Ajatashatru, son of Bimbisara

April 19, 2025April 19, 2025 ~ Venki ~ 2 Comments

“What will happen to you if I don’t spend time with you?”, I asked my daughter a few weeks back.

The narcissist in me was thinking of how much time and effort I was spending with my daughter, taking her to classes, teacher her, training with her. I wanted her to acknowledge the effort. I wanted her to be grateful. In a moment of reflection, I realised how very unbecoming was my wish. It was not for my daughter to learn but for me to feel acknowledged. I was reminded of the story of Ajatashatru that I read as a child. The story has always been with me for two reasons. I want to share both here.

Ajatashatru was the king of Magadha who is believed to have lived in 450 BC, right at the same time as Gautama Buddha. As a teenager he imprisoned his father, King Bimbisara and forcefully took over him kingdom. He has massive expansionist ambitions. In a few months, he ordered for the execution of his father. Months later, his uncle Presenajit, the king of Kosala waged a war on him to avenge the death of his friend and the husband of his sister, Bimbisara. During the war, Ajatashatru confessed told him the story.

“The day I ordered execution of my father, I had a child of my own. I lifted the baby and realise the love a father has for his children. I realised the sacrifices a father is ready to make for his children. I didn’t want my father executed anymore. I rushed but by then my orders were already carried out. I am unable to live in peace from then on. I couldn’t go back to the same palace. I moved the capital from Rajgriha to Champa to stay away from the memories. I am haunted by these memories.

I have never felt at peace ever since. I keep waging wars as it distracts me from those memories. “

Firstly, the story stuck with me for how sons never realise the sacrifices of their father till they become one. Then they expect their children to be grateful without ever showing the same to their father. The second one was how mistakes haunt people and the coping mechanisms one takes. I want to talk more about the former in this post.

Coming back to my present, as I started reflecting on the story. I started thinking of the sacrifices my father has made for us. He could have very comfortable life, if he didn’t sacrifice as much. As I just pondered over my childhood, I was filled with gratitude.

As a computer science and mathematics graduate, he could have easily got a job in many parts of the world, which meant he won’t be able to take care of his parents. He sacrificed his career for them.
To ensure, we have a place, he invested everything he can to buy a house. For the next 15 years, he didn’t buy anything for himself from clothes to shoes.
He was a diabetic but he worked three and sometimes 4 jobs to ensure our family can afford everything. Today, we talk about working on weekends like some sort of sacrifice. From my memory, he worked a single day job, 2 separate evening jobs, a weekend job and used to run private tuitions. Being tired was a luxury he couldn’t afford. He didn’t have anyone to complain about his situation.
He travelled a lot on a scooter, which in those poor roads had the same impact on one’s hand like drilling concrete. His schedule on an average day was
- Wake up at 4 – 4:30
- Help getting things ready for all of us
- Drop me and my sister to school at 7:30
- Go to work
- Come back from work at 3:00, pick us up from school
- Go to his next job
- Come back at 8:00 pm
- Have dinner and continue the next day
Even after doing all this for the first 1.5 decades of my life, I never saw him do anything for himself.

I was comparing my situation. I drive air conditioned cars. I can afford to buy more than what I need. I have more than what I deserve. I can take off anytime I want. My father topped the state in HSC but couldn’t afford to get application form for engineering. He had to top the university every year, so that he can study the next. He lived in a home because my grandparents couldn’t afford food while he studied school. I was an average student, who was sent to UK to do an MBA. The luxuries in my life today are purely a function of the sacrificed made by my parents.

Well, if I want my daughter needs to be grateful, then what should I do? Actually, I want her to be grateful not to me but to her grandfather. As a first step, I decided to stop talking about myself but instead about the sacrifices her grand father. I want her to be grateful for the life we do today. That was my Ajatashatru – Bimbisara moment.

