BOOK REVIEW
By
Randeep
Wadehra
On India edited by Anindita N. Balslev
Sage. Pages: xvi+184. Price: Rs. 650/-
This anthology of well-informed
and convincingly argued essays reminds one of the parable wherein five blind
men touch different parts of an elephant and come to five different conclusions
about its shape, size etc. Indeed, India is a vast country with mindboggling
socio-economic stratifications. Different sections of its populace are living
in different developmental phases ranging from the Stone Age to the
Post-Modern. Therefore, it is near impossible to slot India into a well-defined
pigeonhole. Different scholars have tried to do it, only to end up creating one
more image of what can be rightly termed as the Indian Civilization.
The contributors to this tome
provide versions that range from sociological to philosophical to political
etc. These are neither warped nor off the mark in any sense of the term, but are
more like different images that go into the making of a collage. Galtung starts
with Gandhiji’s assassination and then goes on to study various forms of
violence and injustices prevalent in the Indian polity. His solutions, like
privileging the most needy and gender parity are unexceptional. Chandra avers
that India’s self-image is based on “five propensities”, viz., sacredness of
all life (no heathens), love of the land, deifying nature, the divine within us
and unity in diversity. This self-image strengthens every time a counter image
arises “in ever-renewing epistemological backdrops.” Kazanas focuses on the
Vedic Culture – its genesis, rise, spread and its decline. He argues that Vedic
influences on other cultures and civilizations are manifest. Singh postulates
that India has three images, which are the result of (a) the Indian approach to
the life of spirit and the matter; (b) India’s secular democracy in a plural
society; and (c) the Bahudha approach of social harmony and conflict
resolution.
Saran warns against
authoritarianism creeping into our polity – a process that may well be hastened
by technological progress. Nandy points out how the 20th century
fundamentalism versus secularism conflict may be replaced with “repackaged
religion versus subversive spiritualities” battles in the 21st century.
However, Kishwar looks upon Bollywood as a facilitator of a unique
transformation of the Indian reality and, hence, the image. She argues that
Bollywood’s espousal of liberalism and pluralism is in stark contrast to the
“Western liberalism and unbridled individualism.” She further argues that it
has created a shared cultural and emotional space across India’s social,
economic, religious and political strata, which strongly counters phobic and
parochial nationalism. Kapoor juxtaposes India’s inherent cultural,
civilizational and literary traditions, beliefs and thoughts with what has been
borrowed from the West – in terms of ideology, economic and political precepts
and practices. Kumar takes a look at the post-Partition India and its evolution
as reflected in and influenced by the contemporary literature. Karthikeyan,
while premising his arguments on the influence of multiculturalism on India’s
Constitution, enumerates various legal provisions pertaining to citizens’
rights and duties, as well as the government’s responsibilities, with reference
to maintenance of communal harmony. Rothermund argues that cross-cultural
conversation is incompatible with determinism and essentialism. Astuto, while
enumerating the views expressed by such Italian travelers of yore as Marco
Polo, Ambrosio Bimbo, Emilio Salgari et al argues that, despite everything
else, the salient features of India’s image comprise tolerance, harmony and
compromise. Finally, Balslev identifies India’s core self-image and hopes that
it would be retained forever.
This book provides valuable
reference material regarding, and insights into, the Indian Civilization’s
essence, even as it engages with other socio-cultural-political entities.
Published in The FinancialWorld dated 22 June 2013
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