The Hindu Business Line : There is no future in glorifying the past

It does not matter whether people are rich or poor. If they remain enamoured of the past — if they think the past was better than the future can be — they will only regress, not progress. Defending the past is not the best way to advance in the future, says P. V. INDIRESAN.

Our tribal areas are generally rich in natural resources — in minerals, and in forest wealth; they have plenty of water too but the people are abysmally poor. Bangalore is a dry area with next to no natural resources; yet the people are very rich. There are many reasons for this anomaly. According to Mancur Olson, culture is the main reason why a society grows rich or remains poor. Thomas Kuhn has a similar explanation why Western nations have become as rich as they are and why other nations have not done as well.

SENSITIVE ISSUE

Culture is a very sensitive issue. Particularly those who are not faring well are most defensive of their failed culture, but those who are most successful are more receptive to criticism about their culture. In fact, resistance to change is a cultural handicap; receptivity to criticism, hospitality to people of alien cultures, and willingness to change are hallmarks of successful cultures.

Over 50 years ago, we organised at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore a Kannada Habba — a cultural festival highlighting various aspects of Kannada culture. The organising committee of over a dozen persons had only two whose mother tongue was Kannada; others came from various linguistic backgrounds — Tamil, Telugu, Konakani, Tulu, Kodagu, Marathi, Malayalam.

None of these non-Kannadigas gave a moment's thought about participating in the Kananda Habba; they were as proud of their knowledge of Kannada as they were of the heritage of their mother tongue.

In those days, most writers of Kannada literature were actually non-Kannadigas. They had integrated themselves with the majority Kannada population because they had experienced no discrimination, they knew they were equal citizens, enjoyed full citizenship rights no less than any Kannadiga. For similar reasons, Bangalore became a world-renowned cosmopolitan city giving hospitality to a number of outsiders. It was no accident that the richest man and the richest woman in the country are both Bangaloreans, that both were born outside the State.

CHANGED TIMES

Times have changed. Bangalore is now beset by a new breed of activists who want to promote Kannadigas to the exclusion of others. They resent outside human talent, the same talent that made Bangalore great.

When the Kannada actor Rajkumar died a few days ago, Bangalore went berserk. Even great litterateurs with national and international reputation condoned mob violence, felt no concern, let alone shame, that the good name of Kannada was besmirched. It will not be a surprise if Hyderabad, with its new enthusiasm for welcoming outsiders, steals a march over Bangalore.

Prosperity, happiness too, comes easily to those who have open arms for human talent from wherever it may come, to those who are willing to change and absorb new ideas. Prosperity flees from those who repel outside human talent, who are rigid in the belief that their culture is perfect and unimprovable. That has been true right through history. The United States is the latest example of attaining world leadership through borrowed talent.

Reverting to the state of our tribals, undoubtedly, they have their own area of expertise. There is no question that, intrinsically, they are as intelligent as any others. The following is an excerpt from a speech given by Roy Sesana, an African tribal leader:

`WE NEED LEADERS'

"I am a leader. When I was a boy we did not need leaders and we lived well. Now we need them because our land is being stolen and we must struggle to survive. It doesn't mean I tell people what to do, it's the other way around: they tell me what I have to do to help them.

"I cannot read. You wanted me to write this speech, so my friends helped, but I cannot read words — I'm sorry! But I do know how to read the land and the animals. All our children could.

"We are not backward or less intelligent. The farmer says he is more advanced than the backward hunter, but I don't believe him. His herds give no more food than ours. The antelope are not our slaves, they do not wear bells on their necks and they can run faster than the lazy cow or the herder. "I was trained as a healer. You have to read the plants and the sand. You have to dig the roots and become fit. You put some of the root back for tomorrow, so one day your grandchildren can find it and eat. You learn what the land tells you.

"We are the ancestors of our grandchildren's children. We look after them, just as our ancestors looked after us. We aren't here for ourselves. We are here for each other and for the children of our grandchildren.

"Why am I here? Because my people love their land, and without it we are dying. They said we had to go because of diamonds. Then they said we were killing too many animals: but that's not true. They say many things which aren't true. They said we had to move so the government could develop us. The president says unless we change we will perish like the dodo. I didn't know what a dodo was. But I found out: it was a bird which was wiped out by settlers.

IS THIS DEVELOPMENT?

"It hurts to say this. Is this `development'?

"We are not primitive. We live differently to you, but we do not live exactly like our grandparents did, nor do you. Were your ancestors `primitive'? I don't think so. We respect our ancestors. We love our children. This is the same for all people.

"We now have to stop the government stealing our land: without it we will die. If anyone has read a lot of books and thinks I am primitive because I have not read even one, then he should throw away those books and get one which says we are all brothers and sisters under God and we too have a right to live."

It is a moving speech; the full text is even more moving. It has extraordinary insights. It should be read with respect, with humility. However, it would be a mistake to treat it as perfect. It is not perfect because it exhibits the same flaw the Kannadigas have exhibited in Bangalore: It is excessively defensive; it is not self-critical enough. Defending the past is not the best way to advance in the future.

For instance, he is factually wrong when he says about the farmer that "his herds give no more food than ours." He is smug about his being a healer. He should learn more and become a better healer. Only then will his people live longer than they do now. It does not matter whether people are rich as in Bangalore or whether they are poor as in the hills. If they are enamoured of past glory, if they think the past was better than the future can be, they will only regress, will not progress.

I get hate mail only when I criticise Banagloreans or tribal people. That is sad. Critics may be right, they may be wrong. Either way they should be tolerated because progress depends not on glorifying the perfection of the past but in searching for areas that can be, should be, improved.

(To be continued)

(The author is a former Director of IIT Madras. Response may be sent to: indiresan@gmail.com)

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