Like it or lump it, S.L. Bhyrappa‘s latest novel Aavarana is the hands-down literary sensation of the year.
On the one hand, it has gone into several reprints and won the overwhelming approval of readers worldwide “for saying it like it is”. And, on the other hand, its topic, tone and technique have come under question from “secular” intellectuals, who accuse the author of seeking to sow the seeds of enmity between communities and advancing the cause of Hindutva.
In this churumuri.com video-interview, Dr Bhyrappa addresses his readers worldwide and answers his critics at home. As to why he wrote this novel now, the philosophical concept behind it, and the political and ideological inhibitions that have prevented his co-writers from taking up such a controversial subject.
Dr Bhyrappa says there is no agenda, hidden or otherwise, behind the novel. That the purpose of his novel is the search for truth. And that most of those who are opposing his book are politically-correct leftists, and those claiming to champion the interests of Dalits.
Controversially, the best-selling author says India’s social harmony, which his critics accuse him of seeking to destroy through the book, is “superficial, artificial, and therefore not permanent.”
“The kind of harmony you are speaking, since independence, does it exist? It doesn’t exist because you are starting on a false foundation. Most of our Constitution framers were Hindus, most of them were upper class. Alladi Krishnawamy Iyer, K.M. Munshi. Babu Rajendra Prasad, C. Rajagopalachari. All of them unanimously abolished untouchability, saying that those who practice it should be prosecuted and jailed, that Dalits should be given special privileges, and those those who intermarried with Dalits should be given special incentives.
“That means, they (the Hindus) realised the mistakes in our society which was historically practised and tried to rectify it. Have Muslims tried to do overcome their mistakes? The Hindus have clearly realised that untouchability and social inequalities were practised from certain points in our history. We are open about it and we are ashamed of it. Have the Muslims realised what they have done is wrong and what is the source of what they have done?
“The source of what they have done is in their sacred religious texts. Now, are they prepared to go back to it and say these are the portions which we want to disown? Till they are prepared to do that, this social harmony is based on false foundation. Therefore to say that just because a certain truth is spoken, to say that it disturbs social harmony… for how long can you live with the delusion of building social harmony under false foundation.
“You must have the freedom to criticise every religion in the world: Judaism, Christianity, Shintosim, Hinduism, etc etc. Now to say you have every freedom to criticise different streams of Hinduism or Christianity, but you should not speak anything Islam, shut up… when you come to that point, is that fair? Progress is possible only when there is free criticism, which the western people have reached.”
Also read: S.L. Bhyrappa versus U.R. Anantha Murthy
Krishna,
Many congratulations on the exclusive.
It was most enlightening to understand the thoughts of Mr. Bhyrappa.
The malignancy in the minds of his maligners has been bared.
Free thought and expression with sound basis shall always triumph.
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kelidhe Prashnae kelidheera
Helidhae Uttara avaru helidhare…
Novel bagge vimarshe athava adhara characters bagge naadhru discuss maad bahudhithu
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As usual there will be critics of what Sri. S.L.Byrappa has said
but truth can not be varnished and if we do not have the courage to face the truth it is goodbye to harmony for India. The problem is that pseudo-secualarists have been brainwashing and has held sway till now and it has been an unequala fight for the Hindus and Hindutva. In this vicious atmosphere of spreading calumny and disinformation when truth will triumph is not predictable.
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ediTrre…
many many thanks for the video. this quality, this length talks only independent media sans market considerations can bring. thanks for keeping the zoom & pan still for the most part. Perhaps, the haNe shot, can be your signature shot. The video presented without interfering in what we were seeing. In the background there was a bird chirping away at some thing. Perhaps, metaphorically.
Who has the problem? Does politics (academia, media, intelligencia apart from political parties) have a problem with multi religious society, or is it that multi religious society itself has an internal problem of livability (is it hard for people of different religions to interact in day to day life)?
perhaps you could have pointed out to bhyrappa that the actual, at-ground social harmony in India, even if influenced by politics, is not a result of the politics. Hindu muslim interaction in India precedes independence, modern politics, & even marx. And that basic interaction is perhaps driven by practicality & humanity & is for most part not incumbent upon historical truth. One does not think of aurangajeb when dealing with a neighbor of 60 years in a vaTaara even in the heart of the most communally sensitive city in the whole of SI. So what then does bhyrappa mean by saying that india’s social harmony is not permanent?
On the other hand is a multireligious society a problem to our politics? Is it really a problem for our politics to carry all religions equally? Is the change in hindu fold internal or is it that the political system could initiate & carry those changes far more easily wrt hinduism than others? Why does the political system not initiate or hesitate to initiate these changes in other religions? Why has the politics become so skewed that look alikes of anti humanists of the worst kind are paraded in political rallies with support from all & sundry? How can you talk of secularism, humanism, multiculturism without even question the vulgarity & indecency of propaganda & conversion?