All of Fast Bowling in India is a footnote to JJ Bumrah

March 11, 2024 ~ Venki ~ 2 Comments

Alfred North Whitehead once famously said, “All of western philosophy is a footnote to Plato.” I couldn’t borrow a better assertion to highlight the contribution of Jasprit Jasbirsingh Bumrah. Today marks what would have been the fifth day of the final test between England and India at Dharamshala. The series marked a few great moments, starting with 700 wickets to James Andreson, who doesn’t seem to age. Ravichandran Ashwin both reached 500 wickets and also completed 100 tests. Sarfraz Khan got a chance to play for India after knocking the door fibre by fibre over the last 3 years. Yashasvi Jaiswal has raised the bar so high that falling doesn’t look like an option anymore. Shubman Gill managed to show why he has been rated quite high. Why on earth am I talking about Jasprit Bumrah? I will use statistics and highlight the impact.

Test Matches

Test matches continue to be the grand stage for cricketers of substance. The nature of the game has moved from an era of negotiating defensively to asserting positively, whether it is batting, bowling or fielding. I want to start by how Jasprit Bumrah compares with other Indian Fast Bowlers.

Stats

Amongst fast bowlers who have taken over 50 test wickets, Bumrah has the best average, economy and strike rate.

Player	Span	Mat	Inns	Wkts	BBI	Average	Econ	Strike Rate
JJ Bumrah	2018-2024	36	69	159	6/27	20.69	2.74	45.1
B Kumar	2013-2018	21	37	63	6/82	26.09	2.94	53.1
Mohammed Shami	2013-2023	64	122	229	6/56	27.71	3.3	50.2
N Kapil Dev	1978-1994	131	227	434	9/83	29.64	2.78	63.9
Mohammed Siraj	2020-2024	27	50	74	6/15	29.68	3.35	53.1

While, India always boasted of spinners who can win series in their homeland, the issue was the lack of penetrating fast bowlers to take 20 wickets abroad. Bumrah again tops the charts in terms of average, economy rate and strike rate.

Player	Span	Mat	Inns	Wkts	BBI	Average	Econ	SR
JJ Bumrah	2018-2024	28	54	126	6/27	21.83	2.72	48
IK Pathan	2003-2008	15	28	73	7/59	25.57	3.45	44.4
Mohammed Siraj	2020-2024	17	32	61	6/15	28.65	3.3	52
Mohammed Shami	2013-2023	43	80	153	6/56	30.49	3.38	54
Z Khan	2000-2014	54	95	207	7/87	31.47	3.4	55.4

Impact

The impact of a player is not just performing but contributing to the victory of the team. Again, not only does Bumrah have the best average, economy and strike rate amongst the fast bowlers in victories, he has the second best percentage of wickets taken for the winning cause amongst everyone.

Player	Span	Mat	Inns	Wkts	BBI	Average	Econ	SR	Win %	Wicket %in wins
JJ Bumrah	2018-2024	17	33	91	6/27	15.19	2.7	33.6	47.22%	57.23%
N Kapil Dev	1979-1994	24	48	90	7/56	18.3	2.42	45.2	18.32%	20.74%
J Srinath	1993-2002	17	34	68	6/21	20.3	2.5	48.7	25.37%	28.81%
Mohammed Shami	2013-2023	31	62	118	5/28	20.34	3.09	39.3	48.44%	51.53%
IK Pathan	2003-2008	13	26	67	7/59	20.52	3.15	39	44.83%	67.00%

If these statistics aren’t amazing enough, then a quick comparison across eras on fast bowlers with over 150 wickets places Bumrah third in the list, surpassing Malcolm Marshall, Joel Garner, Curtly Ambrose and even Glenn McGrath.

Player	Span	Mat	Inns	Wkts	BBI	Average	Econ	SR
SF Barnes (ENG)	1901-1914	27	50	189	9/103	16.43	2.36	41.6
AK Davidson (AUS)	1953-1963	44	82	186	7/93	20.53	1.97	62.2
JJ Bumrah (IND)	2018-2024	36	69	159	6/27	20.69	2.74	45.1
MD Marshall (WI)	1978-1991	81	151	376	7/22	20.94	2.68	46.7
J Garner (WI)	1977-1987	58	111	259	6/56	20.97	2.47	50.8
CEL Ambrose (WI)	1988-2000	98	179	405	8/45	20.99	2.3	54.5
FS Trueman (ENG)	1952-1965	67	127	307	8/31	21.57	2.61	49.4
GD McGrath (AUS)	1993-2007	124	243	563	8/24	21.64	2.49	51.9

ODIs

Against my natual inclination, I decided to also compare him with in One Day Internationals. This is because, the nature of the game has change more than tests. An economy rate of 4 was high in 1970s while it is insane in 2020.

