"The free speech argument will only take you so far. You need to extend the argument to the autonomy of cultural space. If we look at India's erotic sculptures and say 'This is us', as if it were a constant lineage, we would be ignoring the disruptions...We cannot say that that the 13th-century tradition is still continuing. In India, if we draw too neat a line, as if we are automatic inheritors of that past, it would be wrong. By doing it we end up with versions of nationalism, some of which are unpleasant."Also read this interesting interview with him from last year where he talks "about the West's love affair with Indian writing and the roles of English and literature in a multilingual, globalizing country."
Seems Amit Chaudhari, in addition to being an erudite man of letters, is ...
....also a talented musician, trained in Indian classical singing, and is in London this week for the release of his CD, This is Not Fusion. As its title suggests, this project is not to be confused with new-age music blending two traditions.I found this via a really good blog that I have been meaning to highlight here for a while now - Prufrock’s Page. Along with Jai Arjun's Jabberwock (previously highlighted here) and the often-mentioned blog Amit Varma's India Uncut, Prufock's page has to be in the top 5 blogs by Indians that I enjoy a lot, though I do not get around to reading them as regularly as India Uncut.
By the way, I do not know the identity or name of this "Prufock" (which like zigzackly and Hurree-babu of Kitabkhana, another really good blog by a couple of literary Indians) seems to be intentionally kept fuzzy. Also, not sure what the significance of adopting a pseudonym after T. S. Eliot's famous poem is.
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