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This is one squandered opportunity for a great interview.
1. The interviewer could have spoken in Kannada! SLB’s answers would have been more sharp and biting.
2. The interviewer has NOT read the book himself! That is a cardinal sin when he is trying to discuss the author’s work based on hearsay.
3. Discussion of other SLB books that also tread on pseudo-secularists could have been compared( if the interviewer had read the books, that is!)
So this turned out to be a lesson on how not to conduct an interview. Fortunately, SLB took matters into his own hands without answering YES or NO and went into lengthy discussions that were supposed to be initiated by the interviewer.
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Sunaad, I wonder how you overlooked the sickness in S L Bhyrappa’s minds when he displays rigid obstinacy against building social harmony that too by citing certain assumed historical wrongs of the Muslim community.
I am not willing to buy Bhyrappa’s argument that there was no hidden agenda behind writing the novel. He has been captured in many a photographers’s frame accepting a garland by VHP chief Pravinbhai Tagodia at the Hindu Samajothsav in Mysore a couple of months ago. His novels reeks of the malignancy of the mind you are wrongly associating with his detractors.
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Genuine pleasure listening to SLB. Thanks KP.
Dheerendragopal’s criticism is quite valid. You’ve done so much coverage of URA vs SLB by now everybody knows what the issue is. So you go into the interview hoping for something new, but its really the same old same old. Anyhow, the man is very clear in his thoughts and I liked his articulation.
Coming from a philosophical background, SLB naturally employs dialectics as a tool in novelmaking. URA seems to think that that technique itself is wrong. Politics aside, the issue seems to be – if a writer employs characters as mere devices to engage in dialectics to advocate a particular viewpoint, is that a disservice to the novel or art of storytelling ? Should novelwriting always be all about every character exploring all possibilities as per the “story” ? If SLB thinks URA is a psec, and models Shastri on URA as a character in Aavarana, and makes him mouth unsavoury dialog just to expose his hypocrisy, then it just makes for an interesting albeit skewed narrative. Ultimately, the market has spoken and Aavarana is a resounding success, so whether URA thinks Aavarana a novel & SLB a novelist, or not, is immaterial – all the readers are not fools. Aavarana may not be a kadambari for URA but the market thinks it is.
All dialectics is ultimately a search for the truth by employing propositions and counter-propositions. Whether dialectics makes for good novelwriting remains to be seen, but it does make for interesting/discussable novelwriting.
For some light entertainment, URA can model SLB as a mischievous dalit character in his forthcoming novel and put words in his mouth:) There is plenty of fodder for that in this interview itself.
Bringing “social harmony” into this literary discussion itself is wrong. SLB says “in this country we have right to compare/criticise religion”. India has no such rights of any kind. otoh, there are laws in the constitution which clearly says you cannot say anything that might “offend or cause offence” to any religious community. In that sense, URA & his ilk are quite right – given the fundamentalist onesided nature of freedoms in India, SLB should be in jail for trying to offend muslims & cause social disharmony. But that is India’s problem, not the problem with SLB or his book. Truthful people like SLB are ahead of their time for a backward country like India. India only needs fakes and posers like URA.
In that light, I think what Byrappa means when he says India’s social harmony is not permanent is that India’s “so called social harmony” is built on a house of cards. Every once in a while a minor gust will cause a few hundred people to lose their lives over some religious non-issue. How many people have the intellectual depth or caliber to even talk through issues in a peaceful manner without resorting to street fighting and thuggery like our infamous KRV members ? Byrappa is wrong when he says that Hindus of all persuasion have unanimously re-examined scriptures & declared untouchability to be a crime. Simply declaring something for the constitution’s sake is very different from what actually goes on in practice. To this day I know of no Indian matrimony site or newspaper ad where caste is not explicitly asked for and provided. So when Hindus are casteist in everyday behavior, they are in some sense as guilty as muslims who have not re-examined their koran. So both parties are preaching hypocrisy and yet some sort of temporary social harmony prevails in India, purely out of pragmatic economic interests. Wait for the next gust of wind to topple that over.
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SLB is the VS Naipaul of Karnataka!!
Devaru awarigey olleyadhu madali
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Homespun HomoSapien
SLB was felicitated by VHP. So what? What’s the big deal? In your case, ‘Communal Disease is Worse than the Secular Cure’ :)
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Inspite of the fact that the Interviewer had not read the novel, the interview came out rich in content and very informative. Thanks churumuri.com
I read Aavarana last week and also read the criticising booklet ‘aavarana-anaavarana’ and few more cretique writings in news papers and web. I loved reading such a bold novel. The extensive research was very much evident in this work. Bhyrappa is a treat to read. I loved his magnum opus ‘Parva’ and I consider it among the greatest novels in the world.
@tarlesubba
You said in your comment that we dont look at historical truths when we have to talk to our muslim neighbour. That is very much true. Bhyrappa knows it for sure, and that is the reason why he thinks there is no possibility of communal dispute when putting historical truth in front of people.