Stats

While the economy rates may be varied, Bumrah still tops Indian fastbowever with over 100 wickets in terms of average. Mohammed Shami the unlucky second with a even better strike rate goes for one run per over more than Bumrah.

Player	Span	Mat	Inns	Wkts	BBI	Average	Econ	SR
JJ Bumrah	2016-2023	89	88	149	6/19	23.55	4.59	30.7
Mohammed Shami	2013-2023	101	100	195	7/57	23.68	5.55	25.5
N Kapil Dev	1978-1994	225	221	253	5/43	27.45	3.71	44.2
AB Agarkar	1998-2007	191	188	288	6/42	27.85	5.07	32.9
J Srinath	1991-2003	229	227	315	5/23	28.08	4.44	37.8

Impact

If we look at contribution of Bumrah in wins, the statistics are even more staggering. The economy rate comes down even further. What is even more impressive is that India has won 70% of the matches he has played and 80% of his wickets have come in a winning cause.

Player	Span	Mat	Inns	Wkts	BBI	Average	Econ	SR
JJ Bumrah	2016-2023	63	63	119	6/19	18.69	4.21	26.6
Mohammed Shami	2013-2023	62	62	139	7/57	18.74	5.17	21.7
S Madan Lal	1975-1987	34	34	50	4/20	19.68	3.66	32.2
Mohammed Siraj	2019-2023	33	33	59	6/21	20.49	4.83	25.4
RMH Binny	1980-1986	33	33	54	4/29	20.7	4.16	29.8

The other way I want to look at impact is how well Bumrah has inspired people to perfrom around him. Brett Lee or Jason Gillespie were never the same without Glenn McGrath. I want to compare three players who played before and with Jasprit Bumrah. The changes to the average and strike rate are quite drastic in matches with Jasprit Bumrah.

In matches before Jasprit Bumrah

Player	Span	Mat	Inns	Wkts	BBI	BBM	Average	Econ	SR
B Kumar	2013-2018	21	37	63	6/82	8/96	26.09	2.94	53.1
Mohammed Shami	2013-2018	39	75	142	6/56	9/118	29.52	3.38	52.3
I Sharma	2007-2018	90	161	267	7/74	10/108	34.28	3.19	64.4

In matches with Jasprit Bumrah

Player	Span	Mat	Inns	Wkts	BBI	BBM	Average	Econ	SR
B Kumar	2018-2018	2	4	10	4/87	6/120	20.3	3.02	40.2
I Sharma	2018-2021	16	30	58	5/43	8/74	20.81	2.56	48.6
Mohammed Shami	2018-2022	25	47	91	6/56	8/107	26.9	3.22	50.1

Number don’t lie. So, it is easy to see how well Bumrah has done as compared to the greats of this era and that of the past. However, I do want to look into the intagible qualifiers of the bowlers. As someone who has watched from Kapil Dev to Javagal Srinath and then Zaheer Khan, it is hard for me not to compare the impact they all had on the game. With absolute respect to each of those players who performed well, Jasprit Bumrah is on a league of his own. He has broken traditions not just in terms of actions but also in terms of the expectations of a test bowler. The only bowler I can compare from my memory is Malcolm Marshall. Marshall came on the back of Holding, Garner and Roberts. He left behind Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose. Many of the them took more wickets and they were all greats but Malcolm was the GOAT, who galvanised the unit. Jasprit Bumrah is that galvaniser for the Indian Cricket. There were philosophers before and after but Plato will forever be remembered as the icon of western philosophy. Similarly, Jasprit Bumrah will be icon for Indian Fast Bowling or rather Fast Bowling in India will be a footnote to Jasprit Bumrah, a true modern great.

