The undercurrent- are caricatures the only reason...??

How many more skeletons are yet to pop out of the NCERT closet are yet to be seen! In May this year, it was the agitation and demand for removal of a cartoon by (eminent) cartoonist, Shankar, for his objectionable depiction of Dr. B R Ambedkar in NCERT textbooks for 11th standard. Subsequently, another such discovery in June, led to a furore over the allegedly irksome caricature by yet another (renowned) cartoonist, RK Laxman. This is the 1963 agitation in the state of Tamil Nadu over imposition of Hindi as official language, due to reasonable apprehensions. The regional party has thus, demanded the removal of the cartoon from the text books.

While the subject of contention is attracting criticism for reasons known, I somehow feel,   the ill representation of iconic figures such as Dr. Ambdekar, and the issue of linguistic impositions are over mere caricatures. It would not be wrong to criticise the derogatory depiction of Dr. Ambedkar which becomes even more serious in a society which is caste driven.

Also, on the other hand, I attempt to understand the second issue of alleged ill-depiction of Anti-Hindi movement as beyond caricature. I understand it (not ruling out the political strands of the issue) as an effort to preserve the essence and language of the state, under the looming threat from the centre for making Hindi the ‘official language’ in the state.  While the sense of regionalism over nationalism stands for removal of such ill-depiction of the Anti-Hindi history, there are those educated lot also who regret having been deprived the opportunity to learn the national language, Hindi, due to the regional contempt of Hindi in the state.

I personally feel it is extremely important in today’s age to be multilingual, and I regret not having learnt Malayalam and Tamil from my mother! By virtue of my education I mastered English and picked Hindi as my first language, but these seldom help when I travel to southern states where none works sufficiently. At that moment, I feel, it would have been better I had known that language. I would still manage with little English words in the south, but not at all with Hindi. It is not possible to learn all languages, yes, but had there been an option of learning regional language/s in school, situation would have been different.

I try to see the Anti –Hindi movement in positive light, for this is how the supremacy of nation’s dominant Hindi language is imposed over all the different regions, depriving people of the knowledge of their rich cultural heritage. I can't remember if I ever studied anything in depth on multicultural fabric of India in political science or history. Political science never for me defined the social groups and the problems of SC/ST communities beyond defining them as historically backward and untouchable sections. Students were not, and I suppose not much has changed now also, stimulated to enquire and challenge the literal text. Anything in the textbooks is taken at the face value and is correct for students.

Education should enable one to be critical of the surroundings, instil a spirit of questioning in order to have real learning, but what I have seen and passed through is the contentedness of teachers over students reproducing their lectures verbatim in examinations. 

I don't know if cartoons by themselves are a reason enough to be protested and agitated, but I certainly do understand when I read between the lines, the more urgent and important connotations of these issues. Maybe, all states and the centre should fight out for common national interests, by expressing just and genuine regard for real revolutionaries like Dr. Ambedkar and the true diverse cultures of the country. This can happen only when nationalism takes over regionalism, but at the same time, centre should not aim at infiltrating and bossing over the regions. Just once a year having vibrant parade of the different cultures of the states of India on Republic Day isn’t enough. It has to be beyond such showcasing.

The need is to have sensible and sensitive depictions and information of the country and its people, and all that falls in it.  The central and state education boards should think of innovative means, like the provision of compulsory learning of one regional language (of many) in schools. Till now, I don't see this amalgam of cultures happening even in the dry curricula. But unless this unification and integration happens within the country’s education system, many more protests will upend in time to come, leaving to fiery regionalism and further fragmentation of states and the people, and eventually the country.