Your comment should have been pointed towards U R Ananthamurthy and his bunch of deciples. Because it is them who said that, because of this history our communal harmony will be spoiled. Let me tell one thing here. When we study history we should be free from all the sentiments. Our prime goal should be the search for truth. When we have any pre-occupied concept our quest becomes biased and history distorts just to appease a community or a political school.
By creating the ghoast of communal dispute the intellectual class is suppressing the truth. They even go forward and make this purely historical issue, a Hindu vs Muslim case. I want to tell these intellectuals and all the psuedo-secularists that our Muslim brothers and sisters are intellectually not
corrupt to support kings like Aurangzeb or Babur who have massacred lakhs of Hindus. I also should warn these intellectuals that modern Muslims of our country do not represent these barbaric Moghal kings in any way. So where is the question of opposing Muslim community. Dont misguide them as the supporters of Aurangzeb.
@desi homosepien
If Pravin Bhai Thogadiya felicitates S L Bhyrappa, what is the big deal? That is not a reason for someone to stop reading his novel. Let the arguments be specific on the topic, research and plot of the novel.
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Why English? Kannadigas and only Kannadigas are interested in ‘AvaraNa’. I agree with Pratap that it would have been much more interesting to hear SLB talk in Kannada. Good 25 minutes, neverthless.
SLB’s point that every writer has a social responsibility and obligation and he/she carries that out by telling the truth and not hiding, is an interesting angle. Certainly something which I agree with. His vision, that only truth will brings harmony is perhaps a long shot, but much better than the short term ‘feel good’ solutions which the politicans (and politically affiliated writers) have.
desi huDuga, yeah SLB was felicitated by Togadia…and so?
And it was interesting to see at least a few of the books which SLB reads….Hawking…hmmmm
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Doddabuddhi and Astroshiva would do well to realise that VHP and its ilk are not making India a safe country to live in by breeding communal hatred. And SLB, in an advanced stage in life, has unwittingly fallen into their trap just like Muslim youth subscribing to the idea of “Jihad” even when it is not valid.
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Any Hindi, Punjabi or english translation of SLB’s Aavarana?
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Just fail to understand the enthusiasm of the readers here…. What good will the book produce?, and what is so good about the guys here to live in the assumed persecution mode? Are they finding any justification for all the carnage that has been committed in the 60 years of “independent” India which maybe Muslim rules can not do in 800 years.
Sickos get life…
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hehe, Zulfi is back with his half-baked non-logic. He says to the others, “aa bail, muzhe maar!”
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Like DB and many others I fully agree with what SLB says. As far as Muslims are concerned they will reflect what Zulfi says. Since independence India has had three Muslim presidents, countless central ministers, state ministers, civil servants , police officers and the list grows and yet they cry foul. I like what is said in the posting-In the wider world we all should have freedom to criticise EVERY religion including Islam which seems to have been mired in practices of dark ages, for example, look at the way they forcibly hide women in ‘dark tents’ even in the streets of Western capitals! That is the degree of their enlightenment!!!
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Ranga…you old fox.. you are going too far. Hold. To can critisize in Blogs. Do it in pubic, Jihadis will cut off your l’il thing!/*
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Rama and Ranga, I pity you guys …. what are you guys afraid of? Muslims ruling again? or your hatred which blinds you from seeing the truth.
Don’t you know what happeened in meertut, maliana, bhagalpur, … or the latest bombay, gujrat. Are you guys still blood thirsty… invent again and again to perpetuate the henoius crimes… not letting even pregnant women…opening the womb with trishul…is this what you ranga want for all the assumed muislims committed centuries ago.
Who can prevent you ram and ranga from doing….when the state and majority is with you. Isn’t it about democracy where majority is always right?
World’s greatest democracy….. is nothig but majoritism! heh
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Mysorean know well that either to tread the majority path or be trampled if dissent from “accepted” view point.
I chose the path not taken, Mysorean!
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kuch baat hai ki hasti mitai nahin hamari:
sadion raha hai dushman daure jehan hamara”
(There is a certain something in the entity of our Culture that has defied destruction despite persistent onslaught by its enemies down the centuries).
So Byrappa and his supportes keep on spewing what you can … We will survve as we survivved so many other storms.
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Zulfi!!!!
Bark back,
>So Byrappa and his supportes keep on spewing what you can … We will >survve as we survivved so many other storms.
Who are “WE”!?
What storm are you talking about?
What is that Bhyrappa and “his supporters” “storm”ing you and your ilk?
Please elaborate on your “culture”?
>Mysorean know well that either to tread the majority path or be trampled if >dissent from “accepted” view point.
Yaav paathu? ambaari aane laddi ikkatta ada? trampleu-gimpleu andre confuse aagatte.
>What good will the book produce?
Read the book. Idiot.
