Author: Asghar Ali Engineer
Publication: Secular Perspective
Date: February 1-15, 2004
The recent attack on Bhandarkar
Institute in Pune by the Sambhaji Brigade is highly condemnable. In fact
no words are enough to condemn such vandalism. Such attacks were highly
condemnable even in medieval ages. How can then such acts be justified
in 21st century? But yet we see such vandalism, taking place in our own
times and under our very nose and we feel helpless. The Government does
not seem to be interested in taking action for its own political reasons
particularly in this election year.
Howsoever condemnable the act might
be it is necessary to understand politics behind it, especially the caste
politics. It is also important to note denunciation or silence about it
and its nuances. Also important is to note communal overtones or undertones
of its condemnation. The modern India is undergoing turmoil along caste
and communal lines and such events needs to be placed in proper perspective
for this reason.
Such vandalism whether it took place
in the past or in the present cannot be ascribed, as we often do, to mere
religious or caste fanaticism. It always has a political message behind
it. Some universities were vandalised in the past by Muslim invaders. We
often ascribe it to mere Islamic fanaticism. It is far from true. It is
strange that some scholars including some 'progressive scholars' are unearthing
these past events and comparing the attack in Pune to those past vandalism.
It clearly shows we are still unable to overcome our conscious or unconscious
caste and communal attitudes.
An editorial in a Marathi daily
from Mumbai condemned his act invoking Mughal rule. The caption of the
editorial was "Punyatil Mughlai" i.e. Mughal vandalism in Pune. This betrays
the attitude of editors of the daily. They think such vandalism was indulged
into by Mughal rulers and this has been repeated in Pune. In fact such
vandalism, as pointed out above, did take place in the past but by outside
invaders in 11th and 12th centuries and not during the Mughal period. In
fact the Mughals have contributed richly to our composite culture. There
is hardly any field be it architecture, painting, music, literature, food,
dresses in which they have not contributed. Our culture will be poorer
without this contribution. Why then compare the acts like the one in Pune
with 'Mughal vandalism'. Even Mughals would be ashamed of such an act.
Some other 'progressive scholars'
invoked another mythical act to compare with Pune vandalism with. It was
said that the 2nd Caliph, Umar destroyed the Alexandria library by saying
that if the Qur'an contains all knowledge these books are useless and if
these books contain knowledge other than that of Qur'an they are of no
use. This myth was systematically spread by those hostile to Islam and
Islamic power. The fact is that the library in Alexandria was destroyed
much before it was conquered by Muslims during the Umar's time. This points
out widespread communal attitude among Indian intelligentsia even of the
progressive variety.
Another thing we would like to emphasise
here is that there is always a political message behind such acts. Those
who know understand this message. The Pune act was also not without this
political message. Either the conqueror or the invader displays his power
and leaves the message that his conquest is complete and no one dare stop
him from doing this or he destroys it because the institution was controlled
by the ruler and was considered as most prestigious. Its destruction showed
helplessness of the defeated ruler. One can say this of many temples destroyed
by the Muslim invaders also. Destruction was not an act of religious fanaticism
but an act to show that the ruler was unable to protect the temple of his
own deity and so lost all legitimacy to rule.
The act of vandalism in Pune with
the slogan that this is just the beginning and that Shaniwarwada (a stronghold
of Brahmins) still remains is indicative of the caste war in Maharashtra.
Shivaji is a symbol and remarks in James Laines book only an excuse for
the destructive action. Pune is the cultural centre of Maharashtra and
culture and knowledge is considered as a monopoly of Brahmins. Bhandarker
was a liberal progressive Brahmin and the Institute named after him is
storehouse of knowledge of which any scholar could be and should be justly
proud.
It is quite significant to note
that the alleged remarks against Shivaji and his mother were made by James
Laine, not by anyone associated with the Bhandarkar Oriental Institute
and yet this Institute was ransacked. If the leaders of the Sambhaji Brigade
really wanted to show their love for Shivaji they should have demanded
ban on the books instead of ransacking of the famous Institute. But they
chose to vandalise Bhandarkar Institute instead.
