Waiting for a Paradigm Shift

Unless a paradigm shift takes place in the attitude and approches of the Marxists in India they will soon get pathetically marginalised in the political life of even Kerala and Bengal.There are atleast three or four things that they should take seriously into consideration with a view to bring about a total change in the policies and practices of the Party.
The Party should admit the fact that unless it has a different agenda the people won’t attach any importance to it’s criticism of the economic policies of Manmohan Singh Govt.It is quite evident that the peoople do not expect a revolution armed or otherwise and they have begun to believe that if India moves forward in the direction of development it has chosen at present things will change for the better.The communists can at the maximum tell the people that the Central Govt. is becoming a slave to America.People know that but they are lead by a blind belief that whatever might happen India could save herself. More than that there is a wide spread feeling that there is no effective alternative to Multinatinal Capitalism and it’s manifestation in all fields of life which is named Globalisation. Everybody knows that even the Marxist leaders have begun to say openly in a mocking tone that talking against America and globalisation for anything and everything is meaningless.In such a situation the Party should formulate realistic policies and programmes taking into consideration all the economic,social and cultural changes that have taken place in the world in the era of globalisation.Otherwise it will have to practise against whatever it preaches and it’s functioning will become totally outdated in the nearest future.Even otherwise there is no meaning in continueing in an ideologically schizophrenic condition.
The party leadership from top to bottom should get trained to behave with due human consideration to the common man. Passing resolutions in high level meetings admitting that there is impertinence in the behaviour of some local leaders is meaningless.Leaders should not be trapped in the dilema of not knowing what is impertinence and at the same time declaring that impertinence will not be tolerated.
The Party leaders of all ranks should learn to be thoroughly democratic and truthful in all their dealings with the people.During the last six decades after independence the vast majority of Indians have got familiarised with all the positive and negative aspects of Democracy. Their mindset has become totally antagonistic towards any sort of authoritarian rule.At present no one including the communists won’t have the self confidence to argue with strong conviction in favour of Stalin’s Russia or Mao’s China.They also will admit that freedom of expression is as important as any other primary necessity of life.
As I wrote this much my mobile phone rang.A close friend during my college days was over the phone after many years.Our lengthy conversation reached many contemporary issues and at one point he said :Hereafter You should never waste your time thinking and writing about politics.Politics has become a different discourse in which only professional politicians need take interest.It is a business of the politicians,by the politicians and for the politicians.All others should abstain from this.Of course at times it may interfere in your life.Show the prudence and intelligence to save yourself.Apart from that you need to do nothing and even if you wish You won’be able to do anything meaningfully.

Kanam and Kaippad

Kanam and Kaippad two documentary films scripted and directed by Babu Kambrath are the results of extremely careful and committed directorial efforts.Both the films got national and international recognition.Kanam tells the life story of a midland hill and Kaippad gives us an authentic visual description of agiculture done in marshy lands near estuaries where the river joins the sea.I felt a personal attachment to these films because some of the scenes in Kanam were shot at Madaippara and almost all the scenes of Kaippad were shot at Muttukandy near Payangadi.I am familiar with both these places for more than five decades and in my creative writings their role is more important than that of any of the characters in them.Both the films are very much lively and fully capable in creating a keen ecological awareness among the viewers.These films take us to the inner rythms of nature which we usually miss in the hurry and haste of day to day existence. Here we see the birds, plants,flies,fishes and human beings participating enthusiastically in the celebration of life being conducted by nature.If you view things from a different angle you may find an element of over idealisation of nature in these films.But what we have to remember is that when the notion that everything on this earth is there for men to squeeze out it’s essence for his pleasure or to make the most profitable sale controls our very sense of nature even the most irrational mystification of nature is totally agreeable and justifiable.What Babu Kambrath has done in his films definitely demends our admiration and praise.These films teach us how unfamiliar and beautiful are infact those realities which we think quite familiar and mundane.That is the magic of art!