>what is so good about the guys here to live in the assumed persecution mode?
How did you presume that it’s been assumed!?
Verify the references cited by the author, first of all, read the book! Duffer!
>Are they finding any justification for all the carnage that has been committed >in the 60 years of “independent” India which maybe Muslim rules can not do >in 800 years.
hmm… You were speaking about assupmtions and presumptions… ;)
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Well ravi…the thing is WE don’t care about what byrappa write as we have hundreds of byrappas around in the “Independent” india, who are eager to please their masters and get feciliated.
So i don’t need to read what venom he is spewing…. which is pprportional to his popularity is these charged atmospere. It is best for idiots and daffur to lap it up what ever he is spewing without a sense of objectivity.
Yes about What good will the book produce? …. i can see how it helps reinforcing your prejeduce views and hatred.
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If Muslims want their religion to be considered as a civilised religion fit for 21st century, they should stop putting their women in black tents. Muslims ruling is starkly evident in Middle East. By the way, which sect of Islam Zulfi and his cohorts are referring to- Shia or Sunni? The twine does not meet.
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The way questions have been asked made it easier for bhyrappa to answer them to his advantage.The interviewer is not able to hide his inclination towards bhyrappa how much ever he tries.
Bhyrappa rules out all his critics as those with left idealogy & he claims himself to be not adherent to any political idealogy. But I read his statement recently where he said that ‘it is BJP which is following his ideas & he is not the one who is following’. But ‘(cheddi)sathya shodaka’ bhyrappa forgets that idealogy behind BJP exist from preindependent period . he is also not ashamed to accepts felicitation from people like thogadia, ‘kiviyalli hoovu ittukondiruvavaru maatra nambuvamathu’. If he can say that his critics are blinded by left idealogy, i would say he is blinded by ‘cheddi’ he is wearing in his mind.
Most of the writers in kannada have not denied that they do not have any idealogical influence, question here is whether they are able to overcome that in their creative work.
Interviewer never bother to ask this question & bhyrappa did not have to answer it, seems like both have same agenda.
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Zulfi, we all know the carnage done by Muslims in their 800 years of rule, to say that it was nothing compared the 60 years since independence only reflects your prejudice..leave alone the 800years rule..how are minorities in Saudi, Afghanistan, Pak and our own Kashmir etc..so dont lecture or Bombay, Gujarat etc..Finally..if you find survival in India is hard, my suggestion..my friend is quit. you have lot many places where people should welcome you.
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–correction
….how are minorities treated…in..
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Zulfi,
You arent sounding like the witty zulfi we know.
With every mail you are sounding like the very thing you are protesting…
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Stephen Hawking lurking in Dr. Bhyrappa’s bookshelf! Interesting!!
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Kiran,
Thanks for the suggestion ….. of quitting India. If you do remember I had or rather my father had that option also 50 years ago. I do still has lot of options, as you say …..which many Indians do excercise… to run away, as lot of morons like you are around. But I, chose staying put coz I know guys like you are in minority and I know personally majority is unlike you.
I come from village, and India lives in village …. to find wisdom and love do visit any village and you will learn lot from villagesr of karnataka, than reading books from auther with ulterior motives.
Are the commenters are from karnataka………????? I know kannadigas are not so much drenched in nagpur philosophy or I miss something.
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Kirans are nobody to ask Zulfi to quit the country. India is as much Zulfi’s as it is about others.
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@ desi homosepien
This is your comment: ………. And SLB, in an advanced stage in life, has unwittingly fallen into their trap just like Muslim youth subscribing to the idea of “Jihad” even when it is not valid.
come on man, the concept of Jihad is not valid? Was that a joke or something? Either you dont know what does Qur’an teach or you pretend to be unaware.
And for a person like S L B, there is no need to fall into anyones trap. His research and study is good enough to support his thoughts.
Come on dont make cliche statements. Tell me how does S L B’s work can create communal dispute? Or you want to say that, to avoid communal riots the historical truths should be suppressed?
@ Zulfi
When you have created a strong feeling of being a minority in a Hindu country, its no one mistake but yours to be an ‘outsider’. This is a secular country by constitution. When you see everything in terms of muslim and non muslim equation, what you get is also in the same equation. As far as history is concerned, Moghal rule is full of brutality and massacres. Their memoirs and many historical things support this fact. You show your helplessness (of rejecting this fact) in the form of opposing the 60 years of Independence. As if you were an outsider. You are making yourself alienated from ‘indian-ness’.
By being adament you only are proving the theme of the book i.e. Aavarana or suppressing the truth. Unknowingly you and the psuedo-secularist groups are proving SLB right.
And the ‘WE’ you have been telling in your comments show your PANISSLAMIC mentality of muslim brotherhood which is the core reason for all the terrorist acivities in the world. Come out of this fundamentalistic thoughts brother. You also have got the same right and duty of a common Indian to serve. Think over it.
