PARCHA Aug21 Issue 01

CONTENTS 04 To The Reader
Essays Brecht In Machine

Kizhakoot Gopika Babu
06
Fallacy Of Political Cinema
Nirmal J R
10
Riaz In The Age Of Reels
Nimisha Salim
16
On A Tryst With Fanon At An Indian University
Utkarsh Sharma
22
Contradictions in Culture
Midhun Puthupattu
28
13 Psalms for slow days Poems
Sandra Elizabeth
27 May 2021
Tushar Rishi
DASTAK: A Canvas for Dissent
Arundhathi K, Nivedya P T
36
DASTAK-DU through pictures 42
PARCHA is the official organ and quarterly magazine of DASTAK DELHI UNIVERSITY.
DASTAK is a students art forum dedicated to narrow down the disturbing gap
between student politics and literary-artistic expression.
Editorial Team
Nivedya, Utkarsh, Midhun, Mushfin, Adrija,
Ananyo, Chandana, Gopika, Nimisha, Nirmal
Cover Illustrations
Front: Navya, Maitreyi College, University of Delhi
Back: Rineeth TS, ChintaBar, IIT Madras
For more info or to contribute to our next issue, contact us at dastakdu@gmail.com
DASTAK permits partial or total reproduction of contents of this magazine with due
credits given to the writer/artist/designer/photographer for educational and political
purposes. No part of the magazine shall be used or reproduced for commercial purposes.
Progress Is Inevitable
TO THE READER
Most often we use the term progressive very
casually. In other words, we fail to understand
whether something is truly progressive or does it
simply serve the dominant ideology by creating a
facade of being progressive. It is of no doubt that
capitalism and neoliberalism has transformed
art, literature, and cinema into a reproducible and
profitable commodity to be sold in the market. Yet,
most of the works created, that cater to this idea
are hailed as progressive, be it films that glorify
the representations of the oppressed rather than
understanding the cause of the oppressed or
literature written in languages over-weighted with
ornate metaphor and imagery, that distances
us from actualities of life, national and social
problems and from the people whose lives make
these problems the necessity of the hour quite
apart from speculative interest.
In their amended manifesto, 1938, Progressive

Writers’ Association (PWA) writes;
“We believe that the new literature of India must

deal with the basic problems of our existence
today—the problems of hunger and poverty, social
backwardness, and political subjection. All that
drags us down to passivity, inaction, and un-
reason we reject as reactionary. All that arouses
in us the critical spirit, which examines institutions
and customs in the light of reasons, which helps
us to act, to organize ourselves, to transform, we
accept as progressive.”
The individualist and romantic approach towards

films, music, literature, etc. is a result of a rise
in the culture industry, a manifestation of late
capitalism wherein all forms of culture become
part of the capitalist system of production. There
is clearly a bond between mass culture and
big business to make up a large scale system
of control and exploitation. When people start
perceiving cultural movements by IPTA, PWA, or
Dastak to be aesthetically pleasing for the eyes
and ears, it gives no space for action and praxis
building, but momentum for what is liked already.
‘Parcha’ is hence an effort to learn, understand
and master the methodology of criticizing our
historical and contemporary cultural texts, which
4 PARCHA • ISSUE NO. 01 • AUGUST 2021

can be anything including films, music, people, etc. To conclude, ‘Parcha’ is an effort to put forth
and formulate a collection of critical theories that well-polished arguments and opinions on
can be utilized by us and our future generation. contemporary literature, cinema, art, etc. along
For instance, one of the articles in this magazine, with concrete criticism towards the left movement
‘The Fallacy of Political Cinema’, talks about the for the failure in the cultural front, presenting
necessity of discarding the bourgeois cinema which solutions if possible and consistent and loud
pretends to be political without stepping away calls for action. It stems from the realization that
from the ideological framework of the system that progress is unattainable by producing art that is
it criticizes. When cinema is filled with idealistic just a personal reflection, unengaged from the
and hyper-intellectual notions put forth by the world, a system of structuring of reality founded
so-called political films, it creates the ‘apolitical’, on neoliberal, market capitalism. It is necessary
which is always the ‘masked’ ruling ideology. The to bring arts into the closest touch with the people
question of representation and commodification and to make them the vital organs which will
of art is discussed in ‘Riaz in the Age of Reels’, a register the actualities of life, as well as lead us
critical analysis of consumerist behaviours in the to the future we envisage. As Alain Badiou puts it,
music industry. The rise of 30-second reels has
nurtured something called an attention economy, “It is better to do nothing than to contribute to the
which quantifies the art and centres it on visibility. invention of formal ways of rendering visible that
When visibility increases, the value increases, which the Empire already recognizes as existent.”
creating other forms of inequality along with the
concept of “marketing” the art.
While critiquing the “artworks’’ that are essentially Warmly,

the brainchild of neoliberal-post-modern thought The Editorial Team
process, it is equally important to develop opinions
on art forms that were created or suggested as
an alternative. Brecht’s materialist theatre and
Godard’s revolutionary filmmaking methods are
a few such approaches that expose the capitalist
agenda. ‘Brecht in Machine’, provides us with
an understanding of forum theatre, Epic theatre
etc. wherein anti-illusionism and self-conscious
theatricality forces criticality and engagement.
We also realize that in order to put forth a thorough

critique of popular culture, it is necessary to
have a theoretical backing and understanding
in terms of Marxist concepts and techniques
used in cultural work, how Marxists view art
and literature, etc. ‘Contradictions in Culture’,
deals with the theoretical framework put forth
by the Marxist philosophy to explain the nuances
of culture, language, etc. using a dialectical
approach. ‘On a Tryst with Fanon at an Indian
University’ is something along the similar lines
that would engage the readers with a critique of
Postcolonialism, something that concerns the
cultural presence of colonial vestiges.
PARCHA • ISSUE NO. 01 • AUGUST 2021 5

THEATRE
KIZHAKOOT GOPIKA BABU
BRECHT IN MACHINE
O n October 15th 1978, JANAM performed
their first street play at a writers’ conference
in Satyawati College. Machine was written at a
Since the ethos of the character and that of the
society will never resolve the conflict, Aristotle
demands that the play ends with a catastrophe.
time that demanded novelty and innovation. Post Thus undergoing catharsis, the spectator is purged.
Emergency, the trade unions and other mass The subject of dramatic action for Brecht, is never
organizations did not have the resources to stage the character flaw but the conflict in ethos itself.
a full-fledged proscenium production. There was a Thus Brecht elucidates that since the conflict is
need to down size every aspect of theatre without left unresolved, the fundamental contradiction
compromising on the content or form. Machine emerges with greater clarity.
was the result.
What follows hamartia is peripeteia which is the
Towards a Materialist Theatre sudden change in the fate of the hero. Peripeteia
triggers in the spectator fear because they had
Do human beings have immanent characteristics? started to identify with the character. Then comes
Are these characteristics unalterable? Do they have anagnorisis or the self-realization of having erred.
individual will? These are significant questions The play comes to an end with a catastrophe. The
to which Brecht and the philosophers like Hegel spectator is thus schooled that the consequences
and Aristotle had provided opposing answers. of contradicting societal principles will not be
Freedom of the subject is one of the major
doctrines in opposition to which Brecht developed
Epic theatre. Aristotle in his definition of a Greek
tragedy dictated that the protagonist should act
voluntarily, consciously, consistently and without
exterior coercion. The poetics of Brecht denies the
very essence of these claims.
Materialist conception of history teaches one

that it is masses that make history, not heroes.
Therefore in the materialist theatre that Brecht
built, the dramatic course is never driven by the
personal flaws of a character. This stands in stark
opposition to Aristotle’s tragedy in which the tragic
hero is presented before the audience with inherent
faculties and characteristics. The ethos of the lead
are never in conflict with that of the society except
for one trait that causes conflict. The dramatic Bertolt Brecht in 1937
action is driven by this hamartia or the tragic flaw. Image Courtesy: NY Times/AP

JANAM completing their play ‘Halla Bol’ in Jhandapur where they were attacked by Indian National Congress goons resulting in the killing of Safdar Hashmi
(4th January 1989) Image Courtesy: Jana Natya Manch
rewarded kindly. The ultimate aim according to state of being but Brecht exposes the defects.
Aristotle is to purify the hamartia of the onlooker. Brecht does not discard the impact or importance
In the play Machine, JANAM makes several of emotions however according to him it must
artistic decisions which embody Marxist objection not prevent critical understanding. What Brecht
to seeing individuals in isolation devoid of the focuses on is to show to the audience that the
impacts of their social relation. At the beginning status quo can be transformed and is concerned
of the play the actors arrange themselves into a about illustrating how.
machine-like formation, making whistling and
screeching noises. As the play proceeds three In Machine all of the characters perform in a
actors come out of the formation and introduce uniform attire with only two or three elements
themselves. The interesting thing to note here is distinguishing one from the other. The effect
that they introduce themselves not as individuals achieved through this is that it robs the character
but as an abstraction of the relation they hold with of their individuality. As a result the spectators
the machine. Thus we meet a worker, a security are forced to see characters in relation to their
officer and an owner who spell out to us their role social location and prevent an emotional appeal
in the functioning of the ‘machine’. The characters at a personal level with the character. For the actor
are thus not absolute subjects but objects of their this prevents their complete transformation to the
social reality like Brecht suggests. character being played. The announcement of each
action before it is enacted is one of the techniques
No More Escapism of bringing forth the V-effect. The suspense that is
one of the key elements of the dramatic theatre is
Verfremdungseffekt was a technique developed turned on its head. The announcement estranges
by Brecht in the 1920s and 30s. The ‘escapism’ both the actor and the audience from the actions
that was provided by the dramatic theatre was being portrayed. The actor then focuses not on
condemned by Brecht. The heightened emotions, the realism of the reaction they give but on the
the suspension of disbelief and the passive role social gestus. Similarly the spectators are not
assigned to the audience disengages them from immersed with sympathy that they lose sight of the
the social reality. Through the V-effect Brecht narrative. From the beginning of the play a narrator
wanted to achieve an epochal shift in how theatre introduces us to the plot, intervenes intermittently
was performed and viewed. While retaining the to comment on the action and constantly engages
emotional distance it sought to bring out the with the audience. The spectators are not ‘flies on
absurdity or strangeness of everyday life. While the wall’ nor are they transported to a different
pointing out the major differences between the world. The narrator breaks the crucial fourth wall
‘dramatic’ and the epic form Brecht states that and viewers are addressed directly. This anti-
while emotion rules in the former, reason does so illusionism and self-conscious theatricality forces
in the latter. Aristotle’s tragedy glorifies the present criticality and engagement.
Another complex term that Brecht uses to explain
epic theatre is gestus. Laura Bradley clarifies that
in relation to action Brecht conceptualized gestus
as a physical action or spatial configuration which
reveals the ideological, social and economic
relations between two or more characters. We find
an excellent example of gestus in Machine. In order
to visually capture the relationship of exploitation,
JANAM utilizes two tableaus. Arjun Ghosh in the
book A History of the Jana Natya Manch: Plays for
JANAM performing ‘Machine’ at the orientation programme
of DASTAK-DU (29 Sep 2019) the People communicates the essence of these
tableaux in great detail. Ghosh writes,
The first shows a train of people with the factory owner leading in a gesture of victory
and those behind him progressively bent, cowered by the burden of exploitation. The
Sutradhar explains: (On the one end are people who went on progressing toward the
high skies, to whom have fallen all the wealth of the world.) At this point the tableau
alters, the actors turn around 180 degrees, and the factory owner is now seen raising the
baton driving the workers. The Sutradhar continues: (And on the other end a procession
of people, those who made everything from the pyramid to the Taj. The glory of their
strength is written across the horizon.)
The 180 degree shift in the direction of the action In the play Machine, the Mill Owner exploits the
conveys the ideological, social and economic workers and the security officer violently exercises
polarization between the proletariat and the his authority over them. The explanations for these
bourgeoisie. The contradictions are starkly actions do not lie in the reasoning that they are
visualized and conflicting interests at play are inherently cruel or vile human beings. The events
brought to light. have unfolded due to the inherent contradictions in
the capitalist mode of production. Each character
Theatre Calls for Action only represents a certain role within the limits of
which they are expected to perform. The play does
In Machine one of the scenes portrays workers not end with the workers having won their demands
demanding for a canteen and cycle stand. Since because the contradictions would not end there.
the Mill Owner refuses to address their requests, Instead it ends with the call for action. It ends with
the workers decide to go on a strike. The machine the rendition of “the Internationale” in Hindi.
stops! The Mill Owner directs the security guards to
open fire on the protesting workers. Soon after the The simplicity, inexpensiveness, portability and
workers are shot dead. Next with the proclamation effectiveness of street theatre made it the ideal
of the narrator—”the workers will counter the fit for the working class of the country. The times
repression by greater unity and struggle,” the dictated a shift from proscenium theatre. Yet the
workers get up one by one chanting “Inquilab techniques of Epic theatre and its theoretical
Zindabad”. What could have been a heart wrenching groundings could still be used to sharpen the
scene, because of its treatment becomes one of new form. Machine achieved this balance and
great courage and inspiration. Had the workers lay subsequently became a template for several street
dead till the end, the play would have been counter- plays that succeeded.
revolutionary. Had the workers won the demands
of the strike, it would have given the appearance of
a resolution being made. However since the dead
workers got back up, the play while highlighting the
contradictions in the system encourages us to work
towards its transformation.
Gopika is an illustrator and a student of BA(Hons) Sociology in