Thus the purpose was not so much
as to protest against Bhandarkar Institute but to attack the institute
considered to be the storehouse of Brahmanical knowledge and controlled
by the Brahmins. And that is why they raised the slogan "yeh to ek jhanki
hai, abhi Shaniwarwada baqi hai" i.e. it is just the beginning and Shaniwarwada
is yet to be attacked. The attack was not so much on the books as on the
Brahminism and Brahminical culture.
There is acute struggle for political,
social and cultural supremacy between various castes in India and in Maharashtra
particularly between the Brahmins and Marathas. It is said that three M's
(i.e. Marathas, Muslims and Mahars i.e. dalits) always vote for the Congress
and the BJP, the Party supposedly of the Brahmins is trying to capture
Maharashtra along with the Shiv Sena. The Marathas would not like to loose
their political hegemony in Maharashtra at any cost.
It is also important to note that
the attack came after the NCP of Sharad Pawar failed to negotiate political
alliance with the Shiv Sena-BJP in Maharashtra. The message is loud and
clear: do not try to seize political power from Marathas. It would not
be acceptable. And of course Shivaji is the symbol of Maratha power as
he fought against the Mughals to retain his sovereignty. The Bhandarkar
Institute provided facilities to James Laine to write the book on Shivaji
with a purpose to defame him. Thus it was Brahminical "conspiracy" to de-legitimise
the Maratha power. This cannot be tolerated in any case.
The NCP of Sharad Pawar is in alliance
with the Congress in Maharashtra and for this reason the Government of
Maharashtra is not acting strongly enough against the leader of the Shambhaji
Brigade. The police did arrest 72 persons but have not touched the leader
who is close to NCP leaders and ministers.
The Government is silent about the
whole episode and Sharad Pawar, while speaking in the Marathi Writers conference
even advised the writers to be sensitive to people's sentiments. The Government
moved swiftly to ban the book and might take action against the publishers
Oxford University Press. The Publishers had already withdrawn the copies
of the book.
The Shiv Sena also faces dilemma.
Earlier its men blackened the face of Sanskrit scholar Shrikant Bahulkar
for helping James Laine to write biography of Shivaji in which he defamed
him. It shocked the author of Shivaji's biography and a noted scholar Gajanan
Mehendale, tore off his biographical manuscript written after 30 years
of research. The Shiv Sena realised the mistake and apologised. However,
the Sena leadership is silent on the act of Shambhaji Brigade for obvious
reasons. If it condemns, it alienates Marathas which it cannot afford
to do it in this election year. If it supports it, it would alienate the
BJP's Brahmanical powerful vote bank of Brahmins.
It is quite likely that the action
was planned with secret approval of a political party looking forward to
Maratha votes in the coming Loksabha elections. Each party today has its
own caste basis and all calculations are made with a view to these caste
or community vote banks. The BJP in the eighties had launched a powerful
attack on the Congress saying that it indulges in appeasement of Muslims
to sustain and strengthen its vote bank and this greatly appealed to the
upper caste middle class Hindus and they began voting for the BJP. The
impression was given as if the BJP does not cultivate any vote bank and
only the Congress does by 'appeasing' the Muslims.
In fact caste and community vote
banks are an important consideration for all political parties. And the
BJP has created its own powerful vote bank among the upper castes and also
has successfully wooed backward caste and class Hindus by raising the religious
issue like the Ramjanambhoomi and rode to power by demolishing Babri Masjid
in Ayodhya.
It is unfortunate fact of our political
life even in the 21st century that such vandalism be it of Babri Masjid,
or of Wali Gujrati's mausoleum in Ahmedabad or of the Bhandarkar Oriental
Research Institute in Pune are resorted to for political power struggle
and such acts are defended shamelessly. Such vandalism is not monopoly
of any single caste or community. We must learn painfully that human interests
play much greater role in power politics than values and issues.
In all such attacks politicians
gain and innocent human lives or rich cultural heritage loose out. This
has been the history of thousands of years and nothing has changed even
in the twenty first century.
********************************
Centre for Study of Society and
Secularism
Mumbai:- 400 55.
E-mail: csss@vsnl.com
Website: www.csss-isla.com