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Hey Kid
>When you have created a strong feeling of being a minority in a Hindu country, its no one mistake but yours to be an ‘outsider’.
huh is it Hindu country?
>This is a secular country by constitution.
oh really…secular by constitution…..what is by action?
>> As far as history is concerned, Moghal rule is full of brutality and massacres. Their memoirs and many historical things support this fact. You show your helplessness (of rejecting this fact) in the form of opposing the 60 years of Independence.
So what am I supposed to do…… get ready for the payback?
what is it about opposing 60 years of independence….. the state sponsered genoside?
>>And the ‘WE’ you have been telling in your comments show your PANISSLAMIC mentality of muslim brotherhood which is the core reason for all the terrorist acivities in the world.
How did you assume that WE meant PANISLAMIC? Did they told in the shakas? or is it byrappa’s reserch and study that you are drawing from?
>>>Come out of this fundamentalistic thoughts brother. You also have got the same right and duty of a common Indian to serve. Think over it.
Thanks man for reminding me my duties…. I will get prepared for the payback for all the sins committed by mughals….. my crime being, am also Muslim as they were.
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@zulfi,
You show your ambiguity very well in your comment. When I say a hindu country you laughed it off ( I said it because you were concerned about your religion rather than about indian muslims). In the very next line you dont agree about India being a secular country.
Coming to history, when I talked about Moghals I dont know what makes you retaliate? (Look at your words: So what am I supposed to do…… get ready for the payback?…… ) I dont think our muslim community represents the cruel Moghals. If you want to be the flag bearer of Moghals then that is different issue altogether. When historical things are being discussed you should not deal it emotionally. HIstory is not about emotions but truth. When you bring emotions like favourism and aggression you end up creating a cock and bull story which our historians have been doing for the last few decades. Talk about facts. Talk about sources. Talk about truth.
The next few words of yours (what is it about opposing 60 years of independence….. the state sponsered genoside?) show your disbelief in the democratic values. Tell me what is the alternative for democratic system according to you? Is it Sheriyat? If yes how?
The ‘ WE’ you have been telling is certainly not about indians. It is very evident from the tone of your comment. And I dont have to go to Shaakas to understand that.
Yes I agree that I am mere a KID ( Hey Kid – that was how you addressed me) in front of milions of people who visit this blog. But a kid like me could understand some of the truths which a LEARNED MAN like you have pefered to supprress.
Your final words (THIS IS YOUR LINE: Thanks man for reminding me my duties…. I will get prepared for the payback for all the sins committed by mughals….. my crime being, am also Muslim as they were.)
I am not an authority to remind you of your duties. By preparing to pay back for the sins of Moghals you are preparing yourself to represent them. Which is not at all a good sign.
Lest I forget, I should say the important thing. I am a hindu by birth and I would like to repeat the words of Voltaire here which rightly showcases the Vedantic traditions of debates.
” I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death, your right to say it. ”
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To all who r fighting for what they think there thought is right….
No one wud ask anyone to quit this country(this is the only country where the so called ‘minority’ enjoy the status) as long as everyone is in good terms. Byrappa’s work on Avarana is only trying to bring the truth which is being hidden by the so called Pseudo Secular fundamentalists…This attempt to increase the awareness of the history which the govt is trying to twist again , now for the Vijayanagara Dynasty.
Moghuls were being so cruel, so u dont be there representatives!
Yes ppl here laugh and tell so many things about the culture of this country, ppl fight back only when something is said about their culture/religion…..Forget the ‘those days’ Mughals, what about the current days Mughals….Why this section of the society doesnot come forward and oppose whatever these ppl are doing in the name of Jihad(or whatever)…Why did not they come forward and protest when Afzal Guru was not hanged, why did they not protest when a certain set of ppl from their religion Mis-behaved in the Dutch plane and were grilled by Dutch Govt and when GOI (the great) tryed to protect these ppl…Where were they when ppl were not allowed to perform pooja at Baba Budangiri when Govt allowed only this ‘minority’ to do so! U spk of brotherhood when u need beneits and not otherwise He He!
Violence shoud be shown/depicted as it happened …instead of pushing it on others when they have actually not done it….
Be a Hindu,Muslim,Christian, Budhist inside your home and when outside the home…Be Indian. Stop all bloddy conversions in the name of materialistic/forcible conversions… Stop producing 10 kids per home giving away 2 for Jihad, instead think of the Country’s Population explosion and act accordingly…Deny all the benefits from the government Just because u r a Minority but support the movement for Equal opportunity/Quality Primary education for all…Stop all the Terrorsist activity in the name of religion…Dont come and bark in the public but act wisely…
Be a human being first…
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Astroshiva, I only wish SLB’s novels don’t create communal discord. However, high the number of re-prints the novel goes into, it will not be abl to convert enough people and help the BJP come to power. My only concern is that however few the number of people reading Aavarana, its contents should not reinforce the falsehood propogated by the Sangh Parivar.
