Online Discussion: Threats to Creativity and Freedom of Expression

#  Instructions by Teacher

All students:

Here is attached a brief interview of Javed Akhtar.

There are some rumours about A R Rahman to give music in an Iranian film on Mohmad Paigambar. It is not permitted under Quran to portray Mohmad Paigambar in painting or moving picture. If A R Rahman is involved in such film, it may hurt religious sensibilities of Indian Muslims and so he is threatened that there may be Fatwa against him.

Secondly, there is a film being planned on the life of Tipu Sultan - a Muslim ruler of Mysore. It is rumoured that Rajnikant will play the role of Tipu Sultan. This has hurt religious sensibilities of Hindus. It is also belived that Tipu was against Tamils and so no Tamil should play any role in the biopic on Tipu.

Well, the majority exerts their likeness and prejudices over the minorities and in the process construct a 'culture'. The said culture is appropriate for the majority and so most of them believe it to be moral / right / true way of living life. Later on, such way of life is 'naturalised' and justified by mythical stories of brave people belonging to the majority.

Literary writers, by and large, are part of the process. At times, literary writers pose a threat or protest to such process. Such protests of past are not visible today ad history rarely takes notice of it. But we can read them as they happen while we are living. Observing contemporary times with spectacles of historical sense makes us aware of such process.

Here is an example in this small interview. Javed Akhtar writes that he would rethink several times to write a scene written in Sholay.

What is that scene? Why would he rethink before writing of such scenes?

What do you comprehend from the interview?

Be brief, precise and to the point in your reply.

#  My answer of the given task:

      All artists should have the freedom of using their art in the way they want to use it. There should not be any kind of control and boundaries on an artist by the chains of Religion or history. History presents truth but people are not ready to accept that and that is the reason that Rajnikant is not allowed to play the role of Tipu Sultan. It's not important that what Tipu Sultan has done in history because the situation of that time was totally different and in now days it's very silly to stop Rajnikant to do the film. Religion has became the most sensitive part of Indians, and the strong belief that only their religion is superior, and they don't want to allow any aspect to interfere in that and not ready to even accept the other religion.

Online Discussion - All literature is one literature

To read the original story by Anton Chekhov - Click here

#  Instructions by Teacher

Read the short story (English and Gujarati translation of original Russian short story is attached) and give your interpretation on these lines in reply to this email.

Clues:

·        Marie feels nostalgic about childhood/adolescence experience of going in the mountains over the sled. Can you read this as not merely childhood freedom from worldly preoccupations and give interpretation of the first lover or infatuation or attraction which is on the verge of lustful relation?

·        Do you see any connection in these lines with overall theme of the poem which is spiritual degradation where all are burning with lustful fire?

·        Any other possible interpretation?

# My answer of the given task:

      In The Waste Land, there are many scenes which clearly show the sexual perversion and spiritual degradation.

   

       In the case of Marie and Nadia there is similar symbolism and that is ‘Sled’ but the symbol is differently used.

    

      In Marie’s incidence we can say that Marie was having pleasure in going in the mountains over the sled and it was enjoyment only. So we can connect that with going down from her spirituality but in Nadia’s experience it is all about the confession of love. The boy was telling her “I love you” in a joke but she was having feelings towards that boy.

   

     Here Nadia was expecting words of love only, the ride was just a medium to have words of love and she was not enjoying the ride but it was the words she have heard from that boy and at the end she was able to heard that without riding on sled.

   

     In The Waste Land, Marie is going down from mountain, but in the story A Joke, Nadia was climbing again and again and at the end of the story she was at balcony and the pure spring wind was blowing and she was crying, the positive connection of nature with Nadia cannot be described if there was a sexual perversion.

     The connection of Marie’s incidence with the theme of spiritual degradation is clearly that they were feeling freedom in having sexual activities, as she said,

“And down we went. 
In the mountains, there you feel free.”

    

      There was not any guilt or shame in doing that so they were spiritually dead, all was burning with lust but from their perspective it all was fun, enjoyment and feeling of freedom.

    So it can be said that in modernist literature the archetypal symbols could have vast difference, or it’s all about the perspective of a reader.

Online Discussion - Example of Fourth Goal of Cultural Studies

Example of Fourth Goal of Cultural Studies

#  Instructions by Teacher

Reading and thinking task for summer vacation

All students,

In Cultural Studies, we have studied about four goals of CS. The fourth is about " CS analyses not only the cultural work, but also the means of production".

Marxists critics have long recognized the importance of such 'paraliterary' questions as these:

1) Who supports a given artist?

2) Who publishes his or her books, and how are these books distributed?

3) Who buys these books?

and . . . what is the 'control' of majoritarianism on the production of culture / literary text?

Here is an interesting article.

One TV serial was stopped being aired. Shohini Ghosh who is Professor at the AJK Mass Communication Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia questions something interesting.

The character of Jassi was a bit bold for Inian culture. 

We can see how majority of the audience can control and see that some voices can be curbed... some voices can be relegated in the margins from where they are no longer heard.