Miranda House, Delhi University.
Contact her at k.gopika.babu@gmail.com

Illustration of Com. Sajjad Zaheer speaking at a PWA meeting by Midhun Puthupattu. The artwork is part of an exhibtion by Young Socialist Artists
and Leftword Books which commemorates the 100th Anniversary of Indian Communist Movement. Visit the full exhibtion here.
CINEMA
NIRMAL J R
FALLACY OF POLITICAL
T
“The problem is not to make political films,
but to make films politically.”
hese are the words of French New Wave stalwart

Jean-Luc Godard, who mercilessly wrote off all
stereotypes that had persisted until then, with his
CINEMA
rooted grip on Marxist theory. To understand cinema
would be difficult without looking at it through the
eyes of Godard, a man who consistently battled
against the European-American bourgeois cinema,
demanding politically made films over political
films. A close study of his method of filmmaking
will differentiate political films, a trend in cinema
that pretends to be political without stepping away
from the ideological framework of the system that
it criticises, from the political approach needed
towards films. With his lucid understanding of
radical Brechtian theory, Godard started a revolution
in cinema. As far as he was concerned, to make
political films was a bourgeois idea. He argued that
the idealistic and hyper intellectual notions put forth
by so called political films had to be challenged, by
focusing on the dialectics of cinematic structure.
Godard’s 1960 film Breathless overturned all

pre-existing methods of cinematic narration.
Consistent jump cuts, montages, and hand-held
camera movements, created a complex cinematic
experience for the audience. Godard attempted
to capture the rage and morality of his times with
his camera, using the very meaning of cinema
itself, making himself the torch-bearer of all radical
changes yet to happen in the history of cinema.
Godard and his cinematic syntax stood apart from
the usual lexicon of ongoing political debates on the
influence of cinema in society.
Michel (of Breathless) is a typical Brechtian

protagonist who is not a hero but a victim of his
Jean-Luc Godard
circumstances. The complexity of his character Image Courtesy: Pinterest

aroused curiosities and questions in the audience’s
mind and those questions slowly set flame to a
revolution in the world of cinema. On his way to
Paris, in a stolen car, Michel becomes responsible
for the death of a policeman. Once in Paris, he sets
out in search of a love that was lost. This is the
pretext to the whole plot of Breathless. However,
it develops into more than just a story of a lover
through consistent conflicts with its narration,
modulating a method to translate the Brechtian
theatre techniques into the language of cinema. An
actor who talks directly to the spectator, facing the
camera is not merely an experimentation. Godard
introduces Michel as a hardcore fan of American
neo-noir hero Humphrey Bogart. Godard’s aversion
to the film noir genre can be evidently read from
Michel’s death, an instance of the ‘hero’ being
subject to the laws of the artist’s world.
The Estrangement effect or the V-effect derived by

Brecht restrained the audience’s empathy towards
characters. The aversion Godard had towards the
noir genre and the Hollywood grammar which
made profit by exploiting human emotions, is
clearly seen through his characterisation of Michel. Breathless (1960) theatrical release poster
He refuses to give enough space between Michel Image Courtesy: IMDb
and the audience by brutally cutting down frames,
frequently breaking the flow which makes the viewer industrial product. The whole film reduces its
unsettled. His methods of using devices which complexities into mere curiosity about Mathan’s
altered the very syntax of classical-neoclassical mysterious past and the cathartic pleasure
cinema, gave new meanings to the politics and followed by his tragic fall; the mystic river of life.
aesthetics of cinema. The approaches he took are This is how Mathan who unintentionally kills a
still reverberate across world cinema today. They policeman on the road, and Michel who guns one
can be spotted indirectly in both the narrative down stands far apart from each other. Mayanadhi
and the narration. We can understand it better fails to grow out of the classical dictum of satisfying
by looking at recent self-proclaimed progressive the audience.
Malayalam cinema through this Godardian lens to
understand their politics better. The distinction that Godard made between political
cinema and politically made cinema is more relevant
When rewatching 2017 Malayalam blockbuster today when the discussions around Mayanadhi was
Mayanadhi (Mystic River), a film that has been revolving around a single statement by its female
celebrated as one of the pioneering progressive lead, “Sex is not a promise” and how “pleasing
cinema of today which questions the patriarchal to the eyes and ears” was the film. K.G George,
conceptions of its characters. The dilemma a Marxist veteran filmmaker had exemplified how
aroused is more fundamental: is it a progressive borders of political cinema can be broken down
film or does it simply serve the dominant ideology? in his 1984 feature titled Adaminte Variyellu
Let’s consider the film Mayanadhi, a movie that (Adam’s Rib). The politics that K.G George carried
has a plot identical to that of Breathless. Mathan, throughout the film speaks for itself right until the
the protagonist, comes to Kochi in search of his end credits. For this regard, scholars argue that
ex-lover Appu, unintentionally causing the death of Adaminte Variyellu pioneered Malayalam feminist
a police officer. While Breathless communicated cinema. Standards of filmmaking like these, built
using both narrative and narration, Mayanadhi in the 1970s and 80s, are slowly fading away into
only attempts to clear the criteria for a profitable a memory. Instead of a gradual growth of cinema

as a powerful medium, neoliberalism which
was born after the heavy flow of capital into the
globalised industry hijacked its space and a new
genre of political cinema was made to fill the void.
The reception that it gets is also very disturbing.
It is a fallacy to define cinema only in dualities
of arthouse and mainstream, which paves way
for the celebration of films like Mayanadhi. It is
also because of this, films that attempt to create
radical changes by means of syntax and language,
miserably failing to win the market need, become
box office flops, which in result makes them
invisible to the regular moviegoers in Kerala.
Films like I am Steve Lopez (2014) validate this.
On the other side, films which tactically exploit
the mainstream ‘masala’ to construct its own
political narrative, like 2016 blockbuster Sairat by
Nagraj Manjule, after achieving box-office success,
become reduced to nothing but mere remake raw
material. This elucidates how capitalism and its
escort neoliberalism packs and polishes cinema
according to its whims and fancies to sell it off
as profitable and reproducible commodities in
the global market. The desperation of capitalist
machinery and its subscribers to parade themselves
as warriors of progressivism is explicit in movies
like Uyare (2019). The reality is that such films Mayaanadhi ( transl. Mystic river) (2017) theatrical release poster
Image Courtesy: IMDb
can never escape the ideology of neoliberalism
which will glorify representations of the oppressed way around. The denial of an archetypical tragic
rather than the cause of the oppressed, women in hero in Godard’s cinema means an evident and
this case being confined to executive positions of vocal digression from and rejection of the Idealist
corporate companies while the liberatory cause of notions of the individual. These notions, however
millions of women is subjugated. explicit they were regarding the emotional ups
and downs of the character, comfortably ignored
In conclusion, Godardian filmmaking is not to be the socio-political conditions that put them to
studied upon merely addressing his techniques struggle in the first place. Godardian filmmaking
of breaking written and unwritten rules and emphasised that the individual cannot be separated
dogma. The movement that he started should be from society just as theatre or cinema cannot be
analysed, studied, and reflected upon, in terms of separated from the politics of its time and space.
making cinema more engaging and participatory The term ‘political cinema’ is fallacious because
for the masses. He redefined cinema and placed every cinema is political; it is either reactionary
it somewhere away from mere entertainment. or revolutionary. And every honest work of art is a
Godardian cinema placed itself amidst the crowd reflection of reality; masked or unmasked. Creation
and talked to them directly. Much like Brechtian of the ‘political’ is a neoliberal phenomena that
theatre which emphasised the undeniable facilitates the unscrutinised development and
interdependence of the characters and material expansion of the ‘apolitical’ which is always the
reality, Godard too rejected emotional catharsis ‘masked’ ruling ideology. The actual revolutionary
between the spectator and the character, and cinema must expose the capitalist agenda and the
instead tried to enlarge the audience’s rage bourgeois tactics behind the creation of this myth.
and dissatisfaction using his experiments in
filmmaking. The emotional sphere of a character Nirmal is a visual artist and a student of English Literature
can only be resulting from the immediate material in Zakir Husain Delhi College, Delhi University.
He is one of the co-conveners of Dastak-DU.
reality he is acquainted with. It is never the other Contact him at nirmaljr369@gmail.com

