NEW DELHI: Noted author and poet Vikram Seth on Friday commented on the results of India’s 18th Lok Sabha elections saying “we are in a better position than we were a month ago” and added that there will be some “limits on autocracy” in India.
Speaking at the launch of his new book, a translation of the 86-line Hindu hymn “Hanuman Chalisa”, Seth asserted that the “fairly secular” Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu would keep things in check, just as the Samata Party and George Fernandes did in the then National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
“I think the situation is better now than it was a month ago because even if people say, ‘that was a preview of what was to come’, at least now there are some limits to autocracy and it is balanced by the ‘N and N’s’ on both sides. Naidu and Nitish are quite secular. So let’s see what happens.”
“After all, the NDA, the first NDA, had George Fernandes of the Samata Party, who was not only a secularist but also a Christian. So, I think there were certain limitations on the mischief that could be done,” the award-winning author said.
The BJP won 240 seats, falling short of the 272 required for a majority, but through its allies it was able to form a government with a total of 286 seats in the latest election.
This was well below the 303 and 282 seats it won in 2019 and 2014 to secure a majority on its own.
But Seth, who recently turned 72, warned that the “problem” is not over yet, saying people today are “afraid to speak their mind”.
He even cited the example of writer Arundhati Roy, who in 2010 faced a case under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for making provocative statements.
“Look what is happening with Arundhati now. It’s madness,” he said, calling pitting Indians against each other “the worst thing to do to weaken the country”.
Asked about the changing image of Hindu deities, particularly Hanuman – who was originally depicted at the feet of Rama and Sita but now has a totally different appearance, dressed in saffron and black with a scowling face – Seth said this too had more to do with politics than bhakti (devotion).
“They tend to use the aspect of Hanuman, but it is not the bhakti aspect, it is not ‘sukshma roop dhari siyahi(n) dikhawa’ (Sita is discerning because her form is small), but ‘bhikata roop dhari Lanka jhalawa’ (She is great in form, she burns Lanka),” he explained.
In fact, he decided to postpone the publication – initially scheduled for Hanuman Jayanti – out of fear that his translation of Hanuman Chalisa might take on a political overtone during the election period.
“I told myself that if I did, I would get caught up in the electioneering and people would say, ‘This guy has gone to the dark side or something,’ ‘He has become a kind of Bajrang Dari or something,’ so I thought I would do it after that,” he added.
Regarding his first book in 10 years, the translation of “Hanuman Chalisa”, Seth dedicated the book to Bhaskar, the boy genius featured in his book “A Worthy Boy”, who memorised hymns to Lord Hanuman at the age of five. But he said translating is like “learning to dance on a chain” and that if even 10 per cent of people can enjoy the original text, “that’s enough” for him.
“Of course I showed my translation to my 90-year-old aunt Usha Mami, who lives on the first floor. She said, ‘Beta, don’t just show it to me, show it to others too.’ I told her it was a personal translation. I made it 10 years ago…and never touched it after that,” Seth said of the genesis of the translation.
Written by the 16th-century poet and sage Tulsidas, the Hanuman Chalisa is one of Hinduism’s most popular hymns dedicated to the Lord Hanuman. It has 40 verses. Millions of people recite it in times of joy and sorrow, success and hardship, and when they need courage.
The book is published by Speaking Tiger and is priced at Rs 399.
Published June 22, 2024 12:21 IST
