Kumbhamela

The Largest Festival of World Concludes

The Kumbhmela comes to conclusion. Estimates of attendees range between a 80-100 million. It has been a fascination for ascetics, common people, politicians, the rich and the poor to attend this festival and partake in bathing in the Ganges river in Allahabad. An extensive first hand description of this festival is recorded by Xuanzhang who visited India during 620 C.E., about 1400 years ago.
Please check the following links for coverage of the event:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/d1e949a0-86bd-11e2-b907-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2NLpPWBXw


http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2013/03/04/carnival-of-the-soul-at-india-s-maha-kumbh-mela.html

India: The Women Question

The Women Question!

When one is born born in a country which has inherited a longstanding ancient heritage, life could be hampered with the unnecessary burden of carrying this innate heritage. In the modern world this could be very challenging, and demeaning at times. This is especially true for the women of India. Their every step is measured in view of the inherited culture, and their life is supposed to be led by the inherited wisdom of the past.

Democracy is only 60 years barely past its midlife crisis, if compared with a human life span, and could not be expected to have solved all the social issued India had inherited. The women question came of age only during the past decade owing to the slow, but stead work of feminists and strong women's rights advocates.

When India became an independent democracy in 1947, universal franchise was adopted, but the women question was not addressed, due to the lack of a strong women's voice. If women were given constitutional enactments that gave them certain rights and privileges, such as those given to the Scheduled castes and Tribes, it would have done miracles for the development of women by now. Women were ignored then and are also being ingnored now, where a comprehensive act for the Women's welfare is not taken up by any of the 16 successive governemnts in India. Women's issues are dealt with on an ad hoc basis as and when they come up and deemed necessary, leading to haphazard flood control measures rather than comprehensive attempt to address, and change the core concerns. There is no planned program of education, family and child welfare, and development focussed on women. Until the government of India enacts a comprehensive policy addressing a number of issues concerning women it is impossible aspire for any change in the condition of women in India. This then brings forward that lack of safety, and security for women, which made newspaper headlines recently, making it a law and order issue. Even though women's issues are brushed off as an issue of culture, the crux of the matter is that it is a law and order issue. Until the government establishes a separate judicial body and police infrastructure to address the women's issues the status quo would remain with little change.

Amnesia Afflicts Historians of India including R.C. Guha!

It is a common feature of Indian historians that they always forget their history and learn it from their neighbors, especially from the west. Recent article by Ramachandra Guha is an obvious example of this sort. He compares, Chief Minister of Gujarath, Narendra Modi, with Indira Gandhi, dynastic representative and descendant of Nehru family, although conveniently positioned herself as a Gandhi. This may have made Indira Gandhi turn in her grave, I am sure. Cheif Minister Modi is as different from Indira Gandhi, as a cucumber from a carrot. Mrs. Gandhi is a carefully crafted successor to Nehru, which she successfully nurtured in her children, and grand children and foresaw a successful continuation of her dynastic politics, by not letting any other politicians or power centers emerge in Congress (I) party, which is the sole survivor of the numerous fractions of the Original congress Party founded in 1881.  Comparing Indira Gandhi To Narendra Modi is the most superficial understanding of Indian History, ever undertaken. Ramchandra Guha had shown quick wit matched with incomparable critical assessment of historical figures and events. But this comparison is something unexpected and unimaginable from Guha.

India, The Land of Festivals!

India, The Land of Festivals

Kumbhmela and Jaipur literary festival enthrall large gathering of people early this year. 

India is a land of festivals, which attracts large gatherings of people, for an allotted period of time. India loves gathering. People always find an excuse to gather. Families gather for festivals, and rituals (marriage, funeral or birth) usually, but now there are more, and varied functions to gather, and the crowds are as varied. 

I grew up attending a variety of festivals in and around my home town. Religious festivals, drama festivals, river festivals, temple festivals, and school festivals, in addition to the family celebrations. Every festival is celebrated with great fan fare and reverence. Each temple, each goddess, and god have annual festivals, so also the trees and rivers in our home town. Every river in India has its own festival, although the greatest is the Kumbhmela. Floods are scary every year. However, I watched it every year, when the flood waters come into town, families, especially women and children visit the river and pay their respects with flower offerings.

Festivals of any sort are a big draw for crowds in India. In the recent years there is a new genre of festivals added to this usual festival fraternity, the literary festival. Major cities such as Jaipur, Kochin, Calcutta become the vaunted destinations for literary connoisseurs, and enthusiasts alike, while literary circles in smaller cities are organizing their own festivals of this sort. A well known cousin of the literary festivals is Film festivals of India. Of course Film festivals are well established and well celebrated in India. Film actors are larger than life, and could turn crowds at their every move. Nonetheless, something similar is happening with literary festivals. Controversial authors, scholars and TV dignitaries (Salman Rushdie, ... and scholars of repute such as Gayatri Spivak) are adding the spark of their own to the success of literary festivals. The fanfare, and hungama (remember Oprah's visit to Jaipur literary festival last year!) in bringing electronic media personalities (connected mostly with TV and internet personalities although sometimes it may involve some film personalities) and literary personalities (writers of various kinds- academic, news, and fiction). This is a welcome turn of events for India as the literacy levels of India improved tremendously over the last two decades with English as the medium of education. Hopefully this trend continues and grows multiplying the books and their writers.

The literary festival fever is also spreading to Pakistan and Bangladesh recently, although it would be interesting to see how long they would last, before they are attacked by fundamentalist groups. In a country where music, and theater celebrations became rare, or a big security issue for the police forces, it is hard to imagine that the literary festivals would  have a different outcome in the foreseeable future.