The protests against S. Hareesh’s novel Meesha could be due to its powerful content dealing with Dalit empowerment, poet K. Satchidanandan has said.
Opening a seminar on the now withdrawn novel here on Wednesday, he said that its third chapter had reference to one Dalit character growing a moustache and acting in a play which offended upper castes. Though there was no evidence to prove that it was indeed the reason for the protests, considering the political affiliation of the protesters, that could not be ruled out.
Speaking about the alleged anti-women remarks made by one of the characters, Mr. Satchidanandan said the so-called “anti-women nature” of the conversation was pointed out by men who had never spoken for women empowerment. “Why die-hard feminists did not find the conversation offensive is a surprise,” he said.
The former secretary of the Sahitya Akademi said the protests against Meesha should be seen in the wider context of attempts across the country to muzzle freedom of expression. He said that efforts were on to divide the country on the basis of “manufactured Hinduism”. They were emptying out spirituality from religion and making it communal for their political aims. The tradition of arguments in the country had given way to hatred and discrimination, Mr. Satchidanandan said. Novelist K.P. Ramanunni and poet P.K. Parakkadavu, among others, were present.
‘I feel no regrets’
At another event, where he addressed the media, Mr. Satchidanandan said those who had directly or indirectly taken a stand against women should be excluded from public events and society should start boycotting such events.
He said he felt no regrets for being a signatory to a memorandum submitted to the State government seeking exclusion of a “guest of honour” at the State film awards presentation ceremony.
Mr. Satchidanandan claimed he was not aware that actor Mohanlal had been invited as the “guest of honour” at the event. “However, I feel no regrets. But I feel disappointed to see the government rejecting the memorandum,” he said.
Governments were often found to have turned away such requests from cultural activists. Examples could be the “Vayalkkili” agitation at Keezhattur, and the protests against GAIL pipeline and the Vizhinjam project.