The fictional worlds that S Hareesh creates are resplendent with characters of all hues and shades. Neither author nor his characters believe in absolute political correctness. He waded into controversy with Meesha, but the debut novel’s English translation, Moustache, went on to win the prestigious JCB Prize. Hareesh talks to TNIE about his creative pursuits, politics, and take on Kerala society. Excerpts:
Meesha created quite a controversy... Did you expect it?
No, I did not. As many as 10 people, including my wife, had read the novel before publishing. None of us had seen this coming. Writings never used to run into this kind of controversy.
What has changed?
Earlier, only those who took books seriously read them. But now with the arrival of social media, one paragraph can be lifted out of context and circulated. Most of those who criticised Meesha, I am sure, may not have even seen the book. Some people who called up to threaten me thought I had written an essay (laughs out).
How difficult was that phase?
My phone was switched off and I was at home most of those days. Even otherwise I am not very sociable. Some Yuva Morcha activists tried to take out a march. But that fizzled out as people in my village stood by me.
You have said the English translation saved Meesha...
Every discussion revolved around the controversy that the book courted. Nobody discussed the aesthetics of it. Once translated, it was read seriously. The novel got assessed objectively and the response was quite encouraging.
Do you think Indian society is becoming more intolerant?
I think so. We, Indians, are an emotional lot and are touchy about everything. In French, there is a novel that says that Michel Foucault and former French President Francois Mitterrand had a role in the killing of Roland Barthes. Nobody created any controversy. Such things are unthinkable here.
We too have had our share… as in Nirmalyam…
That is unthinkable now. After the Babri Masjid demolition, our society as a whole has become more communal. It started with the Hindu religion and then spread out to Islam and Christianity too.
Do you think people in general have become more communal?
Some are certainly trying to make us one. But it is yet to make a deeper impact. Middle-aged and older are very communal. But the younger generation is very secular in their outlook.
There is an allegation that creative persons do not think twice before criticising the practices in Hinduism while similar enthusiasm is not seen when it comes to criticising Islam or Christianity…
There is a reason for this. Hinduism is the biggest religion in the country and most social evils were once associated with Hinduism. Renaissance started with criticism of these social evils. One can’t criticise casteism without criticising Hinduism, one can’t criticise untouchability without criticising Hinduism.
But isn’t there a double standard here?
It should not be there. All religions should be treated equally without any fear or favour. T J Joseph Sir’s hand was chopped off due to the same intolerance.
Do you think your last novel August 17 did not receive the appreciation it deserved?
Not really. There may be some 5,000 people who take reading seriously in Malayalam. But it sold some 10,000 plus copies. Those who should read the novel have read it.
There are allegations that you twisted history in that…
No. I did not. What I wrote was not history but fiction. Some people treated it as a piece of history, which it was not.
Is it correct to tweak history even if it is for fictional writing?
I am not the first one to do that. If you read C V Raman Pillai’s Marthanda Varma, you will see that there is very little Travancore history in that. There is even a theory that ‘Ettuveettil Pillaimar’ were his creations — not historic facts. Writers always fictionalise history... nothing new.
But is it ethical to distort the life stories of real people like Vaikom Muhammad Basheer or V S Achuthanandan?
One can use historic persons in fictional writings the way one wants. There is nothing wrong with that. This is fiction.
But won’t it lead to misinterpretations?
Not necessarily. Those who want to misinterpret will do that anyway. What happened with Meesha is an example of that. Those who have a taste for literature will not find any issue with all these, I think.
Talking about Travancore history, one can’t forget Sir C P Ramaswamy Iyer. He is someone who talked about secession like Mohammed Ali Jinnah. But he is still revered by many as a patriot. How do you look at this dichotomy?
Actually, it was not Sir CP but the Travancore royal family which took the decision. Hyderabad Nizam also took the same decision. But the Travancore family is still revered while Hyderabad Nizam is looked down upon. It could be because secessionist demands raised by the Hindu community are not looked upon as anti-national.
Equally interesting is the rajabhakthi (reverence towards royalty) that Malayalis, especially those in south Kerala, have towards the Travancore royal family… what could be the reasons behind this?
I have also wondered (chuckles). Kochi Raja was one of the first kings to decide to merge with the Indian Union. But he is not accorded any special reverence. I have heard that the Travancore royal family members had not even gone to vote for many decades after independence until a member of the family stood in elections. Still, they are deemed as very patriotic. (chuckles)
Doesn’t this rajabhakti look out of place in a deeply political state like Kerala?
Yes. Even on the last Attukal Pongala day, members of the Travancore royal family were seen roaming the city waving at the devotees. This increasing reverence towards royalty could be read along with the growth of Hindutva politics. I am yet to see a BJP person who would say the royal rule was bad.
May be this reverence is because the Travancore royal family did a lot to improve education and health facilities, unlike other royalties?
It is a fact that Travancore was better than many other states in education. At the same time, Travancore is one state which witnessed a large number of deaths due to poverty. After Bengal, it was in Travancore that people died the most due to poverty. The primary reason for the Travancore state advancing in education is because of Christian missionaries.
The interplay of caste has an important role in your works. How do you look at the manifestations of caste in our society?
Compared to the last century, casteism has come down a lot. But caste privilege is very much there. Caste is a 2000-year-old custom. It will take years to get erased.
