No Full Stops In India

Title: No Full Stops In India

Author: Mark Tully

Publisher: Penguin 1992 (First published: 1991)

ISBN: 978-0-140-10480-6

Pages: 336

Another good book from an Indophile Englishman. Mark Tully was born in Calcutta, and went on to become the bureau-chief of BBC at New Delhi. With his extensive knowledge of India, its customs, politics and social chores, he had travelled widely in India and it is safe to assume that he has intimate knowledge of what drives India forward. That mastery is shone through the delightful collection of ten essays on various aspects of Indian life. The author’s most important argument is that the elite, which has acquired modern education through English consider themselves alien to the ethos of the country and is completely out of touch with the masses. Their frequencies of thought doesn’t resonate with the common people and the difference makes them think that they represent the true India. However the author asserts that there are no such full stops here and only commas exist. Every one of his essays in this book drives this point home. From a general discussion of the story, Tully reaches the conclusion that the outlook of the elitist Indian is completely out of touch with the masses.

He starts with a real-life example of his aide Ram Chander, who is a Dalit and still faces some of the nastier side of discrimination. Though written in a condescending style, it nicely brings out the difficulties in the life of a manual labourer who has to undergo numerous hurdles even in a cosmopolitan city such as New Delhi. The author attends the wedding ceremony of his daughter in a village in Uttar Pradesh and comes to know of the social life in remote villages. Tully attacks the cultural imperialism which comes with the mask of social exchange programs organised from England. Instead of identifying themselves with the artistes, these Britishers generally tend to stick to their own brand of expertise which causes friction among the participants. He takes a sharp dig on the practice of discrimination of converted Christians who were Dalits, inside the church. There are practically no bishops from the community and the number of ordained priests are also very small to ensure that there would not be any contender in the near term.

The author personally participated in the Kumbh Mela of 1989 and gives a vivid sketch of the proceedings. This was the fair in which VHP masterminded their propaganda to establish a temple at Ayodhya which was disputed property. The arrogance, militancy and selfishness of many of the monks and ascetics are described in gory detail. In the end, he praises the much maligned Indian administration for a job well done, to peacefully organise such a huge assembly with the minimum investment while maximising participation and satisfaction of the pilgrims. The arrangements go about methodically and the millions offering prayers on the banks of the Ganga find it fulfilling to have attended the mela. While examining the religious sensitivities of the country, Tully straightaway goes to the shooting sets of Ramanand Sagar’s popular TV serial, Ramayan which captivated the audience of the 1980s. The program became a huge success, even surpassing the wildest expectations of all alike. The entire affair was a low-cost initiative, the actors being the marginal players of Bollywood and the site often re-using material like flowers used in earlier scenes.

The most interesting essay in the book is the reminiscences of Operation Black Thunder in 1988 when the Punjab police flushed out Sikh militants who had taken the Golden Temple by force and made it their hideout to collect arms, do extortion and torture. Unlike repeating the blunder of Operation Blue Star in 1984 when the army moved in and did extensive damage to the temple, for which the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had to pay with her life, in 1988 the government played it safe and superb. The police was put in charge and by effective siege, the terrorists holed up inside the shrine was driven out after some days. The immense fire power of the government agencies forced tens of the most hardcore terrorists to meekly surrender which was telecast widely. Tully claims that this was the moment at which the Khalistan sentiments took the most severe beating in Punjab.

From Punjab straight to Bengal, which is diametrically opposite to it. Communism is very popular in Bengal and Kerala, and in the former state, they are continuously in power since 1977. The author makes some in-depth analysis of the political and social situations in Calcutta and the rural half of the state. Contrary to expectations, he doesn’t pass judgement on the Communists. Religious notions among the common folk has not suffered an iota even with decades of Marxist rule, with animal sacrifices still going strong at Kalighat temple in the capital city. In fact, they have kept a watchful and safe distance from the religious beliefs of the people they govern. Bengal is industrially backward after Independence, but the author claims that the communists are not to blame, but goes on a congratulatory note by surveying the countryside and coming up with ideas of economic upliftment of the rural people during their three-decade long rule.

The incident of Sati at Deorala village in Rajastan in 1987 was an incident which shook the whole of India and earned us much ridicule internationally. Tully gives a differing perspective in which even the possibility of a voluntary suicide by the victim cannot be entirely ruled out. Even after reading the chapter in full, we are not enlightened of the real opinion of the author on this point. He plays the perfect journalist here, give both sides of the argument and don’t pass verdict on any of it! From Rajastan, he moves south to Gujarat where communal riots were daily occurrences in the 1980s and 90s. The picture of the commoner trying utmost to stay afloat in the turbulent social waters is beautifully drawn by the author who was also a master journalist.

The book is an excellent read for all classes of readers. The author’s deft maneuvers of his pen are made delightfully appealing to the reader in the light of his deep love for India, her people and her culture. However, there is some condescension seeping in now and then in the stories. We can however pardon him for his overarching assumption of the BBC’s credibility in India. No doubt it was very dependable and somewhat impartial during the days when private TV channels had still not established base. But Tully’s argument that the Indians often circulate rumours with the remark that they had had heard it on BBC is surely stretching the point a bit.

The book is highly recommended.

Rating: 3 Star