What stands out most about U.R. Ananthamurthy's Hindutva or Hind Swaraj? I have had the privilege of conversing him at length, during which he told me that he is an angry man and that the anger helps him write. His thoughts in the book, however, come with a great deal of restraint, although nothing can mask the significance of what he is actually trying to say. That we need a state, which we must constantly question, to contain the good and evil that exist side by side within us.
Hindutva or Hind Swaraj, Professor URA's last work before his death in 2014, came at a troubled time in his life — his open criticism of PM Modi had made him a subject of nationwide right-wing mockery. The book is at first glance, an answer to all those who decried him, but a couple of pages are all it takes to convince you that it is vastly more. He examines the very basis of the state itself- the inherent anarchy of the human being. And asks quietly, "in this culture, is it possible to see evil as another facet of divinity? Yes, it is... The man who becomes a demon is also part of that life."
The book is no political commentary, neither is it an academic work, said Keerti Ramachandra, who translated the work from Kannada with Vivek Shanbag. The intimate nature of these reflections is evident — he describes Savarkar's literary works as being addressed to an audience swelling visibly with nationalistic pride and Gandhi's Hind Swaraj as a conversation with a friend.
In that sense, URA's Hindutva or Hind Swaraj is a collection of thoughts — wavering, wandering and returning to their point of balance - within the author's own mind. This he corroborated, saying, “I feel an urgent need to talk to myself, both because of the nationwide humiliation that came my way when I rejected Modi and because of Modi’s overwhelming victory that left me astounded.”
Keerti and Vivek embarked on their translation in the midst of a fraught political climate. "I got a call from the publisher one day, asking if I could do this," said Keerti, who still appears surprised by how things played out. "I knew very little about URA or his works and my Kannada isn't good enough for the job either."
She was met with reassurances of help from Vivek Shanbag and the deal was struck, "over a cup of coffee at Koshy's." She isn't the least bit nervous about the repurcussions the book may have - "I would joke about it, saying I hoped someone wouldn't do a Kalburgi on me!" she remarked.
URA always lays blame where it is due, Congress party included. "He talks of nationhood and nationalism and says that anything carried out in an extreme manner is very dangerous. Only when you are moderate can you be inclusive," said Keerti.
Labels like 'anarchist' and 'leftist' are almost inevitable perhaps, for those who don't wish to understand the true depth of this momentuous work. "Gandhi himself was an anarchist, if you choose to see it that way," Keerti pointed out. "He compares India with a porcupine because it's made up of small, independent units. We're not a power that can be flattened at one shot. That's the kind of ideology Gandhi advocated as well."
URA speaks of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar with a certain begrudging respect, calling him a "rationalist" despite everything. There are tremors of philosophical dread underlying these chapters, however, as he describes a Hindutva state where blood ties define nationality.
The emotion underlying the work is almost palpable – thanks in large part to the excellent translation. “Vivek knew URA very well and was able to bring an insider’s perspective. I, on the other hand, was an outsider.” Oddly, that sums up URA’s attitude to life. As his old friend Professor Rajan Gurakkal put it so well at the book launch on Wednesday, “He became a part of the culture he criticized. He went within it and then looked out. His was never an empty rebellion.”
