|
It is now months since the famous revolutionary writers
VaraVara Rao and Kalyan Rao are being incarcerated in Andhra Pradesh Prisons.
First, they were arrested when a ban was put on the Revolutionary Writers
Association (the first time ever). Since then they have been implicated in a
host of false cases all over the state on all sorts of serious charges. After
that, in a hypocritical move the YSR government lifted the ban. VV, as he is
fondly know, is a renowned revolutionary poet whose poems have been translated
into not only many Indian languages but also foreign. Kalyan Rao, just a few
years, back has released a path-breaking novel which has become a landmark in
Telugu literature. This novel is based on the dalit question seen from a
revolutionary angle. This too has already been translated into some Indian
languages.
Then in Jharkhand a number of revolutionary artists were
picked up in Dhanbad from the office of a registered union. They were members of
the Krantikari Sahitya Sangh. Amongst the many arrested was Jetan Marandi, a
young artist who has written numerous songs and given numerous popular
performances, not only in Jharkhand, but throughout the country. With him was
Rakshit a retired railway employee and a popular leader. Along with the others
arrested was also the young 13-year old Tara who is part of the cultural troupe.
Even she has not been released. They have been charged for being ‘traitors’.
In Maharashtra another young cultural activist, Shantanu
Kamble, has been arrested from Nagpur also on fake charges. Shantanu is a member
of the Editorial Board of the popular Marathi literary magazine. ‘Vidrohi’. A
booklet of revolutionary songs written by him in Marathi has also been
published. Some of the songs are brilliant expressions of the dalits in the
existing horrific caste system.
India is being systematically turned into a prison-house for
even the right to free expression. The so-called freedom, much trumpeted by the
media and rulers, makes sure that your dissent does not go beyond NGO-style
resentment with the ills of this system. But anything beyond is looked on as
treason and you are treated as any ordinary criminal. On can talk as much as one
wants about film stars, cricket stars or even depict poverty and that is the
limit beyond which you cannot go. This is the nature of this so called democracy
where mafia rules the country. Mainline media will consciously carry hardly one
word on these arrests but will go on and on covering the arrest of mafia dons
like Abu Salem and Monica Bedi. But there is total silence on the arrest and
incarceration of top artists as VV, Kalyan Rao and others like Marandi, Kamble
etc. What is commendable though is that top artists and writers in the country
like Mahshweta Devi, Rajendra Yadev and numerous others have stongly condemned
these arrests.
Revolutionary artists are a great threat to the establishment
as they, by their pen, can emotionally move lakhs against the existing unjust
system. The governments at both the State and Central level spends crores of
rupees to co-opt these artists. Each State has their Sahitya Academies which
give largesse to writers who stay within their framework. They become yearly
affairs patronized by none less than Chief Ministers. In addition the
imperialists play a big role in seeking their co-option — well known artists are
picked up by the Ford Foundation for lavish grants and the smaller ones by
imperialist-funded NGOs. Most of the grants and awards go to dissident artists,
many of whom are from dalit, women or tribal background. It is only those who
escape this wide cobweb spread by the establishment that are then hounded and
incarcerated in jails and prisons.
Today the attacks on the people, including artists is become
more and more fierce with each day due to the horrifying effects of the policies
of LPG (Liberalisation, privatization, globalization). The more the masses are
impoverished and humiliated the more the voice of the people is rising in
revolt. For this the rulers have only one answer — crush it by brute force. Yet
many an artist flower in the growing underground in the country where the
oppressed voice their agony through poems, songs, short stories and even in
painting and sculpture. The iron fist of the State cannot suppress their voice
even in jail as there too the four walls will echo the revolutionary songs,
dance and poems inspiring hundreds of prisoners to a revolutionary life.
|