Helen Reddy – Teaching us to roar

January 5, 2021January 5, 2021 ~ Venki ~ 1 Comment

For over a decade the year 2020 was earmarked to be a milestone year in both business and politics. However, no one could have foreseen the horror that hit us. The world was unprepared to deal with a pandemic of this proportion. The official figure states that approximately 80 million people have been affected and over 1.75 million have died. Plenty of people have lost their near and dear ones. In the process, we have also lost some global icons like Diego Maradona, Kobe Bryant and Sean Connery. However, the two who have left an indelible mark in public sphere were Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Helen Reddy. I want to take a moment and reflect on the latter, a woman who became an representation of the second wave of feminism with a single song.

Some people have an impact which goes beyond their actual work. They inspire a generation. Helen Reddy was such an inspiration. When most cultures of the world were still stuck with prehistoric myths about women, the counter culture and the feminist movement made huge strides in taking civilisation forward. The civil rights is much more than Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and “I have a dream”. The free speech movement is much more than Mario Savio and “Bodies upon the gears”. The feminist movement is also much bigger than Helen Reddy and “I am a woman, hear me roar!”. However, both the individual and their work had a significant impact in shaping up an entire generation.

The biggest mark of respect for Helen Reddy is what we can learn from the woman who roared. Her songs and voice have already been immortalised, thanks to our ability to record and play them. However, as I mentioned before her work signifies more than the construct of the creation. There are two key learnings I want to highlight from the works of the lioness.

Showcase strength not weakness

Constant fighting can be sapping and will easily pave wave for self pity and weakness. The trend these days is to infantilise every community when they are affected. However, the battle for equality cannot be left to infants. There are some key values I want to share in order to showcase the strength.

It is fine to be the first

Humans innately seek patterns. We look for people who share our traits. This is especially true if we think that trait has been historically discriminated. The most common ones are physical ability, gender, religion, sex, race and nationality. We don’t hear about the first bald Nobel Prize Winner. That is because no one associates with baldness as their key attribute. One key value we should learn is not to find precedence with the characteristic we associate with ourselves.

Equity is not a means for equality

To give every individual adequate support so that they can do well is paramount in a civil society. To give every individual different advantage so that they can all reach the same destination at the same time is discrimination. The former is equality. The latter is equity. If I had trained alongside Usain Bolt all my life, it doesn’t guarantee me achieving the same result in sprinting. Equality is where I get all the necessary facilities to be the best sprinter possible. Equity on the other hand is ensuring I get a head start to ensure I finish the race at the same time as Usain Bolt. It is a dangerous idea. Equity is often thrust as a tool for equality. It is completely contrary. It sidelines people and in a passive aggressive way also denies them the opportunity to live their life with grace and respect. We should showcase enough strength to reject equity even if it sounds tempting.

Act sensibly, standup immediately if you can

Safeguard yourself first. Once you are safe, then do not be a silent spectator to an injustice. If one doesn’t act at the first possible opportunity, then one invariably allows the injustice to propagate. Think of the number of Hollywood stars who didn’t open about either Bill Cosby or Harvey Weinstein. These starts who preach morality to us sitting in the comfortable beach houses could have highlighted the issue years in advance. They were in a safe space. Instead they quietly watched as the predators kept counting their victims.

Prepare the next generation

Every individual is a victim of their situation. Not everyone has the courage to face and fight back. However, everyone can prepare the next generation for a fight. It is crucial that we teach our kids to question, standup and fight for their rights and everyone else’s rights.

Do not become the monster you hate

Perpetuating community hatred

What is the difference between the below sets of assertions?

“Women are too weak to be by themselves”
“All men are horrible”

“White race is superior”
“All white people are racist”

Both these sets have two opposing views and all arguments are non sequiturs. It is a generalisation from one example. These assertions will only propagate further division and violence in the society. However, what we see today is a strong movement towards the second assertion. It is almost like the pendulum has swung too far to the other side.

Belief shouldn’t circumvent due process

For centuries the word of a woman has been either ignored or undermined in the court of law. This has resulted in men getting their way with the judgement of their choice. For example even today in most islamic courts, the evidence of a woman is only weighed half as much as a man. This horrific situation where justice is based on barbaric laws and incorrigible beliefs has caused havoc to societies which practice this. We all need to fight for due process, facts and verification of evidences.

