Gurpreet Singh: If Munshi Premchand has really touched Modi, why are so many scholars rotting in Indian jails?

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      Friday (July 31) marked the 140th birth anniversary of a renowned Indian author, the late Munshi Premchand.

      Born as Dhanpat Rai in British India, he was forced to adopt an immortal name after his collection of short stories was seized by the authorities who found them to be seditious.

      These stories reflected the struggle of working class and the oppressed groups under British-occupied India. His writing also highlighted the freedom movement, which was provocative enough for the foreign rulers.

      By all standards, their actions were an assault on free expression. One such collection, translated into English, bears the title Munshi Premchand’s Stories That Were Confiscated by the British.

      Apart from focusing on the liberation struggle, Premchand was among the founding fathers of progressive literature, showcasing the richness of pluralist culture of India through his novels and short fiction.

      His work has become even more relevant today under a right-wing Hindu nationalist government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Ever since Modi came to power in 2014, attacks on religious minorities and political dissidents have grown.

      So much so, the authors and scholars are being detained and thrown in jails for questioning state power.

      Ironically, Modi is a member of Parliament for Varanasi, the birthplace of Premchand.

      In light of this, it's not surprising to see Modi trying to appropriate the late writer who continues to dominate the literary landscape of the country. Last year in a radio address to the nation, Modi went to extent of claiming that he was deeply touched by the stories of Premchand.

      If Modi really means what he says then he should start releasing all the scholars and intellectuals who've been detained by his government for questioning his government's power.

      Among them is an 81-year-old revolutionary poet, Varavara Rao, who contracted COVID-19 in jail.

      Another jailed intellectual is Delhi University professor G.N. Saibaba, who is disabled below the waist.

      The list is long and includes published authors, like Anand Teltumbde and Gautam Navlakha. These individuals were arrested on trumped-up charges for merely raising voices for the poor and marginalized.

      Also, Modi’s ideology completely contradicts that of Premchand. Whereas, Modi's party wants to transform India into a Hindu theocracy, Premchand’s work stands for an inclusive and tolerant society.

      In fact, Modi's government is behaving no differently than the British rulers who seized Premchand's short stories to crush resistance.

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