The auditorium of Institution of Engineers here was buzzing with life on Mar. 9, 1991 with Kannada writers who came for the seminar on “Bhoosa. Sahitya” organised by Jana Para Sahitya and Dalita Sahitya Sangha Tane, Bangalore. Bhoosa in Kannada means cattle feed. The auditorium was packed with writers from all parts of Karnataka. There were Dalit activists, writers, poets, workers, farmers, intellectuals, young and old, men and women. They sat and listened with rapt attention and actively participated in the animated plenary discussions. Without exaggeration, it can be said that the seminar turned out to be a great success and a significant milestone in the saga of Dalits’ struggle for justice in Karnataka.
Tracing the historic background of the seminar, Dr. Hampa Nagarajaiah, a well-known namein Kannada literature, said how a scathing attack was made against B. Basavalingappa (BB) for having compared the Kannada literature to bhoosa in. 1974. The entire upper caste interests in Karnataka had then joined hands in attacking Dalits and they also succeeded in getting BB dismissed as a cabinet minister under Devaraj Ur’s. Dr. Nagarajiah said that the “bhoosa episode eventually became a great blessing in disguise for the entire Dalit cause in Karnataka. BB became a ~ national hero and the bhoosa controversy produced large number of revolutionary writers and generated a great flow of Dalit literature.” He said it was not his intention for brand all Kannada literature as bhoosa. We need a literature in which love, justice and human values flow like a fountain. A constant vigil on literature is inevitable so that it will not turn out to be bhoosa.”
Basavalingappa, who is back as Minister for Rural Development and emerged as the most powerful Dalit leader of India, delivering the inaugural address expressed joy that the bhoosa controversy which he started in 1974 had kindled much thinking and generated so much of writing during the past 17 years. There was so much of uproar against his statement then only because he was a Dalit. The upper castes do not tolerate Dalits becoming socially aware. Clarifying that he was not criticizing Kannada literature enemas as bhoosa, he appealed that revolutionary literature which would awaken the Dalits and the other oppressed people from their deep slumber was the great need of the hour.
Beware of “Marxists” V.T. Rajshekar, Editor of Dalit Voice, delivering the presidential address, was all praise for BB for the bhoosa episode which had caused a great upheaval producing hundreds of writers and fighters for Dalit cause and also administering a severe blow to Hindu Nazis. While it was true that BB’s bhoosa controversy gave birth to the Dalit movement, the Nazi forces infiltrated into the movement and got 29 Dalit Voice it diffused and divided. Further, he warned, that the Dalit movement should be cautious of “Marxists also, as well as Hindu Nazis. Both were two sides of the same coin.” Making a passionate appeal for revolutionary literature, Rajshekar said that the dire need of the hour was fire-makers and not fire-fighters. He was uncompromising in stating that a literature which did not touch upon exploitation, racism, untouchability, Devadasi, caste atrocities, female oppression, slums and starvations was no literature at all. Such a literature was just bhoosa. He said the objectives of the seminar were two-fold — firstly, to create an awareness among youth so that they would -be able to initiate a cultural revolution aimed at political change. Secondly, to help secure the identity and self-respect for Dalits, Backward Castes and all other exploited people.
The first session, after the disambiguation, was chaired: by Dr. Polanki Ramamurthy of Mysore University and a noted Kannada writer. The other speakers were Dr. M.N. Javaraih, a big name in Dalit literature, Gnanada, Smt. Sukanya Maruti and J.H. Narayanaswamy, advocate. In a forceful and analytical – presentation, Dr. Javeria traced how from the efficient times, Kannada literature had a strong tradition to be jati-para(pro-caste) instead of being Jana-para (repeople). The only exception io this was Vachana Sahitya including the great Basaveshwara. While Narayanaswamy and Ghananda explained how the vested religious and economic interstice were intertwined in Kannada literature, Smt. Sukanya Maruti reminded that women were the worst sufferers and were the Dalits among the Dalits. She was happy that due to Dalit and Bandaya literature, women were waking up. Polanki Ramamurthy said that India had only Dharma Sahitya which was tied down to Dharma and Moksha and therefore there was no real literature at all. There was no “character” in Indian literature and hence there was absence of humanity. Women were the worst victims in such literature which was bereft of any human value.
Brahmin literature is worthless: The third session was chaired by the well-known Kannada writer, Dr. Chandrasekhar Patil of Karnataka University, and addressed by Dr. Syed Jamierulla Sharief, Smt. Mallika Ghanti and P.K. Hiremath. While Dr. Sharief appealed to destroy bhoosa not only from literature but also from mental attitude, Smt. Ghanti vociferously criticized the vicious tendency of the upper Casie people to assimilate several great writers including Kalidas, Kanakadas and Valmiki with Brahminic cloak. While she was clear that much of the Kannada literature was really bhoosa, she also pointed out that even Dalit writers were not free from male chauvinism. y May 16-31, 1981 Hiremath said even some of the ’eminent” Kannada writers were not completely liberated from the clutches of cattiest tendency in their writings. Dr. Chandrasekhar Patil made some very pertinent observations. He said all the brahminical literature was bhoosa though all those written by Brahmins were not necessarily so. Defining the characteristics of Jana-para literature, he said it was pro-life with a deep concern for community, creativity, equality, change and opposed to all discrimination based on caste, class and religion. Bhoosa literature was brahminical, individualistic, anti-people and stagnated. He emphasized the need of reaching Dalits with Jana Para literature to help them in their struggle for justice. He regretted that the brahminical characteristics which were so contagious had started influencing Dalits and Backward Caste people. We should try for build up a pro-life and pro-people culture as an alternative to bhoosa culture in which both Brahminism and capitalism were hand-in-glove. Both must be fought.
The seminar was undoubtedly a memorable event to fifths writer. True, there was inadequacy of content analysis of bhoosa sahitya in the presentations of many speakers. The speakers should have made better analyses of socio-economic, religious and political aspects of bhoosa literature and its impact. It was also true that at times anti-brahminical emotions ran high, through for justifiable reasons. One also wished to see more discussion on the follow-up action of using medium of literature for social change. However, in spite of all these, the seminar gave a unique opportunity of meeting, inter-acting and reflecting. One could see a commitment of purpose among the organizers as well as among the participants. There was a sobering note throughout the seminar — that the objective of the seminar was not destructive and divisive and that there was need for accord, commitment, self-criticism, openness, honesty and sacrifice. Therefore, the seminar was certainly a historic event and the organizers fully deserve all praise and gratitude. However, much depends on how the Dalit leaders lead the Dalit movement with effective e follow-up actions with clarity of perspective and unity in action.