That's how production of literary text can get affected and hence it is one of the four important goals of CS.

Moreover, 

The writer also questions something interesting which is eye-opener. "When the show started to bend under (what appeared to be) the majoritarian will of the viewers, I began to wish that the makers of Aadhe Adhoore had gifted Jassi the habit of reading. She may then have come across a translation of Rabindranath Tagore’s Streer Patra (`The Letter from the Wife’) written in the early decades of the twentieth century."

This observation has two imp points:

1) Are our characters in TV serials and films readers? Do they ever read good books? In the moments of crisis, do they find their answers after reading a paragraphs from some books? We have seen Hamlet reading book on stage? Why, even if our females in TV serials are educated, our characters in popular serials and films do not read?

2) Tagore was very progressive for those early days of India.

"When Streer Patra was published in 1914, Tagore was at the receiving end of scathing attacks for dishonouring the institution of marriage. Tagore was undeterred. I wish the makers of Aadhe Adhoore had also remained undeterred.

Jassi should have lived." (The serial ends with the death of Jassi).

Read full article here. . .  and if you come across any such cultural artefact, please share with insighful critical analysis. (This reading and thinking task is for your summer vacation.)

# My answer of the given task:

       After reading this article, we can clearly see that how majority of audience can control the story and writers have to follow the rules of society. There are rare writers who do not care about majoritarianism.
     
       The character of Jassi is bold but as far as Indian culture is concern, India has so many Rushi and Sadhu   and they all had relationships with apsaras and other women. The character of Jassi is not acceptable because she was a woman. There is a vast difference between the perspective of society towards the crime of man and woman. If man rapes any woman its normal but the character like Jassi makes relations with other man that is sin and that was the reason for her death. If she would have been lived, people would take objection that the show is harming our society so the story writer have to take society and its perspective in center.


    Another example of audience demand is "Kyunki Sans bhi kabhi bahu thi" when the character of Mihir(Amar Upadhyay)  died in serial audience wanted him to come back and Ekta Kapoor has done that too.
     Habit of reading in characters are rarely shown in TV serials, even such serials are based on books but in those serials characters have not habit of reading, for example 'Sarasvatichandra'.

Online Duscussion 1: Irfan Habib Historian Interview and Caste Politics and Ashoka in Bihar

Online Duscussion 1: Irfan Habib Historian Interview and Caste Politics and Ashoka in Bihar

®  Instructions by Teacher

All students,
Two articles are shared for online discussion .


1) Interview of Historian Irfan Habib
2) Caste-ing Ashoka in Bihar.

 History is similar to memory. As in case of individual Memory of past (memory is alwaya about past) helps in organizing present and future. Similarly,  History helps in organising present and future of National / Society.
History is recalled, rewritten ans reinterpreted, time and again. All rereading or appropriation of historical figures/facts gives us understanding about the power and it's relation with History. (HISTORY IS ALWAYS WRITTEN BY THE WINNERS. The defeated are always disparaged in history).

You are invited to share your views / opinions of the two writeups.  What do you think about the views expressed? Do you agree or disagree with the views? Why? What's your logic?

My answer of the given task:

1. History simply records what happens. It helps as a past to make the present and future batter. It's also true that history is always written by the winners so it always presents the good things about the king or emperor. People should use history in a positive way to create a batter future.

2. The use of great figures for their own purpose has become a trend of politicians. They always think about their own betterment.

Online Discussion: Gender Bias in Temples

®  Instructions by Teacher

All students:

Here is a topic for On-line Discussion. You have to reply this email without changing the subject line on/before 3 Feb 2016.

After reading following article, you shall:

1.  Two ideas which you like the most.

2.  Do you agree with this observation: "what is assumed to be a 'temple' is essentially a structure built around very simple natural rock formations. The structure then is the boundary that defines and delimits the sacred space around something very organic and natural. This creation of boundaries is the essence of patriarchy, for with boundaries come divisions and hierarchies, that prop up the privileged. The physical boundaries express psychological boundaries that emerged long ago, before the structures, before gods and goddesses"

3.  After reading the article and ongoing debate on gender bias in temples/mosques/churches, what is your opinion about it?

My answer of the given task:

1) The two ideas I like the most
a. There should not be any artificial structure in worshipping.
b. Hindu 'missions' in the early 20th century, where God has no gender, or sexuality, hence looks upon men and women equally.

 2) I am agreeing with the idea that
what is assumed to be a 'temple' is essentially a structure built around very simple natural rock formations. This creation of boundaries is the essence of patriarchy; the physical boundaries express psychological boundaries that emerged long ago, before the structures, before gods and goddesses. It is truth that the difference between male and female is very ancient idea which has involved in religion with rituals and structures of worshipping like temple mosque etc. As God should not have any gender as well as religion also should not prefer gender for worship. The idea of God is for all.

  3) After reading the article and ongoing debate on gender bias in temples/mosques/churches, it is clear that this is very strong as well as strange belief about women. The partiality between men and women in context of worship and entering in temple is like nonsense. How a human could decide that what God would allow or not allow? It is simply a patriarchal idea. Worship is a divine activity which gives us peace and purifies our mind with calmness. There should not be any kind of restrictions upon that on the basis of male or female. Religion and society should take any person as human first rather than man or woman, and as far as worship is concerned it is not necessary to go any temple or church.

