Breaking the conspiracy of silence

Noor Zaheer

Interestingly, Nayantara Sahgal, with no link with any mainstream political ideology and often accused of being apolitical, was one of the first writers to return her Sahitya Akademi Award. Her plea was that, “India's culture of diversity and debate is now under vicious assault.” Her decision proved that writers as a breed are dissenters. Other writers were quick to respond to “a call for justice and humanity.” The Culture Minister, equally quick in responding, wanted the backgrounds of these protesting writers to be examined. What backgrounds would he like to be examined?  One was afraid all along that the sanction to hooliganism and vandalism would become acceptable as nationalism, religion, belief and devotion. One knew once this regime took over that the very fabric of India would be threatened, that killing would no longer be considered a law-and-order issue but a form of religious expression. It is time to stand up and be counted even if one stands alone; thankfully that is not the case. As Mahasweta Devi has written in her story, Agnigarbh, “Even crows converge to the point where one of them lies injured and what a ruckus they create”. Many of us have been threatened, publicly humiliated and some killed. Should we stand with them or should we hold the tamrapatras to our hearts, aware that from now on we dare not look squarely at our conscience?

Yes, writers are all dissenters, because great literature is written in the ink that burns the paper. These writers have a larger readership than Sahitya Akademi library can ever hope to achieve in its membership. This was one of the factors for being considered for the award. They are keeping the trust of their readers in threatening the Akademi with a complete boycott. As far as remaining within and cleaning the system rather than throwing stones from the outside goes, it might have been a possibility in a more democratic atmosphere. The general body of the Akademi already has a majority of people who prefer to flow with the tide. No wonder members have quit in the last couple of years, disgusted by the steamrolling that takes place at the general body meetings. 

The quick follow-up reaction from other writers is jokingly, being termed a "herd mentality" existing within the community. As it is said in Hindi, “The time of awakening is the time of dawn.” Just once in a while it is also good to show how huge the "herd" is. In 1950, Anand Narain Mulla was the judge at Lucknow High Court when it heard the case of State vs Amritlal Nagar, who had been accused of staging a play that had in it a few lines about the corruption within the police force. The judge had dismissed it, ruling that writers and artistes have a right to freedom of expression because they were the conscience-keepers of society. In an Urdu couplet, the same Ananad Narain Mulla says:

Khune shaheed se bhihai qeemat me khuchh siva

Fankaar ke qalam ki syahi ki ek boond (A bit expensive than the blood of a martyr/ Is a drop of ink from a writer's pen.) It is for the readers and the common people to decide who matter, those who flow with the tide or those who ride against it because they dream of a just, equal, democratic world.

Noor Zaheer is an author and a researcher.