“For whom does one write?”
“For whom does one write?”
Some two years back, we friends had an opportunity to attend a literary seminar. The second day of the seminar was in its full swing when we got there. As the students of literature, we were really excited for being able to see in person and listen to the great scholars and writers of our time – who were also our role-models.
On that particular day, two papers were presented, the latter of which was focused on the atrocities suffered by the marginalized elements in the society – in the name of religion, ethnicity, caste, etc.
After the papers were presented, the audiences were invited to put their questions on the papers that would be clarified by the presenters. Suddenly, one of our friends stoop up, walked awkwardly toward the dais and began his question huskily.
He pointed out the irony of garlanding the photos of kings , queens, politicians, & ministers in a literary seminar like that, symbolizing the dilemma of Nepali intelligentsia in sheer contrast to the topics being discussed. We, the friends, were dumbfounded – he was mature, yet a student – not supposed to make a criticism on the affairs of erudite scholars.
At that time Nepal was under the direct military rule of the King.
Interestingly, but not surprizingly, the same people nowadays have tunrned die hard republicans!
In spite of the fact that our friend could have presented himself in a better way, his message was loud and clear. He was immediately retorted by one professor-looking scholar that it was a political question, not literary, therefore could not be taken up. Another said such questions could also be dealt with – but only informally.
May be due the nervousness of appearing foolish, or the fear of being seen as an extremist; our friend withdrew his question and walked out of the seminar.
But questions once raised cannot be withdrawn. They hover in the air, linger in the mind.
BP Koirala, himself a politician, in one of his interviews, had mentioned that after being elected as the first prime minister asked the Harvard and Cambridge-educated economists in the Planning Commission to put the picture of a farmer along with the King’s on their wall; and look at the picture of that poor farmer while making any development planning for the country.
Wasn’t the question raised by our friend similar one, except that he was not a great figure in the contemporary history, but simply an awkward looking Mr Nobody?
Jean-Paul Sartre in his essay”Why Write?” contends, “The art of prose is bound up with the only regime in which prose has meaning, democracy…Writing is a certain way of wanting freedom. Once you have begun, you are committed. Committed to what? … or is it concrete everyday freedom which must be protected by our taking sides in political and social struggles?” Sartre concludes his essay with a question, “For whom does one write?”
Perhaps our novice friend, too, being a student of literature merely wished to learn from his well-versed teachers and predecessors, “For whom does one attend the literary seminars?”
‘i never give them a hell. i give them truth & they think it’s hell’
Contd from ‘One does not write for slaves’
Saturday, June 17, 2006
The girl, now married, came with her man yesterday. Though I donot talk to people that much, I was looking for some cue to know whether she’s happy or not.
My god, she looks completely normal. How easily she accepted everything, and made things easier for all in her family! This morn she and her man went to Daksinakali on her bro’s bike.
May be that she had two married elder sisters who frequently visit this place and her experienced parents have made things easier for her.
But still…I’d been to my one relative yesterday. I came to know that my cousin was pregnant. I talked to her, she too looks normal. Of course, her hubby seems to be a suitable match for her. But what about her being a mother, who isn’t that healthy herself? I doubt that she’ll give birth to a healthy baby.
I was tempted to put my views, but I restrained myself thinking that now that she was in an irreversible process, any negative comments would only hurt her.
I’ve come to agree with the view that either the economically higher or the lower class of the society can make free decisions about themselves. The middle class people, and the newly rich ones, who are the people I’m related to – I’ve started disliking their lifestyle and passivity.
Earlier I used to think that it was my shyness that was preventing me to socialize with them, but, nowadays I’ve come to the conclusion it’s the disagreement with their painfully ritualistic lifestyles and their impotency to rebel or live life in their own terms that puts me at odds with them.
I do not claim to have enjoyed my life better than others. Yet I feel proud to realize that I do not belong to the herd. Of course, I have encountered more difficulties and earned more criticism than the so-called ‘social’ people, to the extent that I was on the verge of collapsing once.
Still, I’ve recovered, and I feel that I’ve come out a winner! A very positive attitude is developing – goodwill and pity for others, and a stubborn conviction on living life in own terms. No Compromise, whatever…!
‘One does not write for slaves…’
Contd from ‘Marriage is a private affair’
Monday, June 12, 2006
The girl’s mother, brother, and middle sister came yesterday. How quickly they finished everything. Just Now the mother was telling another woman that everyone praised it, noone said it was not good. The women said,” How can one say anything? One can not say either good or bad.”
That day I was tempted to advise them not to hurry on the matters of the daughter’s marriage. But my experience with my cousin’s marriage perhaps had made me wiser not to comment anything in other’s matters.
More importantly, in case of arranged marriage sorted out by the parents only – isn’t there a greater risk of dissatisfaction later? No girl is trained nowadays to revere her man like the god; the feminist approach of teaching and learning has instilled a different value on man-woman relationship. The guardians feel so much pressure for their grown-up girls that they find it better to make the decision as soon as possible.
It’s strange that everyone is worried about their false-prestige, while in fact, none has any prestige at all. I can understand these things, as I myself was caught in such foolish cycle once. What’s the solution then? Finding a suitable mate should the resposibilty of the individual, just like finding a suitable career.
If in case, the boy or the girl has made his/her career, and wants to settle down and still hasn’t found a mate, then others, including the parents, may come to help. The girls, too, should take active role in the decision of their marriage, rather than later cursing their guardians later when they are not satisfied.
One day, in our class, a teacher was discussing on a feminist writer, Simon de Beauvre. Nowadays, I commented, males are more interested in women’s liberation than the females themselves, at least while giving sermons. The females only wail, that they are not treated equally.