Online Discussion - Atheism and Morality

#  Instructions by Teacher

Semester 2 and 4 students,

     This is first online discussion of this semester (OD1).

Read attached write-up on "Atheist also have a definite Moral Code". This write up is taken from 'Speaking Tree' column of The Times of India, pg 12, 19 Dec 2016.

Express your views in reply to this email.

# My answer of the given task:

       My views on an article "Atheist also has a definite Moral Code"

     

     Morality should not be based on religion, but the truth is presented in the first line of this article. When any person accepts that s/he is non believer of God, people doubt his/her honesty and goodness. On the other hand, all believers of religion can’t be considered as morally good. All are humans and all cannot be perfect. Everyone has their nature and free will to accept the things. If a person does not accept the rules and functions of society, it doesn’t mean that the person is bad. We can also observe that religion has developed the sense of immorality in followers by its business qualities.

     

      In this article there are some examples of atheists like Buddha, Vardhman and Charvaka, today people worship all these as Gods. It is all about misinterpretations of religion, society and so called “followers”, which not allow a person to live with freedom. Atheist can be more perfect and morally good than any other religious person because an atheist does not have any kind of fear of God. Atheist is Nietzsche’s “Ubermensch” and a person who takes the responsibility of his/her own actions. All have their own level of morality. Religion cannot design and define a personality of any human being. Religion is constructed and morality is within all human beings.

Online Discussion: Article "Madari" by Kajal Oza Vaidya

Online Discussion: Article "Madari" by Kajal Oza Vaidya

      One of my classmates has initiated this discussion. I am sharing my views regarding the article. 

#  Instructions by Veerji:

After reading this article, answer the questions.

       

 Here is attached one Gujrati article written by Kajal oza Vaidya,
which is based on the movie "MADARI" directed by Nishikant Kamat. Movie deals with India's chronic evil, corruption. The phrase ‘common man’ is used again and again. After reading this article and watching movie there are some questions which need answers.

For reading the article – Click here

Like...
         
    1) After watching film and reading this article whom we can consider as "Madari" and why?

    2) The difference between realistic literature and entertaining literature is presented in film by Hindi anecdote.
Explain this difference in your words.
     
    3) There is a difference in being practical and being honest. What the modern man should prefer in an era of capitalism?
     
    4) Why Kajal Ozavaidy used the word "NAPUNSAK".
    
    5) We raise questions, when we are in problem, so if there is not any problem in our life then who will think about country?
                  
    I would request all the students to give your views on this article in 50-100 words in reply email.

# My answer to the given task:

Thank you Veer for sharing this interesting article.

Here is my response to above questions:

1.     In real life ‘Madari' is government, we have to go one office to other office to pass our applications or complete our work, But in the film we can observe that ‘Madari’ is a common man and government is following his instructions.

2.     The story starts with Hindi anecdote. Mostly people like entertaining literature which gives pleasure because realistic literature is life itself, if literature will also present common man as victim then desires of being hero and to fight with social evils cannot be satisfied. This film also gives satisfaction by giving pleasure rather than showing the real end.

3.     Modern man is closely connected with practicality rather than honesty. If the person will honestly complete the work but the other colleagues are corrupted his/her honesty will harm and of no use. Being practical is not being corrupted, but it is the way of thinking smartly.

4.     “Napunsak” is a slang word which usually use for incapable and weak people. In this article writer has focused upon the rigid mentality of people who always blames system and hides their incapability.

5.     The man will react only if he is in problem, in film also there were so many accidents have happened but this man takes revenge only after the death of his son. All should think about country especially corrupt government officers.

Robinson Crusoe - Danial Defoe

Robinson Crusoe

-        Danial Defoe

       The novel ‘Robinson Crusoe’ was published in 1719.  It contains the sea voyages of Crusoe. He wanted to become a sailor and his father wanted him to become a lawyer or doctor. Crusoe has started his journey with disobedience and reached at the satisfaction.

    

       His first voyage was very terrible as he faced a stream and his ship broke down. He was alone on the island for 28 years and that was his real journey of life. He has spent his days with nature and started writing diary. He has collected the good and bad memories of his life with nature. He has constructed a house and collected food also.  He has started talking with animal and birds and domesticated goats and dog.

    

       The turning and important point in novel was his meeting with Friday who was a tribal man on island and later became servant of Crusoe. Crusoe has given him name ‘Friday’ because he met him on Friday. He also taught him manners, language and religion. He told Friday to call him Master and then he treated him as friend. Crusoe was white and all this process of giving name and teaching manner represents the master slave relationship. But soon he realised and came out of the mindset of colonizer and treated Friday as companion.

  

       The novel contains themes like, the ambivalence of mastery, importance of self-awareness, courage and determination and necessity of repentance.

For detailed description of theme – Click here

For journey of Crusoe – Click here