POEM
SANDRA ELIZABETH
Psalm for slow days

my whole body constricts itself
trying to keep the eyes squeezed open.
three spoons of instant coffee,

mixed with half a mug of hot water.
a concoction of tar
gulped with no regrets,

to ward off sleep
silence and deflated grief.
i shut my eyes of
squirming, floaty egg yolks.
matted hair and salt sprayed vulva

wine fizzed lips and flaked nipples,
on sundays, i am god;
broken,
waiting to be eaten.
on other days, when i am not-god,

i watch piss trickle down my legs,
i take shower in the holy water
desperately wanting to cast something out-

anything palpable that pulsates with life.
no more women remain

to braid my worthlessness and knead pain out of my body.
no more men
to mechanically scrape the gold leaf off
the tip of the soft tissue i begin from.
i cannot self diagnose hurt anymore.
Sandra is a sociology student in IPCW, University of Delhi

and can usually be found reading ethnographies. Contact
her at sandrajoseph19@gmail.com

Students take the lead in democratic revolutions!
Drawing by Kizhakootu Gopika Babu
Poster released on National Street Theatre Day (12 August 2021)
MUSIC
NIMISHA SALIM
RIAZ IN
THE AGE OF REELS
Music is getting shorter
S o is our attention. Technology has always

shaped music production (music). When we
look back, 3-minute song formats were born out
of phonographs because they could only record
that much. With the invention of vinyl, the format
changed to LP records (Long Plays); The idea of
albums (longer records) came into existence.
Analog to digital was another milestone. People
could skip music now. Fast forward and we
have come to the age of social media. Anyone
can produce music and put it out there. Spotify,
IGTV, Reels, Shorts. There is an overabundance
of options. To be discovered has become much
easier now. Virality is all it takes for a musician
to be discovered. Since the pandemic, all sorts
of music has been coming out through social
media. If there was an economy around it before,
it’s thriving now. The algorithm learns something
new every day about people’s interests, making Guy Louis Debord
it easier for content to reach its target audience. Image Courtesy: Marxists Internet Archive
Now that everyone knows about the role of
classical music/musicians (synonymous for their
algorithms, content makers have started targeting
perseverance), reacted to the fast pace of an
the algorithm. Thirty-second music reels get more
attention economy-driven society?
attention than a longer post. Music streaming apps

like Spotify put out royalties even when a song is
streamed for just 30 seconds. Naturally, musicians Music as spectacle
are prioritising shorter, catchier versions of songs.
The listening patterns of the masses are altering. As a Hindustani classical music student, I have
At the end of the day, everything is coming down been able to observe how Indian classical, (here
to human attention. However, this innovation in I speak both for Carnatic and Hindustani as both
technology comes with a cost. Popular genres like have similar forms of education and base) in its
film and independent music are quickly adapting truest essence, is a spiritual journey that goes
to the situation. However, we cannot say the same inward. It has evolved over time, and witnessed
for other genres. How has a genre like Indian changes as generations have passed through it.

The one defining factor of this genre of music is that
it is the opposite of temporal. It is a journey that
requires patience, hard work and perseverance.
Taa’leem (education in the Guru-Shishya tradition),
constitutes the most important part of traditional
music education in India. A strong foundation with
daily hours of practice and listening constitutes
the integral part of the education. We are all
familiar with tales of rigorous practice sessions of
maestros.
For a genre that has a slow, consistent pace for
development, the medium of production and
distribution has drastically changed. The process
is a lot quicker than before. Earlier, when a student
started their musical education, the Guru decided
the time of their first performance and exposure to
the outside world. Now, there is an early exposure.
The attention economy nurtured by social

media has built its web all across the country
(read: world) and we are witnessing the reign
of autocratic ‘attention capitalism’. Music has
become quantifiable. Guy Debord in his book,
The Society of the Spectacle writes, “In societies
where modern conditions of production prevail, all
of life presents itself as an immense accumulation
of spectacles. Everything that was directly lived
has moved away into a representation.” One can
trace striking parallels of this in contemporary
reality. The creation of a ‘Like’ was a turning
point. The ‘uncountable’ aspects of real life were
quantified with the invention of likes. Anything
with a number can become a commodity. We live
in an era where our emotions are commodified.
When this got projected onto Classical Music, the
authenticity that the art demands has diminished
for many. Instead, it becomes another form of
commodity in a limitless money generating loop
of virtual representation which exploits the need
for validation. We can see how for many (not all),
classical music is represented out there in the
Front cover of the 1983 edition of Society of the Spectacle
virtual world, through Sargam challenges and

‘revival’ of Bandishes when in reality, questionable
effort goes into the daily practice which the music
demands.

Riaz in the age of reels
Social media provides visibility, but when an

economy develops around it, visibility is associated
with value. The more the visibility, the more the
value. The more the ‘likes’, the more the value.
This creates a regressive pseudo-environment for

any community that consumes social media. The
authenticity or as Benjamin said, the ‘aura’ of
Indian classical music and musical journey may
completely be lost in the virtual, temporal world
of likes. Here I’d like to stress that technological
development is not the problem, but the
commodification of the authentic forms is.
Instagram Reels and Youtube Shorts are the

latest of the various manifestations of modes of
representation. A 30-second reel gets larger views
than a longer version. Instagram forefronts reels to
their users. The explorer page is usually full of the
most popular reels. For this reason, masses develop
a tendency to post reels or shorter content. It will
impact music consumption and production. This
phenomenon extends to every aspect of modern
life, As Debord observed, a media driven economy
has the power to alter, interpret and reduce lived
reality for the masses. The attention span of the
majority becomes shorter. Even the popular genres
of music face the repercussions of this. If we look
at the number of views for a 40-minute concert
Portrait of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel by Jakob Schlesinger, 1831
of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, it is always way Image Courtesy: WikiCommons
below the attention a “shorter cover” of the same
receives. For classical Musicians, their quest seems prominence of a piece of music. The ‘number’
harder than ever. A major part of the practice is has become an important criterion of ‘success’.
listening. With this increasing fragmentation of our Frequently, it projects a false notion of significance.
attention, the listening habit of the masses could A false notion of ‘aspiration’. Indian Classical
alter. Classical Music concerts/audios stretch for music is an internal journey of consistent work.
hours. A changed listening pattern influenced by a The performative, outward nature of social media
consumerist culture reduces the chances of people markets is the direct opposite of this. It is often the
choosing a genre like Indian Classical Music. beginner and intermediate students who get stuck
in this loop of short lived validation. The number
of likes on the videos they post from day one of
False Aspirations
their education could seriously tamper with their
musical (Classical) education and growth. For the
Hegel’s prophetic words “The false is a moment of
advanced, this space provides opportunities.
truth” (written in 1807) astoundingly make sense in

this age of virtual reality. According to Debord, the
The vocal training gives importance to raw, open
spectator (consumer) is alienated to the profit of
singing. The technological intervention and sound
a ‘contemplated object’; in this case, for example,
‘effects’ are not ideal for students who pursue
the views on music, or any other commodity. “The
classical music. Once something is commodified,
more [the spectator] contemplates the less he
external factors like appearance, package and
lives; the more he accepts recognizing himself
quantity become more important than the quality
in the dominant images of need, the less he
and purpose. The emerging video dominated
understands his own existence and desires... The
market’s influence on content is unmistakably
more his life is now his product, the more he is
media driven. When we post something, we are
separated from his life.” If we view this ‘alienation
prompted to adjust our voice and singing according
effect’ with respect to every aspect of our lives, we
to what the consumer demands. “Why don’t you
will know what exactly it means.
market yourself? You need to be more presentable!
Share like and subscribe” have become a common
When it comes to music which has been quantified,
comment that most of us who find it hard to self-
the number of likes decides the significance and

advertise get. For classical music artists, there is pop up on the feed to become viral. Unfortunately
a conflict of interest. Living in a virtual world of other people make money out of it while they live,
representation offers fleeting jolts of validation. unaware of the commotion their music created
One gets absorbed into this loop of creating content in the virtual media. When the inequalities of old
that matches the popular consumerist behaviour world blurs, new forms of inequalities arise. Digital
(algorithm). This can affect the Riaz (practice divide is one such.
routine). Classical music students who pursue
the traditional way of learning are at a difficult Our culture is increasingly becoming performative.
juncture. There is a constant, illusionary pressure Riaz is a process, which in itself takes years
to ‘represent’. Finding a balance proves difficult. to master. Manifesting something like that to
a consumerist culture format is a painful and
Is there scope? unrewarding task. One could either explore the
lived reality, dive deep, merely ‘represent’ and be
One cannot deny how social media has democratised a part of the ever changing spectacle. The other
classical art forms. Certainly, people have more answer points towards an ironic participation in the
access to music. There are conversations and spectacle while opposing this economy. The latter
workshops. Accessibility which often depended is a highly contentious and precarious position to
upon socio-cultural barriers has opened up this take. Therefore, awareness first and foremost is
genre to the masses. There are promising musicians key.
who will definitely take the culture forward. Online
platforms have enabled unimaginable possibilities
to pass the knowledge among students. One has
a wide range of collections of artists to listen to.
There is an increasing number of virtual music
communities that focus solely on traditional music.
The geographic limitations are slowly starting to
blur. The appearance of Palta challenges and
Sargam challenges in the algorithm of the music
community has popularised Classical music.
Capitalist (post)modernism is not without

complexities. As Debord observed, Being is replaced
by Having and Having is replaced by Appearing. He
writes “The Spectacle presents itself as something
enormously positive, indisputable and inaccessible.
It says nothing more than ‘that which appears is
good, that which is good appears [...] It demands
[…] passive acceptance which in fact it already
obtained by its manner of appearing without reply,
by its monopoly of appearance.” Appearances end
up targeting the trends. And often in the world of
appearances, experienced, deserving artists get
side-lined. Many communities live in their villages,
unaware of and unexposed to the virtual market.
Videos of many such incredibly talented artists
Nimisha is a singer and a former student of English Literature

from Dept of English, DU. She currently works as a vocalist
and a freelance voice over artist.
Contact her at nimishafeminasalim@gmail.com

Dastak Musicians’ Forum performing at a protest gathering against CAA-NRC-NPR in Arts Faculty on 16 January 2020.
Illustration by Kizhakoot Gopika Babu.
Dastak Musicians’ Forum performing at the Peace March for Communal Harmony in Arts Faculty on 28 February 2020.
Illustration by Kadambari
LITERATURE
UTKARSH SHARMA
ON A TRYST WITH FANON

