“Kimasti kashchidasaviyati loke, yasya nirvikaram yauvanamatikrantam.”
—"Kadambari"
(“Is there anyone in this world whose youth passed without a single blemish?”)
“I am doing a work which has never been done before. I want to show the whole truth about myself. I am a person who is not like anyone else.”
—Jean-Jacques Rousseau, "Confessions"
***
Premkumar Mani, a distinguished Hindi writer, thinker, and politician, has crafted a remarkable oeuvre that includes five short-story collections, a novel titled "Dhalan", and five compilations of essays. His autobiography, "Akath Kahani" (The Untellable Story), published in 2023 by Vani Prakashan, stands as a profound socio-political narrative that transcends the personal to reflect the collective consciousness of marginalized and oppressed communities in India, particularly in Bihar. Spanning 368 pages, this work chronicles Mani’s life from childhood to old age, weaving a tapestry of personal experiences with incisive commentary on the caste, class, and socio-political dynamics of the Nehruvian and post-Nehruvian eras. Through his discerning lens, Mani illuminates the intricate interplay of social hierarchies, political upheavals, and cultural transformations in Bihar, offering a narrative that is both introspective and universally resonant.
A Life Shaped by Ideology and Critique
Mani’s ideological journey is marked by a critical engagement with the major intellectual currents of his time. Though briefly associated with the Communist Party of India (CPI), his ideological moorings align more closely with Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia, whom he reveres as the “Hindustani Voltaire.” Mani also expresses deep respect for Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, yet he maintains a critical distance from all ideological dogmas. His approach echoes the wisdom of Kalidasa in "Malavikagnimitram":
“Purāṇamityeva na sādhu sarvaṁ na cāpi kāvyaṁ navamityavadyam.
Santaḥ parīkṣyānyataradbhajante mūḍhaḥ parapratyayaneyabuddhiḥ.”
(“Just because something is old doesn’t make it great, nor does being new make a poem flawed. Wise people examine both and choose the better, while fools are led by others’ opinions.”)
Mani’s critical stance is evident in his critique of the contradictions within the CPI’s policies and Lohia’s complex personality. He challenges the upper-caste dominance within Communist circles, noting, “Upper castes had a stronghold in the Communist parties, and this was the root cause... When people from the upper castes came to the cities, they only felt economic inequality. They never had to face social humiliation... but this wasn’t the case for people from Dalit and backward communities... I wanted Marxists from upper-caste families to think more liberally about the conditions of Dalits and backward communities” (p. 180). This critique, often met with accusations of introducing a “caste discourse” into Marxism, underscores Mani’s commitment to addressing social inequalities ignored by traditional Marxist frameworks.
As a convert to Buddhism under the guidance of Bhikshu Jagdish Kashyap, Mani does not shy away from critiquing even the Buddha’s life and conduct, exposing contradictions within Buddhist institutions. His autobiography meticulously details the upper-caste dominance under Congress leadership, the limitations of Gandhism, Lohia’s selective critique of Nehru but silence on Gandhi, the hollow promises of Jayaprakash Narayan’s “Total Revolution,” and the complexities of backward-class politics following the Mandal Commission’s implementation. Mani also critiques the regressive politics of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the compromises of the Samata Party and Janata Dal (United), and the violent caste-based conflicts involving private armies and Naxalite movements in Bihar. His vivid analyses, grounded in lived experience, surpass the scope of theoretical sociology, offering a narrative that is both personal and profoundly sociological.
A Narrative of Integrity and Truth
Mani’s "Akath Kahani" is distinguished by its unflinching honesty, a quality that sets it apart from autobiographies that blend truth with embellishment to craft a grandiose narrative. As Vijaydev Narayan Sahi writes:
"Permit me, my great Guru, such humility
that I may speak with a voice of endless compassion
and that this endless compassion
does not seem like a pretense.
Permit me, such innocence,
that amidst this roaring terror
I may speak the truth with a reprimand
without the worry
of who, in this multifaceted war,
will use my truth for their own gain."
—Vijaydev Narayan Sahi, “A Prayer for Guru Kabir Das,” "Sakhi" (p. 140)
This ethos of truth-telling, unconcerned with how it may be weaponized, resonates with Iqbal’s poetic vision of those who risk everything for truth, unswayed by personal gain or loss:
"Unhesitatingly, love leapt into Nimrod’s fire;
Reason is still engrossed in observing from the balcony."
Structured in nearly forty chapters, "Akath Kahani" begins with Mani’s birth into a family marked by social transgression. He writes, “I was born from the union of a young couple who did not have social or priestly approval for their marriage. In those days, this was called a love marriage. My parents made a self-resolve to walk together, breaking and trampling on caste and many other traditions, and as if to underscore their resolve, I ‘appeared’” (p. 11). This act of defiance set the stage for a life shaped by resistance to caste orthodoxy. A harrowing incident from his infancy—when his maternal uncle, enraged by the inter-caste marriage, abandoned the newborn Mani on a well’s ledge—underscores the brutality of caste-based retribution. His mother’s retrieval of him and their reunion in the political party office where his father worked marked the unconventional “celebration” of his birth: “My birth was ‘celebrated’ in the party office. I was named. Life began” (p. 12).
Caste, Society, and Social Justice
Mani’s narrative situates his personal story within the broader context of India’s caste system, which Dr. Ambedkar described as a “multi-story skyscraper with no stairs to go up or down.” The autobiography references the "Bhagavad Gita"’s condemnation of inter-caste unions as producing varna-sankar (mixed-caste offspring) that lead to familial and ancestral ruin (Gita 1.41–42). Against this backdrop, Mani aligns with Ambedkar’s advocacy for inter-caste marriage as a tool to dismantle caste hierarchies, a radical stance that his parents embodied and which shaped his worldview.
