Thaneer Vitto Valarthom -1
This was an unusual weekend for me in many ways. I was mostly at home, yet mostly offline. I was reading Thanneer Vitto Valarthom – Part 1 by S.Gurumurthy. For Dummies, this is a collection of Gurumurthy’s writings in Thuklaq over the years.
Many readers would promptly label Gurumurthy as someone belonging to the upper caste and who is inclined to Sangh Parivar and just ignore him. I think it’s easy to label someone; all it takes is a single sentence. But we should remember that a lot of details will be lost under that label, and the loss is ours.
Gurumurthy’s arena comprises of religion and its political implications, economics, and society. He thinks India as a nation can improve only if the main parameters – religion, economics and society are configured in a certain way.
Of all the subjects he discusses, I am most impressed with his writings on economics. Here is one person who can write about economics without complex graphs, equations, ‘jalliadi’ statistics about GDP, GNP, fiscal deficit, etc and that too in Thamizh!
I would like to think I have attained more clarity on economic concepts from Gurumurthy than any other writer. I think it’s far better to learn about economics in ones own mother tongue than in English from Milton Friedman. If you want to read about economics in simple Thamizh, look no further.
On religion, he is very categorical in stating that Christianity and Islam, being Abrahamic religions which believe their paths are the only way to salvation, are the root cause of all religious troubles – from religious conversions to terrorism, which I agree with for the most part.
However, I am less inclined to his views on caste, women’s rights, and his high handed views of Kalaacharam. Some of the core issues of caste, the injustices meted out to less privileged, the way women have been exploited in this country over the years are simply moved under the carpet as ‘paarambariyamaana nambikkaigal’. He even implies women were given respect and that’s why were ‘protected’ in our society. He argues women’s rights are less important than ‘women’s respect’. This is like saying, “I have a pair of parrots, and I respect it so much that I protect it in a cage so that outsiders and other animals cannot attack it. For, my entire family economics and gouravam revolves on those parrots’. Well, whether they want such kind of respect is for the parrots to decide, not me or Gurumurthy.
He is very tactical in equating nationalism with the rise of Hinduism and stating that it was during the times of Periyaar that national pride was at its lowest ebb. While this is true, I think one should also consider the reasons for that. Here he conveniently leaves aside the reasons why E V Ramaswamy had to move out of the Congress, why national independence was even considered undesirable, and the behavior of the then wealthy “orthodox” lawyers of Tamil Nadu, etc.
I am also neutral to his views on Kanchi Mutt. His first chapter, I suspect, was strategically made to be on Kanchi Mutt. Perhaps he wanted to make it clear that he is from a particular background with a particular set of beliefs. Kanchi Mutt is more like a cultural icon I guess. I have seen references to it in various wedding invitations I receive from my Brahmin friends, even though the people getting married and their current behaviors have no connection whatsoever with the Mutt. It’s more like, ‘If you are a Brahmin, you better refer to some Sankara Mutt’. Anyway, it does not matter to me. That’s the best I can say at this point.
All said and done, I think it’s a refreshing read. At a time when all intellectuals earn their bread by criticizing anything and everything, here is someone who is bold enough to put together a framework and write a series of articles espousing it in thamizh. It is another matter that I do not subscribe to the ideas fully. But that should not prevent me from recommending this book.
Overall, this is one book which has to be read, debated and discussed whenever time permits if you are concerned about India. It raises some interesting counterpoints which are almost always muted by the more vocal mainstream media. The other two parts are currently out of stock. I am eagerly looking forward to reading those as well.
Price: Rs. 175
Published by: Alliance Book Company
Location: Opposite Mylapore Tank.
August 17th, 2008 at 8:45 am
I agree his take on economics is refreshing - he looks at it from a cultural perspective as well. He once made a very good observation about the rise of previously backward castes in businesses in TN. He travels extensively and many of his views are formed with first hand opinion - not something that you can say about lots of otherlike Cho.
But he too often succumbs to the tempatation to be Mr.Know-All, who after brief visits to America can pass irritating snap judgements on lack of family values in the US etc. Like most Madras mamas he suffers from the TON (Tip of the Nose) syndrome - that’s about as far his horizon extends. He has been an RSS member for a very long time and his pro-North-indian brahmin prejuidices are clear enough to any reader. While he has carried on a crusade against Reliance, he is uncomfortably close to lots of business groups like the Bajajs, and to politicans like Sharad Pawar.
He can talk till the cows go home about agriculture, but he can’t get his friend Sharad Pawar to do anything about farmer suicides in Maharashtra. Perhaps therein lies the limitations of people like Gurumurthy.
One shouldn’t read talking heads with a view to becoming his/her disciple or fanboy. Inga Konjam, Anga Konjam … our half baked middle class opinions are also like Chaat items.
