Subhas Chandra Pattanayak
Modian hounds are attacking Tamil Nadu’s acclaimed author Perumal Murugan, whose book ‘Madhorubagan’ has earned tremendous appreciation in the world of letters. But instead of protecting him and freedom of expression, the administration has advised him to stay away from Tiruchengode for his own safety.
The scenario suggests that the obnoxious attacks on the author are resorted to, because. the Modian party, which the Police and administration in Tamil Nadu are now afraid of, has not yet developed its intellectual ability to appreciate a book or counter it on the strength of opposite intellectual and factual polemics.
Madhorubagan, set against early 20th century scenarios of Tiruchengode, was published in 2010 and has remained a hit with several editions. Even its English translation styled ‘One Part Woman’ is running the second edition.
But with frightening growth of Modian Party, Madhorubagan (One Part Woman) is not to grow in readership. Its popularity is not acceptable to Hindu fundamentalists.
The author is facing attacks and threatened with dire consequences. He has in fact gone into exile in fear. His books are put to fire and his peace has been shattered.
If the book is not acceptable to ‘Hindutwa’, the Modian Party should have countered it with intellectual inputs in its own forum or in form of a challenging book. But that, they have resorted to hooliganism to stop circulation of the book and to force the other into ‘exile’, makes it clear that the Modian party has no ability to counter an intellectual product on facts of society.