A reference to the Srivaishnavite poet-saint-goddess perceived as derogatory in an article by the celebrated poet-lyricist Vairamuthu published in a Tamil daily sparks protests and fundamentalist Hindutva forces exploit the issue for political gain.
“She is my mother who fed me the milk of Tamil. For 40 years it is Andal whose voice has been singing inside me. The 8th-century society in which she lived was patriarchal and religious. I wished to understand how her unique voice came to be. But I feel ashamed to uphold the cherished Tamil in such a crowd [the fringe elements], which attempts to twist and malign my celebrated article on her.”
—Tamil writer-poet-lyricist Vairamuthu.
WITH these anguished words, the 64-year-old Vairamuthu clarified his position, for the second time in 15 days, on the raging controversy surrounding his article in the Tamil daily Dinamani on January 8 on Andal, also known as “Kothai”, the Srivaishnavite poet-saint and goddess who is believed to have written the celebrated Tamil poems Thiruppavai and Nachiyar Thirumozhi.
The reason for what is a trumped-up controversy and for the protests was a quote that Vairamuthu sourced from the book Indian movements: Some Aspects of Dissent, Protest and Reform, edited by Subash Chandra Malik and published by the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies (1978). (It is a compilation of articles on religious, social, and literary reforms.) In the chapter titled, “Bhakti movement in South India”, written by M.G.S. Narayanan and Kesavan Veluthat, it is mentioned that “Andal was herself a ‘devadasi’ (woman bequeathed to a temple), who lived and died in the Srirangam temple.” A few scholars have pointed out that the mention of Andal here should be understood in a metaphorical sense.
この記事は FRONTLINE の February 16, 2018 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は FRONTLINE の February 16, 2018 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
How Not To Handle An Epidemic
The lockdowns were meant to buy time to put in place appropriate health measures and contain the coronavirus’ spread, but they have failed to achieve the objective and heaped immense misery on the marginalised sections of society. India is still in the exponential phase of the COVID-19 infection and community transmission is a reality that the government refuses to accept.
Tragedy on foot
As the COVID-19-induced lockdown cuts the ground beneath their feet in Tamil Nadu, thousands of migrant workers are trudging along the highway to the relative safety of their upcountry homes.
Sarpanchs as game changers
Odisha manages to keep COVID-19 well under control because of the strong participation of panchayati raj institutions and the community at the grass-roots level under the leadership of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Scapegoating China
As the COVID-19 death rate spikes and the economy tanks in the United States, Donald Trump and his advisers target China and the World Health Organisation with an eye to winning the forthcoming presidential election.
New worries
Kerala’s measured approach to the pandemic and lockdown has yielded results. But it still has to grapple with their huge economic impact on its economy, which it feels the Centre’s special financial relief package does little to alleviate.
No love lost for labour
Taking advantage of the lockdown and the inability of workers to organise protests, many State governments introduce sweeping changes to labour laws to the detriment of workers on the pretext of reviving production and boosting the economy.
Capital's Malthusian moment
In a world that needs substantial reorienting of production and distribution, Indian capital is resorting to a militant form of moribund neoliberalism to overcome its current crisis. In this pursuit of profit, it is ready and willing to throw into mortal peril millions whom it adjudicates as not worth their means—an admixture of social Darwinism born of capital’s avarice and brutalism spawned by Hindutva. .
Understanding migration
When governments and their plans are found to be blatantly wanting in addressing reverse migration, exercises such as the Ekta Parishad’s survey of migrant workers throughout India can be useful to work out creative long-lasting solutions.
Waiting for Jabalpur moment
The Supreme Court’s role in ensuring executive accountability during the ongoing lockdown leaves much to be desired. Standing in shining contrast is the record of some High Courts.
An empty package
The Modi regime, which has been unable to control the COVID-19 infection, restore economic activity and provide relief to millions exposed to starvation, trains its sights on Indian democracy, making use of the panic generated by fear and a lockdown that forecloses paths of resistance.