The same due process should apply if the roles are actually reversed. An accusation against a man which is based on preconceived notions established by the stereotypes is just as horrible. It isn’t justice but an inappropriate revenge. Such behaviours will only send the civil societies spiral into anarchy.

Liberty is a freedom to choose not a mandate to change

A woman should have the right over her reproductive cycle. She needs to have the right to go back to work when she chooses. She needs to have the right to choose the career she can excel. The key word in all this in choice. This means the woman has the right to choose a path which can be stereotyped. For example, she can decide to quit her job and raise the child. She can decide to be a teacher over an engineer. The mandate to have diversity in a field shouldn’t come at the expense of forcing a woman out of her comfort.

I increasingly see woman who decide to have a family, go into creative arts or in some extreme cases just be soft spoken looked down by the fellow women. This isn’t liberalism or feminism. This is unadulterated discrimination. It is the unforeseen result of people who have become the monsters they hated.

To conclude, I strongly feel we need to go back to the principles which stand out of the famous song. Rest in peace Helen Reddy. Your words are immortal. They will last till we have language. The words will resonate in my ears till my brain can process sound.

I am woman, hear me roar In numbers too big to ignore And I know too much to go back an’ pretend ’cause I’ve heard it all before And I’ve been down there on the floor No one’s ever gonna keep me down againOh yes I am wise But it’s wisdom born of pain Yes, I’ve paid the price But look how much I gained If I have to, I can do anything I am strong (strong)I am invincible (invincible) I am woman You can bend but never break me ’cause it only serves to make me More determined to achieve my final goal And I come back even stronger Not a novice any longer ’cause you’ve deepened the conviction in my soul I am woman watch me grow See me standing toe to toe As I spread my lovin’ arms across the land But I’m still an embryo With a long long way to go Until I make my brother understand Oh yes I am wise But it’s wisdom born of pain Yes, I’ve paid the price But look how much I gained If I have to I can face anything I am strong (strong) I am invincible (invincible) I am woman Oh, I am woman I am invincible I am strong I am woman I am invincible I am strong I am woman

RIP Helen Reddy

Hitchbute – A tribute to the great Christopher Hitchens

April 12, 2020August 15, 2022 ~ Venki ~ Leave a comment

Today marks the seventy-first birthday of a great man whose words and actions liberated a lot of young minds across the globe, a man whose language skills inspired a generation of writers and whose drinking ability brought charm to alcoholics. The man is none other than the great orator, author, polemicist, journalist Christopher Eric Hitchens or as his friends call Hitch. I couldn’t find a more apt day to come out of my hiatus and write again. This is my tribute to the great man, who had an unparalleled influence on me and a person I consider my mentor. Writers and scientists far superior to me have written about the great man. I can’t stop expressing my admiration to my hero just because there were people who did it more eloquently than I.

The most impressive part about Christopher is the axioms on which he operated. He also had a unique ability to refine them. While lesser mortals prefer distilled truths, Christopher can make his own from the collective learning of our entire species. As new facts emerged, he will be more than happy to dismiss those axioms for new ones. Further, his premises to those axioms were fairly simple. They were to achieve liberty, fellowship and wisdom. Every action and view of the great man were an extension of these. While many people say this very few people have ever stayed true to it in the face of adversity or contradicting facts but not Christopher. He will fight you even as his friend if you have to be corrected.

Very few people in history have defied loyalty to their group identity and always stayed true to their identity. Christopher Hitchens was a darling of the American radical left. His views were always in line with what we refer as traditional leftist views. He walked in lockstep with the famous linguist, dissident and author Noam Chomsky. He then parted ways with his comrades over the issue of Islamic terrorism. They wanted to blame the United States for it and Christopher wasn’t ready. This led to a year of trading insults in the public. Christopher wasn’t the one to flinch in the face of adversity. He fought back in a way only he can.

Oliver Goldsmith lived over 2 centuries before the birth of Christopher Hitchens but I imagine he had a view of Christopher’s ability when he wrote the Village Schoolmaster. The words can only do justice to Christopher.

