Chetan
Bhagat, in one of his Sunday columns for The Times of India on Jun 14,
while explaining how Modi can win 2014, said this: “However, this
doesn’t mean there should be nothing Hindu about the campaign. If the
Congress will target Muslims, BJP may have little choice but to target
Hindus”. Simple and straight, without mincing any words.
Most
columnists, in trying to understand the electoral arithmetic that can
drive a potential Modi victory in 2014, would say the same but what
Bhagat says in two sentences they would say in three paragraphs, dress
it up in ‘acceptable Op Ed Lexicon’, use all vocabulary available to
them and yet not make the same impact as Bhagat. This is the strength of
Chetan Bhagat, Columnist and best-selling author whose books sell more
than any Indian writer writing in English.
Chetan
Bhagat, the author is popular, darling of young India, unconventional
(an IIT and IIM graduate who gave up his job to become a full time
writer), humorous and quietly provocative in his works of fiction. He
tells entertaining stories, is rarely didactic, derives from his own
experiences and writes simple English prose that even first generation
learners who graduate from ordinary schools understand and identify
with. The New York Times has called him the ‘the biggest selling English
language novelist in India’s history.’ Time magazine has named him in
the ’100 Most Influential People in the world’. Chetan Bhagat, to put it
simply, is quite a phenomenon in literary circuit. His books sell like
hot cakes, his publishers covet him and his peers envy him.
Bhagat’s
popularity was accepted, albeit grudgingly, by the cocktail circuit of
movers and shakers of India. There was no way they could reach his
popularity or sell one tenth of the books he sold. They would criticize
his writing skills but they could hardly ignore him. Then something
unthinkable happened. Chetan Bhagat started displaying his political
leanings. Horror of horrors, he seemed not too keen to be part of left
liberal glitterati of fashionable India. That was the breaking point. No
more would Bhagat be criticized in hushed tones in living rooms of big
and famous over wine and cheese. He was ridiculed openly; his books
began to be criticized viciously, his literary talent dismissed and his
politics made fun of. All this by a small coterie of ‘networked and
connected’ and Page 3 regulars who probably pay each other to get their
books and columns read or reviewed and pay newspapers to publish their
pictures.
Chetan
Bhagat however marches on. His latest novel Revolution 2020 was a
bestseller, his columns for various newspapers are popular and he is a
sought after motivational speaker. His weekly columns, primarily aimed
at young India continue to be mildly provocative, entertaining and
informal. He refuses to adhere to accepted Op Ed language (whatever that
may be) and continues to be direct and crisp.
All
this background was essential to understand the storm in the teacup
that Bhagat’s latest column in the Times of India titled ‘Letter from an
Indian Muslim youth’ unleashed. Bhagat wrote in first person and wrote
on behalf of an ordinary Muslim youth. He wrote about jobs, houses,
security, dignity and education that a Muslim youth demands from a
political system. He wrote about being part of aspirational India and
not being yoked to clichés and stereotypes. He demanded level playing
field, opportunities and warned against using Muslims as vote banks.
As
a young Muslim writing the letter he rejected victimhood narrative and
sought to be part of mainstream narrative. This is nothing new. Few
writers while dealing with Muslim conundrum have often said that
Muslims, because of being the largest minority group in India, have
often been manipulated for vote banks. Sham of secularism that plays in
our country ensures that Muslims are wooed around elections and promptly
dumped afterwards. Bhagat’s column seems a continuation of the same
thought. Unfortunately columns in our country are assessed not by WHAT
is written in them but WHO has written them.
Given
Bhagat’s political persuasion, the fact that he chose to write about
young Muslims and also assumed to be one while writing, horrified the
chattering class. Had the same column in the same tone and narrative
technique been written by somebody of left liberal persuasion he would
have been heralded for ‘reaching out’, ‘starting a dialogue’ ‘acting as a
bridge’ and ‘narrowing the chasm between two communities’. Bhagat
however was accused of just the opposite.
Words
like ‘patronizing’, ‘condescending’ ‘majoritarian agenda’ were bandied
about liberally. I checked many twitter timelines to discover that those
frothing the most had not even bothered to read the column. Just the
name Chetan Bhagat was enough for them to criticize for no reason or
rhyme. Bhagat is hated for his guts to stand against the tide and when
he writes about Muslim conundrum (sole prerogative of so called secular
crowd) he could just not be forgiven.
Everyone
agrees that not all Muslims have been able to become part of mainstream
narrative just like not all Dalits and Tribals have become part of
Emerging India story yet. Education and Development needs to reach
everyone including Muslims. There is a lacuna in Muslim leadership.
Those representing Muslims are not necessarily their best
representatives. On one hand we have Owaisi brothers who are rabid
Islamists or we have people like Salmaan Khurshid who will say one thing
in Lutyen’s Delhi and say something completely different in Farrukhabad
in UP.
These
are not just problems of Muslims. These are problem for all of us. I
found it completely ridiculous that people were furious with Bhagat for
appropriating the voice of a young Muslim. Week after Week after Week,
this chattering class claims to speak on behalf of all Indians when they
write stuff like ‘Modi is a divisive figure’, ‘BJP is a party of upper
class bigots’ or ‘Muslims will never vote for BJP’. Such sweeping
statements are thrown at us casually but Bhagat is viciously criticized
for speaking on behalf of Muslims.
Bhagat
was criticized because he suddenly occupied the spot, that vocal bunch
who call themselves secularists and believe only they have the best
interest of Muslims in their mind, have been occupying for years.
It is they who have been speaking on behalf of Muslims. Ordinary
Muslims have welcomed the column as was evident from the responses
Bhagat received on Twitter.
No
wonder the vocal, chattering class felt threatened because for years
they have been selling victim hood narrative and encouraging the
divisiveness in the name of secularism. Here comes an upstart who
threatens to puncture that narrative, who tells Muslims that they have a
right to demand equality, they should be seeking no handouts but
opportunities, no reservations but enough jobs for all to compete,
security and dignity that is guaranteed to them by our constitution.
Source: http://centreright.in/2013/07/the-m-conundrum-in-defense-of-chetan-bhagat-2/
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