| ஒத்திசைவு | प्रत्याह्वय | resonance |

This quote, twisted absolutely out of context and attributed to Vladimir Illich Ulyanov (aka Lenin) was one of my favorite lines…

You may ask:  why single out our dear, hard(ly)-working  & poor naxalbari brethren, aren’t they merely  nonsensically mouthing those mantras which CPI and CPM folks had uttered earlier?

But, the latter parties have stopped uttering such inanities long long back, haven’t they? Only the wayward bullet-party loving Maoists are still continuing with this, yeah?

… In my *real* youth (=wasted days of my past!), I used a Tamil equivalent (which went something like: paaraalumandram panrigalin thozhuvam = பாராளுமன்றம் பன்றிகளின் தொழுவம்!) just like many other ignorant and arrogant comrades, rather mindlessly – as all I could see of our illustrious parliament members was a distilled personification of corruption and decadence… Of course, I was mighty ignorant too, I must confess.

But then, this post is about imageries and allusions that take up about 200% of our political discourse…

Parliaments may really be the pits, and many of its members could really be filthy and  rich (say, like our illustrious & scamming scumbags known as  KD brothers) – but they can NEVER be compared to pigsties.

Anyway, it was only much, much  later that, I realized the following three  things:

1. Actually Pigsties are rather clean – that is, if pigs are left to manage them. On the contrary, a pigsty with tethered and secured pigs does not encourage (in fact, it actually discourages) its occupants to keep themselves clean – though they do give it a decent try, even in dire circumstances. I had visited quite a few farms around Madras (‘chennai’ nowadays) where pigs and hogs were raised for meat, as part of my ‘assessor’ work – and I was always pleasantly surprised to note this very interesting fact… So much for ‘scientific’ ideas in Leninism. Bah.

3. Perhaps Lenin’s sources were those few Judaic/Islamic/Christian texts where the poor pigs are routinely dismissed off  as unclean animals. In any case, either Lenin didn’t have a clue about the pigsty business, because he did not verify the basic facts – or worse, he simply assumed that his word is the holy gospel and nobody would dare question his infinite wisdom.

Young wannabe commissars in Delhi University parroting the pigsty angle… Shouldn’t they first protest against the killing of Niyamat Ansari – by their own Maoist brethren?

My personal learnings: (this happened quite a few years back)

1. It is difficult to know the historical contexts and the facts – as this actually requires some real hardwork – so it is rather easy to parrot what someone else has pontificated on, ad naseam AND ad infinitum – the more well known that ‘someone else’ is, the better it is for the ‘effect’. And of course Lenin is FAMOUS. So it is easy to badmouth the existing forms, ably aided by revolutionary fervour and youthful belligerence – as long as I invoke the magical incantations of a famous individual – such as Lenin.

2. I shall not do this anymore, thusly.This was difficult – but over a period of time, I have actually become happier – and more  importantly – a non-communist! :-)

The provocation for this post: On and off, in my febrile life,  I rather tragically meet with otherwise  bright youngsters, who speak with a religious fervour, (ab)using  incantations like this pigsty business; this always  makes me sad because brightness with a propensity for mindless cruelty in these wayward and impressionable youth – has always resulted in making Hitlerlike fascists and Naxalites (is there a difference?) out of them.

Yes. I met with one yesterday. He troubled me a lot while I was busy silently planting seeds – waxing eloquent about the impending dictatorship of the proles and that the revolution is happening here and now – and so, O’ sinners, ye repent now or else  and all that! He did not understand the basics and possibilities  and the potential of a  democratic setup, of course.

Finally, having gotten very tired, with my civility (whatever little that was there!) completely drained – I started asking a  few pertinent questions based on his halfbakery.com thoughts – taking references from EPM and Grundrisse.

Oh, haven’t  I done this routine so many times already! Of course, the kid had not even heard of Grundrisse! No understanding of his  basics. Only saliva sputtering out of a cavernous mouth to the accompaniment of slogan-mongering. No fieldwork at all apart from wielding placards. Activism only  on Facebook. At 23 still  living off his parents, milking the parents for all they are worth! And he calls himself a Marxist  oops, Maoist!

I told him to start earning honest wages and then may be he can set up an enterprise, learn about the basic issues of life and then  fight for whatever he believes is right. I told him, perhaps, the workers, toilers & adivasis do NOT  need his expertise and leadership.  They know how to manage themselves. They are anyway doing reasonably well in our democracy, without the blessings of your  Mao, thankyou.

… He of course then  called me a bourgeois recidivist and an arrogant brahmin  to boot. I must have really ticked him off, I am capable of these kinds of miracles. ;-)

Anyway, that he did not understand any of these terms either singly or in his combinations, is another matter. He would make a great blood-hound recruit for ‘The People’s War always repays it’s blood debt‘ fame Ganapathis from Hell, am sure.

So, I just laughed him off. (I really hate giving random advice  to youth, believe me – but then this kid was a Odisha friend’s son and the latter wanted him to talk to me – and forced to me to listen to his sonnieboy. It was of course bad  for all the three of us!)

Anyway, for the time being, empty and hollow incantations will do for this youth. And, this too shall pass.

So, I wish him sanity. I wish him and us well.

May all beings be happy.

Amen.

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Of course, the seeds that I was planting will most likely sprout with a decent germination rate. Because I had carefully prepared the soil with a lot of affection. Unlike the naxalites who make even the best piece of earth go barren. By sowing only discord, hate, bottomless fear and mindless violence.

… Oh yeah! Some of my connected / disconnected posts on our prodigal naxalite-naxadark sonnieboys are here: (have fun, if you must; you have been warned!)

இதுதாண்டா மாவோயிஸம்! :-( 02/03/2014