Full well they laugh’d with counterfeited glee,
At all his jokes, for many a joke had he:
Full well the busy whisper, circling round,
Convey’d the dismal tidings when he frown’d:
Yet he was kind; or if severe in aught,
The love he bore to learning was in fault.
The village all declar’d how much he knew;
‘Twas certain he could write, and cipher too:
Lands he could measure, terms and tides presage,
And e’en the story ran that he could gauge.
In arguing too, the parson own’d his skill,
For e’en though vanquish’d he could argue still;

– excerpt from the Poem The village Schoolmaster by Oliver Goldsmith found in his collection “Deserted Village”

Christopher Hitchens was a ticking bomb in the hands of the people who want to use him for their vested interests. When Christopher parted ways with the American left on his war on terrorism, many people in the right started using him as a useful idiot or a tool in their hands. Little did they realise, that he was a ball of fire on their dirty hands. He burnt them alive with his scathing attack on religion with his book ‘god is not Great – How Religion Poisons Everything’. The book remains a masterpiece amongst the books written by the Four horsemen of Atheism. Christopher went on a book tour debating religious leaders across faiths and politicians across parties. The debates can only be described as the annihilation of the forces of darkness. His speech on the book at Google is still one of the best talks I have listened in Google.

Christopher Hitchens was a friend any honest individual would love to have and every dishonest person should fear. The two tales of friendship, one Salman Rushdie and the next with Sidney Blumenthal, perfectly encapsulates the fellowship Christopher held. Salman Rushdie found the militant support and reinforcement in Christopher when there was a fatwa against him from the Islamic nations or the protest against him being awarded the Bookers prize. On the other hand, Sidney Blumenthal faced the wrath of his once friend when he decided to backstab Christopher to be a confidante of the corrupt Clinton family. The man lived by and for his principles, right till his very end.

One of the famous quotes of Christopher was his response to a question on feeling safe in the night in an unknown city with religious people. Christopher responded to that question with cities without leaving the letter ‘B’ where he will never be comfortable when he knows that the crowd he is encountering is coming after a prayer meeting. It was brilliant, witty and above all irrefutable. I want to wrap my tribute to the great man by describing him with adjectives without leaving the letter ‘C’.

cantankerous – He was in all his views
captivating – He was when he expressed himself
cathartic – He was to every individual fighting for liberty
caustic – He was when you hurt his respect
challenging – He was when your views are wrong
changeable – He was with facts
charged – He was when taking on his foes
charming – He was admist adversity
cherished – He was amongst all his admirers
circumspect – He was about any faith
civilised – He was when dealing with common people
clever – He was as evident from his words
coherent – He was even when drunk
combative – He was when liberty is challenged
comfortable – He was with what he was doing
comical – He was when the situation demands
commendable – He was for all his output
communicative – He was to capture even a dissenting audience
compassionate – He was for people in need
competent – He was in every field
conscientious – He was when dealing with any issue
contentious – He was when drawn to dishonest attacks
convincing – He was in any argument
cordial – He was when being treated with respect
courageous – He was when facing a crisis
courteous – He was when speaking to strangers
Creative – He was with all his works
critical – He was of anything which affects humans in a wrong way
cultured – He was even when challenged
curious – He was as he kept learning
I can’t thank the great man enough. The world misses him as do I. His thoughts will live with me for the rest of my life.

Kalaignar Muthuvel Karunanidhi – The architect of the Tamil Deal

August 11, 2018August 15, 2018 ~ Venki ~ 2 Comments

Muthuvel Karunanidhi (fondly called Kalaignar) died on 7th August 2018 at the age of 94. His death brings to end the generation of people who saw the transformation of politics in Tamil Nadu through the Dravidian movement. The Dravidian movement in Tamil Nadu which spread to most parts of India was the Tamil version of ‘New Deal‘. In my mind, it was also a movement that anticipated and prevented a massive civil war between the North of India and the South. Muthuvel Karunanidhi was one of the key architects of this deal. I do not want to write this as a Tribute as I do not revere or worship him as an individual. I want to intertwine my adulation of the Dravidian movement with his contribution.