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@desi
Let us keep BJP on the sidelines for a while, not worry about it grabbing power at the centre.
Your comment “Aavarana, its contents should not reinforce the falsehood propogated by the Sangh Parivar”
Could you please enlighten me on “falsehood propogated by the Sangh Parivar”?
dhanyavada,
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Zulfi,
What according to you is Nagpur philosophy? even if one were to presume that it is connected with RSS. But why are you bringing in RSS or the BJP etc here? its irrelevant.
Wonder, on what count you judge that I am part of the so called minority. if it was because because of my suggestion , then it only shows of your fallacy.
It is ridiculous of you to label people as ‘morons’ for settling abroad. BTW, fyi – neither am I settled abroad nor have I run away. To call me a moron only show how truely a stupid moron you are!
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Desi,
Your view on communal discord based on the popularity of the book is far fetched. Your reference to BJP is also irrelevant. SLB is right in saying that litreturers should not be influenced by political considerations. If communal tensions raise, it is because of people like URA, Baragur etc
Your claims of RSS preaching falsehood is debatable.
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Mughals were Shias. Most of the Indian Muslims I think are Sunnis. that is something to think about!!
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>>>My only concern is that however few the number of people reading Aavarana, its contents should not reinforce the falsehood propogated by the Sangh Parivar.
This presumes that Bhyrappa’s novels has falsehoods in it. What are they? I mean historical falsehoods. Is Bhyrappa misquoting or twisting history anywhere? Atleast watch the interview and pray tell where is he prevaricating or furthering somebody else’s falsehoods, if any.
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Ranga,
Aurangzeb was a kattar Sunni. Babar was from Uzbekistan, a Sunni country.
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Shri Bhyrapa is a literary colossus. we waste too much time on lightweights like Amartya Sen, who are but birds of passage that visit India every winter. How ever did a hack like URA become so famous!
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Zulfi.. WE will never understand YOU. It’s YOUR own making. Now you protest when your own people blow mosques in Hyderabad and Mumbai. First YOU have to come out clean and hand over those ‘traitors’ among you to be hanged. Otherwise we’ll never understand you. My earlier comment: I didn’t mean it!
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I think the rediff mob have descended on this blog too…
Sample this….
The all learned ranga pronounced mughals Shias.
Another gentleman categorized Aurenzeb was “katter sunni”, is this new classification or am i caming late to party? The reason he is sunni…… babaer was from uzbekistan a sunni country… ref ref a la bhyrappa.
Zulfi is ______ coz he is from india, a hindooo country. for future history writers.
arihant now pronouncing the mother of all quote “bhyrappa is literary colossus” compared to amratya sen. Wow waht a comparison one a debater of history and a a nobel lauret economist. am speechless.
last but not least rama, saying my men are blowing mosques … and i should come clean by handing them over to…… who rama?
there is more to it …if i don’t obey “he will never understand me”!
C’mon ram, don’t be so cocky……. please do understand me……am ansearing all the bafoons here.
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@desihomosepien,
Hi, you said ‘Astroshiva, I only wish SLB’s novels don’t create communal discord.’
Please understand the logic behind all the support for that novel. The novel is is not about ‘minority being a cruel community’. But it is about historical truths of ‘Moghals being a brutal dynasty’. Communal dispute occurs because of the so-called intellectuals’ efforts to potray this novel as anti-muslim. Ask them to stop misguiding Muslims. Our muslims are intelligent enough to understand that by opposing the barbaric Moghals the novel is talking about the history not about modern Muslims. If the writer had any intentions of hurting Muslim’s feelings he had enough opportunity in his novel. But, he kept pseudo-secularists as the target in the sub-plot and whatever there in the main plot is purely based on the extensive research. When you have to oppose the plot detais, come out with proofs rather than making a cliche statements like ‘it was pro-RSS or pro-BJP.
The immense popularity of this book is other issue. I dont take it as the testimony of its ‘truth’.
Coming to your allegations of falsehood taught by sanghparivar, I think that has to be discussed in some other platform.
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I guess there are two issues here. SLB is writing the novel with a prejudice against Muslims (I know, I will be asked to explain what prejudice) and at the same time targeting literary figures, who try to uphold the concept of secularism in public. There was no need for both. A writer like SLB should be more responsible in his writings. One reason why I suspect SLB has targetted URA is that the latter is more suave than him.
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@desi hmosepien
Well, I dont agree to you completely.
1) S L B is not against muslims: But he is against to the current trend of appeasing one community thereby neglecting other community in the name of secularism. His novel is NOT AGAINST muslims, but against the brutality of Mughals.
2) He was not targeting literary figures as such. He was against the group which always feels that by targeting the otherwise soft hindus, they can achieve the national figure status. If the reader sees any literary figure in this novel then the credit goes to both the writer who has imagined it beautifully and to the truth about those ‘intellectual’ .
