Part 2
'Only Islam gives protection to women'

Part 3
'I want to use Buddhism as a weapon against Hindu caste system'

For the last two decades, Keralites have been enjoying a remarkable number of refreshing poems. From a talented young poet, Balachandran Chullikkad.

All these years, Chullikkad says, he has been feeling oppressed in Hinduism, the religion he was born in. In February, thus, he followed the footsteps of his best friend and poetess Madhavikutty alias Kamala Das, who converted to Islam three months ago.

But unlike Das, he did not opt for Islam. Instead, he travelled all the way to Bodhgaya in Bihar to embrace the religion he has 'relished most' -- Buddhism.

In a freewheeling interview with George Iype, which forms the third and last part of this series, Chullikkad talks about why he hates Hinduism and how he is happy in his new religion.

Why did you embrace Buddhism?

I have not been practising any religion for the last 20 years. I was born in a joint Hindu family. But when I left my birthplace and home and began writing poems, I left my religion also. I have no memories of practising any religion. I never faced the need of a religion in my life.

But suddenly I found that religion and caste have become very important in the social and political life of Kerala. Wherever I go, people begin to identify me with my caste and religion. I found to my horror that the first consideration in Kerala's social and political context was caste and creed.

Why do you think Kerala is under such a peculiar cultural and religious trend?

I honestly feel it is because of the result of the lowering of the political consciousness of Kerala. Especially, it is the result of the decline of the Left culture in the state. I feel the Left liberal, secular culture that was gaining ground in Kerala has declined since 1985. And I found myself branded as a Hindu shudra [low caste] in the society and among political parties.

Among my community of writers also I was branded a caste Hindu. But I was paranoid and worried because my writings never showed any inclination towards Hinduism. If I speak in strict terms, my poems have shown more inclination towards Christian mythology or the Bible rather than Hinduism. But because I am a Hindu by birth, I was accused of being a caste Hindu, as a 'Hindu writer' by writers from other communities. I never wanted to be known as a Hindu.

I declared many times in open forums that I do not have any religion. I pleaded before people that I do not have any caste. But the society did not accept that. They branded me a Hindu. Thus I found that in the new social and political context of Kerala, I have to embrace a religion if I wanted to mark my separation from the Hindus, Christians, Muslims and Communists.

You mean to say that you were forced to get out of Hinduism?

Yes, the society forced me to get out of Hinduism. I was never a practising Hindu. But people wanted me to declare that I am indeed a Hindu and I work for the Hindu cause. I said, sorry my dear people, I am quitting from your religion.

But why did you opt for Buddhism?

When I was faced with no choice I decided that I should embrace a religion I respect. That is Buddhism. From my teenage days, I have studied a lot about Buddhism. I have an inclination towards Buddhism intellectually and emotionally. I found it an apt religion for a person like me without any belief in God and caste system. I was always over-conscious about the injustice inherent in the caste system. Thus, I found Buddhism to be the best bet for me. I found that Buddhism matched my ideals and beliefs.

Who influenced you to convert? Was it Madhavikutty?

Of course, Madhavikutty was my inspiration. When she declared that she was going to embrace Islam, I was happy and supported her decision fully. I declared that it is a basic human right to embrace any religion of one's choice and liking.

When the BJP, RSS and VHP leaders abused her, I raised my voice and said that nobody has the right to criticise and attack her. But they continued to protest against her by pasting obscene posters across the state. For supporting Madhavikutty's conversion, I was severely attacked by caste Hindus and progressive writers.

Soon many Shiva Sena and RSS leaders, the Hindu communalists and fanatics telephoned and threatened to kill me for supporting Madhavikutty. So I thought it was better to say goodbye to Hinduism. I wanted to wipe out the last traces of my existence in a religion that acted so ugly.

So you were feeling uncomfortable and oppressed in Hinduism.

Yes. I was feeling oppressed in Hinduism because I was not a practising Hindu. Yet, I was being branded as a caste Hindu. This contradiction annoyed me very much.

Why did you go all the way to Bodhgaya in Bihar to convert?

I wanted to embrace Buddhism at the very place where Buddha got enlightenment. I wanted to visit the place in India which is Buddha's seat. Otherwise, I should have gone to other countries like Sri Lanka or Nepal. But I thought it was better for me to go to Bihar. Buddha was after all an Indian and the religion was once one of the major religions in India.

