‘Perumal, great writer with fragile personality’
You must be happy and feeling encouraged by the Madras High Court taking up Perumal Murugan’s case now. The bench has gone to the extent of stating that the court’s “largest concern is the extra-judicial groups wielding power to decide what is right and what is not right, and asking the authors what to write and what not to write”. As a citizen, how do you react to this court intervention? And how do you react as Perumal’s lawyer?
As a citizen and as Perumal’s friend, I feel extremely gratified that the first bench of the Madras high court has taken up this issue in right earnest. But that’s because of the fortuitous composition of the bench. Chief Justice Sanjay Kaul had earlier given a hard-hitting judgement in favour of M.F. Husain. Obviously, his heart is in favour of artistic freedom. The other judge, M.M. Sundaresh, though hailing from the Kongu region (from where most of the protest against Perumal erupted), is openly and positively above and beyond caste and religion.
Is there something wrong with our society that we must run to the courts to protect authors, artists and filmmakers?
Oh no! I wouldn’t blame the society at all. You have the higher judiciary that gives relief when freedom is threatened. And whenever there is protest, there is also a counter support forthcoming. Both the protesters and the supporters come from the very same society. Invariably the general public remains silent.
You made a startling revelation that the government machinery had brought intense pressure on Perumal and the lady district official, who acted as a mediator, did not even allow the author to meet his opponents. You said he was forced to “unconditionally” apologise. What really happened?
Perumal is a simple, sensitive and a soft soul. His inner fibre is very tender. When copies of his books were burnt, he was very hurt. When he and his family received obnoxious calls, he felt threatened. When bandh was held in Tiruchengode, Tamil Nadu, his native place, he just couldn’t take it. At a time when he was already feeling besieged, the police advised him to exile himself. He was summoned at short notice for the peace meeting. He was taken under heavy escort. There was a raucous crowd gathered outside the dis- trict collectorate. The administration and the police did not hold out any assurance. The district revenue officer was bereft of any constitutional values. She approached the matter from purely a law and order angle. She did not arrange any face-toface meeting between Perumal and the protesters. She made it appear that if Perumal did not accept her conditions, he will have to face the consequences. No doubt the poor man crumbled.
How did Perumal handle it all? You were a witness apart from being his lawyer.
Perumal just couldn’t handle it. He hails from Tiruchengode wherein lies his family, his roots, his work. He could not uproot himself. He felt utterly suffocated.
How did the protests begin? Who were really behind it all?
The protest began by burning copies of the book. The so-called offending passages were taken out of contexts, photocopied in thousands and circulated. There was a one-day hartal. The anger of the local community was whipped up. A few individuals and letter pad organisations led the agitation.
Some said there was caste politics in this demonstration of anger against Perumal. Is it true?
Gounders (a title used by different communities) form the dominant caste group. Incidentally, Perumal is a Gounder himself. The entire local community was against him. No doubt about it. I don’t know how far it is true but I was told that even the left parties couldn’t prevail upon their local cadre to come out in support of Perumal.
Why do you think that the opposition to Perumal’s work erupted now, four years after Mathorubhagan was first published?
I too find it strange that a book that was published in 2010 should become the subject matter of a controversy four years later. Some English-knowing reader from that region should have read the Penguin transla- tion One Part Woman and then gone back to the original and thereafter started the whole campaign. It is also possible that some individuals having an eye on the 2016 Assembly elections have stoked the fire.
Perumal, many felt, took an extreme position after the DRO session ended with his “unconditional” apology. He announced withdrawing all his books and even went to the extent of saying he would not write anymore. He even said Perumal, the writer, is dead. Many felt he should not have run away like this, that he should have stood his ground and fought back. Don’t you agree?
Perumal was in a dilemma. He felt that he was letting down his friends. At the same time, he couldn’t withstand the reality. He was keen to return to his normal life — of teaching, researching and writing. His wife was also a college professor.
The family was dislocated and he was unable to decide. He was torn within. Thus, I suggested that he call up his wife and allow her to take the final call. His wife felt that Perumal should rather submit to the demand of an unconditional apology, if that alone would defuse the situation. The DRO lady made it appear that Perumal had no other choice. That’s why he signed on the dotted lines. This is not Perumal’s fault. It’s not in his nature to fight; He is a great writer but with a fragile personality.
After Perumal withdrew his book from the stands, some campaigners for free expression have uploaded the book on the Net. Does this public support for the distressed author look heartening?
Of course, it is, particularly the support from great authors like Nayantara Sahgal, Ramachandra Guha, Venkatachalapathy, etc. whom Perumal values.
As a lawyer, what is your take on the writers’ freedom of expression and their responsibility towards protecting social amity?
While there is no doubt that in our constitutional scheme of things, freedom of speech and expression is not absolute. Nevertheless, in my opinion, writers should have the freedom to write what flows from their inner creative spring. If you are going to ask them to assume societal responsibilities then what comes out will not be art.
G.R. Swaminathan, Tamil author Perumal Murugan’s lawyer, is happy with surge of support for Murugan and the alacrity with which the high court has responded following Murugan’s social ostracism. He tells R. Bhagwan Singh that it was the government machinery which pressured Murugan and ultimately forced the author to tender an unconditional apology.