Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Raza's Hey Ram


Raza's Mahatma runs a Vandana Kalra piece in The Indian Express (Feb. 22, 2017) on Raza putting paint on Gandhi. A canvas Hey Ram held me in the morning. There is a brown border - his stick? Was Gandhi upset with Ram or loved Ram when the Godse bullet was doing its job. Was his Ram, the Ramayana Ram? Or Ram a street name for his inhuman, compassionate chase? Maybe me am going mad. But that's what Gandhi does me. Every one has her and his Gandhi; me quarrels, hates and loves him not by turns but spurts; but Gandhi me has not been able to put out of me. Started on him in Calcutta, a city, which never seeded him. In the family none liked him with devout Appa violently disliking him. And then in Bombay lugged him around with trips to Laburnum Road with its laburnum trees and bright yellow flowers. This morning, the Old Stick made sense after an edit piece by Pratap Bhanu Mehta: Our injustice system. 'Mohammad Fazli, Rafiq Shah. The list of proper names now victimised by possible bias in our criminal justice system, over and beyond its usual pathologies, is growing. The prime minister has converted UP into a contest for secularism......The context, intent and rhetoric are nothing of the sort..... When will we have a criminal justice system that is fair, just, impartial and efficient?' asks Mehta. Me does not know. Me only confesses to Gandhi hurting me afternoon naps and night sleeps; watching a 2016 film Loving, directed by Jeff Nichols. A white man marries a black woman. Illegal says every law. Case goes up to Supreme Court. Lawyers ask Lovings whether they want to attend the proceedings. They say no. Richard Loving tells the lawyers: Tell them I love my wife. The Supreme Court scraps state laws banning inter-racial marriage. A lovable film will little emotional muck. Ruth Negga as Mildred Loving understates her case like husband Richard Loving. At best he dialogues with a few Yeahs. No blow ups. In India it will not happen. Lets be honest. Can a Hindu marry a Muslim in peace?  Can a Brahmin marry a non-brahmin? In me extended family, there is an instance and the two have been loving each other. Morning lay upset. Set aside the paper after filing away Raza and Mehta. Watched sparrows on the windows beaking Britannia Marie and dipping into water in a glass vase holding a money plant. The upset eased.

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