Cultural maze of 365 days

Vandana Shukla 

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Culture cannot be experimented in the political lab. It has far-reaching consequences. Yet, the distinct and enviable cultural identity of India has been experimented with the political agenda of Hindutva by the NDA government. Not that the previous governments were equipped with the dexterity required to handle the delicate fabric of Indian culture with care. Bureaucrats of all shades controlled art and culture academies as their fiefdoms, to hog the limited largesse for promoting mediocrity and hosting India Festivals abroad. 

If the previous governments undermined the richness of ancient knowledge systems of India and its arts and literature in the name of modernity, the NDA replaced a few heads of the academies and institutions to propagate a narrower perspective of the quintessentially Indian culture, which is liberal and diverse. If the UPA failed to integrate Indian heritage and classical knowledge systems with modern education, in the name of being the sole patron of Indian culture the NDA has made yoga and Sanskrit compulsory subjects at the school level and has plans to revive the mythical Saraswati river! It lacks the vision to go beyond the narrow agenda of appeasement of a few right-wing hardliners, nor has a blueprint to take Indian culture to the next level; of research and enquiry before a revival. With its limited view on culture, censorship is getting more teeth in all spheres, suppressing liberal voices. From the Censor Board of India to the Indian Council of Historical Research, with heads rolling, one wonders if Indian culture can be redeemed of its leftist and rightist claims? Fortunately, within the complex texture of Indian culture lies its saving grace.  

In the name of protecting culture, scrutinising the funding of institutions like Ford Foundation, which funded archiving of many streams of Indian music and art and poetry on the verge of extinction, and supported their revival, makes the NDA government look ridiculous. And to remove Venu Vasudevan, the dynamic Director General of National Museum, halfway through his tenure, shows the NDA is no different in putting personality cult over competence. The removal of the Lalit Kala Akademi chairperson had a history of internal turmoil, but to create a Hastkala Academy in the existing Crafts Museum shows a lack of maturity.

At the core of all revival movements is cultural continuity and pride. In the Indian context, it also needs integration of diverse cultural streams. Cultural pride should work as a motivator for economic and social growth. If calibrated well, as done by Israel, economic, scientific, social and political transformation can hinge on cultural transformation, NDA should know.