Waiting for invitation:
Translation courtesy Ashwin Aghor
Today I am reminded of an incident that took place 46 years ago. Then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had appointed Prof R D Bhandare, the member of Parliament from North-Central Mumbai, as Governor of Bihar. As a result he had to resign from the parliament, and bye elections were announced for the seat. It was the period when even before Datta Samant had jumped in to it, Communist party had given a call of strike at cotton mills in Mumbai. Comrade Dange was heading the strike and he had fielded his daughter Roza Deshpande for the bye elections, while Congress had fielded Ramrao Adik. It was the strong hold of Shiv Sena with 19 out of 39 corporators. But Shiv Sena preferred to keep away from the elections. Irked over the party decision, not to contest the bye elections, Bandu Shingre, a hardcore Shiv Sainik persuaded Vikram Savarkar to contest the elections as an independent candidate. The pro Hindutva population of the constituency expected Shiv Sena to support him. But to everyone’s surprise, in a sensational decision, Shiv Sena supported Ramrao Adik. Senior editor from Pune G W Behre, who was known Shiv Sena supporter, criticised Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray in an article published in his weekly ‘Sobat’. It was anybody’s guess that the article titled ‘Senapati ki Shenpati?’ had angered many Shiv Sainiks. Coincidently, the annual day programme of weekly ‘Sobat’ was organised in the hall at a school Balmohan Vidyamandir, Shivaji Park. Behre, who had come to Mumbai to attend the programme was staying at the house of coloumnist Madhav Manohar, who lived nearby. While the duo was on its way to the programme in the evening, around a dozen Shiv Sainiks intercepted them near the Shivaji Park signal and brutally thrashed them. Their clothes were torn and they were left bleeding. They too, didn’t retaliate. In fact, both, above 60 years of age, were in no way able to retaliate and prevent the assault. After the Shiv Sainiks left, they somehow managed to reach home. A doctor was called in for dressing the wounds. Later they changed the clothes and reached the venue. What happened next?
The audience was stunned to see the host and the guest in a bad condition. They narrated the ordeal to the audience and observed two minute silence to condemn the attack. After that, the programme went on as per schedule. Unlike today, it was not the age of liberal journalism or fight for the freedom of expression. Hence there was not much hullabaloo about the incident. Since there was nothing like internet and WhatsApp in those days, possibilities of news about the assault going viral were zero. Madhav Manohar and his brother Comrade Prabhakar Vaidya were liberal. But they had cordial relations with Behre, a follower of Savarkar and wrote coloumns for his weekly. They too, used to have extreme differences of opinions. But never did any of them, nurture hatred for the other or levelled personal allegations. The discrimination we see now is the modern day avatar of liberal warrior journalism. Therefore neither Behre nor the journalist associations tried to capitalise on the assault. Behre and Madhav Manohar reached home at around 8 pm after the programme. Madhav Manohar lived in a chawl opposite to Brahman Sahayak Sangh building on the road leading to Senapati Bapat road from the signal in the square, where Shiv Sena Bhavan stands today, which was not there, back then. Manohar s son Gemini was my classmate. Hence I used to frequent their home. That is how, I was witness to the incident. After they returned home that night, senior police officers from Mahim Police Station reached there and tried to pursuade them to lodge a police complaint. The then Minister of State for Home had ordered them to take action in the matter as it was a major assault on journalists. But the police could not take action without a complaint. Therefore the officers were pleading with Behre and Madhav Manohar to lodge a complaint. Both of them were not ready to do that. Were they frightened? Did they fear more such assaults by Shiv Sainiks?
It was not at all the case. They claimed that police action in the matter won’t be of any use. Behre said, those who assaulted us, perhaps have not read the article. Even if they had read it, they might not have understood it. Then how can we say that the assault was out of anger due to the article? Moreover, what would we gain by arresting few people? They will be released within a week and if convicted in the court, it will not have any impact on them. What would be the outcome of the entire exercise then? They would be free to assault anyone after being released on bail. They need not be punished, but educated. They reacted violently instead of fighting ideologically, my journalism is to encourage them to think. It would be the defeat of journalism if they were subjected to police action for the assault and injuries inflicted on us. And eventually my defeat as well. It will be the victory of the violence. Police action against them will be the defeat of the conscious and ideology. Journalism is not aimed at convicting anyone, but to instigate them to think. Seeking police help if we fail to achieve this, would mean death of journalism. I don’t want to be party to it. The police officer was stunned by the argument. Still he continued to pursuade him. But Behre didn’t budge. Finally, he turned attention to Madhav Manohar, if he could lodge the complaint. Behre had elaborated his stand on not lodging the police complaint. But Papa – being Gemini’s friends, we also addressed Madhav Manohar by this name – gave one sentence point blank reply which stunned the police officer. “Freedom doesn’t come free. Freedom of expression is not free in our democracy. One has to pay this much price for the freedom in the democracy of illiterates.” Those words of Madhav Manohar are itched on my mind. Moreover, it became the mantra of my journalism and freedom of expression. Gone are the days now. Today the battles of journalism are fought with the weapons of Indian Penal Code. We are outdated journalists in today’s world. When journalists chose to use Indian Penal Code as weapon over the Pen, how could one blame those using the same weapon to demolish journalism? These days, many people complain that journalists are harassed by legal and police action. I am not one of them.
