SUSHILA SAWANT MENDES Astand-up comedian cannot do parody based on current affairs, an artist cannot display his imagination, a Professor of History cannot write on history, and an intellectual cannot give his opinion-either. Persons venturing in critical thought get trolled on social media and this in turn has the sickening backing of the State.
Comedians use parody as a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of a satirical or ironic imitation. It can be about a real life person, event or movement.
Comedian Kunal Kamra has highlighted a five point satirical post on X titled, “How to kill an artist: A step by step guide”. He explains how outrage is used in different decibels, first just enough for brands to stop commission work, to venues not taking risks and the subsequent violence leading to even the smallest places shutting their doors. Finally the summoning of the audience for questioning turns art into a crime scene. He terms this as a political weapon and a ‘silencing machine’.
In the inter-war period, fascists like Salazar, Mussolini, Hitler and General Franco did this openly and prided themselves following the diktat “Everything for the State”. Hitler believed in the Nazification of art, literature, science, etc. All academic institutions, schools, colleges and universities, all means of communication and culture, such as the press, radio, film and stage were brought under the complete control of the State. All teachers, professors and churchmen, who were suspected to be anti-Nazis were removed and dispatched to concentration camps. The curricula were also revised accordingly.
The fascist motto was “Faith, obedience and fight because Mussolini is always right”. Control of all educational institutions was done by appointing only fascist teachers and professors in schools, colleges and universities and their syllabus was also fascist oriented. The various youth organisations of the fascist party brainwashed young minds.
Salazar had his own secret police with the sole object of apprehending political non-conformists. Polícia Internacional e de Defesa do Estado (PIDE) existed during the Estado Novo regime of Salazar. This was notorious for its use of censorship, surveillance and political repression to silence dissent and maintain control. The ‘Politics of Spirit’ of Salazar during the first twelve years of his government, played an active role in the propagation of nationalist ideas and in the standardisation of culture.
General Franco was Prime Minister of Spain from 1939 to 1975 and ruled as a dictator after he had led the nationalist forces in overthrowing the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil war. He developed a cult of personality around his rule by founding the Movimento Nacional. Forced labour, torture in concentration camps and summary executions of political opponents were the methods he used to instil fear.
The fascist dictators secured the support of their people and used the radio in their agenda of the “glorification of the State”. They were fascists not democrats, although Hitler came to power via the Weimar Constitution. Today however governments elected by the people stand in judgement on artists as in the case of Kunal Kamra. Are the pre-World War II trends coming back to haunt present day democracies whose leaders are intolerant to artists, intellectuals and writers? The Uday Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena has used the terms gaddar (traitor) and Baap chori (stealing the father) for the present Deputy CM of Maharashtra Eknath Shinde. Kunal Kamre used the same terms without using his name. Shiv Sainiks destroyed the venue where Kamra shot his comedy show. He faces three FIRs in Mumbai, the BMC workers tore down the unauthorised shed on the terrace of the Khar hotel where the controversial video was recorded. Both the CM and his Deputy were elected by the people and selected by the Mahayuti Alliance to form the government and both were contenders for the CM’s post. The attack on Kamara has now enhanced the politics of free negative publicity for Shinde’s opponents.
In the recent past, Goa was rocked with videos and counter videos, each subscribing to their own view on history. What was questionable was a group of Bajrang Dal and ABVP activists going to a veteran of the Opinion Poll activist very senior learned advocate’s house at 9 pm, forcing him to come out and abusing him for countering the version of history placed by the CM on the occasion of Shiv Jayanti. Each had a right to their opinion. Govind Pansare, lawyer, author and activist of the CPI was assassinated at the age of 81. Pansare in his book, ‘Shivaji kon hota?’ (Who was Shivaji?) had said that Shivaji was a secular leader who appointed Muslims as his generals and respected women. It was a counter to the ideology of right wing organisations who use Shivaji for vote bank politics. Political parties across the world are driven not necessarily by goals of justice and fairness but by their immediate political gains. Govind Pansare, M M Kalburgi, Narendra Dabholkar, Gauri Lankesh all fell victims to the bullets of hate and hatred while the State looked the other side. They were shot dead for their beliefs. Not everybody has the tenacity of Sandesh Prabhudessai or Uday Bhembre.
Yesterday’s newspapers had a report of an advocate making submissions before the Additional Sessions Judge in Delhi Court alleging two paintings of M F Hussain, displayed in the Delhi Art Gallery since the past thirty days as “depicting Hindu Gods and Goddesses in an obscene manner”, saying “Our Gods were insulted”. Hussain's representation of Indira Gandhi as Durga was also chastised during the Emergency.
From street plays held in the dead of the night to open rebellion, the story of the cultural resistance to the Emergency is one of many underground movements of artists and individuals. The revival of street theatre, as a tool of dissent, rose in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal during this clampdown. Even Kishore Kumar’s songs were banished from AIR because he refused to perform at a political gathering of the Congress. Safdar Hashmi’s theatre group was shocked into silence. Documentary filmmaker Anand Patwardhan, who was filming the JP Movement, went underground.
Shogdung (‘Morning Conch’), is the pen name of Tagyal, the most high-profile of some 31 writers, bloggers, intellectuals and others were imprisoned after reporting or expressing views, writing poetry or prose, or simply sharing information about Chinese government policies and their impact in Tibet today. Some of them are still in prison.
Arts organisations in the USA with art as a tool for social justice as the core of their mission are also disseminating information about constitutional rights to their communities. The Los Angeles Art Gallery began printing “Know Your Rights” posters, in both the tenures of Trump as his administration is turning more intolerant.
The acts of omission or commission of the fascist dictators led to World War II and destruction on a wider canvas involving almost the whole of Europe and by default their colonies, cannot never be forgotten or forgiven. World history is witness to a welcoming fact that whenever the fascists tried to subdue peoples’ aspirations, crush humanity and force silence of the graveyard on society, writers-artists-intellectual stood together with other sections of the society in resisting it. An enlightened society needs to protect and nurture artists who shape our culture and history.
(Dr. Sushila Sawant Mendes is a Professor & Author of History and an Independent Researcher.)