August 17th, 2008 at 10:48 am
BNB
I agree. Jaadhi, harijans pathi ivaru solradhu ellam konjam comedy dhaan. He lacks sensitivity. Dalits politics ku varadhai indirect a discourage panraar. idhai solradhuku ivaruku urimai illai. brahmins um padicha mel thattu makkal varadhukum ivar ipdi solvaara theriyalai.
kudumba amaipugal.. pen sudhandhiram.. well idhai pathi ennoda opinions a melaye solliten. ivar opinions ellam ivar sarndhirukara community ponnungale othuka maataanga kandippa.
Nevertheless i liked this book for the following reasons:
- He is very clear in his views on abrahamic religions. I agree with his take. Not many intellectuals can say that. That does not mean I support BJP or Sangh Parivar. Adhu vera matter.
- As you already acknowledged, his insight on economic issues are pretty original.
- More than restricting himself to criticizing everybody which most intellectuals do, he is proposing a framework, however flawed that might be. That takes him a notch above those who indulge in empty criticism.
India va pathi enakku sila ideas undu. enakku siladhu avaroda views oda othupogudhu.. siladhu idikudhu - especially his take on women, community..
mathabadi kandippa disciple aagara idea laam enakku illai
chaat item nalla analogy
>>our half baked middle class opinions
naanum rembo naal apdi dhaan nenachen.. namakku onnum theriyadhu…nu.. aprom dhaan theriyudhu pathirikai la eludhura so called arivu jeevis um apdi dhaan nu…
only the class varies, the half-baked quality remains constant
August 18th, 2008 at 5:47 am
Bossu,
BTW, I didn’t mean to imply that you opinions were half-baked. Just middle class opinions in general. But we can’t help being half-baked due to what we consume. To get to the root of any matter one must look for multiple channels of information - half of the time it’s opinions masquerading as information. This whole notion of ‘one true source’ work out aagadhu, except for the readers of ‘The Hindu’ :-). I think his insights are deeply valuable in many cases being grounded in local concerns and knowledge.
About his analysis of Abrahamic religions, I agree - he does a very good job. Again like you say, that doesn’t mean one should agree with everything he says. Come to think of it he is quite normal - a complicated cocktail of opinions, prejuidices, etc. It’s up to us to filter out the crap.
To summarize, (sirippai adakki kollavum), if I were to become the Prime Minister, I might have Gurumurthy as one of my advisors despite severe disagreements with lots of his opinions.
August 18th, 2008 at 10:59 am
BNB
Precisely!
Naan mattuma arai gurai..matter kelunga
Enakku rembo naala indha WTO, GATT la ellam enna iruku nu oru arippu.
Appo appo Doha round, andha round indha round nu poraangale, apdi enna dhaan pesaraanga, edhai pathi sandai nu ellam oru blog post poda kooda matter theriyalai…engeyavadhu andha draft kedaikadha nu ellam feel pannirukken…
Matter enna na CII madhiri bodies ku kooda idhu edhuvum mulusa theriyalai. Summa WTO na udane, adhai varaverthu arikkai vitrukku CII once upon a time.
Gurumurthy oru conference la CII makkal kitte.”WTO matter kitta thatta 20,000 pages adangina draft, idhai pathi mulusa research panna edhavadhu expert team nominate panniruka nu ketta, pin drop silence aam!
Aaga, matter enna nu theriyamale welcome panni arikkai vitrukaanga CII.. idhu yedho local politician illai, Industry kum Govt kum irukara main interface body. Oru nimisham aadi poitten, ‘ada paavigala oru vetti blogger ku irukara akkarai kooda ungalukku illaye’ nu thonuchu…
So namba araiguraya irundhalo Gurumurthy PM ku adviser a irundhalo thappe illai
August 18th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Oh, one more bittu from gurumurthy.net
“Gurumurthy was portrayed as a fictional reporter character, Shyam Saxena, by actor R. Madhavan in Mani Ratnam’s film, Guru (2007 film).”
http://www.gurumurthy.net/about.pl
August 18th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
nama avarai PM ku adviser range ku pesitu irukkom.. idhuku per dhaan nera kodumai ngradhu..
mani ratnam mogam yaarayum vittu vaikka villai.
I wish mani makes better films (than what he has dished out in his recent efforts) at least for the sake of this mogam…
August 18th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
I am x’ian and used to read your blod thinking to myself here is one sensible person so easy to read and also so informative and down to earth but ……your comment on christianity ..total humbug .its your blog I know you can write whatever comes to your mind anyway I am removing you from my blog list..so much for thinking your is a good read !
August 18th, 2008 at 8:44 pm
Mr.Gurumurthi will make you think whether or not you agree with him. He is arguably far right person. Right is better than useless left.
BTW good article.
August 18th, 2008 at 9:55 pm
PB
I agree
nandri hai! 
August 18th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
Bennita
Your decision.. fair enough.. Thanks for reading my blog till now.