AT AN INDIAN UNIVERSITY
A t one of the last classes of my undergraduate
programme last year (and one of the last
‘offline’ classes that I would attend), one of my
elite of the colony, who benefit the most from these
institutions of western learning and go on to form
a class of collaborators, helping the colonisers in
teachers for the Postcolonial Literatures paper administration and most importantly in curbing the
said that Frantz Fanon is not usually included in radical elements of any anti-colonial movement.
university syllabi. The teacher went on to take a The ideology propounded by these institutions
class on Fanon as a supplementary background seeps into the consciousness of the colony and
reading because of what he represented for our hence perpetuates colonialism even after the
understanding of colonialism. Frantz Fanon was colonisers leave. Let us give the last sentence
a trained psychologist in the French schools, and more thought before coming to Fanon’s response
having witnessed and worked throughout the to it.
Algerian War of Independence (1954-1962), he
went on to write about the nature of colonialism With such insights, newer questions were
and talked about the processes involved in produced in relation to our universities and
decolonisation. The acquaintance with Fanon in the world beyond. What do we understand by
the classroom was only passing, as the fifty odd decolonisation? Is it limited to the White Man’s
minutes were soon over and access to another real subjugation of the Orient? But then, colonialism
classroom again is yet to become a reality. is not limited to race relations alone as is evident
with Japanese involvements in East and South
The lockdown and the suspension of classes East Asia. Upon correction, is decolonisation the
facilitated a longer and more extensive communion removal of the coloniser regardless of their race?
with Fanon, and the most famous of his works The However, that does not remove colonial thought
Wretched of the Earth (1961). A few of the salient as the institutions and the forms of governance
points that Fanon lists in his text are as follows: are retained, now run by a different race of
Fanon maintains that colonialism is a violent people. In the case of India itself, the land grab
phenomenon; that it is established and sustained and continued expropriation of tribal populations
through violence. The colonist/coloniser does across India, urban-rural divides manifest sharply
not respond to reason or emotion for they know since the 1990s, the preoccupation of the Indian
only violence. This violence is not limited to initial state with global recognition despite the deplorable
wars of subjugation but is perpetuated through standards of living and inequalities in society, the
the process of exporting colonial institutions. prestige associated with English and, more notably,
Institutions like the colonial universities, the English the prioritisation of Hindi over regional languages
press, constabulary etc., which under reliance on (given that Hindi itself is a regional language), the
colonialism for their survival, create and reinforce increasing attempts at monopolisation by a handful
colonial ideology in the colony. For one, the export of industrialists are but a few important features of
of institutions creates opportunities for the social similar forms of rule with different content. Even
the maltreatment of Black Americans by Indians
abroad continues to be an issue. Does the Brown
Man not see a certain solidarity with the Black
Man? Or does he find the Black Man beneath him?
And if so, why?
Colonialism as a process does not end with

home rule. Looking at it through the lens of one
of the theorists offered by our syllabus, according
to Gandhi, it is something that afflicts one
internally as well. In fact, it is the internalisation
of colonialism that perpetuates it despite the
changing identities of peoples involved while at the
same time generating newer social and political
formations that facilitate that understanding. This
acknowledgement remained absent in Gandhi,
however, who sought returns of several forms in the
historical trajectory deriving solely from individual
reformation. Fanon with his understanding of
psychoanalysis wades further into the colonised
subject to offer his answers. Fanon presents to us
the case studies of several of his patients, most Frantz Fanon at the Pan African conference in Kinshasa
on August 27, 1960
notably one who lost the ability to be aroused after Image Courtesy: WikiCommons
witnessing the rape of his wife by French soldiers.
lead to emancipation through violence? The
The underlying idea therein was the damage
question is an important one because it concerns
precipitated by colonialism on one’s self and ways
all of us, most of whom continue to fight against
of relating to each other, exploiting already existing
injustices today. Violence against peoples will
inequalities in an accelerated manner whereby
always perpetuate itself: as historically contingent
violence gets transmitted throughout society and
identities are transformed, recast, and reinforce
is sustained by its appearance of barbarity, of
the systems of thought that birthed them. The
the supposed savage practices of the colonised
Brown Man may very well dislike the White Man
peoples.
but the fundamental problem lies in the Brown
Man’s desire to be the White Man. Fanon questions
Fanon is not concerned with metaphysics of a
this phenomenon in his earlier work Black Skin,
Gandhian variety that vows to tackle colonialism.
White Masks (1952). Therefore violence must be
Fanon concerns himself with the removal of the
directed towards structures and not be derived out
germ of colonialism with a Leninist understanding
of understandings around identities. That is the
of imperialism. The answer to those questions
heart of Fanon’s argument and where our problem
begins with concerning oneself with the nature of
arises: how do we imagine a decolonising project
violence given the violent nature of colonialism.
that tackles colonial ideology through education?
The violence of the coloniser is violence to continue
and strengthen oppression. This oppression is
We will not concern ourselves with the question of
primarily targeted through exploitation of people’s
why Fanon is not in university syllabi. The question
labour and resources. The exploitation eventually
here is concerned more with the ideological tackling
reaches a certain stage where a violent uprising is
of texts already present as opposed to their mere
inevitable as the conditions created by colonialism,
inclusion. For example, let us first understand
as any other form of exploitative system, make
what we mean by postcolonialism and where it
it unsustainable. The resultant violence of the
stands within our formulations so far. As evident by
colonised is violence to end the violence wrought
its morphemes, “post” + “colonialism”, the field of
upon them by this system. As we see, however,
study most notably in sociology (as critical theory)
violence perpetuates itself out of the conflicts that
and literature (as literary theory) is concerned with
are in the very nature of unequal relationships.
societies arising out of the withdrawal of colonial
The question then arises as to how do people
powers in the middle of the 20th century. There are
a few historical exceptions but let us go by this modal is meant by the postcolonial situation? Since that
rule. Postcolonialism therefore as a study concerns is an irresolvable conflict that will be ever present
itself almost universally with cultural presences of given our historical contact with colonialism.
colonial vestiges. As the course description offered Furthermore, there is no mention of newer forms of
by University of Delhi’s Department of English says, colonial interference (what in Fanon is also evident
“[Postcolonial Literatures] puts into question the as newer forms of collaborationism) despite the
ideas of centres and margins of cultural spaces, revised syllabus.
and definitions of mainstream and ‘vernacular’
discourses.” The new 2019 syllabus is populated The fundamental point here is that there is no
by important writers with definite colonial contact credible challenge to the colonial modes of
while removing questionable choices like David thought which would situate the paper on better
Malouf. Writers themselves could be secondary grounds in the present day. The course’s learning
considering the construction of the course is not outcomes can be found as incomplete or rather
chronologically or geographically limited. The inert. The lack of challenge to colonially implanted
exclusion of the most radical anti-colonial writings political and economic conditions, to liberalism
of, say, Neruda, among which was the ideological
other included writers, fuel for colonisation,
in favour of “Tonight I and still remains
can write the Saddest so considering
Lines” or Malouf’s Indian policies in
“Revolving Days” the North-East,
wherein the teachers Kashmir and tribal
and the students lands, wherein the
have to push a text Hindi subject goes
into an incompatible to ‘develop’ the
framework does not region. Even within
facilitate any holistic the universities,
understanding we see a slew
of colonialism. of privatisation
However, the measures which only
syllabus is not the serve to curb democratic
entirely the point of organisation and create
contention here. The a class of collaborators
pedagogical mudhole is among student groups
in fact the passivity of the who attempt to subvert any
course itself. What that means is progressivism. Furthermore, with
the inability of the course to lead newer technologies of surveillance,
students to an understanding of what the attempts to control organisations steadily
decolonisation entails given our own particular increase. Physical violence against students needs
historical position. It is a given that decolonisation no elaboration.
is an all-encompassing political project as opposed
to postcolonial ‘studies’ but let us entertain This is where we return to the creation and
the thought further to further understand the propagation of colonial ideology by institutions
ideological disparities involved. of colonial rule. The lack of any politics in the
paper, notwithstanding the aims, deprive it of
The aims of the paper look at “counter[ing] its radical potential. While one might argue that
stereotypes,” “demonstrating an awareness of the postcolonialism has no bite in post-liberalisation
postcolonial situation” and, rather inadequately India, it must be remembered that the field of
stating, “inculcat[ing] adequate knowledge… postcolonial studies itself arose in the West, and
of gender, class and caste”. The latter could be on very liberal grounds. The political implications
features of a study of any moment in the Indian of that are evident given that some of the best
literary canon but let us further look at the considered work arises in the western universities,
second aim to unravel the contradictions. What still plastered with colonial lime. Therefore, the

knowledge produced around colonialism is yet mean democratisation of processes, increased
to favour the colonised nations and peoples, accessibility, and a re-evaluation of learning
despite being written by people of their races at outcomes in communication with the state which
the most renowned universities. Moreover, the itself must commit to these goals. These must
most prominent western postcolonial scholars be achieved through organisation primarily:
have continually proven their inadequacy as through progressive unionisation and education
representatives of colonised peoples (a very via different platforms including artist groups and
recent ‘errand boy’ posting by a scholar and the study circles outside the classroom. It must not be
views expressed by several scholars upon the lack left to any confusion, as Fanon himself proclaimed,
of ‘nuance’ in arguments against US embargoes that the task of decolonisation must lead to the
on several countries come to mind). What this most common people of any land holding power,
ultimately points towards is the placement of which means that decolonisation as a process
postcolonial studies within the very discursive must fall upon socialism.
framework that facilitated colonialism. Of course,
the particular departments or the universities exist
within the same ideological framework. That the
learning outcomes never supported the churning
of this ideological broth was obvious from the start.
Where are we left then, as students, as marked

postcolonial subjects never to outgrow the
‘identity’? Fanon had a few answers. Decolonisation
begins not with the creation of an ‘indigenous’
mode of thought. That would be a mistake even if
we can actually delineate an pre-colonial existence
as Gandhi attempted to do. All thought has been
tainted by colonialism and will remain so due
to global power imbalances and recent Indian
trajectory towards the West: hence the appeal of a
‘post’-colonialism. Fanon approaches the problem
differently. Decolonisation constitutes democratic
movements against the coloniser. Unless the most
downtrodden people of any colonial society can
participate in its construction, any decolonising
project is merely aesthetic. The emancipation of
the downtrodden only happens by the demolition
of feudal hierarchies that not only predated
colonialism but abetted it, and ultimately evolved
into new nation states in the Third World. The
task of linking the study of postcolonialism with
decolonisation is to have outcomes that not only
passively inform but lead to immanent criticism
and action. Within the Indian university, it would
Utkarsh is a writer and a former student of English Literature

from Hindu College, DU. He is currently purusing his Masters
from Dept of English, University of Hyderabad.
Contact him at utk.sharma01@gmail.com

Poster released in solidarity to the nationwide strike called by Central Trade Unions against
the neoliberal anti-worker, anti-people policies of BJP-led Central Government.
POEM
TUSHAR RISHI
May 2021
I keep reading the local news
till someone points out
it’s the obituaries
I turn the page
a man with a
questionable smile
tells me it’s the right time
to get health insurance
I say it’s the right time
to close the newspaper
I see a photograph washed up
on the shores of Twitter
shrouded bodies
spread out on the banks of Ganga
A train on the rail bridge tears
the image into two
I put my ear to the quivering rails
Nobody claims the bodies
Some say they died of the plague
Some say they fell from the sky
(and the government wants to be spared
the what when where how or why)
I say, at least the dead are free
unlike us who still have
insurance premiums to pay
our life to buy
till the day we die
Tushar is a writer from Ranchi, Jharkhand and a former
student of English Literature from Hindu College, DU.
He is currecntly pursuing his Masters from
Centre for English Studies, JNU.
Contact him at tushar604@gmail.com

