Thursday, May 17, 2007

Leela Samson vs. the Sangh Parivar

James Laine, M.F.Husain, MSU Baroda, Leela Samson.

We could look at these two articles in the light of the whipping up of frenzy. Expect more developments from the Hindu Right on this matter, who manage to get their people's knickers in a twist with the most incoherent arguments. I can picture some dude sitting in Goregaon (W) wringing his hands in despair at the state of our country's institutions of culture. They've moved a few statues! They allow boys and girls to mix! Horror! Somebody do something!

By contrast, there's Baradwaj Rangan's interview with Leela Samson (done before this brouhaha erupted, I think) which gives a more clear insight into her philosophy and motivations than the product of The Organiser's fevered imagination. (Please take note of one of the comments to the post; Baradwaj has wisely refrained from responding).

All this via Rahul's blog.

I wonder what would happen if Mr. Menon or Mr. Daivamuthu actually met Ms. Samson. The imagination boggles at the high levels of absurdity that would result.

2 comments:

Chandrahas said...

Space Bar - Among the charges that the learned Mr.Deivamuthu levels at Leela Samson in the Organiser, I found these two particularly persuasive:

"Teachers hand-picked by her teach Geeta-Govindam in a very vulgar manner sowing the seeds of hatred for Hinduism in the impressionable young minds of the students."

and:

"Earlier there were restrictions on the meeting of boys and girls within the boys’ and girls’ hostels. Now all these restrictions have been removed, thus encouraging the meeting of boys and girls in any hostel room at any time of the day and night."

Of course, Jayadeva's Geeta-Govindam is full of erotic poetry, so it would be hard to paraphrase it, let alone teach it, without appearing in some way vulgar to Mr.Deivamuthu's fevered imagination, already unbalanced by the thought of young people meeting "at any time of the day and night".

From Mr.Deivamuthu's account it emerges clearly that young people, highly impressionable of the one hand and grossly wanton on the other, are being corrupted for good by Leela Samson. I beg you to use your good offices to intervene in some way in this matter before Hindu culture is erased altogether, when Mr.Deivamuthu is so close to saving it.

Space Bar said...

Yes. I can't help thinking of that story of the kid with his finger in the dam that is about to break: one tiny finger between safety and destruction...