NINE hundred years ago, philosopher-social reformer Basavanna, founder of the radical Veerashaiva movement, battled for a non-ritualistic and classless society in Karnataka. A humane society that accepts and encourages debate, dissent and divergent views. But it's a battle that still has a long way to go, if the present confrontation over Dharmakarana, a work of fiction set in the 12th century and based on Basavanna's life, is any indication.
The J.H. Patel government's recent decision to order the confiscation of the Kannada novel written by P.V. Narayan, professor at Vijaya College, Bangalore, came after the Opposition raised a hue and cry over the book. And led to a confrontation between writers and intellectuals on one side and the political class on the other. Seventeen litterateurs and intellectuals resigned from their posts on various government bodies last week even as the state government faced all-round condemnation for its decision. A massive protest march was organised in Bangalore in which writers and supporters of 'freedom of expression' from different parts of the state participated.
Dharmakarana, a title which implies 'religiotics' as it rhymes with rajakarana (politics), is the story of a Brahmin girl whose family had become Veerashaivas and who falls in love with a low caste boy. While the girl's liberal family gives the go-ahead for the marriage, Basavanna's decision to publicise the 'ideal Veerashai-vas' faces flak from his own supporters. Which gets Basavanna nostalgic about how he, as a 16-year-old, and his elder sister, were forced to move out of their Brahmin colony when it was discovered that Basavanna's sister Akkanagamma had conceived out of wedlock.
This section of the 165-page book has been criticised as being untrue to history and a blot on Basavanna and Akkanagamma whose son Channabasavanna is another highly revered Veerashaiva saint. Also known as Lingayats, Veerashaivas are today Karnataka's single largest community and at 18 per cent of the population have a strong political presence. The Veerashaivas' increasing intolerance is accentuated by their reaction to the book, as it is preceded by protests against other works about Veerashaivas that became controversial in recent years: Chikaveera Rajendra, a novel by Jnanpith winner Masti Venkatesh Iyengar; Mahacha -ithra, a play by H.S. Shivaprakash; and Vachana Deepti, an anthology of ballads by Mate Mahadevi.
Though Dharmakarana was published in 1995, the controversy was sparked off after the Karnat-aka Sahithya Academy chose it for the best novel award for 1996. Opposition members in the state legislative council promptly demanded a ban on the book. Congress member and former minister Bheemanna Khandre tore a copy of the book in the House and even set it on fire. "Writers may have the liberty to express their opinion but they need to exercise caution while writing about religious leaders," another Congress member, N. Thippanna, said in the council. "Narayan has distorted facts and twisted history. In fact, he has got Basavanna to make derogatory remarks against his sister."
Following the uproar, Narayan rejected the award. "I have made changes in the overall plot, but that she conceived without getting married isn't a figment of my imagination but is based on puranas (mythology) and folk numbers," says Narayan, 50, a Brahmin follower of Veerashai-vism who has a PhD on the subject and has researched the community for over 28 years. Though Dharmakarana is his first attempt at fiction, Narayan points out that there is no 'authentic' history of Veerasha-ivas and whatever is known about the movement and its leaders is through mythology and folk tradition. "When such is the case, where does the question of contempt or distortion of history arise?" he asks.
But the Janata Dal government didn't appear too willing to take chances. "If it was just Dharmakarana, we would have agreed to treat it on its literary or mythological merit. But since the issue was becoming rajakarana also, we were concerned about the law and order and decided to confiscate the book," Chief Minister J.H. Patel told Outlook. "But it is not our intention to curb freedom of expression and we haven't yielded to anybody." But that statement is rather hard to swallow as the controversy comes close on the heels of the ban on a book that listed the alleged corrupt deals of H.D. Deve Gowda.
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