I embraced the Ambedkar sect of Buddhism because I am a follower of Ambedkar. He sees Buddha not as a God or an incarnation of any Hindu god like Vishnu. According to Ambedkar, Buddha is a teacher and a master who points out the right path to us. Ambedkar is the greatest man that India has ever seen. He was the symbol of the oppressed people, he was the symbol against the caste system. Now I am with Ambedkar and Buddha.

Ambedkar knew the real pain of the oppression of the caste system. He suffered it in his own blood. His observations, conclusions and analyses have maximum authenticity in the Indian context. The fight against caste system should have the support of a religion and a political dimension in the Indian context. Only a religious sanction and a political support can demolish the caste system in India. If caste system continues in India, the country can never attain socialism or equality.

Do you think famous people like you and Madhavikutty have set a new trend in Kerala, the land of Marxists, by converting?

The Marxist party in Kerala and West Bengal has become some kind of a religion. I was a sympathiser of the Naxalite movement in my teenage. Then I continued as a freelance Marxist for some years. But after the fall of the Soviet empire and the Eastern European experience, I had a rethinking about my own convictions of Marxism and I have organised my intellectual life in a totally different way.

I found that Marxism is outdated and irrelevant. Now I am not a Marxist, but a social and political democrat. Soviet experience proved that individual freedom without the base of socialism and socialism without sanctioning individual freedom is a failure. Communism practised all over the world is some kind of socialism without sanctioning individual freedom. Communism without approving individual freedom is social fascism.

But has your conversion set a new trend in Kerala?

It may have, probably. Conversions have been there in Kerala always. It is only because Madhavikutty and me, both of us well-known poets, that it is news today. Many people are converting, but it is not news. All over Kerala, conversions have been taking place. For instance, from Christianity to Hinduism and Islam for the last 30 years. Converted Christians now embrace Hinduism so that they can get the benefits of reservations for dalits. All religions came to Kerala in the form of conversions. People converted to Hinduism from Buddhism, from Hinduism to Christianity, from Christianity to Islam and from these religions to Marxism.

Is it a peculiarity only in Kerala?

Sometimes, yes. Because there is no real native in Kerala. All of us came from other places, from other countries and alien lands. Keralaites are a mixed race and not a single race like Tamils or Telugus. Unlike Indian people, we have no ethnic identity or clannish feelings. Malayalees have no racial purity. Once we were pagans who came from many other parts of the world and brought our own deities, beliefs, customs, cultures and rituals. We were then invaded by Jainism and Buddhism.

Then the Hindu revival came in the eight and ninth centuries. Brahmin Hindus invaded Buddhism, and Jains and Buddhists were massacred and burnt alive and driven away by the Hindus. They were also forcibly converted into Hindus. Many sects of Buddhism were compelled to convert to Hinduism in the eight and ninth centuries. So conversion is not a new thing in Kerala. It is only because Madhavikutty and me are the darlings of the media that it is news these days.

You have claimed that among the RSS, Christians, Islamic outfits and the pretenders of Marxian secularism, one cannot live without a religious identity. Can you explain?

We all claim that religion is a private affair. But in actual practice, religion is not a private affair in Kerala. Religion has become a social and political necessity in Kerala.

All religions have many well-knit organisations in the state. Hindus are politically well-organised. Christians and Muslims are crucial political forces, especially after the liberation struggle of 1957. Christianity has become a political force to reckon with. After the formation of Malapuram district in Malabar, Islam has also become a political force. As a result of these political formations of Christianity and Islam, the RSS found a base among Hindus and they are trying their best to organise the Hindus in the state politically.

The Communists are not far behind either. They openly claim that they are secular and they are against religious identities, caste and creed. But in actual terms, for power and votes, no other political party makes so much compromise with religions and caste groups as the Marxist parties. I call Communists in Kerala fake Marxists and hypocrites.

You mean to say one cannot live without a religious identity in Kerala?

One can live, probably. But I have found that I cannot live without a religious identity. I found it was impossible and very difficult to live without the shade of a religion. If anybody gets up in Kerala and tells me that he can live without a religion in Kerala, I will be the first person to congratulate him.

Are you propagating your new religion?

Not really. Buddhism is the base of my own existence. But propagating Buddhism is none of my business. I want to use Buddhism as a weapon against Hindu caste system.

Concluded

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