Readers Write In #735: My 2 motichoors on the Laddoo

By Sanjay NM

Introduction

As a barrage of tweets, messages & memes fly around social media space on the alleged presence of beef fat in the revered Tirupathi Laddoo, I couldn’t help but wonder if the public discourse has ever been this worse in our lifetimes. As a millennial approaching middle age, I am at a stage in my life where I flee from any impending argument that would put me at odds with relatives or friends. The common thought is that “baby boomers” and older generations are the worst offenders on social media & WhatsApp where they shove their ideas down our throats. However I have to come to understand that even the younger generations are no less in jumping the gun and being highly dogmatic, albeit in the garb of “rational” and “critical” thinking. Boomers forward messages, Millennials post “stories”. 

As a person who has gradually shifted from Liberal to Conservative school of thought (Thanks to the likes of Thomas Sowell & few others), I have tried to approach any issue with logic and first principles, rather than “data” which can be altered and manipulated. Furthermore, causation as a concept is increasingly hard to understand and establish. Even though we have made great strides in measuring effects through technology, establishing causation is an area where a lot is to be desired. 

Below is my analysis of the “Tirupathi Laddoo” situation where I give my views on how the Right and the Left get it wrong in their own idiosyncratic ways. While the facts are yet to come out and the story is still developing, this essay is a commentary on the nature and tone of the public discourse rather than the actual event itself, the prose equivalent of “Random dude reacts to Tamizh movie trailer” video on Youtube. 

Where the Left goes wrong

The creators of Parithabangal haven’t directly spoken about their philosophy and values but there is plenty of evidence to suggest that they lean to the left, and their comedy has tended to focus on the absurdity of conservative thought, while giving the hypocrisy of liberal ideology a free pass. 

Comedy is Tragedy + time and while this incident is arguably a tragedy (at least for the believers), it definitely came too soon and at a time when emotions were high. Attention must be paid by artists.

The “Laddoo” episode wasn’t outright offensive, however it had elements which I would classify as “victim blaming”. It goes on to ridicule devotees and people who would have been unaware of adulterations. It also presents an angle of vegetarianism and discrimination, which has nothing to do with the actual situation. 

Make no mistake, the creators of Parithabangal are extremely talented and their sketch comedy has brought comfort and common sense in a seemingly absurd world, much like what Monty Python did more than half a century back. However, I would like to point out other geniuses in the field who created comedy out of sensitive issues. As someone who has dabbled with satire, I strongly believe that a solid viewpoint makes for great comedy. 

Take for example, Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, who took on topics such as homosexuality and abortion, and delivered extremely funny episodes while delicately balancing both sides. Their observation and commentary was always from a third person, observing the unreasonable attitudes of both sides of the spectrum and exaggerating it for humour. Great comedy comes from solid “Steelmanning”. This isn’t easy nor is it possible every time, however Go-Su didn’t let the ideas marinate enough and produced a half-cooked sketch, not that there’s anything wrong with that.

Meanwhile, other folks on the left continue to be apathetic to the issue. One argument is that their inability to empathise is due to their philosophy of Atheism or Agnosticism. As an agnostic myself, I find this argument weak. One doesn’t need to have faith to understand the importance of faith and its role in society . We don’t need to belong to a group in order to empathise with them (Middle class folks like me can appreciate a Zoya Akhtar film).  We are better than militant atheists. Taunting that annoying relative to get one back isn’t what a rational person does. We are better than that. 

Some people on the left look at this issue purely as another example of inefficiency and incompetence. This might be true, however it is important to acknowledge the fact that a lot of believers were hurt as a result. One can only wonder if they would have had the same reaction if this had occurred  to believers of some other religion. 

Where the Right goes wrong

The Right fumbles again with poor communication and rhetoric which alienates people and pushes more people away from Indic philosophy. While we might assume Pawan Kalyan’s intentions to be good, his attack on innocuous comments by Karthi and his use of words such as “Don’t you dare say that” isn’t aligned with the real values of Hinduism. Some religions rely on authority and some on open conversations and deep introspection. Forcing people to apologise or controlling speech is a tactic of authoritarians. We are better than that. Attention must be paid to words.

The Parithabangal episode might be simplistic, but it has earned the right to stay on public platforms. As a free speech advocate, it is unfair to demand the removal of any content unless it incites violence. I might not agree to their views, but I would defend Go-Su’s right to create the content. Coercion & force is not the answer. It makes extremists grow their tentacles further. We are better than that.

Incidents such as these always evoke response from devotees and believers. However, issues such as mismanagement, general lethargy & lack of reforms are never discussed. It is important to reform and improve glaring issues, and not just respond when there is “meat’ or “impurity” involved. Atoning for sins should not be reserved only for such cases. Organised Religion has to become inclusive and balance Indic thought with modern ideas if it has to compete with brands such as Nihilism and Hedonism.  The emergence of intellectuals & Indic thinkers such as Dushyanth Sridhar gives me hope that this is achievable and “inclusivity” is not a monopoly of the left. 

Final thoughts

While the Tirupathi Laddoo has been split into two halves and neither one is sweet, I sincerely hope that the nature of debating and open discourse improves.  I doubt if I would have been able to put forward these arguments in a WhatsApp group or on Twitter, where tensions run high and one is unable to think in a clear manner. As someone who has been “ideology-fluid”, I have always found myself in situations where I am too liberal to be around relatives, and too conservative for my friends liking.These are challenging times indeed but I am not complaining as I got to exercise my fingers after a long time. 

Until next time, when we can discuss the Palestinian chicken.