Anyway. I forgot to tell about the Minister of State for Home, in this 46 year old incident. The Minister of State for Home, who ordered the police to register complaint against Shiv Sainiks, was Sharad Pawar. It was when Pawar was breaking his teeth as administrator in Vasantrao Naik cabinet. Today, office bearers and workers of his own party have threatened to teach a lesson to me and another journalist Ghanshyam Patil. They have lodged police complaints against us. Indian Penal Code is used to challenge the Pen. They are resorting to violence. That is their path.
If Pawar is so afraid of a blogger and journalist who publishes a magazine, he should act as per his sacrament. It is their democracy. My idols are Behre and Madhav Manohar. It has been four decades now that I learnt the lesson to pay the price in the democracy of illiterates. It is out of bounds for me to cry freedom of expression all over again.
Those who have lodged the complaint are very much within their right and freedom. But those threatening after that are the office bearers of youth wing of Pawar’s party. It can be the agenda of that organisation. I have no right to change it or seek any modification into it. On the contrary, I am ready to co-operate them in it.
Office bearers of Sharad Pawar’s party have threatened to break our hands and legs. I urge them to convey the time and place where they wish to execute the threats. Ghanshyam Patil, Akshay Bikkad and Bhau Torsekar would be more than happy to oblige. We have only one condition though. Sharad Pawar himself should preside over such a tolerant and Gandhian festival.
We are waiting for the invitation, Sir!
English translation of article by
Bhau Torsekar
Translation courtesy Ashwin Aghor
Today I am reminded of an incident that took place 46 years ago. Then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had appointed Prof R D Bhandare, the member of Parliament from North-Central Mumbai, as Governor of Bihar. As a result he had to resign from the parliament, and bye elections were announced for the seat. It was the period when even before Datta Samant had jumped in to it, Communist party had given a call of strike at cotton mills in Mumbai. Comrade Dange was heading the strike and he had fielded his daughter Roza Deshpande for the bye elections, while Congress had fielded Ramrao Adik. It was the strong hold of Shiv Sena with 19 out of 39 corporators. But Shiv Sena preferred to keep away from the elections. Irked over the party decision, not to contest the bye elections, Bandu Shingre, a hardcore Shiv Sainik persuaded Vikram Savarkar to contest the elections as an independent candidate. The pro Hindutva population of the constituency expected Shiv Sena to support him. But to everyone’s surprise, in a sensational decision, Shiv Sena supported Ramrao Adik. Senior editor from Pune G W Behre, who was known Shiv Sena supporter, criticised Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray in an article published in his weekly ‘Sobat’. It was anybody’s guess that the article titled ‘Senapati ki Shenpati?’ had angered many Shiv Sainiks. Coincidently, the annual day programme of weekly ‘Sobat’ was organised in the hall at a school Balmohan Vidyamandir, Shivaji Park. Behre, who had come to Mumbai to attend the programme was staying at the house of coloumnist Madhav Manohar, who lived nearby. While the duo was on its way to the programme in the evening, around a dozen Shiv Sainiks intercepted them near the Shivaji Park signal and brutally thrashed them. Their clothes were torn and they were left bleeding. They too, didn’t retaliate. In fact, both, above 60 years of age, were in no way able to retaliate and prevent the assault. After the Shiv Sainiks left, they somehow managed to reach home. A doctor was called in for dressing the wounds. Later they changed the clothes and reached the venue. What happened next?