He said that, though scientifically it has been proved that females can do everything the males can do, still men are oppressing the women in the society. He asked why the most philosophers, writers, and scientists of the past are only males. Why don’t men give equal opportunity to the women?I discussed with the teacher fiercely. My point was it’s the women themselves, who are responsible for their suffering, especially the educated ones. I asked him why men should give their power to others. If the women are really capable, they should fight for their cause and snatch the power from the men.
He said to me, “your values are very orthodox, you’ll learn later when you finish the course.” We friends laughed at this remark he made, we, some senior students have classified some teachers as bhai(kid) sirs! Unless the oppressed people themselves, whether black, ethnic, or the women, instead of cursing the oppressor, fight for their rights and be ready to suffer for the price of dignity, there can be no true liberation.
In this regard I agree with the Maoists that sometimes one has to take up a weapon to assert one’s rights. Of course, the Maoists, made a grave ideological mistake by taking up arms for retaliation and personal vengeance. And we can use anything as a weapon for our self-defence, not only the arms.
Jean Paul Sarte, the great existentialist philosopher and writer in his essay “Why Write?”, holds the view: “ One does not write for slaves…it is not enough to defend them with the pen. A day comes when the pen is forced to stop, and the writer must then take up arms.”
5 Responses to “‘One does not write for slaves…’”
Boink Blogs, on November 3rd, 2007 at 1:52 pm Said: Edit […] is a private affair’ Part II DIVAS put an intriguing blog post on â??Marriage is a private affairâ?? Part IIHere’s a […]
www.learnhypnosiseasily.info » ‘Marriage is a private affair’ Part II, on November 4th, 2007 at 3:02 am Said:
[…] DIVAS placed an interesting blog post on â??Marriage is a private affairâ?? Part II.Here’s a brief overview:No girl is trained nowadays to revere her man like the god; the feminist approach of teaching and learning has instilled a different value on man-woman relationship. The guardians feel so much pressure for their grown-up girls that they … […]
Vanadiaum, on November 4th, 2007 at 9:27 am Said:
An interesting blog as always.
There are only two blogs I read regularily, yours and http://www.thethoughtsalesman.com
Yours usually seems to be more cerebral, but the thought salesman is usually more about practivle issues, I think it’d be worth it to check him out
Marriage is a private affair
A day in 2006
In fact, this is a story of a girl who lived with us indoors – we know about her, and her family almost as well as they know about themselves. We were looking for a dera, and providence sent us here. Two rooms, one of which is the size of a kitchen, were for us, the rest rooms were for them, in the ground floor. Since there is a single bathroom attached inside, we can not avoid each other’s company. The father, mom, son, a daughter, and a small girl of eight - who calls me a ‘chimpanzee uncle’ - from their first daughter whose husband has been to the gulf for obvious reasons.These lines wouldn’t have been written, had there not been a life changing incident. Not for us, but for the girl.
There came a proposal for her, which like almost all parents, they happily accepted. She has already completed her plus two, waiting for the result. The most amazing thing was that she did not say a single word in opposition. I was expecting a bellowing cry from her that she wants to complete her MA or, at least, BA before marriage, etc … but nothing happened of that sort. On the contrary, she was laughing while washing clothes yesterday when her bro made a funny remark that it was her last washing in their family. Today she is going to her hometown in the terai with her father and mom.
The fixing of her marriage was told to me by my cousin. He happened to hear the unavoidable talks next room – which is just a door’s distance. I teased him, “so lost another opportunity, I’d been telling you to marry her, and you didn’t care. Now, you lost her.” He retorted back, “so why didn’t u do then,…” I told him that I ‘d marry a foreigner only, and after all, I’d a generation gap with her age…Besides, her father is so naggingly talkative that no one would like to make him a father-in-law.
I heard her only brother, three years elder, somewhat not satisfied with the hurry the parents were in. “After all, it’s her life… etc” This guy is the only reasonable person in their family. Eight years younger to me, he is an energetic bread-and-other-things-winner for the family. Earns more than 25,000 from school and tuitions – an envious earning for a ‘kid’ of his age and profession. But he, too, could not go against his parents’ decision – another surprise.
I’ve nothing to do with her marriage, or whether she’ll get along with that Danthe or not. I can’t say that she is sad. She looks normal. Her middle sis has a querulous boy of three, and, still she is doing her Bachelor in Pharmacy - something I couldn’t do - bosses around everywhere, including her parents and that fool called her hubby.
No one can plan the future exactly - it’s only a guess - since everything in the world keeps on changing. Yet I find it odd that any educated girl from a Brahmin origin would be willing to marry a policeman – unless she is in love with one. Her to-be-hubby is a Sub Inspector. I suspect that her father, who is a sly person, is knowingly marrying her with a policeman working in the PM’s Office, for his own ‘practical’ reason – not for the girl. Once I’d heard him saying that what a person all wants is sex.It’s not even that I am undermining the boy or his profession. It’s the system of marriage, that I really hate.
The more I think upon it, I’m becoming surer of Chninua Achebe’s remark that ‘Marriage is a private Affair.’Meanwhile, perhaps, better for us, there seems another party in the offing!
(to be contd)
‘Happy New Year’
HAPPY NEW YEAR
To all my well-wishers, i hereby, with all modesty, would like to ask:
> Not to call in any social, ritual, religious, or other gatherings; should i offend their kind feelings by being absent due to my own limitations!
>Kindly remember me during any emergency, and respond as well when i am in need; if only possible.
i hope all would take the above mentioned propositions with a positive attitude considering my eccentricity.
May All Beings be Happy!