I think when it comes to targeting persons, URA was the first person who did it by announcing that SLB is not a writer.
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Astro guy,
You really look like a kid in that pic which shows up in your comments. Your comments dont sound too mature either. They are funny. In a childish kind of way.
Maybe people will take you seriously if you win the nobel prize or something. Or take off the pic and links to your blog and start writing like an adult.
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Heh, thanks for your compliment. But again a timepass statement.
We are discussing the novel and the history, if you have forgotten. I ll grow up eventually bu you GROW UP FROM AN ANONYMOUS GUY TO A FULL FLEDGED PERSON.
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Caps-lockalli barithaiddhiya shiva – full senti aagbutya? Raging hormonesaa? Chocki beka? Bikki beka? Keep it up man (you would be offended if I said boy)…
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Astroshiva
A very funny comment:)
I hope the ‘X’ Guy will heed your sensible remark!
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DB,
Naanu nimmige yen maaddhe shiva?
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BTW astro – dont mean to piss you off posting on the site or something. Do keep posting (not that an anonymous guys thoughts matter).
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Prof.AnanthaMurthy should be thanked for making comments on SLB,which made most of us to look deeply into ‘Avarana’.and this ‘Avarana’
deservedly getting into tenth print.
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‘X’ Guy
I thought AstroShiva made a very useful suggestion to you–“GROW UP FROM AN ANONYMOUS GUY TO A FULL FLEDGED PERSON.”
Astey devru….
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2 Muslims girls are threatened with their lives for attending college by their own community in Mumbai. Looks like they want to Talibanise India. Another great step backward by the Mullahs.
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>>>The reason he is sunni…… babaer was from uzbekistan a sunni country
google it. uzbekistan 88% muslim, mostly sunni with 5% shia minority. What do you call it if not a sunni country?
cia world fact book through wikipedia
Don’t belong to ananthamurthy club? Do your research before casting aspersions. Sheesh!
>>>Kattar sunni
No it is not a new classification. Just a nicer way of spelling ‘islamofascist’. Didn’t mean to offend you but then you asked for it.
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The above post was in reply to the gentleman who calls himself zulfi.
Reference for the figures: CIA world fact book. But since you won’t trust CIA- the watchdog of imperialist America, you are welcome to contact your friendly neighborhood uzbek embassy. Maybe they will help out a fellow believer.
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I still have open challenge to those who have objections to Bhayrappa’s sources. PLEASE visit them, don’t judge him by what your fellow comrades blabber. And if you find anything missing or insufficient please cite them here. Help others help you out by discussing, not simply cussing.
And for the genius who is suggesting that Bhayrappa is communal, please purge yourself of the bigotry your displaying towards open scholarship. This is not an era of censorship anymore. It is Ananthamurthy who has betrayed his petulance by indulging in snide personal comments against Bhayrappa. If this is suave then I guess it is opportune that UA is stripped of his vanity.
Bhayrappa’s philosphical take in the novel still stands unchallenged. Hopefully a real scholar will emerge who can make this contest more interesting. For now the author of Aavarana reigns undiminished.
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@ anonymous guy,
Sorry for that late reply. I really loved that comment of yours ‘chokki bekaa, bikki bekaa… ‘ tooo humourous man…. cant stop laughing.
@doddi buddi,
thanks for that comment on X guy. I hope he understood it.
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Many thanks for this interview. My respect for Dr.Bhyrappa increased immensely after hearing this interview. He speaks wisdom and from his deep philosophic undestanding.
Todays most Indian Muslims are desendent from Hindu Converts. Even according to Jinnah 80% Muslim were of Indian Origin.
Why they object to brutal oppression, massacre of the Indian people in the hands of foreign invaders?
In the name of secularism ,anti-Hindu positions are being taken by Politicians. Hindus are being divided along caste lines. Unless Hindus unite, the future of the country is at stake.
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We should have some enlightened discussions here and maintain dignity.And people, pls read the book with as much a neutral stand as possible before commenting. Else, we’ll have so mere nuisance here.
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One thing is sure, In the current political/social/economical scenario, Islam will ultimately take over Europe by 2040 as well as other parts of the world due large number of conversion happening & just to cover the truth we are coming out holding a bullshit like “Avarana”.
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zulfi, ur talking bout a minority??, am a minority HINDU community as well. am not bothered am a HINDU n am proud to be a HINDU. truth is just front of u and ur not accepting it as truth is always hard to accept. “GET WELL SOON ZULFI”.
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JAI SRI RAM
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decemberstud Says:
June 9th, 2007 at 5:55 am
Why English? Kannadigas and only Kannadigas are interested in ‘AvaraNa’. I agree with Pratap that it would have been much more interesting to hear SLB talk in Kannada.
dear all and partcularly my friend who wrote the comment mentioned above, please inform everybody for the greater good of humanity if avarana is being translated and if yes when will it be out in english or hindi. i live in delhi and am fond of the bhyrappa sir’s 5 books that have been translated in english. i have read read ananthamurthy also and have been following their clashes for quite sometime now. please dont undermine rest of india’s abilities to appreciate a nice piece of work written by any indian, i m dying to read it.
