By Rajiv Shah
Following my blog, in which I cited renowned mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik, who mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Dimagi Naxal” remark by stating that the word “Naxal” refers to a “special river reed that grows in North Bengal (kash grass) with silvery flowers”, and that “Naxali” would be the name of Lord Shiva’s son Kartikeya, who was “born amongst these reeds”, I received an interesting rejoinder.It came from a top scholar, Anil Gupta, former professor at the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIM-A), whom I have known ever since 1993, when I joined the Times of India, Ahmedabad, as an assistant editor. His rejoinder, which I received as a personal message, sought to establish that my blog was based on a recent internet myth.
Offering references from social media, Gupta, better known for his Shodh Yatras — “research walks” with management students to different parts of the country to learn from local communities and study their knowledge systems — wrote: “A viral social media trend sparked a fictional theory linking the word ‘Naxal’ to a mythical river grass from Hindu mythology. However, this is a creative linguistic interpretation rather than a real botanical or historical fact.”
Ironically, the social media links Gupta offers include an Instagram post by Yogendra Yadav, a well-known political scientist and currently a Swaraj India leader, who approvingly cites Pattanaik’s argument. Gupta, a padmashree awardee and a very insightful scholar, also cites Pattanaik’s Facebook post — the very post I had reported in my blog. I do not know whether Gupta has argued his case directly with either Yadav or Pattanaik.
At the same time, he told me: "Did the Naxalbari movement emerge in the Naxal grass region? I’ll have to study that. But one must appreciate Pattnaik’s very erudite interpretation. Of course, it obscures the real meaning, but it is still very insightful."
Yet, Gupta asserts, “There is no actual plant or biological species called ‘naxal grass’.” He cites a Google search in support. He says the confusion about “Naxal grass” comes from a couple of different sources. First, he points to the actual meaning of “Naxal”, arguing that it is not a type of plant but is named after Naxalbari — a specific village and geographic region in the Siliguri subdivision of West Bengal, where the 1967 peasant uprising took place.
Second, he says there may be confusion with “kash grass”, a very common native wild grass in North Bengal, including Naxalbari. Known scientifically as Saccharum spontaneum, it grows extensively along riverbeds, plains and marshy areas. He cites a LinkedIn reference, and two Facebook posts (click here and here) to prove his point.
“Kash grass is famous across West Bengal for blooming with beautiful, silvery-white fluffy flowers right around the autumn season (during Durga Puja),” Gupta says, citing three links (click here, here and here). “Because it grows heavily in the North Bengal riverbeds where the movement started, some people mistakenly or metaphorically refer to the local river reeds and tall grasses of the area as ‘naxal grass’,” he says, offering another Instagram post.
He adds that “the actual crops that heavily populate the agricultural landscape of Naxalbari, Khoribari, and Phansidewa are paddy (rice), tea plantations, and jute.”
He concludes: “If you want, I can share more details about the geography of North Bengal or explain how land rights over local farming fields triggered the 1967 movement. Let me know what you would like to explore next!”
I said I was interested.
However, he never came back to me, nor did he offer any comment on whether he agrees with or objects to Modi’s move to “isolate” those whom the ruling establishment considers “Dimagi Naxals”.
Yet, Gupta asserts, “There is no actual plant or biological species called ‘naxal grass’.” He cites a Google search in support. He says the confusion about “Naxal grass” comes from a couple of different sources. First, he points to the actual meaning of “Naxal”, arguing that it is not a type of plant but is named after Naxalbari — a specific village and geographic region in the Siliguri subdivision of West Bengal, where the 1967 peasant uprising took place.
Second, he says there may be confusion with “kash grass”, a very common native wild grass in North Bengal, including Naxalbari. Known scientifically as Saccharum spontaneum, it grows extensively along riverbeds, plains and marshy areas. He cites a LinkedIn reference, and two Facebook posts (click here and here) to prove his point.
“Kash grass is famous across West Bengal for blooming with beautiful, silvery-white fluffy flowers right around the autumn season (during Durga Puja),” Gupta says, citing three links (click here, here and here). “Because it grows heavily in the North Bengal riverbeds where the movement started, some people mistakenly or metaphorically refer to the local river reeds and tall grasses of the area as ‘naxal grass’,” he says, offering another Instagram post.
He adds that “the actual crops that heavily populate the agricultural landscape of Naxalbari, Khoribari, and Phansidewa are paddy (rice), tea plantations, and jute.”
He concludes: “If you want, I can share more details about the geography of North Bengal or explain how land rights over local farming fields triggered the 1967 movement. Let me know what you would like to explore next!”
I said I was interested.
However, he never came back to me, nor did he offer any comment on whether he agrees with or objects to Modi’s move to “isolate” those whom the ruling establishment considers “Dimagi Naxals”.
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