CULTURE
MIDHUN PUTHUPATTU
CONTRADICTIONS IN
CULTURE
H ave you ever heard of the word “philistine”?
Cambridge Dictionary defines the word as
“a person who refuses to see the beauty or
into such a contradiction, where one end means
‘uncivilized’ while the other end points towards a
civilization?
the value of art or culture”. Merriam-Webster
Dictionary defines the term “philistine” in two Let us take a look at a few other words that
ways: 1) a native or inhabitant of ancient Philistia, are associated with the ‘uncivilized’. The word
2) a person who is guided by materialism and is “barbarism,” which now means “absence of
usually disdainful of intellectual or artistic values. culture” can be traced back to the Barbarian
This particular meaning for philistine as an anti- Migrations followed by the fall of Roman Empire
intellectual or uncivilized personwas popularized where a set of militant tribes migrated to Southern
by writer Matthew Arnold in his notorious 1869 and Western regions of Europe, supposedly
book Culture and Anarchy,where he applied the destroying the remnants of a great civilization. The
term to members of the English non-elite classes. Vandals, a Germanic tribe that migrated to Europe
Matthew Arnold described the attitude or character like this, gave us the word “vandalism”. Goths
of a person who detests “a life of the mind” and similarly came from Scandinavia and dominated
undervalues cultural and aesthetic values as most parts of Europe along with Vandals and
“philistine”. Etymologically speaking, the word Burgundians defeating the Roman Empire.
“philistine” originates from Hebrew word pelisti Historically, Goths represented the Medieval
(plural Pelistim) meaning ‘a person of Peleseth’. Ages, especially with their radical innovations
Now the word ‘Peleseth’ has been around since to Roman architecture and the popularisation of
the Ramesside Period of Ancient Egypt, which was a ‘secular’ art. This void, of a thousand years of
around 1150 BC. According to the Hebrew Bible, ‘culturelessness’, between the end of Roman
Peleseth is a Canaanite civilization that existed civilisation and the beginning of the Renaissance
during the 2nd Millennium BCE in the Southern was described as Dark Ages by none other than the
Levant, where most of the Biblical stories are Renaissance writers themselves. The Renaissance
placed. Taking the Bible out of the equation, the historians wrote that the Goths ransacked the
Southern Levant corresponds to modern-day Roman Empire and caused the demise of their
regions comprising Israel, Palestine, Jordan and beloved ‘classical world’. The Romantics and
Syria. There are neverending disputes and multiple literary developments in the latter half of the 18th
narratives around the history and etymology of and the early 19th century successfully made the
each of these terms, tangled up with geopolitical word ‘Gothic’ as synonymous with horror and the
complexities and religious disputes. However, supernatural. The question whether the Goths or
it won’t be a crime to conclude that the word Vandals were actually horrifying and uncivilised as
“philistine” has been derived directly from a term the Renaissance writers said they were is irrelevant
that was and is still associated with the people here. Rather, on what criteria they distinguished
of ‘Palestine’. How can one word assimilate itself culture from the cultureless and vice-versa should
The editorial cartoon “’The White Man’s Burden’ (Apologies to Rudyard Kipling)” shows John Bull (Great Britain) and Uncle Sam (U.S.)
delivering people of the world to civilization. (Victor Gillam, Judge magazine, 1 April 1899) Source: WikiCommons
be given more focus, because there lies the major vector that can direct us forward.
contradiction in the conception of culture.
Towards a definition of Culture
What is culture then? The definition of the
term culture as we know it today is a recent Marxist literary theorist Raymond Williams
formulation. To give a single definition to culture regarded ‘Culture’ as one of the most complex
is an impossible task. To fully demonstrate the terms in English language. He defined culture
derivation of modern understanding of culture in in three ways: first as a process of intellectual,
this essay is also difficult. The best way is to narrow spiritual and aesthetic development. Secondly, as
it down towards the purpose of this essay and draw the ways in which the result of those processes
a vector towards the realisation of that purpose. manifest, that is the ‘particular way of life’. Finally
As patriotic Indian students and cultural workers culture as a set of texts and practices that signify
engaging simultaneously with the reactionary and produce meaning. Until the 18th century, the
forces from the past along with the 21st century word ‘culture’ meant the process of cultivating
neoliberal crises, it is essential to correct and polish something, like crops or animals. The notion of
our understanding of culture using new knowledge ‘civil’ became the logic of the Enlightenment Period
and lessons from history. By correcting, I do not and a culturing of ‘civilization’ started in Europe
mean to do it with this essay, or with a thousand and later in North America, gradually making the
essays for that matter. Corrections in positions and two terms “culture” and “civilization” synonymous.
strategies are made when the understandings are A Marxist redefining of history and philosophy
experimented practically and made successful. happened later which rapidly and radically
On the other hand we do have theories that were changed the way we understood society, economy
experimented already and failed or simply did and culture. In the preface to A Contribution to the
not work out in a particular historical moment or Critique of Political Economy Marx explained social
place. My intention is to connect some overlooked consciousness as a product of relations between
dots which will be helpful in programming the new a society’s economic base which is the primary
foundation and the ideological superstructure
which is conditioned by the economic base suggested that ideologies ‘interpellate’ everyone’s
and in turn strengthens the dominance of the consciousness through specific ideological
economic base. That means the ways in which a apparatuses of the ruling class, such as family,
society produces material life influences the kind education, and religion. There’s also repressive
of ideology that a society can have. To put it even apparatuses such as courts and police helping the
simply, the superstructure is a reflection of the ruling class to enforce their ideology. On a similar
material reality. So history of a society means the note, Italian communist Antonio Gramsci developed
totality of reciprocal relations between its material the concept of “hegemony” to explain the absence
reality and its reflections. This is called historical of successful revolutions in the Western Europe.
materialism. To distinguish historical materialism Hegemony refers to a condition or a process in
from economic determinism, Friedrich Engels later which a ruling class does not merely exploit the
explained that although economic base is the working class but also exercises intellectual and
primary determinant of the course of history, the moral leadership. Hegemony requires a peculiar
components that it determines, produces or shapes,
like literature, arts, practices etc. altogether called
‘the superstructure’ influence each other and can
become active agents in historical change. If the
superstructure is a set of reflections of material life
and determines the formation of ideologies, then
the origin of ideology and culture can almost be
the same point or very reciprocal.
To understand culture, it is necessary to visualise it

as a process in motion, relative and ever changing.
This requires an understanding of the concept of
dialectics. In short, it means that contradictions Samir Amin with Thomas Sankara, President of Burkina Faso
between two or more ideas determine their Photograph by Augusta Conchiglia
Image Courtesy: thomassankara.net
relationship with each other. Marx made an inversion
to this understanding and conceptualised a new but familiar and massive kind of consensus from
materialist dialectic, in which he states that not only the society to assume the interests of the ruling
ideas, but the real world conditions also possess class as general interests of the public.
contradictions within themselves which determine
the nature of a society and its problems. The best Idealist Tendency of Centering
solution to any societal problems thus is to find and
address the primary contradiction that enables Society is made of contradictions and the primary
it and rearrange the social relations accordingly. contradiction is the class struggle, a relation
Class struggle is the primary contradiction in our between the ruling class and the working class.
society according to Marxist philosophy. In the first So the relations between these two forces
chapter of Communist Manifesto it states, “The precipitate the components of culture and these
(written) history of all hitherto existing societies is components have power to influence the course of
the history of class struggles’’. The class struggle history even though economic base is the primary
is a form of antagonism primarily between two determinant. The ruling class asserts its ideology
opposing social forces: the ruling class and the in and through the production of culture to create a
working class. Marx and Engels explain that the hegemony so that the other classes consent to be
ideas of the ruling class are the ruling ideas which subordinated. Now let us go back to the beginning
means that the class which is ruling materially is at of this essay. Matthew Arnold, when he picked the
the same time ruling the society intellectually. To word “philistine” to describe the cultureless, had in
make that notion relevant to this essay, no matter his mind a need to define what culture is. His text
how the ruling class manifests itself in the cultural Culture and Anarchy is an attempt to distinguish
sphere where ideologies are contested, if it asserts the civilized from the uncivilized. Obviously the
any kind of ideology, it would be of or serving agents of anarchy, uncivilised for his elite world-
the ruling ideology. Marxist philosopher, Louis view, were the British working class, and he used
Althusser developed a theory of ideology which the name of another culture to describe them.

This process of deforming other cultures, or in the very consciousness of this. When Indian
creating a standardized lexicon of culture itself Marxist Cultural Movement began in the early 20th
was justified then as the “White Man’s Burden,” century with a convoy of progressive literature and
when the Europeans set out to ‘discover’ the theatre, its primary aim was to decolonize the idea
world and spread ‘civilization’. The West proudly of India, to imagine ‘the new’, a new culture, a
assumed for itself the position of an intellectual new identity for a modern India. However it would
and moral guide to the Orient while exploiting its be very difficult to confidently state that Indian
material resources. We now call it colonialism and progressive movement was untouched by the
Edward Said, a Palestinian-American literary critic above-mentioned idealist tendency of ‘centering’
in his 1978 iconic text Orientalism, rightly exposed while it engaged with Indian reality. But was it
that the fabrication of the Orient was to legitimise Eurocentrism? No.
the Western intellectual-material superiority and
to ultimately build hegemony. Egyptian Marxist Towards Divergence(or Pluralism)
Samir Amin in 1988
coined a term called Along with the obvious
“Eurocentrism” to explain Eurocentrism, there is
this Orientalist worldview one other reactionary
which implies Europe ‘centering’ tendency
as the centre or primary in India which was
reference for human unforgivably ignored
civilization and thus by the progressive
superior. Amir exposed movement, one which
that the West became centered everything
a dominant geography around the Upper castes,
in human history only homogenising the caste
because of the rise diversity and creating
of capitalism and its the upper caste culture
expansion as colonialism. as the standard Indian
culture. Although there
However, Amir asserts was a sense of decay in
that Eurocentrism is no caste practices, bringing
more just a worldview but down superstitions and
a global political project orthodoxy by popularising
which homogenised scientific temper through
the non-Western world public and secular
in the Western model. education, the hegemony
Eurocentrism creates of the Savarna still
a notion that the rest persisted. This is in
of the world is merely contrast to the ‘Brahmin’
catching up or imitating rule of the past where
the European civilization. individual Brahmins
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar on his way to Columbia University (1952)
Eurocentrism is a Image Courtesy: WIkiCommons dominated society’s
methodology of ‘culturing’. intellectual and cultural
Amir even suggested that fascism was the arena. This is rather a project which assigns
highest stage of Eurocentrism. That means, superiority to the culture of the Savarnas. Let’s
fascism was the highest end of the quest towards name it ‘Savarnacentrism’. The term ‘Savarna’
‘culture’. In the 21st century world, Eurocentrism which literally translates to ‘the one who belongs to
is obviously coupled with Americentrism, fuelled Varna’, itself is part of this distorted worldview that
mainly by the diplomatic influence and massive much like Eurocentrism, presumes a superiority
media control that the United States possesses. to itself. To draw justification to this parallel, I am
Indian subcontinent was subjected to colonialist invoking B.R. Ambedkar’s writings. Interestingly,
oppression and orientalist perversion for more than Ambedkar had hinted about this phenomenon
two centuries. Indian freedom struggle was rooted in one of his earliest writings itself. To be clear,

