Thursday, 3 April 2014

slogans and nationalism

In Intezar Hussain's Basti, the slogans, posters and the handwriting on the walls form a part of nationalist discourse which attempts to achieve a nationalist agenda. However, the slogans have a fleeting power and are largely ineffective in building nationalism or any sort of unity amongst the people. They fail to influence the individual or the collective and that results in the formation of a confused conglomerate. The conglomerate is unable to form a nation because the people are essentially directionless; they have no sense of collective or nationalistic purpose because the nation building devices have failed.

This is evident from the fact that the narrator refers to these slogans as "spells" which suggests that they have a temporary effect on the people. The posters and writings on the walls are not tarnished by time since "No amount of sun or rain had done them any harm." However, the power of their language and substance diminishes. New slogans prop up and replace the old ones and although they seem to have a strong grip on the people, they fail to create concrete opinions and "commitment". 

A new slogan came like a whirlwind, and spread rapidly over walls, cars, blackboards. 'Crush India,' 'Crush India,' in every house one subject, in every gathering one topic -- war, war, war.

Despite the fact that the slogans dominate the public discourse, the discussions they trigger are meaningless and futile. 

"Son, what do you think, will there be war?" 
"What do you think?" He sent the question back to him. 
When the question came his way, Khvajah Sahib sent it over toward Abba Jan. "Maulana Sahib, please answer your son's question."
Khvajah Sahib, for example, deflects the question he posed himself. The shows that the characters are uneasy and perhaps unable to engage with the subjects raised by the slogans. This is further reflected in Abba Jan's answer: "Son, you're the one who understands political affairs. I only know one thing: I tell you that when the masters are cruel and the sons are rebellious, any disaster at all can befall the Lord's creatures." I feel that even Abba Jan feels inept at answering this question and ducks behind religion and God's will. He is not the only one who derives an answer on the basis of religion. Karim Baksh also feels that war is certain to come because he offers the "dawn prayer". 

"...In the evening, you can't tell anything from the sky, there's too much noise. At that time it's mute. Get up at dawn and see, at that hour the sky speaks..."

This shows how religion is engaging with the slogans and the general propaganda. People are depending on religion to guide them. Whether or not it is effectively able to help them in answering these questions is debateable. 

Another issue that appears in this particular dialogue is resignation and disillusionment in the processes of the state. There is a distinct feeling that individual opinions/efforts matter very little in the matters of the perceived nation. "Commitment!" Irfan gave a poisonous smile. "Salamat, you've come to the wrong place. My commitment can neither stop the war, nor start it. Irfan's answer to Salamat shows that he feels alienated from the state. There is general indecision, confusion and perhaps for Zakir; indifference. "I don't know, yar." He paused, then said, "I don't really know what I'm for and what I'm against today."

Later in the chapter, Zakir has trouble focussing on the faces of people who walk by without noticing the posters or the handwriting on the wall. He tries to read the writing but fails. The words don't seem "vivid" anymore. He finds walking strange and questions whether people have forgotten their identities. He calls his own walk "non-human". He is so disenchanted with the slogans and the posters and the futility of the entire process that he finds even the most basic things perplexing. He asks himself where he's walking and where he's going. Perhaps, this is Hussain's commentary on the condition of the people in a state that failed to become a nation. People are purposeless, faceless and their existence is very basic and primal. So much so that even animals seems more human than humans themselves. 

And as he was thinking this, two glittering eyes suddenly held his gaze -- a cat. Sitting among the trees near the sidewalk, the cat seemed to be staring at him.

A cat standing up on her hind legs opened the door, looked at him intently, and closed the door. The light changed from green to red.

I find it very interesting that along with the cat, Hussain also makes several references to mice. Afzal calls Salamat one of "Shah Dulah's mice" and asserts that these mice "will gnaw this Pakistan into dust". Zakir also hears the sound of mice gnawing at something. Hussain's allusion to this particular animal is very significant. Perhaps he means to say that in all the confusion and disarray we are nothing but frightened and senseless animals, continuously chased by something we can't reconcile with (our past maybe?) and in this chaos we are "gnawing" away at the place which cannot make us a nation. 

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