Writers must serve a social purpose

"A look at the role of literature, in the context of the recent Jaipur Literature Festival."

Markandey Katju, the author is the Chairman of the Press Council of India, and a former Judge of the Supreme Court. There are two theories about art and literature. The first, ‘art for art's sake' and the second, ‘art for social purpose'. The author ponders on the question of "Which of these should be adopted and followed by artists and writers in India today?" The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : Writers must serve a social purpose

In the author's view, "Much of the ‘Literature' Festival was really a caricature. Much of the time was wasted on Salman Rushdie, whom I regard as a very mediocre writer who would have been unknown to most people but for The Satanic Verses. There were, of course, serious writers too whose work deals with the problems of the people but they received no attention in comparison."

There is hardly any good art and literature today before us. Where are the Sarat Chandras and Premchands? Where are the Kabirs, the Dickens? There seems to be a vacuum in artistic and literary terms. Everything seems to have become commercialised. Writers write not to highlight the plight of the masses but to earn money.

Bringing down the fatwa wall

"Standing up for Rushdie is about standing up for every book, painting and film attacked or censored."

The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : Bringing down the fatwa wall: Now here we were, in 2012, twenty-three years after The Satanic Verses was blocked from import; standing by, as Rushdie himself was being blocked from attending a festival because of that blocked book. Even though he has come to India many times since the ‘ban', even though he had not tried to revive the book on any of his visits.

The governments in Delhi and Jaipur, greedy for a few votes and fearful of losing them, are yet again stepping back from confronting the identity merchants.