For many like myself, Karunanidhi or Kalignar was a writer, an activist, a politician and an orator par excellence. The millennials and the brainwashed caste addicts of Tamil Nadu might have a different viewpoint from mine. For his detractors, Karunanidhi was also a typical politician, a hypocrite, a pseudo-atheist, a corrupt leader who was charged with both bribery and nepotism. I want to acknowledge these facts. Karunanidhi is definitely guilty of nepotism, corruption, self-indulgence and in some instances abetting political crimes including murder. However, I also see a partisanship in some of his detractors. His detractors mostly support others who do the exact same mistakes. Irrespective of what one thinks of him, his impact on the political arena in Tamil Nadu cannot be overstated.

The Dravidian movement started with the formation of the Justice Party which was predominantly non-brahmin elites. However, it wasn’t until EV Ramasamy and Annadurai joined hands did the movement get any direction and traction. Actor turned politician Kamalhasan rightly pointed out that the people who led the Dravidian resurgence movement during the mid-twentieth century were actually the men of the hour. The situation was ripe to fight the status-quo. However, someone has to still fight the battle. I want to highlight a few critical aspects of the movement.

Revolution through literary arts

The early Dravidian movement also created a resurgence of Tamil literary arts. The beauty in the words of Annadurai, Kannadasan and Karunanidhi captivated and mesmerised the readers. They used the performing arts sectors like stage plays and movies to gravitate people towards this renaissance of Tamil Literature. Their ability to combine revolutionary ideas with humour and realism was mindblowing. Annadurai’s Velaikari, Oru Iravu and Karunanidhi’s Kagithapoo, Thookkumedai were stage plays which transformed the field of their times. They harnessed the power of literature to send a message that resonated with oppressed classes. Their philosophy resonated with women, people belonging to discriminated castes and working communities. It was a movement to emancipate the communities. There is also a part of me which feels for their speeches not becoming as famous as the ones of Dr Martin Luther King Jr, even among the Tamil speaking people of today. I fear more know about ‘I have a dream’ than the words of Annadurai.

Fight without destroying the democratic fabric

Most of the revolutions of their times destroyed the democratic fabric of the society. When the Dravidian movement started gaining momentum, India and with that Tamil nation had recently obtained the rights of self-determination from the British. While the movement in its early stages was definitely separationist, it was never non-democratic. Annadurai was always in favour of contesting elections and winning the hearts and minds of people. This brought him at loggerheads with his partner E.V. Ramasamy.

Just for history, E.V. Ramasamy affectionately called Periyar and Annadurai, parted ways firstly on India gaining Independence from British Rule. Periyar felt that being ruled by the British will be better for the oppressed castes and Annadurai was fundamentally opposed to that. Annadurai was for the rights of the people federate and self-determine. Annadurai broke from the parent organisation Dravidar Kazhagam to form Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, a political movement which later became a political party.

While Freedom from aliens was ringing in the air, the Dravidian community wanted freedom of identity. Post Independence, the Madras Presidency or the State of Madras was ruled by the Congress Party under Chakravarti Rajagopalachari. Much like what Periyar feared, South of India also referred to as Madras State was ruled by Brahmins and people in support of the North Indian rule. The imposed learning Hindi and caste-based vocational training. The Dravidian movement opposed the status-quo. However, they didn’t do it by going out of the systems. It was never a call to move out of the social democratic structure being set up. It was a call for national identity and federated powers without destroying what worked.

Project the federated nature of the Indian union

As I mentioned in my previous point, the movement was a call to federate the country. Surprisingly, the rejection of the federal structure was the primary reason behind the creation of both Pakistan and Bangladesh(East Pakistan). Jawaharlal Nehru wasn’t the one to relinquish the powers. He had a vision with him in the lead. It was much like Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore. Once people get a sense of freedom, it can be addictive and dignifying. The underrepresented communities of India started to call for federation. The Dravidian movement called for a separate Dravidian state. The central government under Jawaharlal Nehru had to give up its powers to keep the Indian Union intact. The process continued to reorganise states on a quasi-linguistic basis.

