign against Rohinton Mistry's 'Such a Long Journey' by the extreme right Shiva Sena is comprehensible as the Sena is known for such campaigns based on its narrow ideology and sub-national sabre-rattling. What is not understandable are the way the Mumbai University Vice-Chancellor Rajan Welukar caved in to the demands of the Sena and the so-called personal views of the Chief Minister. This is not to justify any distasteful language used in the novel against the Maharashtrians. The fact of the matter is that anyone can secure a ban on any book by merely creating a controversy quoting out of context from the book. No serious debate precedes any such demand for ban. The state finds it simple to ban the book rather than overcome the controversy as ban is a sure shot remedy for the state to abdicate its responsibility of safe-guarding the freedom of thought and expression. Our nation has survived many challenges unlike our less fortunate citizens of the neighbouring countries only because of the time-tested vigour of the Constitution. Such virulent campaigns not based on any public debate and informed discussions, however, run the risk of weakening the constitution and republican order.
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