I can’t help but compare Professor Umbridge to Smriti Irani in the present scenario. Our HRD minister’s indulgence with the educational institutions across India is alarming but is at the same time hilarious. Her attempt at interference has met stiff resistance in the form of Kanhaiya, who I would like to compare with Harry Potter. I would, going ahead with my fantastical assumptions also like to compare the bold Shehla Rashid with Hermione (beautiful and intelligent) and Umar Khalid with Ronald (same rashness and thoughtlessness in actions minus the red hair). The minister’s motherly treatment towards full grown adults is quite similar to how Umbridge tried to contain groups and ideologies within Hogwarts. To her dismay however the Dumbledore’s army flourished with a greater zeal.
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The final moral of the story towards which I am trying to drive is that, restricting and strangulating dissent is always the worst way to handle it. When has it actually worked in history? Does anyone really need examples from numerous stories in fiction and real world to tell that crushing dissent will not work?
This kind of alienation from the elected government is very common during adolescence, because this is the time when we form our own opinions. This is the time when young minds challenge past heroes. I have seen people criticising Nehru and Gandhi without even reading about them, praising Godse after watching a choreographed and dramatized video version of his last speech in the court (YouTube video -quite popular with the orange people:). All these ideas ultimately give way to truth, through debates and discussions. An excellent example of this can be found in the James Potter series’ first book “Hall of Elder’s Crossing” by G. Norman Lippert (free e-book). After Harry’s son James joins his school, a particular group of students emerges which believes that Voldemort was the actual victim and that the Ministry of Magic and Harry Potter vilified Voldemort and killed him, kind of in a fake encounter. This group called itself “The Progressive Element”. James is pained to see all this slander going against his father, when heroes are made villains and terrorists are made victims.
The Progressive Element-
According to the Progressive Element, "Lord Tom Riddle" was nothing more than a revolutionary and misunderstood wizard who went to extreme, but not downright evil as history states, measures to pursue equality between the wizarding world and the Muggle world. As such, they go on to call Harry Potter and his Auror team liars for saying otherwise. It rallies under slogans such as "Progressive Wizarding Against False History," "Question the Victors," and "Tell the TRUTH, Harry Potter!"
Source- Harry Potter Fan Wiki
As shown in the book, this particular movement of the students against Harry Potter gains ground, so much so that when he visits Hogwarts, he is protested against by some students. What is the method to deal with such situations? As pointed out rightly in the book, debate is the only medium. The sides, one for Harry Potter and one against him conduct a debate. People get to listen to the other side. People take sides and ultimately the side with the least no. of loopholes in their story wins. Every human being carries on an internal debate within his/ her mind, and even if a false idea plants itself in a mind, one day the fallacy is exposed because the facts will not agree with the lies, there will be incongruences in the lies, they will not fit. But all this happens over time and with constant debate and an open mind.
It is for this reason that I would strongly recommend the James Potter series. It is as good as the original father series, if not more. The author has touched upon issues in the world which can only be observed by a very keen person, politically aware and having a deep understanding of human nature. As it turned out this was more of a book review.
Bol ke Lab Azaad hain Tere
Bol Zabaan Ab tak Teri Hai - Faiz
Speak for your lips are free
Speak for your tongue is yours
#StandwithJNU
Excellent post. Loved the parallels. Will surely go and read the James Potter series.
ReplyDeleteWe too came up with the same analogy. We also have death eaters-the police and bajrang dal and anirban probably as Neville Longbottom-the unsung hero.
Dissent only grows stronger if it is clamped upon. The JNU culture is all about debate and discussion. Educational institutions need their space.
What is happening in HCU these days is crazy and makes me fear the days to come.
Thanks a lot! I guess that many people who have been Potter fans recognize the trend and parallels but chose to remain quite. You are right about Anirban, who also turned out to be a brilliant orator, loved his speech at the Freedom Square. Have been watching all that has been happening at JNU with awe, I don't think there is cause to fear. JNU protests have shown that intelligent, creative and brilliant people will stand up to defend a free India whenever they are needed. The crowd which stands against JNU may be large in numbers, but it's small in terms of ideas and brains. Thanks for visiting and stopping by. Loved your blog!
ReplyDeleteThe resemblance is surely uncanny!
ReplyDeleteMany of us potterheads in class had epiphanies and none of the muggles understood what we felt. A sense of De ja vu if I may say.
I am proud and honoured to be here for these events, it is a life changing experience.
Glad to know that people all around feel the same. I am merely fearfull for the students trapped there. This is going to be one long struggle, abhi toh bus shuruat hai.
Thanks a tonn to you too! Any voices out there are appreciated by all of us. Among the white noise, its voices like yours that give us strength. :)
If you want to know more about the movement, and happenings around JNU, do follow The Informer on wordpress (You'll find them on the #StandwithJNU tag. We are a group of students trying to cover the movement in an objective truthful way from the inside)
wow! superb atmosphere it must be at JNU! Many of my friends have been skeptically approaching the issue, and are afraid of forming conclusions against someone (BJP, RSS) in power. Have been trying to convince them otherwise; in absence of any active role that I could have played had I been at JNU. I hope to study at JNU after some time. Will follow the informer :)
ReplyDeleteIt surely is. I thank my stars for being here at this crucial juncture in the institutions history.
ReplyDeleteMost people are. It is not an easy decision to make. Especially when we are the ones who brought them to power. This is an ideological battle and these take a lot more time to transform the paradigm and opinions, the synthesis will be worth the struggle.
I hope you get to be a part of JNU soon. All the best. :)
*institution's
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