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incerityaloneisnotenoughtoworkeffectivelyinademocracy,andhavinganideologyisnotenough
tostiruparevolution.URAnanthamurthysnovellaBaraisrepletewithsuchobservations.First
publishedin1976inKannada(withthesamename)andthenmadeintoaHindimovie
titledSookhain1983,thebookwasaprobeintotheCongressLeftnexusduringtheEmergencyof
1975.IthasnowbeentranslatedinEnglishbyChandanGowda.Ananthamurthypassedawayon
August22,2014.
Here'sastoryofanuprightdistrictcommissioner,Satisha,whoisunabletoconvincethepowersthat
betodeclareadistrictdroughthit.Hisintentiontousehisauthoritytosaveastarvingpopulationis
trumpedbyoppressivehierarchies.Hisconfidenceinidealssuffersaquake.Thoughthenovella
capturesthezeitgeistofthe1970s,thepoliticalmachinationsitportraysarestillrelevant.Itshowsa
chiefministerreluctanttohelpdroughtaffectedpeoplebecausethemovemighthelphispoliticalrival.
Thesameministerremainsloyaltohissupportbaseillegalhoardersandblackmarketerswhoprofit
fromfoodscarcity.
Thenovellaissetinadistrictwherecarcassesofabandonedcowsandwitheredtreesdominatethe
landscape.ThedangerofsubtlepoliticstakingtheplaceofhonestytroublesSatisha,anddoubtsets
inhimquiteearly.Herealisesthatitisdifficulttobeefficientwithoutplayingpolitics,thatis,without
beingcorrupt.EventhoughaministercallsSatishaoneofthepillarsofthegovernment,itisthe
inertiaofgovernmentalinstitutionsandthestratagemofpowerfulpoliticalforcesthatmakehim
despair.Thedejectedpeopleinadroughthitdistrictlooktohimasthegovernment.Theyare
convincedabouthisrighteousness,butnotabouthisabilitytoorganiseanyreliefforthem.
Onlookingatthelongqueuesoutsidegruelcentres,Satishaismovedbytheextentofsufferingand
starvation.Headmits,ItsonlybecauseIamnotinthelinethatIamabletoseealltherows.Butfor
theauthor,Satishascompassionforpeopleiseasyhumanismbecausesensitivityofintellectuals
wasakindofconservatismandcowardicetowanttolivewithoutdirtyingoneshands.
Satishaisawellintentionedbureaucratwhoisstillanchoredtobourgeoisvalues.Hecanneither
acceptthestatusquonorcanhebearuthlessrevolutionary.Hehimselfstraddlestwoparallelworlds
onewherepeoplewithparchedtongueslookattheskyinvain,andinanother,wherethreepeople
enjoyalargefragrantcakeandwhisky.Barahasseveralcontraryforcesatwork.Theresconflict
betweenanastutepoliticianandanidealistofficerbetweenlocalrealitiesandtheoreticalknowledge
and,betweenadisillusionedindividualanddistraughtpeople.Fromshapelesshousestoparched
plainswithoutaspeckofgreen,andfromskinnycowstoshrivelledhandsoffarmerswhoarepawning
theirploughs,thebarrennessisallpervading.
Baraisapolemiconthepoliticsofpatronageandextremearbitrarinessingovernancethatfetters
downbureaucratsandcreatesatrustdeficit.Itisanefforttowardsunderstandingthepossibilitiesand
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Droughtpolitics

limitsofhumanfreedomunderdesperatecircumstances.Intheendofthestory,thedestitutepeople
ofthedistrictareforcedtotakelawintotheirownhands.Their'satyagraha'forabowlofriceflaresup
intoacommunalriotinnotime.
ForanavowedsecularlikeAnathamurthy,itremainsperhapsthemanifestationofhisworstfear.

`Newsladen
withstats
doesnotmove
people'

Translator
ChandanGowda
speakstoDown
ToEarth
Howdothe
peopleof
Karnatakaperceivethreesuccessiveyearsofdroughtinthe
state?
Theworstdroughtseeninoverfourdecadesisdistantnewsfor
peopleinBengaluruandMysuru.Theexperiencesofthedrought
affectedpeopleneedtobeheardmoreinthemainstreammedia.
Newsladenwithstatisticsaboutrainfall,croplossandthestate's
reliefmeasuresoftenfailstomovepeople.
URAnanthamurthytalkedofsomekindofresistancetothe
modernworldsystem.Whatwasyourreading?
Resistingthemodernworldsystemwasimportanttohim.Creating
knowledgeinIndianlanguageswasoneofthemeansofdoingthis.
OvercomingthedominanceoftheWestinourimaginationof
radicalpoliticswasanother.Suspicionofmodernitydidnotmean,
ofcourse,rejectingeverythingWesternormodern.Henever
doubtedtheplaceofourConstitution,whichismodelledonthe
Westernconceptsoffundamentalrightsandfreedom,inour
society.Gandhi'sandLohia'sthoughtsmatteredgreatlytohim.
Whatdoyouthinkwashisideaofdevelopment?Doyouthink
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Baraisanattackonideologicalfixationofsomebureaucrats
thatcutthemofffromsocialrealities?
Gandhi'sidealofsarvodayaguidedhisnormativeorientationto
social,economicandpoliticalissues.Overthelastcoupleof
decades,hesharedaconsistentsetofconcerns:thevirtuesof
decentralisationinourpolitical,economicandculturallife,theneed
toevolvecommonschoolsopentochildrenfromallsocialclasses
andpolicycarefortheenvironment.Hewasworriedaboutthe
deterioratingrelationsbetweenreligiouscommunitiesinIndia.He
deeplyadmiredtheworkofMedhaPatkar,ArunaRoyandTeesta
Setalvad.
Yes,Baradoesalertusastohowlocalsmightbemoreastutein
mattersofgovernancethanthebureaucratsinchargeof
administeringthem.Inatacitexposeofthecolonialbureaucratic
setupthatIndiahasretained,theimmensepowerheldbythe
districtcommissionersalsoappearsobsceneandundemocratic.
But,asyouknow,BarausesthefigureoftheIASofficertooutline
thepredicamentoftheeducated,middleclassandliberalIndians.

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