Skip to main content

Sectarian agenda? Challenge to Saraswatic tradition comes from modern 'asuras'

MF Husain's controversial painting 'Saraswari'
By Bhaskar Sur*
Saraswati is commonly known as the Goddess of speech, learning, the arts and grace. She has other names -- Sarada, Shatarupapa and even Ila. Like other Vedic deities, Saraswati has gone through curious transformations. It seems originally she was a fertility Goddess, and her origin is associated with a rather a scandalously incestuous creation myth.
The story goes, Brahma, after creating the wonderful universe and star studded sky, felt exhausted and utterly lonely. He now created Shatarupa or Saraswati who was so beautiful that he fell for her.
When Shararupa fled to escape from his incestuous gaze, Brahma grew three more extra heads. She now hid herself in the shy and Brahma, not to be deterred, grew yet another, turned upwards. That will explain why Brahma is called Panchanan or the Five Headed God.
He madly pursued her until she yielded and he had his will. She became his wife but cursed him that he would never hope to be worshipped. There is indeed no temple dedicated to Brahma in the subcontinent though he was worshipped in the South-East Asia till the coming of Islam, and still worshipped in the distant Pacific island of Bali.
Nowhere is the mythical ambiguity more evident than in Bengal where the Goddess retains her dual role -- as a Goddess of learning and that of Eros or Love. No wonder Saraswati is more popular than any other Hindu deity, and thousands of beautiful Saraswati idols are worshipped not only within the precincts of educational institutions but almost everywhere.
Sri Panchami, the day when she is worshipped, is also the Bengali equivalent of St Valentine's Day. The idol, which is presently worshipped, shows strong Western influence and, according to the great Sanskritist and linguist Sukumar Sen, dates back from mid19th century.
The Goddess, immaculately white with a graceful swan by her side, reminds one not only of Venus but Leda as well. But such an iconic transformation would have been impossible had it not been supported by the tradition.
In the invocation of the Goddess her full breasts are celebrated along with her other divine attributes. Her grace can miraculously transform a moron into a poet. We are all familiar with the story of Kalidasa, the greatest poet of the late antiquity, and how from a proverbial fool, he became a combination of Virgil, Ovid and Plautus!
However, this mythical world of the fecund Hindu imagination conflicts with domains of a secular state. The Puja enjoys the official approval and has been institutionalized in schools,colleges and universities. For a full week classes remain suspended.
Very few have ever dared to question the practice which goes against the explicit instruction that no religious activities will be permitted within state run institutions. What is more objectionable is the practice of collecting subscriptions from minority students whose religion forbids it.
In other words, they are coerced to pay and take part in the celebration and the feast that is arranged on this occasion. It is how Brahmanism encroaches upon the secular and ensures its hegemony. This started during the 19th century when there were very few Muslim and Christian students.
A cultural or literary festival named after the Goddess could have been a good secular substitute without breaking the tradition. But none attempted it
The British authorities were uncomfortable with it but took the policy of non-interference until Muslim and Christian guardians complained about it. But in those days it was strictly a one day affair kept within proper bounds. Minority institutions run by Muslims, Christians or the monotheistic Brahmos were altogether outside this Hindu festival.
However, even under the Raj, they increasingly came under majoritarian pressure. There is one incident involving Subhas Bose, which is full sinister portents. Bose was groomed by CR Das, a very conservative Hindu leader having an animus against the reformist Brahmos.
The young Bose had made a name for himself as a troublemaker. This time he led an agitation against the Brahmo authorities of the Herambachandra College demanding that the students be allowed to hold Saraswati Puja within the college compound.
This annoyed Rabindranath Tagore, who strongly condemned it. This unthinking excitability characterized Bose's entire political career which ended in a disaster. After Independence, it could have been secularized without altogether breaking with the tradition.
A cultural or literary festival named after the Goddess could have been a good substitute. But none attempted it, not even the Left. Under their uninterrupted long rule in Bengal, the Puja became became a norm in the educational institutions and a menace outside.
The Puja organizers blocked roads to raise subscriptions from passing vehicles and extortions became a way of life. Yet it did not prevent them from raising objection to the introduction of Saraswati prayers in Uttar Pradesh schools by the BJP government.
If the Left attitude has been hypocritical, the Hindutva proponents have used it as a weapon to further its sectarian agenda. One of the unfortunate victims of their religious politics was MF Husain, arguably the greatest painter of Independent India. In Husain's secular imagination, the past and the present freely mingled, as did different cultural traditions.
Husain's Saraswati paintings are characterised by refined sensibility, bold experimentation and artistic virtuosity. The Saraswati images are subdued and never explicitly sensual as most sculptural representations are. RSS and the Hindutva brigade under it viciously attacked Hussain for hurting Hindu sensibility and vandalized his exhibition.
The trauma was so great that Husain had to leave the country and spend his last days in painful self exile. It was persecution of one of Saraswati's gifted children by those who cared little for learning or painting.
The greatest challenge to the Saraswatic tradition of this land comes from the Hindutva asuras whom the bewitching Goddess once deprived of the nectar to ensure their mortality.
---
*Source: Author's Facebook timeline 

Comments

TRENDING

Reducing emission? India among top nations whose coal as energy source going up

By NS Venkataraman*  The State of the Global Climate report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirmed that the year 2023 was the warmest year on record, with the global temperature of 1.4 degree celsius above pre-industrial 1850-1900 base line.

