The Great Indian Political Debate - 3

[acharya]

We have socially engineered progressive people becoming a minority

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‘Make stand clear on religion, language’

Special Correspondent

SHIMOGA: Prasanna, theatre personality, said on Saturday that progressive writers would become irrelevant not only politically, but also culturally if they did not make their stand clear on religion, language and culture.

He was speaking after releasing Idu Bharata, du Bharatha! , a book by socialist and progressive writer D.S. Nagabhushana, at a function organised here by Srishti Samskritika Vedike.

He said that it was important for progressive writers to become popular through their works on common subjects in a simple language so that they could reach the common people.

“If they do not do this, they will become irrelevant culturally,” he added. In the past, Leftist writers presented themselves as critics of imperialism.

“But in the changed circumstances, BJP is trying to pose as an opponent of imperialism only to protect religion, language and culture, which is a dangerous development,” he said.

Stating that the growing tendency among progressive writers to react to anything they came across seemed to have become their main constraint, he said it was no surprise if the BJP came to power at the Centre in the next Lok Sabha elections.

“With such being the situation, it is time for progressive thinkers, artists and writers to come together to ponder over why the surge of the BJP could not be contained?”

Mr. Prasanna said that the communal forces emerged stronger over the years because of the failure on the part of progressive writers to produce effective works on religion, language and culture.

What was ironical was that the BJP was trying to play on the sentiments of the people by whipping up religious passions, he added.