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“Nobel Prize for Namdeo Dhasal”

Namdeo Dhasal is in the news because of the translation of his poems into English by Dilip Chitre. What is curious is, after the mandatory 2-3 lines about his poetry, the reviews target Dhasal for betraying the secular, progressive cause. Dhasal, as all of us know, has joined hands with the “communal and corrupt” Shiv Sena. This charge is made by fence sitters; or poets and intellectuals who prefer hob-nobbing with the “corrupt and communal” Congress.

And in this way, the classical conundrum of caste politics, unfolds. The Brahmin rules are different from the rules for Dalits!

In COTTON 56 POLYESTER 84, singer-actor Nagesh Bhosale descided to render Eknath’s couplet “I am the bastard Mahar, son of the Lord”. I thought it was a fine piece of theatre. Until one day, I get a call. I’m told the couplet is objectionable. I ask, why? I’m informed that couplet is moving to another Brahmin but not to a Mahar. And that I won’t understand this since I am one of “them” as opposed to “one of us”.

Its true, the questions are never consistent.

Eknath & Chokamela

That night I re-read the Bhakti Poets and speak to a few friends about Eknath, a Brahmin saint, who wrote Bharuds. Interestingly, even though, 47 of these Bharuds emerged from the mouth of a Mang, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar believed, Eknath never challenged the concept of living (in non religious matters) according to caste.

Other than Eknath, the name of Chokamela is discussed. An uppercaste lady with superior aesthetics informs me, Neela Bhagwat renders Chokamela, beautifully. A friend from the Yuvak Kranti movement, disagrees. She sends me jottings on Chokamela by Ambedkar. In 1929, an atheist and rationalist, Ambedkar presided over a meeting at Trymbak, a pilgrim centre. There was talk of building a memorial in the name of Chokamela. Ambedkar was not enamoured by Chokamela. The reason being Ambedkar found Chokamela to be an “Uncle Tom-type Mahar” who was willing to accept the status quo.

For Ambedkar rejecting Chokamela was important since according to him the Bhakti movement (with the exception of Sant Gadge Maharaj) was without any social protest or social reform content. For e.g. Chokamela had accepted his place in the village hierarchy; and Ambedkar rejected this rationale.

Ambedkar & Pandharpur

Here it is very interesting to note, Ambedkar’s family were followers of the Kabir and Ramananda Bhakti and Yalkot sects. Ambedkar’s wife wanted to make a pilgrimage to some of these places. Ambedkar did not allow her to because he knew she would not be allowed into the temple. He consoled his wife and family members, by saying:

“The appearance of Tulsi leaves around your neck will not relieve you from the clutches of the money lenders. Because you sing songs of Lord Rama, you will not get a concession in rent from your landlords. You will not get salaries at the end of the month because you make pilgrimages every year to Pandharpur.”

Dhasal’s poetry sustains the Ambedkar argument. He does it with angst, with panache. Not for Dhasal the goody goody world of Bhakti nor Sufi. In fact Dhasal goes out of his way, and rejects the status quo. His poems do not glorify poverty. Instead of preaching lofty forgiveness towards his oppressors, Dhasal’s words mock them. The loathing is top-heavy. Dhasal provokes, he reinvents. If there was an award for “the best inter-cut” in poetry, it would go to Dhasal for his juxtaposition of the pilgrims of Pandharpur with the regulars at Golpitha.

And that’s the thing, the zing about Dhasal’s poetry. We tend to forget, that in spite of Dhasal’s compromise with power, his poetry is potent. We can’t ignore that. That would be injustice to our literary legacy.

Dilip Chitre says, “Dhasal’s poetry deserves a Nobel Prize for Literature!” I agree.

(This appeared in the Hindustan Times on 19th June)

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