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To Zulfi,
Compare the fate of Hindus in pakistan and bangladesh.
u will understand secularism of islam.Islam and muslims are intolerable to any criticism.
Its as clear as the mid day sun.You and your religion need to exhibit a lot more tolerance to get some respect from others.
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Dear Indians..
I read Avarana and now and many historical things are cleared. It gives us a picture of our struggle our elder generations have to go through. We must know our history -correctly. There is a chance of history repeating here. The way the muslims breed like rats, there may be they will plauge our society, while Hindus & all educated lots are trying to reduce population. We must be prepared to control these freaks as I am sure one day they will raise up to over run us again.. as it must written for them somewhere ! Or we will have to invite the British type of people to flush them out for us.
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Excellent interview.
I would like to add though not connected to this interview:
NEVER IN THE POST-INDEPENDENCE HISTORY HAVE TRAITORS IN INDIA LAUNCHED SUCH A VICIOUS CAMPAIGN AGAINST ANY PARTICULAR PERSON AS THIS LEFTIST MEDIA AND PSEUDO-SECULARS LAUNCHED A VICIOUS CAMPAIGN AGAINST MODI AND BJP party. The other strategy these pseudo-seculars indulge in is to blame RSS for everything.
ACCORDING TO THEM HINDUS ALWAYS SUPPOSED TO TAKE THINGS LYING DOWN, A NICE HINDU ACCORDING TO THEM WAS A TIMID, APOLEGETIC HINDU BE IT A POLITICIAN OR A COMMON HINDU…IT WAS ALL HUNKY DORY AS LONG AS HINDUS WERE AT A RECEIVING END OVER THE CENTURIES.
THEN SUDDENDLY CAME A HINDU LEADER WHO WAS NOT APOLEGETIC AND WAS IN FACT AGRESSIVE IN DEFENDING HINDU PRIDE SO A LOT OF ORGANISATIONS(MUSLIMS & CHRISTIAN LOBBY) SUPPORTED BY FOREIGN FUNDED NGO’S AND LEFTIST MEDIA HAVE GANGED UP AND ARE BAYING FOR MODI’S BLOOD.
ALL THIS WILL DO IS FURTHER INFURIATE HINDU GUJRATEES WHO HAVE NOW CLEARLY SEEN THRU THE GAME OF THESE PSEUDO-SECULAR CROWD. More and more Hindus will slowly see through the false propoganda of these vicious leftists who have hijacked Indian history from the last 60 years to present a distorted view of History that tries to white wash Islam’s past in India over the centuries.
THE MORE THIS MEDIA, MULLAH AND EVANGELIST CROWD CHANT HATE SLOGANS AGAINST MODI, THE MORE THE STEELY RESOLVE OF HINDUS TO GET MODI BACK TO POWER AGAIN AND AGAIN.
THIS IS 2007, FREE INTERNET ACCESS MEANS HINDUS NOW HAVE ACCESS TO REAL FACTS SO CANNOT BE FOOLED by this constant propoganda and brain washing indulged by the leftists from the last 60 years anymore.
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This interview should have been conducted in Kannada, Why in English for God sake?
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When persons like Sabanna Azmi! says that Indian democracy does not suits Muslims ,then why they should not quit India and live where they are suited well.I am writing in context to great Dr. S.L.Byrappa’sAVARANA novel and those who have criticized the novel [specially to Zulfi’s note on 9thJune2007 at 4.21 P.M.]
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Thanks Churumuri! I have read every word what SLB has written. I quoted him to get my Fulbright Fellowship! Yes! God bless him and those who mis-read him. Amen.
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ಬೈರಪ್ಪನವರ್ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಗಳು ಸಮಾಜದ ವಾಸ್ತವಿಕ ಅಂಶಗಳನ್ನು,ಕುಂದುಕೊರತೆಗಳನ್ನು ಎತ್ತಿ ತೊರಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ಅವರ ಬರವಣಿಗೆಯ ಶೈಲಿ ತುಂಬಾ ಸರಳ ಮತ್ತು ಆಕರ್ಷಕ ಶೈಲಿಯಿಂದ ಕುಡಿದೆ.ಹಾಗಾಗಿ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಯ ಮೊದಲ ಪುಟದಿಂದ ಕನೆಯ ಪುಟದವರೆಗೂ ಓಡಿಸಿಕೊಂಡು ಹೋಗುವಂತ ವೈಸಿಷ್ಟೇ ವಿದೆ.
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Very well said Deepak. I agree with you
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You should have interviewd the great man in kannada. He would have been more elequent and more enlightening.
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