Insightful, informative
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Some interesting reads in Kannada...
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Ayodhye by Madhu Limaye
Translated by Hasan Nayeem Surakoda
Lohia Prakashana, Rs. 25
The challenge of Ayodhya has defined the limits of Indian democracy and the limits of Indian secularism. Even 14 years after the demolition of Babri Masjid, it still is potent enough to create a deep fissure in the Indian secular polity as well as society. The deep cracks created by Ayodhya, laid the foundations for later carnages of 90s of which Gujarat remains to be the worst example. While Ayodhya undefeated has emboldened and legitimised the undemocratic and fascist agenda of Sangh Parivar, its success entails the failure of left and liberals also. Hence it is inevitable to have a re-look at not only the evil designs of Parivar but also the poor response from the secular left.
Madhu Limaye, a great voice of Indian secular liberals, has written 10 articles, during those turbulent and testing times of Indian secularism. All the articles are related to the Ayodhya issue and the politics that surround it. The articles assume an activist tenor along with a matured political commentary. The articles are written from September 1992 to January 2003. Madhu Limaye being a senior politician gives us a peep into the courtroom drama. The book contains an informative article about the genesis of Ayodhya episode and a historical narrative of how the Congress type of secularism fed into the growth of Hindu communalism and also the narrow political designs of different political actors.
As said in the beginning, the triumph of Ayodhya is also a sorry tale of self-inflicted defeat of Indian secular liberal left. Madhu Limaye unwittingly provides a case for the same in this book. He defines the Hindutva challenge as a fight between fanatic Hindus and moderate Hindus. He is even scared to think of the idea of rebuilding Babri Masjid since that will entail instigating the fanatic Hindu communal forces. Unfortunately, it is this trap of indirect admission, of the Hindu right by the liberal left that has legitimized the fascist agenda of Hindutva forces in the Indian polity.
Indian politics has come a long way from 1992. Now it is clear that Hindutva is not the agenda of a party but a political ideology, a social philosophy which legitimises economic and social persecution of masses by acting on the religious divisions prevalent in Indian society. It demands a solution not in isolation but as a part of larger socio-economic reordering. Nevertheless, the present book is worth reading to understand the nature of the challenge and the inadequacies of our response. As usual the translation by Nayeem is of high order.
SHIVA SUNDAR
The true picture
Shankara Dakshinamnaya Peetha Maththu Shaakaa Mathagalu by Huragalavadi Lakshminarasimha Sastri,
Vidyashankara Prakashana, Rs. 75
How many peethas did Adi Sankara establish? Four or more? Puri Govardhan Peetha in the east, Sringeri Sharada Peetha in the south, Dwaraka Kalika Peetha in the west and Badri Jyotir Peetha in the north are said to be the original ones. But there are some other peethas in south India which also claim that they were originally established by Adi Sankara or by the later Sankaracharyas of Sringeri. This is a controversial and delicate issue. The author tries to present the correct picture, citing historical evidences.
The original four peethas had vast portions of India to cover for the propagation of Advaita. To make things easy, the peethadipathis including the head of Sringeri Math established branches in various parts of the country and even allowed them to function independently. In course of time, due to various reasons including lack of control and proper communication, the branches began to assert themselves unduly. Some cut off links with their headquarters and claimed direct links with Adi Sankara and circulated myths about their origin.
The author, after tracing the guru parampara of Sringeri Math, takes up the establishment of the Kudli Math issue first. There is a claim that due to the long absence of the third Narasimha Bharati Swamiji from Sringeri, Ramachandra Bharati was installed in his place; and that when Narasimha Bharati returned from north India, he came to know of the developments and stayed at Kudli and started a Math there. The author repudiates this by quoting from the recorded history of the Sringeri Math and from stone inscriptions and from "Keladi Nripa Vijaya Kavya" to prove that the third Narasimha Bharati Swamiji never stayed away for long from Sringeri. Later, divisions broke out in the Kudli Math and each of the branches staked claim to be the original.
Another chapter of the book is devoted to the origin of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam. The author says that right from the time of Kadambas upto the reign of Tipu Sultan, a period of around 1,000 years till 1799, there was no historical reference to the presence of a Math established by Adi Sankara in Kanchi. If a Math had been there, its swamijis would have taken on the Srivaishnavite acharya, Vedanta Desika, and the Madhva saint, Vyasaraya, in debates during their visits to Kanchi. Backed by a Maratha king of Thanjavur, a Math was established in Kumbakonam and its swamiji came to Kanchi in 1839 and established himself there and thus the Kanch lineage began, the author says.
Controversy has been raging for close to a century now over the issues mentioned above. Ideally, all the sides involved should come together and clear the air so that future generations can have a clear picture.
S. Venkatesh Bhat
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