TMKrishna

For a public intellectual, thinking is not a two-part coin. No sure yes-no; maybe, maybe most appropriate. Going by this measure, the 40-year old, musician Thodur Madaburi Krishna, is a public intellectual. He asks, has no certain answers. Not having a like for music, me cannot appreciate much of Krishna music; but his having a music festival with fishermen in Chennai is something no musician has attempted; and most, if not all, musicians prefer to dwell in notes; TM Krishna prefers to go for a walk, comment on this and that. In readable site, scroll.in, TM Krishna has an essay: The Thin Edge:  'I am not a nationalist. I am not even patriotic about this state created national identity. I refuse to be an unquestioning loyal servant of our political form. I am not vowed by the symbol of the State. I certainly dont enjoy watching the Republic Day Parade where every type of  killing machine is on grand display. I dont believe that the death sentence should be awarded even to terrorists. Yet I will say that I belong to this land and have an equal right to its embrace and no one, and I mean no one, including the highest courts can take that away from me.' Old man Gandhi walking Marina beach is nodding in agreement an old head as he was a public intellectual like TMKrishna; me agrees entirely with TMKrishna; in India2016, TMKrishna is still free and singing. It is not the first time a private TMKrishna is a public intellectual, pecking at everything within his reach. Two months ago, invested in a hard-bound copy of A Southern Music by TM Krishna; struggled but failed to read the book; like Mohammed Amir bowling a speeder to Sardar Singh, Indian hockey captain. He starts off: No one journeys through life alone. From nowhere almost, a companion joins in and keeps step right through - music......Even in those who believe that they are tone deaf or not musically inclined, certain songs and tunes rouse emotions.' Well to me music is a no-no. That alone me understood of the book; packed the book and have not got back to it. But when TM Krishna muses over politics, he is a changed man; rarely has a top class musician in India become a public intellectual. And his politics, verging to the Left, is pleasant and querying. David Shulman in a Foreword,quotes a Telugu verse:

The beauties of  a poem are best known
by the critic.
What does the author know?
The beauties of a woman are known
only to her husband.
What does a father know?

TMKrishna knows, not entirely; thats not given to mortals.