Lockdown 'total failure' of science more than of politics: Open letter on 4th anniversary

Counterview Desk  In an open letter to fellow academicians, scientists and medical practitioners in India, marking the fourth anniversary of India's lockdown (25 March 2024), the Managing Committee* of the Universal Health Organisation (UHO) has insisted on the need to "repair two years of immense damage to science".

Insider plot to kill Deendayal Upadhyay? What RSS pracharak Balraj Madhok said

By Shamsul Islam*  Balraj Madhok's died on May 2, 2016 ending an era of old guards of Hindutva politics. A senior RSS pracharak till his death was paid handsome tributes by the RSS leaders including PM Modi, himself a senior pracharak, for being a "stalwart leader of Jan Sangh. Balraj Madhok ji's ideological commitment was strong and clarity of thought immense. He was selflessly devoted to the nation and society. I had the good fortune of interacting with Balraj Madhok ji on many occasions". The RSS also issued a formal condolence message signed by the Supremo Mohan Bhagwat on behalf of all swayamsevaks, referring to his contribution of commitment to nation and society. He was a leading RSS pracharak on whom his organization relied for initiating prominent Hindutva projects. But today nobody in the RSS-BJP top hierarchy remembers/talks about Madhok as he was an insider chronicler of the immense degeneration which was spreading as an epidemic in the high echelons of th

Magnetic, stunning, Protima Bedi 'exposed' malice of sexual repression in society

By Harsh Thakor*  Protima Bedi was born to a baniya businessman and a Bengali mother as Protima Gupta in Delhi in 1949. Her father was a small-time trader, who was thrown out of his family for marrying a dark Bengali women. The theme of her early life was to rebel against traditional bondage. It was extraordinary how Protima underwent a metamorphosis from a conventional convent-educated girl into a freak. On October 12th was her 75th birthday; earlier this year, on August 18th it was her 25th death anniversary.

Savarkar 'criminally betrayed' Netaji and his INA by siding with the British rulers

By Shamsul Islam* RSS-BJP rulers of India have been trying to show off as great fans of Netaji. But Indians must know what role ideological parents of today's RSS/BJP played against Netaji and Indian National Army (INA). The Hindu Mahasabha and RSS which always had prominent lawyers on their rolls made no attempt to defend the INA accused at Red Fort trials.

'Flawed' argument: Gandhi had minimal role, naval mutinies alone led to Independence

Counterview Desk Reacting to a Counterview  story , "Rewiring history? Bose, not Gandhi, was real Father of Nation: British PM Attlee 'cited'" (January 26, 2016), an avid reader has forwarded  reaction  in the form of a  link , which carries the article "Did Atlee say Gandhi had minimal role in Independence? #FactCheck", published in the site satyagrahis.in. The satyagraha.in article seeks to debunk the view, reported in the Counterview story, taken by retired army officer GD Bakshi in his book, “Bose: An Indian Samurai”, which claims that Gandhiji had a minimal role to play in India's freedom struggle, and that it was Netaji who played the crucial role. We reproduce the satyagraha.in article here. Text: Nowadays it is said by many MK Gandhi critics that Clement Atlee made a statement in which he said Gandhi has ‘minimal’ role in India's independence and gave credit to naval mutinies and with this statement, they concluded the whole freedom struggle.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah*   The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual. 

'Wrong direction': Paris NGO regrets MNC ArcelorMittal still using coal-based steel

By Rajiv Shah  A new report by Paris-based non-governmental research and campaigning organization, Reclaim Finance, has blamed the MNC ArcelorMittal – formed in 2006 following the takeover and merger of the western European steel maker Arcelor (Spain, France, and Luxembourg) by Indian-owned Mittal Steel – for using use “climate destructive” metallurgical coal for its projects in India.

Attack on foreign students: Gujarat varsity's reputation, ranking at stake, say academics

Counterview Desk  Expressing anguish over the attack on international students in Gujarat University hostels, a letter claimed to have been signed by 122 current and former academics has asked the Gujarat Vice Chancellor, Dr Neerja Gupta, to provide emotional support to the attacked students and to ensure their physical safety.  

Poor private sector engagement 'impacting' carbon pricing policy in Global South

Counterview Desk  The joint report by Environmental Defense Fund and Observer Research Fund, "Navigating Carbon Pricing: The G20 Experience and Global South Prospects", delves into the complex landscape of carbon pricing, examining its application within the G20 nations and the potential implications for emerging economies in the Global South.  The report claims to provide insights and recommendations for effective carbon pricing strategies in diverse economies.  A note: The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and Observer Research Foundation (ORF) have launched the Navigating Carbon Pricing: The G20 Experience and Global South Prospects” report. The report delves into the complex landscape of carbon pricing, examining its application within the G20 nations and the potential implications for emerging economies in the Global South. The report offers a comprehensive analysis of various carbon pricing instruments currently in existence, providing valuable i