I am attempting to trace Ambedkar’s concept
of ‘Savarna’ to define ‘Savarnacentrism’ as a
natural parallel to Eurocentrism, and ultimately
reaching to the essence of this essay. In a 1916
paper titled “Castes in India: Their Mechanics,
Genesis and Development” which was presented
in an Anthropology seminar at Columbia University,
Ambedkar illustrates an anthropological study of
the origin, survival and expansion of caste system
in India. He explores every Orientalist definition
of caste that existed till that date and exposes its
errors and problems. He then goes on to explain
that the early Hindu society was not exempted
from class-conflicts and therefore “a caste is an
enclosed class”. For Ambedkar, the cause of this
enclosure is rooted in the practice of endogamy.
Yet Ambedkar disagrees with the Orientalist
understanding that caste based endogamy was
solely caused by the notion of purity. Ambedkar
suggests that the caste endogamy could only have
been practiced by the Brahmins because only they
had the need to present themselves as ‘pure’.
In his justification of caste as an enclosed class,
Ambedkar explains that this enclosure happened
on psychological and mechanical levels, when
“some closed the door, others found it closed for “The World Through Paulo Freire’s Eyes”
Illustration by the author
them”. This is clearly the result of a successful
hegemony. Much like Antonio Gramsci, Ambedkar is so “impaired by their submersion in the reality of
also wondered why the masses consented to be oppression” that they cannot discover themselves
subjugated and oppressed under such a social outside the system. This identification with the
order. To Ambedkar, this is psychological, and he opposite pole of liberation, ‘centering’ the very
calls it “the infection of imitation”. He explains that thought process around the oppressor, makes the
the caste endogamy “was wholeheartedly imitated oppressed incapable of recognising and resolving
by all the non-Brahmin sub-divisions or classes, the contradictions and to imagine the ‘new’. The
who, in their turn, became endogamous castes. answer to how progressive cultural work is relevant
He further explains, “It is ‘the infection of imitation’ today lies somewhere here. As the oppressed,
that caught all these subdivisions on their onward whether it is the oppressed class, caste or gender,
march of differentiation and has turned them into tend to align with the oppressing ideology, the
castes.” contradictions in our society heighten. Much like
how the term “philistine” became a derogation,
Although Ambedkar’s imitation theory was whatever signified the ‘avarna’ culture became
seemingly vague, it makes a stronger and much slurs and signs of ‘culturelessness’. This act not
relevant case once it is read along with the Marxist only deforms the cultures of the oppressed, but
understanding of culture. To draw another parallel also forces the owners of such cultures to disown
to this ‘fashion’, the Fanonian socialist Paulo Freire it and maintain a distance from it. This in effect
in the first chapter of his iconic text Pedagogy of adds up to the imitation phenomenon.
the Oppressed stated, “[T]he oppressed, instead of
striving for liberation, tend themselves to become Culturing the cultureless
oppressors, or “sub-oppressors’’.” This “adhesion”
as Freire calls it, or “imitation” as Ambedkar calls It is clear that ‘Savarnacentrism’ is as real a threat
it, does not mean that the oppressed are unaware as ‘Eurocentrism’ to Indian progressive cultural
of the oppression. Freire says this process work. We should understand that these kinds
happens because the worldview of the oppressed of tendencies lead to dogmatism and incorrect

understanding of contradictions. This is also one and standardising of culture, carried out under
major reasons why Indian progressive movement the leadership of the ruling class. This ‘culturing’
is dominated by savarna-elites while it is generally cannot occur without the de-culturing of the other,
blind to the caste reality. On the other hand, without assigning the other as cultureless, without
Indian progressive cultural movement actually appropriating the other into the standardised
engaged with caste inequality from the beginning, culture. The velocity of history is always affected,
but how it approached caste along with the idea influenced and conditioned by relations of these
of culture itself is questionable and should be two superstructural components, culture and
questioned constantly as it is an important duty of ideology. In the peoples’ struggle, absence of
any committed cultural worker. As Indian cultural emphasis on one will definitely damage the other,
workers, the culture we produce should never abide as we have witnessed in the last few decades when
by Eurocentrism or Savarnacentrism. In a sense neoliberal culture replaced the progressive cultural
producing culture should mean resisting ‘culture’. movement, causing significant decay in the socio-
Obviously this is only possible through successful political unconscious of Indian society.
deconstruction of the idea of ‘culture’ itself. This
is the simple explanation to why conservatives
and reactionaries tag progressive cultural workers
or elements as the destroyers of ‘culture’. To be
a cultural activist is to recognise this dialectical
nature of culture, that there will always be a struggle
between two kinds of cultures, the cultures of the
oppressor and the cultures of the oppressed. To
resist the reactionary conception of culture means
to resist the homogenisation and othering of
culture, to resist the standardisation of culture and
to resist the very notion of the ‘civilised’.
The matter of how the concept of culturing

manifests itself in Indian society should be of
utmost importance for a cultural worker. Creating
literatures and images is the production of culture,
but it cannot be described as progressive cultural
work. To be progressive is to make constant efforts
to resolve the contradictions within cultures,
resisting domination of the ruling ideology, and
thus creating a new outlook which does not abide
to dogmatism or idealism. So our primary goal is
neither to protect the existing cultures nor to revive
any older ones. Therefore, cultural work is a wing of
class struggle while the other wing is the ideological
struggle itself. While ideological struggle means
engaging in the conflicts between the left-wing
and right-wing, the cultural work means engaging
in the conflicts between culturing and de-culturing.
By ‘culturing’, I mean the process of homogenising
Midhun is a visual artist and a former student of English

Literature from Dept of English, DU. He currently convenes
Dastak-DU and works as a Consultant Graphic
Designer at Peoples Dispatch.
Contact him at kaonashi619@gmail.com

The Hybrid Monster by Midhun Puthupattu
The artwork was selected for the International Anti-Imperialist Week Poster Exhibition
curated by Tricontinental Institute for Social Research
“Misreported” by Kizhakoot Gopika Babu
The artwork was selected for the International Anti-Imperialist Week Poster Exhibition
curated by Tricontinental Institute for Social Research
Visit the International Anti-Imperialist Week Poster Exhibition here

REPORT
ARUNDATHI K
NIVEDYA PT
DASTAK A CANVAS
FOR DISSENT
Our Genesis Writers’ Movement and IPTA, coupled with India’s
entry into the global free-market economy, the
N ot long ago, the cultural life of a DU student

on campus was limited to a few back-to-back
college fests and accompanying events like slam
contemporary movements were slowly embracing
the culture of neoliberalism. We saw theatre and
cinema, which were once the sharpest swords of
poetry gatherings, music and dance groups in the Indian anti-colonialist movement, bowing down
uniforms and maybe occasional performances to profit and elitism. The slow depoliticisation of
by the college theatre group. These groups that Indian Modernist movements has its one end in
claimed to encourage students in their artistic DU’s college society culture. However, the danger
pursuits, were actually unaffordable for common of this neo-liberal shift only got noticed once India
students, and largely remained aloof from any kind reached its peak when the BJP-RSS nexus came
of interaction or engagement with the majority of to power.
students. Their activities remained peripheral and
not at all relatable for most. This absence of any Taking the case of DU, the first such instance was
kind of political conversation on a daily basis and in 2015, when ABVP goons violently disrupted a
the deliberate exclusion of a majority of students screening of the documentary Muzaffarnagar
from these elite art circles created a space that Baaqi Hai held in Kirori Mal College. This was
was unapproachable in nature. In a campus where probably one of the first incidents of the Hindutva
once a nineteen-year-old student activist brought regime starting its hijacking of cultural activities
together amateur theatre artists like himself and inside India’s campus spaces. Following this, SFI
took to the streets to converse with the layman and DYFI held nationwide public screenings of
through their songs and plays, it was necessary the same documentary. In 2016, Rohith Vemula’s
to form an alternative cultural front. The campus institutional murder and the disappearance
had forgotten Safdar’s art that did not shy away of Najeeb Ahmed shook the campus spaces,
from politics, and communicated with people’s especially in the Capital Territory. Several massive
minds. Dastak was begun with this simple aim, demonstrations that followed this were brutally
of once again popularising the political teachings suppressed. In the following year, Dastak DU was
of Safdar. Though Dastak was functioning well formed, and held its first event at Kirori Mal College,
within the closed campus of JNU, to bring it into on 13th February 2017. Safdar’s theatre group,
the largely apolitical, open campus of DU and start JANAM (Jan Natya Manch) was invited to perform
its activities amid the elite college society culture their play Ye Bhi Hinsa Hai in the library lawns which
was the real task. was followed by a screening of the movie Parched,
in collaboration with the Parivartan Gender Forum.
After the gradual downturn of the Progressive A week later, RSS-ABVP terrorists unleashed an

