Identity crisis.

Read an article in a daily about the current hot topic,of Rushdie's aborted visit.

I have read only one of that authors writings , an compilation of his short stories.I had to read each passage twice or thrice with full concentration since the language flowing with apparent ease out of that authors pen was too high, intricate and as tough to decode as a complicated mathematical problem.

Now back to that article. I have no quarrel with the journo's view that there is too much of identity politics which is making a mockery of the concept of secularism.My objection to that article centres around the journalist sneering at the payment of salary to temple priests in Gujarat .Let me make it clear in here that i hold no brief for BJP or any other political party.In fact in this state --Tamilnadu which is ruled only by members of periyar pariwar who do not believe in god or religion [especially Hinduism]and were inimical and still are to some extent to Brahmin's and jeer at Brahmanism, temple priests are paid salaries by successive govts.Though it is a paltry sum it is nevertheless an amount that is eagerly awaited ,to fill in the gaps, owing to the poor earnings of priests.There was also a move to provide free bicycles to priests presiding over temples located in remote areas.

If one can take cudgels on behalf of indebted farmers and rush to the defence of tribals and expect the state to come to their aid ,how is it justified to treat a person with contempt and disdain just because he is 'temple priest'?

Most temple priests [whether Brahmin or non Brahmin] are as poor as church mice .And poverty is poverty what ever one's occupation may be.

Further the journo laments at the govt incurring huge expenditures in providing the infrastructure for Kumbmela .If they ,didn't wouldn't cholera stalk such massive congregations and stampedes occur frequently?The implication is ,of what concern should it be to the state if a few 1000 of the teeming superstitious multitudes drop dead like flies in the so called' holy city' ? Aern't they all blessed to attain moksham on the spot?

One thing that is crystal clear is that the votary against identity politics is himself enmeshed in this strangulating web with his strong and deep belief' not to believe' [some what selectively] and in expecting every one else to subscribe to and identify with that belief of his.


Photo.The floating rock with which Rama and his sena built the bridge over the sea to carry them to lanka.I photographed this at Rameshwaram .A closer look at this rock ,which was actually floating revealed a lot of small perforations and coral like networks. They are said to be found in abundance in this sea coast.