Politics please!
These days I am reading "Kane and Able". A few days back I read "The Class". Both the books are written by American authors, or so I presume. Anyways, the books definitely deal with Americans. The then happenings in that country and (hence) the world. Its fiction alright, but the events mentioned are real. The important people are real. So invariably we get to know a lot about them. The politics, the history, the culture. Even the latest fashions during that time! A couple of more such books and I would know almost everything about most American presidents!This set me thinking. How many books have I read that have dealt with India? Have I ever come across a book that talks about the important happenings in my country and how it affected the life of a common man? And by important happenings I don’t mean only Partition. Books abound on that subject. Apart from “A Suitable Boy” I haven’t read a book where a story progresses with Indian political background. I have read autobiographies and biographies which depict the freedom struggle and the emergency era. But nothing in fiction. And are Freedom struggle and Partition the only “historic events” that our country, so rich in history, can boast of? What about a story of a person who simply witnessed a riot? Or even on changing of governments? Is it that the politics of our country does not affect the common man on the street? Maybe it does not. Never mind who is the Prime Minister of the country the potholes on the road to my home stay intact. Indo-Pak talks do not solve my maid problems. But the fact is it does! Indo-Pak talks can save thousands of innocent lives. Our Prime Minister represents our nation to the world. He has the ability to change the way the world thinks about us and treats us. And also the way we treat the world.
What we lack is the involvement. We are totally indifferent towards it. But I think we should make politics an active part of our lives. By active, I don’t mean just casting our vote once (and hopefully only once!) in 5 years. But I mean, being aware of the rules of the game and how they are bent! We need more books that depict the current social and political scenarios of our nation. We owe it to the next generations!
posted by Ila @ 1:51 PM
2 Comments:
hey Ila (u didnt tell me u were related to Al Gore :D),
gr8 to see u here. I totally agree with you. hence, i am planning to write a book as well as run for the next assembly elections !!! so back me up big time ok :p
keep blogging
laterz
But I remember you saying that you read "The God of Small Things".And ofcourse you have read Pu.La!!!I'm waiting for the new blog!
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