chaos in Jamia Nagar and injuries to hundreds of
students along with damages to the campus. The
immediate reaction to this was seen at DU North
Campus, which was wholly attacked and suppressed
by a nexus of Delhi Police and ABVP goons. In the
first week of January 2020, the RSS-ABVP terrorists
attacked JNU with iron rods and hammers in which
JNUSU President and Dastak-JNU member Com.
Aishe Ghosh was severely injured. Following this,
on 8th January 2020, thousands of DU students
came together again in an organised march against
hindutva-fascist attacks on educational institutions.
Poster for the seminar conducted of Ramjas English Department These scenarios demanded urgent attention and
somewhere in Arts Faculty. The seminar was brutally attacked with bricks
and iron rods by RSS-ABVP terrorists. solid response from the artists among the student
community. On 16th January 2020, Dastak DU
attack on the students and teachers of Ramjas
officially staged its first public performance as an
College, during a seminar organised by the English
independent cultural squad in the Arts Faculty, in
Department on “Culture of Protest”. One of the
front of hundreds of students and senior activists.
largest mobilisations of students and teachers in
Dastak DU became a platform for bringing together
the recent history of DU took place as a protest
politically charged artists among DU students
march organised against this brutality. In 2018, the
in response to the explicit authoritarianism, the
Pinjratod uprising led to massive demonstrations
spread of neo-Nazi communal hatred, and constant
against the gendered curfew and vocalised
attacks on public education under the Modi regime.
demands for an inclusive campus life. The protest
against the notorious “Virgin Tree Ritual” in Hindu
Upon establishing itself as a front of politically vocal
College also ignited an intense debate regarding
artists, Dastak DU made itself heard in various
the need to quash away all kinds of misogynistic
spaces in a row. The organisational strengthening
symbols inside the campus space. In March 2019,
from within helped the proper channelling of
the Red Fort witnessed a large turnout of artists for
artists’ creativity according to the demands of
the event ‘Artists Unite!’ to raise awareness against
the situation. The Anti-CAA uprising that spread
the rising communal hatred and violence under the
nationwide demanded a sense of urgency to
Modi regime.
immediately give form to a planned programme for
the following days. Dastak-DU widened its sphere
Artists under one banner of action to not just the campus spaces but also
outside DU, in various parts of Delhi. Performances
Realising that the student artists must be organised were held at several sit-in protests which were all
under one banner and be trained with tools to warmly welcomed by the audience. The protesters
recognise and resist reactionary forces, Dastak DU became part of the performances and often
took its first step towards forming a cadre system. came forward to express themselves on Dastak’s
It conducted its first orientation programme on 29
September 2019. The orientation was led by JANAM
activist and theatre scholar Com. Komita Dhanda
followed by a performance of Machine, JANAM’s
iconic play, and a warm interaction with senior
JANAM artists like Com. Moloyashree Hashmi. The
year 2019 saw a series of attacks on premium
institutions of Delhi followed by massive student
outrage, culminating in the introduction of the
Citizenship Amendment Bill in December. The CAB
ignited militant demonstrations in DU, Jamia, and
JNU. International attention was brought into the
issue after Delhi Police unleashed brutal violence
on the protesting students of Jamia, causing utter A placard spotted in the massive rally followed by RSS-ABVP attack on the
students and teachers of Ramjas College

platform. During these days, a hectic schedule had
to be followed to be available at various protest
sites, often leading to multiple performances on
the same day. There were times when the group
had to split and perform separately at different
venues. Rehearsals and performances had to be
carried out alongside, on alternate days. By this
time, Dastak DU managed to become a familiar
presence in the political sphere of not just DU, but
Delhi itself. Dastak-DU made its presence as a
cultural movement in various subsequent protests
including students’ and workers’ crisis during
COVID-19 induced lockdowns, protests against
NEP 2020, unemployment, Anti-Farmer Acts, etc.
Vanguard of Culture
As mentioned above, at the onset of the Anti-CAA-
NRC protests, members of Dastak went from one
protest site to another invigorating the protesters
and expressing political messages. As a result of
reorganising, Dastak DU now had a basic structure.
This helped to diversify the artistic activities and
give focus to each of them. Dastak DU was divided Poster released for the first Orientation Programme of Dastak-DU.
into different wings having artists from diverse
fields, such as the musicians’ forum, the theatre Alongside performances at the sit-in protest sites,
forum, the dancers’ forum, the visual artists’ forum we realised that the political atmosphere of the
and the writers’ forum. Our first performance in country was not just threatened by the CAA-NRC but
this regard was on 26 January 2020 at an event the larger picture consisted of threats to the whole
titled “Dissent”, organised by Soulstough Artists democratic structure with many other burning
Collective in collaboration with Anhad at Jamia issues cropping up side by side. On Gandhi’s
Nagar. Since then, we have performed in several Martyrdom Day, a Human Chain was organised by
big and small sit-in protest sites across Delhi over JeJa where Dastak was supposed to perform but
two months. These include Seelampur-Jaffarabad, it was dismantled by the Delhi Police with many
Inderlok, Turkman Gate, Shah Eidgah, Hauz-Rani, national leaders being detained and protestors
Majboor Colony among others. One of our major chased away. A protest demonstration at Kashmiri
performances was at the Shaheen Bagh sit-in Gate was held later that day, led by Dastak and
protest as a part of the Republic Day Celebration, other progressive organisations. Similarly, a
which was received very well by a crowd of several programme called “We, The People” was organised
hundreds. The performance at Majboor Colony, on by a collective of pro-democratic organisations
27 January also received massive public support. at Jantar Mantar where Dastak-DU performed.
Though it was comparatively a smaller sit-in, the Dastak-DU called an Artists Meet at Mandi House
participation was immense. The children among the on 9th February, inviting all artists and writers of
protestors joined the performance. The organisers Delhi University to join our revolutionary cause and
of the sit-in were keen to protect the Dastak artists inspire the students and working class. We were
throughout the performance since the area was a also at the forefront of advocating for democratic
significant RSS pocket and Dastak performances elections and performed at a public meeting held
were pulling too much crowd and attention. We by CPIM at Sonia Vihar as a part of the election
also conducted a Children’s Workshop at Majboor campaigning for Com Ranjit Tiwari, contesting from
Colony two days later, where our members taught the Karawal Nagar Constituency.
folk and political songs to the children there and
had a full-fledged collaborative performance of It is important to remember here that as much as
the dance and music forums on 10th February. Delhi was in turmoil, the student community of

Delhi University were also fighting for their space
on campus. On 14th February 2020, a rally was
held in North Campus remembering the V-Tree
Protest and violence in 2019 called “Poetry
on Streets”. Dastak DU performed amidst the
crowd, singing and reciting songs and poems of
political relevance. There was again a protest on
17th February against the Virgin Tree ritual done
secretly under the supervision of Hindu College
Administration. On 21st February 2020, on
Red Books Day, a gathering and reading of The
Communist Manifesto was organised by SFI and
LeftWord Books at North Campus. The Manifesto
was read in 11 different languages. Communist
songs were sung and the audience also joined.
Dastak-DU had an opportunity to inspire the
politically charged literature students of Ramjas
when they invited Dastak to perform at the
Ramjas Literary Fest, called “Aaina; Art Reflecting
Resistance,” which received massive support
from the student community and culminated in
a discussion on the history and politics of protest
songs and global working class struggles. Dastak
also performed in the mass boycott and protest Poster calling for solidarity and participation in the Protest Gathering and
gathering held by the students of Department of Dastak’s performance on one of the red brick walls of North Campus, DU
English at Arts Faculty, Peace March for Communal Safdar” through a Facebook Live. On the 129th
Harmony in North Campus, Womens’ Development Ambedkar Jayanti, Dastak DU released a
Cell (WDC) Fest at Rajdhani College, a rally performance video of “Tu Zinda Hai,” a song by
organised by the Vijaynagar Student Residents for communist lyricist Shailendra, through various
Communal Harmony, Peace Gathering & Public social media platforms. On May Day 2020, Dastak
Meeting for Communal Harmony at North Campus DU member Anil Sethumadhavan composed
following the RSS-BJP led pogrom in East Delhi. and sang Aman Azad’s poem “Kaun Banaya
On 29th February 2020, we performed at the first Hindustan”. We had also extended our solidarity
convention of the national alliance of students through online means to various associations like
unions to save public education called “Union in the Student Tenants Union Delhi, and DUTA.
Action,” held at Surjeet Bhawan. During this time,
the DYFI Bengal State Committee organised a Our members did their best in bringing out different
‘Delhi Chalo’ march with the slogans of “No CAA- forms of artistic expression from the limited
NRC, We Want BAA & NRB” (Berojgari Abolition Act space they had, to make people aware, however
& National Register for Berojgari). limited it might be, that digital divide, employment
loss, inadequate health infrastructure, and
Dissent and Art in a Pandemic countless other problems were not just created
by the pandemic but rather exposed due to
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the the inefficiency and anti-people policies of the
subsequent lockdown did not waver government. Dastak member Chandana S Anand
our zeal. Moreover, the nationwide issues created created a performance rendition in solidarity to
during this period, especially those concerning SFI’s campaign against Online Mode Examination
migrant workers and students were actively taken and Digital Divide. The Musicians’ Forum of
up. Our participation and contribution to the Dastak-DU released the Hindustani version of
movement continued from our homes during the “The Internationale” through various social media
peak of the first wave of COVID-19. On 12th April platforms. The Dancers’ Forum created a virtual
2020, on Safdar’s birthday, Dastak DU member dance collaboration, capturing the spirit of hope
Siddhant Khamkar delivered a talk “Remembering in times of despair and affirming the fact that

resistance needs hope to exist. On 6th July 2020, and Technology, against the institutional murder
which was Frida Kahlo’s 113th Birth Anniversary, of Aishwarya, an LSR student. The widespread
a series of collage artworks were released, titled farmers’ uprising and massive blockades at
“Juxtaposing Frida Kahlo” created by Dastak DU various state borders starting from November
member Midhun Puthupattu. Performances by gave rise to an environment that demanded the
other Dastak-DU members, including a rendition expansion of Dastak as an organisation. Dastak
of the iconic song “Venceremos” on Victor Jara’s had to rise as a louder voice of dissent. This led
47th Martyrdom Day by Com. Mohamed Shahsad, to a state-level unification of Dastak which was a
a performance video of our original composition step towards building itself as a wider platform for
“Andolan,” protesting against the Anti-Farmer expression. Dastak then became actively involved
laws by Abjith and Ima strengthened our vision of in the Anti-Farmer Bill protests and a regular
resistance through art even during a pandemic. On presence at the protest sites in solidarity with the
17th October 2020, Dastak DU went live through farmers at Singhu Border, Tikri Border, Ghazipur
Instagram, celebrating 100 Years of the Indian among other places where the seeds of resistance
Communist Movement. Dastak DU members were sown. We became part of the Nationwide
coordinated and came up with creative ideas to General Strike against anti-worker policies of
carry forth our efforts while acknowledging that the BJP Government. On 29th November 2020,
not every student has a good atmosphere that a hartal campaign song called “Mazdooron ka
can exert their creativity and motivation amid a Naara Hai,” was released, sung by our members
pandemic. As the lockdown restrictions began Anil, Ima, Joicy, Abjith, Praveen and Sreejith. The
to ease in Delhi, we started having on-ground campaign video was produced by Nirmal, Midhun,
events alongside online activities. We started with and Mufeed. On 26th January 2021, Dastak-DU
a performance at a gathering at VP House, Patel extended solidarity to the Republic Day Tractor
Chowk, called “Day to Seek Justice,” against caste- Rally organised by the protesting farmers. Dastak
based violence and injustice, which was organised DU released a campaign music video for “Sansad
by the Dalit Shoshan Mukti Manch (DSMM) and Chalo,” organised by CITU, DYFI and SFI. The
a few days later, a protest gathering by the LSR music video contained a parody version of “Mere
Students Union at the Union Ministry of Science Rashke Qamar” by Kahil Sultanpuri, which was
Dastak’s Musicians’ Forum and Dancers’ Forum jointly performing in the Republic Day Celebrations
held at Shaheenbagh Sit-in protest against CAA-NRC-NPR (26 January 2020)

