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Correspondent

23 August 2024 at 4:29:04 pm

Red Romance

For long, the Naxalite in news was recognisable by the gun. But the more insidious version of Naxalism has never needed a rifle. It has thrived in varsity classrooms and newspaper and magazine columns, fostered by men and women sympathetic to it. These academics and other members of the so-called intelligentsia have long enjoyed their status as ‘respectable dissenters’ even when their politics offered intellectual alibis for Naxals carrying guns. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent...

Red Romance

For long, the Naxalite in news was recognisable by the gun. But the more insidious version of Naxalism has never needed a rifle. It has thrived in varsity classrooms and newspaper and magazine columns, fostered by men and women sympathetic to it. These academics and other members of the so-called intelligentsia have long enjoyed their status as ‘respectable dissenters’ even when their politics offered intellectual alibis for Naxals carrying guns. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent Independence Day warning about “dimaagi Naxals” should therefore not be dismissed as another political label. His larger point was that an insurgency does not survive on ammunition alone. It survives on ideas and people willing to make violence appear morally fashionable. The most revealing feature of India’s Maoist movement was never simply its brutality. It was the strange attraction it exercised over sections of the metropolitan Left elite. The Naxalite with an AK-47 could be transformed into a romantic revolutionary while the policeman he killed became an instrument of an oppressive state. This was not merely naïveté. At its ugliest, it was the intellectual laundering of political violence. The fantasy of the romantic revolutionary has always been seductive. In this narrative, amplified through sympathetic media priding itself on telling ‘truth to power,’ India was not a constitutional democracy struggling with inequality and corruption but an inherently illegitimate state waiting to be overthrown. In the minds of this elite Left, Maoist violence has often been recast as resistance while attacks on infrastructure as blows against capitalism. The armed overthrow of the Indian republic was the liberation they craved for. Some of India’s most celebrated intellectuals have flirted dangerously close to that moral inversion. The issue here is whether intellectual prestige can be used to sanitise an ideology whose practitioners have murdered civilians, policemen and public servants and terrorised some of India’s poorest districts. A university cannot be the place where Maoist romanticism acquires the legitimacy of a fashionable campus cause. Professors who turn armed insurgents into heroic revolutionaries are not merely exercising academic freedom. If they knowingly excuse violence, they are helping to construct the moral vocabulary that makes violence possible. Let’s be clear here. A professor who criticises the Indian state is not a Naxal while a journalist who exposes state excesses is not an enemy of India. But an intellectual who repeatedly excuses, glorifies or rationalises political violence cannot hide behind the word ‘dissent.’ India has paid an enormous price for the Maoist fantasy. Thousands have died. Entire regions were held back by fear while development was obstructed. The people supposedly being liberated were often the first to suffer. The armed Naxal is now being pushed towards extinction. But the Indian republic cannot afford to leave behind the romantic mythology that made the gun respectable. A democracy can tolerate dissent. It should never be expected to tolerate the glorification of those who seek its violent destruction.

When Divine Wisdom Meets the Call of Spring

In India, festivals are not just celebrations; they are living expressions of faith, nature, and inner transformation.

India is a land where spirituality and nature walk hand in hand, where festivals are not merely dates on a calendar but living expressions of faith, seasons, and inner transformation. Among such deeply symbolic celebrations are Maghi Ganpati and Basant Panchami—two sacred observances that, though distinct in origin, harmoniously converge in spirit. Together, they represent the awakening of wisdom, the removal of obstacles, and the blossoming of knowledge, creativity, and new beginnings.


Maghi Ganpati

The auspicious presence of the remover of obstacles, Maghi Ganpati, is observed during the holy month of Magha. The festival holds immense importance in many parts of India, especially Maharashtra. This year it is observed on 22nd January. Lord Ganesha, revered as Vighnaharta—the remover of obstacles—and Buddhi Pradata—the bestower of wisdom—is worshipped on this day with special devotion.


Unlike the grand public celebrations of Ganesh Chaturthi, Maghi Ganpati is more introspective and spiritually intense. Devotees wake up early, perform ritual baths, and offer prayers seeking clarity, stability, and success. The idol of Ganesha during Maghi is often shown in a calm, meditative form, symbolising inner balance and thoughtful decision-making.


Maghi Ganpati reminds us that obstacles are not always external; many lie within—fear, doubt, hesitation, and ego. By invoking Ganesha during Magha, devotees seek not just material success but the wisdom to walk the righteous path with humility and confidence.


Basant Panchami

Basant Panchami marks the arrival of spring, a season of renewal, warmth, and hope. Celebrated on the fifth day (Panchami) of the bright fortnight of Magha, this festival is dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, the Goddess of Knowledge and the embodiment of learning, art, music, and intellect. This year, it is observed on 23 January.


Nature itself participates in the celebration—fields glow with mustard flowers, trees begin to bloom, and the air carries a gentle optimism. Yellow, the colour of energy, knowledge, and prosperity, dominates attire, offerings, and food. From students placing their books before the goddess to artists and musicians seeking inspiration, Basant Panchami is a celebration of creative awakening.


It is believed that Saraswati blesses her devotees with clarity of speech, sharp intellect, and refined artistic sensibility. For children, this day often marks the Vidyarambh—the beginning of formal education—making it a cornerstone of intellectual and spiritual growth.


Sacred Confluence

Wisdom begins with the removal of obstacles. When Maghi Ganpati and Basant Panchami are viewed together, a deeper philosophical harmony emerges. Before knowledge can flourish, obstacles must be cleared. Before creativity can bloom, mental blocks must dissolve. Lord Ganesha prepares the ground, and Goddess Saraswati sows the seeds of wisdom.


Ganesha grounds us, stabilising our minds and helping us overcome resistance. Saraswati governs higher consciousness—speech, intellect, and creative expression. Together, they guide an individual from foundation to fulfilment.


One teaches us to pause and reflect; the other encourages us to flow and create.


Spiritual Renewal

Magha is traditionally considered a month of purification—both of the body and the soul. Rivers are revered, fasting is observed, and charitable acts are encouraged. The combined observance of Maghi Ganpati and Basant Panchami during this period multiplies the theme of renewal.


Just as spring cleanses the earth of winter’s stagnation, these festivals invite us to shed old habits, negative thoughts, and emotional burdens. They inspire us to begin anew—with wisdom, courage, and optimism.


Modern Life

In today’s fast-paced world, Maghi Ganpati and Basant Panchami hold timeless relevance. Students seek focus, teachers seek clarity, professionals seek wise decision-making, and families seek harmony. These festivals remind us that true success is a balance of intellect and intuition, planning and creativity, and effort and grace.


They encourage us to slow down, reconnect with our inner selves, and align our actions with a higher purpose. In doing so, they transform routine living into mindful existence.


Stillness to Bloom

As we bow to Lord Ganesha and seek the blessings of Goddess Saraswati, may our lives be free of obstacles, rich in wisdom, and vibrant with creativity—just like the golden spring that Basant Panchami so joyfully announces.


Happy Maghi Ganpati and Basant Panchami to you.


(The writer is a tutor based in Thane. Views personal.)

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