There is a lot of discussion going on about political correctness. What is your take?
I don’t think it is correct to assess a literary work using the tool of political correctness. A creative work’s politics should not be judged by taking out what one particular character says. But one can criticise or disagree with the politics put forward by the work as a whole, but not in parts.
It seems many misunderstand the politics of certain characters in the novel as your politics…
Yes… It is like saying that the opinion of one washerman in Ramayana is the opinion of Valmiki about Sita.
But political correctness has its importance too…Don’t you think?
Yes. Now writers have become more conscious to avoid anti-women, anti-Dalit usages which were taken for granted earlier. That way, it is good. But there are people who are anti-women, anti-Dalit, anti-Muslim in our society. So when one has to give life to such characters in our works, writers may have to use certain politically incorrect dialogues too.
What is your politics?
I am a staunch believer in democracy. I believe that parliamentary democracy is one of the best systems that humans have invented and that needs to be protected. That is my politics.
When you were attacked for Meesha, you received support not from people you always sided with; but from the Left spectrum which you have always criticised…
I feel it is a good thing that they are getting closer to democracy…(chuckles)
Some look at this democratisation of Left parties as a ‘rightist deviation’. How do you look at this?
I think the democratisation and rightist turn of India’s Left is a good thing.
That is quite a statement…
Well…I am all for the democratisation of the Left parties. Kerala’s Communist parties are the ones with the most experience with democracy in the whole world. They have come to power, and engage with democracy consistently… I feel it is a good thing. I don’t want CPM to become a hardcore Leftist party or be like Naxalites.
But there are quite a few who rue the “rightist deviations’’ of the CPM…
I see no issues in CPM becoming more open and flexible. In fact, I think it is a very good thing for the party and society.
You have once said that the Congress party is not able to capitalise on its own assets…why do you say so?
Congress parivar is still much bigger than Sangh parivar. But unfortunately, Congress is not able to capitalise on it. The focus on a single family could be one reason. Nehru and Narasimha Rao are two of the best prime ministers India has seen. Liberalisation changed India.
There have been many reports which indicate that the Christian community is gradually shifting towards BJP. Do you think so?
I don’t think that will happen. No matter how hard these bishops try, ordinary Christians will still be concerned about BJP’s arrival. One of the reasons behind the increased migration among Christians is due to this concern. They are quite concerned about the attack on Christians in north India.
But do you think the so-called ‘Savarana Christians’ in Kerala are concerned about the attack on Jesuit missionaries in the north?
I would like to think so.
There is a theory that the Christian community has always sided with those in power. When the British were ruling, they sided with the British, when Congress was in power, they supported Congress. Now that BJP is in power, they may side with BJP...
No, I don’t think so. There have been many Christian leaders who actively engaged in freedom struggles like Accamma Cherian and Rosamma Punnoose etc. In fact, Christians led the freedom struggle at least in Travancore. Also, every community prefers to stand with power; not just the Christian community.
These theories come up because many think Congress is on the verge of a collapse…
I don’t believe that... rather I don’t want that(chuckles). I want both Congress and the Left to survive. But then most of my predictions have gone horribly wrong.
Which is one prediction that has gone wrong?
I never expected Narendra Modi to come to power.
Was it because you analysed national politics through Kerala’s political lens…?
Yes…Quite possible.
There has been a controversy regarding additions and deletions in history textbooks. Being an avid reader of history, do you think there is something called objective history? Historical writing has always taken sides, hasn’t it?
Yes, it has never been neutral. But twisting historical facts is a totally different thing. During Congress rule, Left historians had the upper hand and they used to look at history from their perspectives. But what is happening now is tweaking of historic facts with the support of the powers that be.
Kerala has this peculiar tendency where the opinions of writers are sought on everything on earth. What do you think about it?
There is no need for writers to give opinions on every subject on earth from K-Rail to environmental issues. Writers have no expertise in these subjects. Also, it is wrong to think that writers are intellectuals. Writers are people with average intelligence only. Real intellectuals are scientists and other experts.
How do you think the trend started?
Maybe because Kerala was one society that had given lots of importance to learning and literature. But nobody gives any value to the opinions of writers these days. The status of writers has come down these days.
The number of readers may be coming down but the number of writers is increasing due to self-publishing. How do you look at this trend?
Democratisation of writing is happening. Let everyone write. Only some may be known as good writers. But it’s good that more people are writing.
But don’t you think it will lead to mediocrity?
Mediocrity is everywhere. There is no need to see writing as a rare skill. There should be good writing, mediocre writing, and even bad writing. Only then, reading and writing will survive.
You have written scripts for four movies. How different is that writing process?
While writing novels, we are our boss. We are answerable to none. But script writing is as per the director’s wish. The director is the boss here.
Even if it is your own story?
Yes. For example, Lijo (Jose Pellisserry) made Jallikkattu from a point of view that’s totally different that of from my original story ‘Maoist’.
Do you feel like resisting then?
No. There is no need for any resistance. It is cinema and my story is intact in my book.
You have made three films with Lijo. How is that equation?
He called me after reading my story ‘Maoist’. That’s how our relationship started. We understand each other.
What gives you more satisfaction?
I enjoy doing scripts, but what is closest to my heart is writing a novel.
What is next?
I’m in the process of writing a novel.