Once the Indian Union federated its structure, the Dravidian struggled continued to fight for identity and representation. The ruling members didn’t represent the culture, views and aspirations of the people. The Dravidian movement was a correction phenomenon. It was a correction which intended to

Fight for the Right to self-determine for the ethnic Dravidians
Fight against the mandatory learning of Hindi as a second language and move focus to learn the native languages
Fight against the rule of the minority Brahmin community
Fight against the educational system promoting caste-based vocational training

Non-violent rationalism

I am neither a pacifist nor a Gandhi follower. However, I appreciate a non-violent struggle where appropriate, especially in a democratic setting. The Dravidian movement started as a movement for rationalism in a non-violent fashion. It is true that there were elements of violence by some members, but the movement overall didn’t have strands of extremism. Their brand of rationalism encompassed secular pluralism and individual liberty. It utilised freedom of speech, expression and protest to drive the philosophy. I have to appreciate their approach.

In conclusion, I want to pay my respects to the literary works of a great writer in a language I love and hold dear. I will wrap up by sharing his words.

“வீழ்வது நாமாக இருப்பினும், வாழ்வது தமிழாக இருக்கட்டும்.”

Even if he has disappeared into eternal solitude, the words of Kalaignar Muthuvel Karunanidhi and Annadurai will remain with the Tamil lovers for generations.

“தனிமை போன்ற ஒரு கொடுமையும் இல்லை; அதைப்போல் ஒரு உண்மையான நண்பனும் இல்லை.”

My tribute to Liu Xiaobo

July 13, 2017July 13, 2017 ~ Venki ~ 1 Comment

The great Liu Xiaobo is no more. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate who took on the mighty totalitarian political regime in China succumbed to medical complications at the age of 61. For people with a rebellious streak, Liu represented the fight for liberty, freedom and extreme courage. For me, he was the peaceful version of Che Guevera. I am using the verses of the famous tamil rebel poet Subramaniya Bharathi as a tribute for Liu.

“தேடிச் சோறுநிதந் தின்று – பல
சின்னஞ் சிறுகதைகள் பேசி – மனம்
வாடித் துன்பமிக உழன்று – பிறர்
வாடப் பலசெயல்கள் செய்து – நரை
கூடிக் கிழப்பருவ மெய்தி – கொடுங்
கூற்றுக் கிரையெனப்பின் மாயும் – பல
வேடிக்கை மனிதரைப் போலே – நான்
வீழ்வே னென்று நினைத் தாயோ?
நின்னைச் சிலவரங்கள் கேட்பேன் – அவை
நேரே இன்றெனக்குத் தருவாய் – என்றன்
முன்னைத் தீயவினைப் பயன்கள் – இன்னும்
மூளா தழிந்திடுதல் வேண்டும் – இனி
என்னைப் புதியவுயி ராக்கி – எனக்
கேதுங் கவலையறச் செய்து – மதி
தன்னை மிகத்தெளிவு செய்து – என்றும்
சந்தோஷங் கொண்டிருக்கச் செய்வாய்.“

There are enough articles on the life of Liu, but I want to remember some of his quotes.

“Free expression is the base of human rights, the root of human nature and the mother of truth. To kill free speech is to insult human rights, to stifle human nature and to suppress truth.”

“My tendency to idealize Western civilization arises from my nationalistic desire to use the West in order to reform China. But this has led me to overlook the flaws of Western culture.”

“I hope that I will be the last victim in China’s long record of treating words as crimes.”

His inabsentia statement for receiving the Nobel Peace Prize.

“I look forward to (the day) when my country is a land with freedom of expression, where the speech of every citizen will be treated equally well; where different values, ideas, beliefs, and political views … can both compete with each other and peacefully coexist; where both majority and minority views will be equally guaranteed, and where the political views that differ from those currently in power, in particular, will be fully respected and protected; where all political views will spread out under the sun for people to choose from, where every citizen can state political views without fear, and where no one can under any circumstances suffer political persecution for voicing divergent political views. I hope that I will be the last victim of China’s endless literary inquisitions and that from now on no one will be incriminated because of speech.”

Liu will definitely be remembered for his courage. He could have escaped to Australia after the Chinese Communist Party started cracking down the protesters at Tiananmen Square. Even as his friend drove him down the embassy, he decided to stay back and fight. History shows that great fighters don’t live long enough to see the fruits of their sacrifices. Their death galvanises people to continue the struggle and I really hope the same happens for people of China to unite and fight for liberty.