Guha talks & highlights about erosion & the impact of democracy & personality cults

Sowmya Raju | NT

Bengaluru: The 12th edition of the Bangalore Literature Festival kicked off with enthusiasm and energy on Saturday at The Lalit Ashok.

Renowned speakers such as Ramachandra Guha, Sudha Murthy, Abraham Verghese, Sagarika Ghose, Perumal Murugan, Anand Neelakantan, Malini Goyal, Nabreet Sodhi, Andaleed Wajid, Nitin Pau and so on offered insights into their acclaimed works.

The festival's bookstore offered authors' signed copies and engaging fan interactions.

This year, sustainable collaboration with Personal2Public provided a free shuttle service from the venue to the metro station, enhancing convenience for attendees and promoting eco-friendly practices.

In a packed session at BLF, renowned historian Ramachandra Guha spoke about the rise of personality cults in Indian politics, citing the examples of Indira Gandhi and Narendra Modi.

With a packed audience spilling onto the sides and even on the floor, Guha delved into the dangers posed by such cults to India's democratic foundations.

Ramachandra Guha addressed the impact of personality cults, exemplified by figures like Indira Gandhi and PM Modi, on the decline of democracy.

He delved into the systematic weakening of five crucial pillars: political parties, parliament, the press, civil servants, and the judiciary, specifically highlighting the influence of the "Modi Cult" in this erosion of democratic foundations.

He said, “A cult cannot be more easily explained better than, “Modi received a picture of Modi at Modi stadium during the ODI World Cup.”

Talking about how the PM has influenced people he warned, “to be careful about writers who write about politics, but mostly about writers who join politics.”

Discussing the Indira Gandhi Cult, Ramachandra Guha humorously remarked, "Indira Gandhi became the Prime Minister by accident. If Lal Bahadur Shastri hadn't succumbed to a heart attack, Rahul Gandhi might have ended up as an employee in some private company."

He asserted that Indira Gandhi's introduction of nepotism in politics had a far-reaching impact, giving rise to political trends seen in parties like Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in Tamil Nadu, Bharat Rashtra Samithi in Telangana, Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, and others.

Drawing parallels between Gandhi and Narendra Modi, Guha remarked, "They are remarkably alike. While Indira Gandhi made Chief Ministers wait for her, Modi is making Manipur wait for him."

In a sharp comparison, he said, "Modi is Indira Gandhi on steroids," highlighting the intensified impact and parallels between their leadership styles.

Sagarika Ghose shares the art of writing biographies beyond facts

Ink and Influence: Sagarika Ghose and Sugata Srinvasaraju, seasoned journalists, shared insights into the craft of political life narratives in a discussion moderated by Aditya Subramaniyam.

Reflecting on their careers, they emphasised how their journalistic experiences uniquely shaped their approaches to writing biographies.

They delved into the intersection of media expertise and political storytelling. Sagarika Ghose, a seasoned journalist, shared how her experiences in political reporting influenced her biographies of figures like Indira Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

She explained the shift from reporting facts to exploring deeper human stories in biographies. Ghose stressed the importance of understanding personal details, like the impact of the relationships with their fathers, unlike news reports.

Using an anecdote from her book on Indira Gandhi, she revealed the intricate dynamics, showing that Indira's feelings towards her father were more about respect and fear than love.

Sugata Srinivasaraju, a distinguished journalist and author, expressed his divergence from Ghose's approach. He explained that transitioning from journalism to biography writing required unlearning certain journalistic practices and embracing contemporary writing styles.

Reflecting on his experience crafting the "untold story" of Deve Gowda, he highlighted the need to set aside preconceived notions.

Contrary to popular belief, Srinivasaraju discovered personal letters in English penned by the 11th Prime Minister of India, challenging misconceptions and overing a hidden narrative through research.

Translation dynamics: Insights from Madhav, Susan, Susheela and Tariq

Madhav Ajjampur, writer and translator, Susan Daniel, Teacher and Academician, Susheela Punitha, a Sahitya Akademi Award winner, and Tariq Khan, Officer-in-charge of the National Translation Mission discussed translation changes, emphasising their experiences and the crucial consider