Mani’s Kabirpanthi lineage, inherited from his paternal grandfather, a farmer with ten bighas of land, connects him to a tradition of social reform. He notes, “At one time, Kabirpanth was very strong among farmers and artisans’ families. The education our national movement spread in North India emphasized Tulsidas more. This was because the elite and upper-caste people of society led the national movement. Tulsidas’s writings fulfilled their social interests” (p. 14). This observation highlights the cultural politics of India’s independence movement, where upper-caste narratives often overshadowed subaltern voices. Mani draws parallels with Baba Ramchandra, a Dalit leader who used Tulsidas’s "Ramcharitmanas" to mobilize farmers and Dalits against landlords and colonial rule, illustrating the power of cultural narratives in shaping resistance.
The autobiography also reflects on the contradictions within Kabirpanthi practices, such as his grandfather’s selective untouchability, which deemed Muslims and Kayasthas “impure” for consuming chicken but spared Dalit Hindus. Yet, during the communal tensions of 1946–47, his grandfather stood in solidarity with Muslims, revealing the complex interplay of caste, religion, and humanity (p. 18).
Political Reflections and Disillusionments
Mani’s childhood, spent amidst political discussions and books like "Letters from a Father to His Daughter", exposed him to the centrality of caste in electoral politics. He recalls, “During the elections, I heard strong discussions about caste for the first time... The Bhumihars’ votes went to the Communist candidate for the assembly, but to the Congress candidate for the Lok Sabha... For votes, caste was a bigger attraction than the party” (pp. 25–26). This early realization of caste’s dominance over ideology shaped his later critiques of political parties and leaders.
Mani’s disillusionment with institutional Buddhism, particularly after witnessing hypocrisy among monks at Nalanda, marked a turning point. His rejection of a Buddha statue and the book "Problem of Sin" gifted by Bhikshu Vivekananda symbolizes his break from dogmatic adherence to tradition (p. 104). Similarly, his critique of Hindi literary circles—where he encountered feudal and patriarchal behaviors at writers’ conferences—reveals his commitment to ethical consistency. He writes, “While writing literature, they write great things, but in their behavior, they remain completely feudal—petty, obscene, and inhumane” (p. 119).
Politically, Mani dissects the failures of social justice movements in Bihar. He praises leaders like Karpoori Thakur and Jagdev Prasad for their commitment to marginalized communities but criticizes Lalu Prasad Yadav’s leadership for devolving into ego-driven populism and sycophancy, exemplified by slogans like “Long live Lalu God!” (pp. 236–37). His close relationship with Nitish Kumar, initially a beacon of hope, soured when Kumar prioritized electoral gains over principled social justice, leading to Mani’s expulsion from the party. This betrayal underscores the autobiography’s broader theme: the tension between personal integrity and the compromises of power politics.
A Collective Narrative
Unlike traditional autobiographies centered on the author’s “I,” "Akath Kahani" is a story of “we”—the marginalized communities of Bihar crushed by centuries of caste oppression. Mani’s narrative aligns with Swami Sahajanand Saraswati’s "Mera Jeevan Sangharsh", which chronicled the struggles of landless farmers. By focusing on the collective, Mani transforms his autobiography into a socio-political manifesto, exposing the semi-feudal, semi-capitalist structures that perpetuate casteism and communalism in Bihar. Drawing on Jürgen Habermas’s concept of modernity as an “unfinished project,” Mani argues that true social progress requires dismantling these foundational inequalities through continuous critique and action.
Critical Reflections and Limitations
While "Akath Kahani" is a tour de force of socio-political analysis, some of Mani’s assertions invite scrutiny. His claim that Nehru and Shastri’s rise to power was driven by caste dynamics oversimplifies their political ascent, ignoring broader historical and leadership factors. Similarly, his reduction of the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda relationship to a Brahmin-Kayastha alliance overlooks their spiritual bond, as evidenced by Vivekananda’s reverence for Ramakrishna as a “living Vedanta.” These interpretations, while provocative, risk alienating readers accustomed to alternative perspectives.
Moreover, Mani’s critique of Hindi departments as “strongholds of social reaction” (p. 119) generalizes the biases of individual educators to entire institutions, neglecting systemic issues like inadequate teacher selection processes. His focus on Hindi-speaking leaders’ linguistic shortcomings, while valid, could be balanced by acknowledging similar trends across India’s political landscape, regardless of language or region.
Conclusion
"Akath Kahani" is a monumental work that blends literary finesse with sociological insight, offering a searing critique of India’s socio-political landscape through the lens of a life dedicated to truth and justice. Mani’s integrity, reflected in his refusal to sanitize his experiences or conform to ideological dogmas, makes this autobiography a vital contribution to Hindi literature and socio-political discourse. Like Dharmanda Kosambi’s "Nivedan" and Swami Sahajanand’s "Mera Jeevan Sangharsh", it inspires readers to confront systemic inequalities and pursue transformative change.
As Iqbal’s verse reminds us, Mani’s fearless truth-telling—undeterred by the consequences—positions him as a rare voice in a world of political expediency:
"The narrow-minded ascetic considered me an infidel,
And the infidel thinks I am a Muslim."
---
*Department of Hindi, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad-500046
Comments