first performed during the Allahabad SSC Protests Tricontinental Institute for Social Research. Their
of 2017. Anil, Abjith, Praveen, Adrija, Venessa, artworks were also featured in the online cover art
Mayank, Midhun and Mufeed were part of the exhibition commemorating the 150th anniversary
production of this video. Dastak-DU, realising the of the Paris Commune which was curated by 26
importance of collective effort in strengthening our red publishers from all around the world.
goals, conducted joint performances with Dastak-
AUD and Dastak-JNU in events at the Sansad Chalo Dastak-DU has become a regular presence in
March, the All Indian Convention of Students and protest sites and movements against actions that
Youth Organisations against NEP 2020, SFI Golden are in opposition to democratic values. We are
Jubilee Celebrations organised by the SFI Delhi intending to fill the gap for the youth in the cultural
State Committee, etc. Dastak-DU also extended resistance led by Indian Progressive Cultural
its solidarity to the foundation of Kalaap, a cultural Movement for upholding people’ rights and making
group of Kerala University students and expressed their voices heard. Dastak believes in artistic
condemnation when their office space was expression to extend solidarity and strengthen our
vandalised by ABVP goons. Dastak-DU, alongside movements. Art is a powerful tool that gives people
doing performative activities, has been active in strength and unity that can be used as a means
releasing powerful posters, statements and other of resistance to create positive societal change.
artworks on authoritarian moves by the BJP-led Massive public support follows us as well as for the
Government which attempts to stifle, suffocate or vision we uphold and the efforts we undertake to
gag the freedom of speech and expression and the sustain them. The activities of Dastak are not just
secular fabric of our democracy. restricted to the aforementioned. This magazine
itself is yet another effort from our end to promote
Dastak-DU has released dozens of politically the culture of artistic resistance and politicize the
charged posters with artistic value and committed masses to fight against oppression in all forms.
input. These include posters covering the last two
National Street Theatre Days and May Days of 2020
and 2021. Dastak-DU was able to bring national
and international attention to various social issues
through posters, such as the anti-student National
Education Policy of 2020, the appointment of the
Sangh henchman Paresh Rawal as the Chairman
of NSD, the institutional murder of an eighteen-
year-old bisexual girl from Kerala named Anjana
Harish, and the arrest of Kashmiri graffiti artist
Mudasir Gul. Powerful posters have been released
on occasions such as the 48th martyrdom day of
Palestinian author Ghassan Kanafani, the CITU
General Strike of 26 Nov 2020, and as part of the
Platinum Jubilee celebrations of the Malayalam
daily, Deshabhimani. Stunning posters done by
Gopika Babu and Midhun Puthupattu were featured
in the Anti-Imperialist Poster Exhibition curated by
Arundathi is a writer and a student of Department of

Germanic and Romance Studies, DU.
She is co-convener of Dastak-DU.
Contact her at arundhathikaruvannur@gmail.com
Nivedya is a writer, an aspiring journalist and a former

student of IPCW, DU. She is a member of the
Convening Committee of Dastak-DU.
Contact her at nivedyapt44@gmail.com

DASTAK-DU
JANAM performing for

a campaign organised
by Dastak-DU in
Kirori Mal College
on 13 February 2017

THROUGH
PICTURES
Dastak-DU performing amidst heavy winter rain in Arts

Faculty at a protest gathering against CAA-NRC-NPR
(16 January 2020)

Dastak-DU performing at the
‘Chalo Delhi’ March called by
Students Federation of India
on 3 March 2017
Dastak-DU and Dastak-JNU jointly

performing at a get-together of SFI
leaders from all over India in JNU
(4 March 2017)
Dastak Music Forum after staging

its first performance
(16 January 2020, North Campus)

Dastak-DU at Majboor Colony sit-in protest against CAA-NRC-NPR (9 February 2020)

Dastak Music Forum and
Dance Forum after a performance
in Jamia Nagar on 26 January 2020
A glimpse from Dance Forum’s

performance at Seelampur-Jafrabad
sit-in protest against CAA-NRC-NPR
(27 January 2020)
Music Forum and

Dance Forum doing a
joint performance for the
people of Majboor Colony
on 9 February 2020

Glimpses from Majboor Colony
when Dastak’s performance was
at its peak (9 February 2020)
Members of Music Forum right

before a spectacular performance at
Shaheenbagh on Republic Day 2020

Dastak-DU singing working class anthems on
Red Books Day organised by LeftWord Books
Com. Anil Sethumadhavan addressing the first convention of and SFI in Arts Faculty on 21 February 2020
National Alliance of Students Unions to Save Public Education
(29 February 2020)

Dastak-DU with members of Janasamskriti
(a progressive Malayali cultural association
in Delhi) after a demonstration in defence
of Indian Constitution in Jantar Mantar
(1 February 2020)
Com. Moloyashree Hashmi addressing

the members of Dastak-DU during
the orientation programme held in
Mandi House (29 September 2019)
Members of Dastak-DU having a

converstaion with Com. Brinda Karat
during an election campaign in Sonia
Vihar (3 February 2020)

Dastak-DU performing at a
demonstration organised by KMC
Coordination Committee against
CAA-NRC-NPR in Kirori Mal College
(17 January 2020)
Members of Dastak-DU with

former Dastak-JNU members,
Com. Aishe Ghosh, Com.
Dipsita Dhar and Com. Kriti
Roy after the performance in
Shaheenbagh

Com. Ima setting up Dastak’s banner before performance
at a protest gathering organised by Dalit Shoshan Mukti
Manch(DSMM) at VP House (29 October 2020)

Performance at Hauz Rani sit-in protest
(8 March 2020) Performance at Turkman Gate sit-in protest
(5 February 2020)

Com. Anil Sethumadhavan and Com. Joicy John leading
the Music workshop for the children of Majboor Colony Performance at Inderlok sit-in protest
(1 February 2020) (3 February 2020)

A glimpse from the performance at Seelampur-Jafrabad sit-in protest
(27 January 2020)

Com. Proiti Das leading the sloganeering at
Seelampur-Jafrabad sit-in protest Dastak-DU while performing at the
(27 January 2020) Annual Fest of Ramjas Literary Society
(25 February 2020)

Dastak-DU performing at the evening meet of
All India Kisan Sangarsh Coordination Committee
near their office tent in Tikri Border (1 December 2020)

Dastak-DU and Dastak-JNU jointly performing
at the Golden Jubilee Celebration event of SFI
in BTR Bhawan on 30 December 2020
Dastak-DU and Dastak-AUD jointly performing

for the first National Convention of
All Indian Forum for Right to Education (AIFRTE)
on 9 April 2021
Dastak-DU and Dastak-AUD jointly performing at

‘Sansad Chalo’ demonstration called by
SFI-DYFI-CITU (22 March 2021)

WHAT IS DASTAK?
As students, most of us believe that a fascist force in power is not our fault,
that not joining them is enough. We hope they don’t come to take away our
bread and brush. Lest we forget, universities and ideas are always the first and
foremost threat to fascism. Today, Indian universities are under the attack of
Privatisation, Communalism and Neoliberalism. When we become the target,
how can we sit behind our comfort waiting for the dark times to pass? When
our nation is being smothered with murderous negligence and profiteering
under a pandemic, how can we keep drawing flowers forgetting our social
obligation to humanity as students of art and literature.
As students, muscle and guns are not our weapons. We channelise our rage to
challenge the fascist powers with expressions of letters, lines and colours. But
if we must win this fight, we must organise. From Federation of Artists of Paris
Commune of France to Progressive Writers’ Association of British Indian to
LEKRA of Indonesia to Indian Peoples Theatre Association of India, the history
has only taught us the same. Remember, it was such movements that shaped
the modern art and literature as we see today.
DASTAK is a forum of progressive artists and writers among students based

in Delhi. Currently we have strong and active presence in JNU, DU and AUD.
We hope to narrow the disturbing gap between contemporary campus politics
and artistic expression. We pledge to defend our constitution which upholds
socialism, secularism, social justice, democracy and liberty. DASTAK takes
insipiration from the line of legacy from Gustave Courbet to Safdar Hashmi
and also the centuries long struggle to break the chains of oppression.
Long live the Revolution!
You can follow us and our activities here on

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube
...In the world today, all culture, all literature and art belong to definite classes
and are geared to definite political lines. There is in fact no such thing as
art for art’s sake, art that stands above classes, art that is detached from or
independent of politics. Proletarian literature and art are part of the whole
proletarian revolutionary cause; they are, as Lenin said, cogs and wheels in
the whole revolutionary machine...
Mao Zedong
excerpt from “Talks at the Yenan Forum on Literature and Art” (May 1942)

PARCHA Aug21 Issue 01

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PARCHA Aug21 Issue 01

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CONTENTS 04 To The Reader

Essays Brecht In Machine

For more info or to contribute to our next issue, contact us at dastakdu@gmail.com

In their amended manifesto, 1938, Progressive

“We believe that the new literature of India must

The individualist and romantic approach towards

4 PARCHA • ISSUE NO. 01 • AUGUST 2021

While critiquing the “artworks’’ that are essentially Warmly,

We also realize that in order to put forth a thorough

PARCHA • ISSUE NO. 01 • AUGUST 2021 5

KIZHAKOOT GOPIKA BABU

Materialist conception of history teaches one

6 PARCHA • ISSUE NO. 01 • AUGUST 2021

Gopika is an illustrator and a student of BA(Hons) Sociology in

8 PARCHA • ISSUE NO. 01 • AUGUST 2021

hese are the words of French New Wave stalwart

Godard’s 1960 film Breathless overturned all

Michel (of Breathless) is a typical Brechtian

10 PARCHA • ISSUE NO. 01 • AUGUST 2021

The Estrangement effect or the V-effect derived by

PARCHA • ISSUE NO. 01 • AUGUST 2021 11

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Psalm for slow days

three spoons of instant coffee,

gulped with no regrets,

matted hair and salt sprayed vulva

on other days, when i am not-god,

desperately wanting to cast something out-

no more women remain

i cannot self diagnose hurt anymore.

Sandra is a sociology student in IPCW, University of Delhi

PARCHA • ISSUE NO. 01 • AUGUST 2021 13

S o is our attention. Technology has always

16 PARCHA • ISSUE NO. 01 • AUGUST 2021

The attention economy nurtured by social

virtual world, through Sargam challenges and

Social media provides visibility, but when an

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Instagram Reels and Youtube Shorts are the

18 PARCHA • ISSUE NO. 01 • AUGUST 2021

Capitalist (post)modernism is not without

Nimisha is a singer and a former student of English Literature

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ON A TRYST WITH FANON

Colonialism as a process does not end with

24 PARCHA • ISSUE NO. 01 • AUGUST 2021

Where are we left then, as students, as marked

Utkarsh is a writer and a former student of English Literature

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To understand culture, it is necessary to visualise it

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The matter of how the concept of culturing

Midhun is a visual artist and a former student of English

PARCHA • ISSUE NO. 01 • AUGUST 2021 33

Visit the International Anti-Imperialist Week Poster Exhibition here

N ot long ago, the cultural life of a DU student

36 PARCHA • ISSUE NO. 01 • AUGUST 2021

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