Bulbul reference in Savarakar essay is a "metaphor", says author's wife
Bengaluru, Sep 8: Following the controversy over a paragraph from class 8 Kannada second language textbook on V D Savarkar, which had gone viral on social media, for apparent "glorification" of the freedom fighter, the wife of the author has released a statement saying that the bulbul imagery in it is "nothing but a metaphor."
The lesson, "Kalavannu Geddavaru" is a travelogue written by author K T Gatti, narrating his experience about a visit to the Andaman cellular jail, where the Hindutva leader was imprisoned.
The author while describing about the prison cell in which Savarakar was lodged says, "there is not even a keyhole in Savarkar's cell, but still somehow bulbul birds used to come flying inside the cell and sitting on their wings Savarkar used to visit his motherland everyday and return."
This paragraph in the chapter had drawn flak from some social media users and others, who mocked the travelogue writer and the Karnataka government.
Gatti's wife Yashoda Ammembala in a statement said, being "indisposed", her husband is not in a position to clarify, and that she cannot speak on his behalf, but can share some relevant details.
She said, "...regarding the controversy over the bulbul imagery, it is self-evident that it is nothing but a metaphor. Much of the confusion appears to have been caused by the absence of context/ reference in the passage, which may be due to author's oversight or an editorial error."
As per informed sources, bulbuls were plentiful in the region and were an integral part of Andaman prison life, she said and pointed out that Savarkar's association with bulbuls is part of local folklore, a fact that finds mention in Savarkar's autobiography and a few other sources.
"We don't know if the metaphor of Savarkar riding over bulbul was the author's creation or if it is a story he had picked up from any book or local source, but we can say for certain that the bulbul image per se did not spring from the author's imagination," she said adding that many well-wishers of her husband have reached out asking for clarification and the family was not aware of the inclusion of Gatti's work in the textbook until this controversy broke out."
Though, some social media users had said the reference on bulbul seems to be a poetic expression or a metaphor used by the writer, as part of his narration, and should not be taken in a literal sense.
A few had tried to make fun of what has been said in the paragraph, by tweeting pictures of caricatures resembling Savarkar sitting on a bird, while a section even called it a "worst form of political propaganda" and "destroying of education system."
Highlighting that the essay included in the 8th standard Kannada non-detailed textbook is a chapter from Gatti's travelogue, "Nisargakanye Andaman", published in 1996, Ammembala said, it has been introduced in the Kannada textbook as an example of "Pravasa Sahitya (travel literature)."
"Note that it is part of the language curriculum, not history curriculum. Being a travelogue, it is not meant to be considered a source for historic facts," she said.
Further noting that Gatti's account of Savarkar in the book includes nothing more than experiences of his Andaman jail experiences, and there is no mention of the nature of his role in the freedom struggle, or any detail about his ideology, Ammembala said, in fact, there is no mention of Savarkar in any of the author's writings to suggest he had any information about Savarkar besides what is presented in the book.
"Around 30 per cent of the chapter contains quotes from the book, 'Swatantrya Veera Savarkar' (Mathoor Krishnamurthy, 1966). Savarkar's autobiography is also among the sources listed in the bibliography," she said.
"Those familiar with K T Gatti's literature are unlikely to assume that the metaphor was meant to glorify Savarkar by an admirer of his ideology, and may not need any clarification regarding this," she said, as she suggested reading some of his works to those unfamiliar with his worldviews and are interested in knowing more.
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Nine Naxalites carrying cumulative bounty of Rs 43 lakh surrender in Chhattisgarh
Sukma, Jan 11: Nine hardcore Naxalites, allegedly involved in attacks on security forces and carrying a cumulative bounty of Rs 43 lakh, surrendered in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district on Saturday, police said.
The cadres, including two women, turned themselves in before senior officials from the police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) here, citing disappointment with "hollow" and "inhuman" Maoist ideology and infighting within the outlawed outfit, Sukma Superintendent of Police Kiran Chavan said.
He said the surrendered Naxalites were also impressed by the state government's 'Niyad Nellanar' (your good village) scheme, which aims at facilitating development works in remote villages and stated that senior cadres were on backfoot with the increasing pressure of security forces and setting up of police camps in interior areas.
The official said Ransai alias Oyam Buska (34), the commander of platoon no 24 of Maoists, and Pradip alias Ravva Rakesh (20), a member under a company wing of PLGA battalion no. 1, were carrying a reward of Rs 8 lakh each.
He said four other cadres carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh, a woman Naxalite carried a reward of Rs 3 lakh, and two others, including a woman, carried a bounty of Rs 2 lakh each.
Chavan said Ransai was allegedly involved in attacks, including the Jhara Ghati ambush in Narayanpur district in 2007, wherein seven policemen were killed; the 2007 Ranibodli (Bijapur district) attack, in which 55 security personnel died; the 2017 ambush in Burkapal (Sukma), where 25 CRPF personnel were killed and the 2020 Minpa ambush (Sukma) that killed 17 security personnel.
The other surrendered cadres were also involved in multiple attacks on security forces, he said.
Personnel from Konta police station, District Reserve Guard (DRG), Intelligence Branch Team and 2nd and 223rd battalions played a crucial role in their surrender, he said.
The official said the surrendered Naxalites were provided Rs 25,000 each and will be further rehabilitated as per the government's policy.
Last year, 792 Naxalites had surrendered in the Bastar region, comprising seven districts, including Sukma.
