Speaking for
Karnataka is an extended statement by a collective of intellectuals, social scientists and writers on the idea of Karnataka, its history and its present. It is the outcome of a lively, intense conversation among them, supported by brief essays invited from more than 30 individuals.
The purpose was to put together the ideas articulated by them on the basis of their experience of Karnataka. Instead of essentialist and trans-historical notions about the state, the focus was on Karnataka as it has evolved under the specific socio-historical conditions shaping it. The consensus was that Karnataka is characterized by an extraordinary plurality of languages, traditions, religions, art forms, food styles and everything that constitutes the ‘poetics of culture’.
The purpose was also to look critically at its successes and failures in negotiating with diversity and plurality. Most importantly, the document now published in
Kannada and English was conceived as an outline for a large compendium with extended scholarly essays on issues covered in it, and also on many issues not addressed by it. The compendium is also planned to be open-ended, like a work in progress with contributions continuously being added.
The discussions and conversations were educative, making us realize the huge dimensions of Karnataka’s plurality. As one of the editors led by the illustrious scholar Professor
Valerian Rodrigues, I want to think of the document as a working paper, a plan for a challenging scholarly work which only a larger collective of scholars can produce in the future. The one model we scrupulously wanted to avoid was that of a non-serious handbook. It had to be a well-reasoned argument with substantiation, however slender, given the constraint of space.
Yes, it is a political statement, but from the perspective of the communities and citizens of Karnataka. Despite considerable progress, inequalities persist, skewed development ignores the less privileged; faultlines of regional imbalances threaten to erupt into demands for a separate state; environmental concerns are not made into policies and women and backward classes are yet to receive their share of political power. There is also a need to evolve comprehensive policies for utilizing the resources of the state without endangering either the ecological balance or the human ecology of diverse and differently developed regions.
Though the participants in the preparation of the document were clear about these challenges, they also felt reassured about the immense cultural resources of Karnataka, a rich legacy of the mutually enriching plural traditions which have existed throughout its history. It is imperative that this is preserved and strengthened. Increasingly violent communal discourses are slowly infiltrating Karnataka civil society. Politically engineered prejudices are becoming “common sense”, thanks to the irresponsible media. It is only through reflection and communication efforts that pluralism and tolerance can be made a viable way of life. Otherwise, it may become ineffectual and lacking in political strength.
It serves no purpose at all to perpetuate an image of Karnataka as an idyllic premodern space. It is as much or as little globalized as any state in India. Its capital Bengaluru is prominently on the global map of leading metropolises and a hub of information technology. It is fascinating to watch the many dimensions of its encounter with global capital and the new cyber-modernity. But it is also a place where living traditions rub shoulders with the forces of contemporary history.
The newly established
Bengaluru Central University deserves all praise for playing host to an intellectual exercise aiming to understand Karnataka.
(The writer is a critic and professor of English at Kuvempu University)