Dr. C Naganna : A Cobbler cannot be a Poet - English Poem recital

Response to the appeal

I welcome the decision taken by the Akademi in protest of Dr.M.M.Kalburgis assassination.Akademi has appealed the writers to take back the awards and to withdraw the resignations.Personally I am not ready to take back my resignation.Our move is a symbolic protest against the growing fundamentalism.We want to bring awareness among the people against these anti-social,anti-constitutional activities.We have done it,to a small extent.We Indians must grow zero tolerance to such things.We want to give this message to the people of this country.
                                                                                                         -Dr.Aravind Malagatti

Replying the appeal given by Sahithya Akademi

I have noticed your letter. It is a welcome note that a meeting is convened on 23^rd  November by the Akademi. Anyway, it is late. Dr.M.M.Kalaburgi had experienced lots of backlash due to his Literature, Research and Speeches. He uses to ignore threatening calls and intimidating letters. He suggested me to ignore such letters- when I started getting similar ones. Therefore, I tore away such letters initially. Whenever there was a threatening call, the mobile phone would be like a fireball. The entire home has suffered due to tension. Stopping our programs, by seeing that function halls are not allotted to our programs, speaking over the T.V Challnels that they would cut our tongues, break our legs & hands and so on.

            Then only I could understand the pain & turmoil of Prof.Kalburgi. It is then I could feel the pain of Shri. Pansare & Dabholkar…..         If you had ever experienced such situations, you wouldn’t react so. (Those who criticise through media, those who brand our move as politically motivated will never understand this.) I hope that such situations should not haunt even these criticisers.I love my country.

            The country’s top most literary body, must never reach the non existent state. It should utilise the freedom and authority bestowed on it.  I resigned to the memebership of the Akademi, with the strong wish that the Akademi would show that, it is not for just literature.    I thank you all for the co-operation extended to me during my membership.

-          Aravinda Malagatti

Resignation to General Council Membership of Sahithya Akademi

I have tendered my resignation to the general council membership of Sahithya Akademi, Delhi on 11-10-2015 at 8 am, through e mail, in protest of Dr. M. M. Kalaburgi’s assassination. Resignation letter is sent to the president of the Akademi, Shri Vishwanath Prasad Tiwari and secretary Shri   Srinivasarao. I have attached the copy of my resignation letter.

                                                                              

                                                                                                          Prof. Aravind Malagatti                

Shri Vishvanath Prasad thivariji,

 FirojShah Road,

 Honourable   president of Sahithya Akademi,

Ravindra Bhavan, 35, New Delhi, 110001

Respected sir,

Dr. M M Kalburgi’s assassination is a clear attack on freedom of expression. I am tendering my resignation to the general council membership of the Akademi. Honourable president is requested to accept my resignation.

Akademi should have given a statement opposing this immediately. Post incident approval could be obtained at a later date by placing it before the executive board . President surely has this discretionary power in any institution. This wouldn’t bring down Akademi’s   honour, rather   uphold it. Dr. Kalburgi is an awardee of Sahithya Akademi. Moreover he has served the Akademi as a member too. Defending freedom of expression must be Akademi’s priority.It is my personal opinion .   Honourable president is requested to accept my resignation.

Thanking you                                             

                                                                                                         Yours sincerely

                                                                                                    Prof Aravind Malagatti

Reply to a journalist regarding bhagavadgitha

Bhagavadgitha – discussion-Aravind Malagatti

Dear Mr. Shreyas,

 I said I would call you after a while, when you called me.  Later I saw missed calls from your side. I am sorry that I could not pick the call then. Here are my answers to your questions.

                                                                                                 Regards-       Aravind malagatti

1 With your studies on Geeta, do you believe BG strongly propagates         sectarianism?

    

        -yes, Bhagvadgeeta does a job of sowing the seeds of                       sectarianism(varna) in the readers mind and preaches inequality. Caste system is the product of varnashrama, which lord Krishna claims to have created.- Chaturvarnyam maya srushtyam guna karma vibhagasha- [4-13]

2 According to Hindu scholars Geeta preaches perfect way of life for the universe, what is your take on it?

-         Of course, it preaches the perfect way of life – jeevana dharma , for  one sect of Hindus. Way of thinking of other sects have not been taken in its fold.

3 What is your interpretation of chapter 4, verse 13, a line of which says, caste is determined by character and works not by birth (chaturvrana maya sisthtam gunadharma vibhagasah)?

The shloka is not clear in its connotation. There are three gunas , satva, raja, and thama. On the basis of these three,  there are four varnas! There are six karmas[shatkarmas] adhyayana, adhyapana, Yajna, yajana, dana, pratigraha.[these are meant for Brahmins] .what combinations of these must have resulted in four varnas?

Lord Krishna suggests hierarchy in gunas. [14-8].Same hierarchy is implied in varnas also. Jatidharma and kuladharmas are also mentioned in bhagavadgita.[1-42]

4 Can slow evolving of Indian society attributed to inculcating teachings of Geeta in way of life. Can this deeply rooted cast system in India eradicated?

 Geetha was not known to many hindus, as education was denied to shudras and women. Popularizing it now will hinder the progress of the society. There are folk ramayanas and folk mahabharathas , but not folk geetha, indicating that it was not popular among the common people.

Caste system can be eradicated through intercaste marriages. But, bhagavadgitha opposes varnasankara.

5 What are the impacts the modern Indian society is bearing due to Geeta’s teaching?

Geetha contains certain good preachings also, that  should be practiced , instead of reciting. But  contents regarding hierarchy of varnas and subordination of  women, vaishyas and shudras should never impact the society.

6 Has Geeta still remained as a book of upper cast, specifically Brahmins, in terms of interpretation of Sholkas of Geeta?

-Geetha doesn’t contain way of thinking of  non Brahmins.

7 Do you feel, in the rapid socio cultural changes due to information age,      Brahmins in future retain control over interpretations of Geeta?

 -As a book, it has to be interpreted by all interested people. There is no question of retaining control over the interpretation.

8 Is Geeta not at all worth reading in the present context of social life?

- It is worth, excepting the contradictory issues in it.

9 Is it true or you believe, in the argument of Kedar Joshi, who says Geeta is nothing but the example of Hindu terrorism?

-         I have not read Kedar Joshi.

10 The views that lower cast, who have sinful birth go to the highest goal in the shelter of Krishna is shear symbol of slavery?

-

Going to the highest goal is not a symbol of slavery. But identification of women, vaishyas and shudras as those of sinful birth is questionable. [refer 9-32]

11 Who is this Krishna, by the way? Brahmins’ creation to hold monopoly of knowledge and economy

-Monopoly of knowledge and economy can’t be held through religious texts.

12 Is it time of  the youths of India to renounce all religious scripts?

 -Definitely not. Nothing is useless. Retain all old, religious works in order to understand the lapses in them and to construct new and relevant way of life.

About Aravind Malagatti

Selected Poems Of Dr Aravind Malagatti