The audience was stunned to see the host and the guest in a bad condition. They narrated the ordeal to the audience and observed two minute silence to condemn the attack. After that, the programme went on as per schedule. Unlike today, it was not the age of liberal journalism or fight for the freedom of expression. Hence there was not much hullabaloo about the incident. Since there was nothing like internet and WhatsApp in those days, possibilities of news about the assault going viral were zero. Madhav Manohar and his brother Comrade Prabhakar Vaidya were liberal. But they had cordial relations with Behre, a follower of Savarkar and wrote coloumns for his weekly. They too, used to have extreme differences of opinions. But never did any of them, nurture hatred for the other or levelled personal allegations. The discrimination we see now is the modern day avatar of liberal warrior journalism. Therefore neither Behre nor the journalist associations tried to capitalise on the assault. Behre and Madhav Manohar reached home at around 8 pm after the programme. Madhav Manohar lived in a chawl opposite to Brahman Sahayak Sangh building on the road leading to Senapati Bapat road from the signal in the square, where Shiv Sena Bhavan stands today, which was not there, back then. Manohar s son Gemini was my classmate. Hence I used to frequent their home. That is how, I was witness to the incident. After they returned home that night, senior police officers from Mahim Police Station reached there and tried to pursuade them to lodge a police complaint. The then Minister of State for Home had ordered them to take action in the matter as it was a major assault on journalists. But the police could not take action without a complaint. Therefore the officers were pleading with Behre and Madhav Manohar to lodge a complaint. Both of them were not ready to do that. Were they frightened? Did they fear more such assaults by Shiv Sainiks?
It was not at all the case. They claimed that police action in the matter won’t be of any use. Behre said, those who assaulted us, perhaps have not read the article. Even if they had read it, they might not have understood it. Then how can we say that the assault was out of anger due to the article? Moreover, what would we gain by arresting few people? They will be released within a week and if convicted in the court, it will not have any impact on them. What would be the outcome of the entire exercise then? They would be free to assault anyone after being released on bail. They need not be punished, but educated. They reacted violently instead of fighting ideologically, my journalism is to encourage them to think. It would be the defeat of journalism if they were subjected to police action for the assault and injuries inflicted on us. And eventually my defeat as well. It will be the victory of the violence. Police action against them will be the defeat of the conscious and ideology. Journalism is not aimed at convicting anyone, but to instigate them to think. Seeking police help if we fail to achieve this, would mean death of journalism. I don’t want to be party to it. The police officer was stunned by the argument. Still he continued to pursuade him. But Behre didn’t budge. Finally, he turned attention to Madhav Manohar, if he could lodge the complaint. Behre had elaborated his stand on not lodging the police complaint. But Papa – being Gemini’s friends, we also addressed Madhav Manohar by this name – gave one sentence point blank reply which stunned the police officer. “Freedom doesn’t come free. Freedom of expression is not free in our democracy. One has to pay this much price for the freedom in the democracy of illiterates.” Those words of Madhav Manohar are itched on my mind. Moreover, it became the mantra of my journalism and freedom of expression. Gone are the days now. Today the battles of journalism are fought with the weapons of Indian Penal Code. We are outdated journalists in today’s world. When journalists chose to use Indian Penal Code as weapon over the Pen, how could one blame those using the same weapon to demolish journalism? These days, many people complain that journalists are harassed by legal and police action. I am not one of them.
Anyway. I forgot to tell about the Minister of State for Home, in this 46 year old incident. The Minister of State for Home, who ordered the police to register complaint against Shiv Sainiks, was Sharad Pawar. It was when Pawar was breaking his teeth as administrator in Vasantrao Naik cabinet. Today, office bearers and workers of his own party have threatened to teach a lesson to me and another journalist Ghanshyam Patil. They have lodged police complaints against us. Indian Penal Code is used to challenge the Pen. They are resorting to violence. That is their path.
If Pawar is so afraid of a blogger and journalist who publishes a magazine, he should act as per his sacrament. It is their democracy. My idols are Behre and Madhav Manohar. It has been four decades now that I learnt the lesson to pay the price in the democracy of illiterates. It is out of bounds for me to cry freedom of expression all over again.
Those who have lodged the complaint are very much within their right and freedom. But those threatening after that are the office bearers of youth wing of Pawar’s party. It can be the agenda of that organisation. I have no right to change it or seek any modification into it. On the contrary, I am ready to co-operate them in it.
Office bearers of Sharad Pawar’s party have threatened to break our hands and legs. I urge them to convey the time and place where they wish to execute the threats. Ghanshyam Patil, Akshay Bikkad and Bhau Torsekar would be more than happy to oblige. We have only one condition though. Sharad Pawar himself should preside over such a tolerant and Gandhian festival.
We are waiting for the invitation, Sir!
English translation of article by
Bhau Torsekar
भाऊ तुमच्या निर्भिड पत्रकारितेला मानाचा मुजरा!
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Satyamev Jayate
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