A book by this Dalit author has left RSS enraged

on Jul 21, 2022

A book on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has become famous due to its extensive criticism of the right-wing organisation and straightforward storytelling.

Please write the title of the Kannada-language book RSS: Aala Mattu Agala (RSS - The Depth and Breadth) in italics. by Dalit author and activist Devanur Mahadeva is an investigative critique of the RSS through examining its past and current operations. Over 70,000 copies have been sold and demand is increasing 19 days following the book's release. Right-wing organisations' criticism of the public reception has also caused controversy.

The release of Mahadeva's book is significant. The RSS is accused of using the lengthy history of religious conflicts in Karnataka to its advantage in South India. In order to oppose the Basel Mission's missionary activity in South Karnataka in the 1800s, Saraswat Brahmins formed one of the earliest "Hindu groups ' in the region. Anti-Muslim prejudice has also crept into the local awareness as a result of the coastal belt's ongoing saffronization. In this context, recent debates over the Hijab ban and textbook change are viewed.

Mahadeva, who was raised by Dalit parents in the Mysore district village of Devanur and was born in 1948, is now well-known throughout Karnataka because of his distinctive writing style. Mahadeva's style celebrated vernacular language without a Brahminical lens, in contrast to the wordy and Sanskritized writings of the majority of upper-caste literary giants. He has been actively involved in socialist movements in Karnataka for the past 40 years and is a significant player in the Bandaya literary movement. The movement organised Kannada authors who utilised their literary interventions to challenge social injustices beginning in the 1970s.

In the past, he has turned down or returned numerous government and Sahitya Academy honours and positions in opposition to discriminatory practises involving the Kannada language and other social issues. Because of his unmatched insider knowledge of the complexity of Dalit life and his pioneering search for indigenous storytelling forms and styles, many of his literary contributions are highly regarded.

Thanks to Mahadeva's innovative open publishing technique, the 72-page book on RSS is breaking sales records in the state. He authorised six publishers in various regions of the state to produce up to 5000 copies apiece, guaranteeing a steady supply across Karnataka.

One of the publishers is the Gauri Media Trust, which bears the name of the activist and journalist who was killed, Gauri Lankesh. Even though the book's controversy is still making headlines, the books were quickly sold out and demand is growing. "There were initially six publishers, but I need to confirm whether any more have since stepped forward. In just two days, 5,000 copies from each of three publishers were sold. According to Mahadeva, several young people from Mysore founded a publishing firm and produced 2,000 books. Only the Kannada version is now on the market, and work on translations into Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi, and English is ongoing.

Pratap Simha, a BJP member from Mysore, blasted the book in a press conference, saying, "After he wrote Kusumabale, I believed there might be some creativity left in him. He has even lost the respect he formerly had as a result of his recent work on RSS. He wrote this book while working as a Congress aalu (servant), and it contains very little information regarding RSS-aala and agala (depth and width), despite what the title claims.

Additionally, a number of media outlets with a right-leaning slant are presenting prejudiced panels labelling it a work that denigrates Hinduism. Following this, the Dalit Welfare Trust and the Karnataka Dalit Sangarsha Samiti (KDSS) also denounced the insults made about the celebrated author. Attacks on the book, according to opposition leader Siddaramaiah, are blocking the fundamental right to freedom of expression.

In response to the controversy, Mahadeva stated that most media outlets are currently occupied with applauding the administration and supporting the system, rather than challenging the government in power. According to Mahadeva, anyone who disagrees with the system is labelled as anti-national.