Dr Rahmat Tarikere’s recently released book, Bahutva Karnataka, is a timely and remarkable body of work that deeply engages with and explores the concept of bahutva, or pluralism, and its various dimensions. The book takes us on a fascinating journey of pluralism, using the lens of Karnataka’s rich history in art, music, literature, philosophy, language, and professions. It then moves to contemporary times to discuss challenges and what useful conceptualisations of bahutva the modern day can offer.
As an academic, Dr Tarikere has spent decades researching the syncretic traditions of the state, and undoubtedly, Bahutva Karnataka is a fabulous culmination of his decade-long experience of pluralism and his sharp analyses. It stands out because it studies and builds on the concept of pluralism from the grassroots.
At the outset, Dr Tarikere brings home the point that bahutva is an evolving, dynamic idea. A glorious multi-cultural past may offer lessons for present times, but we cannot rest on this inheritance alone. We must make active and concerted efforts to build it. Moreover, bahutva has often been reduced to the idea of Hindu-Muslim unity in public discourse. He, however, speaks of the significance of ideological bahutva when he explores how the Marxist, Ambedkarite, and Lohia schools of political thought have contributed to Karnataka’s own social and political movements.
Speaking of linguistic bahutva, Kannada, as a language, has gained a unique and rich flavour given that major contributors to its legacy, such as Da Ra Bendre, Sara Ababucker and Masti did not actually speak it as their first language. Each of these writers has brought to the fore a fusion of cultures through their work, thereby opening new worlds to their readers. In this regard, writers, artists, and thinkers play a critical role in shaping a society’s ability to accept and appreciate fresh perspectives. It feeds into cultivating a much-needed cultural literacy for ourselves about the worlds we inhabit.
In this way, Dr Tarikere expands the notion of pluralism by locating and articulating several threads of Karnataka’s identity and history in the language of its art, literature, food habits and political ideologies.
While diversity is certainly valuable, he makes an important distinction between vaividhyate (‘diveristy) and bahutva (‘pluralism’). Diversity alone may often be built on the foundation of discrimination that upholds social hierarchies such as caste, class, and gender. Take, for instance, the American society – it houses diverse populations from across the world. However, such diversity has not necessarily led to peaceful coexistence in their society.
Consequently, racial prejudice, white supremacy and discrimination are what such diversity stands on. He argues that for any society, diversity by itself is insufficient; instead, having social mechanisms to build on such diversity and establish an equal society is critical.
He therefore offers that there are five key requirements for us to move from diversity to plurality: coexistence, social interaction/intercourse, the ability to build formidable relationships with each other, and the capacity of these relationships to transform our surroundings, which in turn can throw open newer horizons for everyone.
Consider a stationary vehicle – all parts of this vehicle are diverse but separate entities. However, when all these parts come together seamlessly, interact with each other, and transform into a vehicle that moves, it reveals newer possibilities and truths. This is the kind of bahutva or social cohesion that we must aspire for.
Such a conceptualisation is both deeply philosophical and accessible at the same time. It is also a deeply moving articulation. It is particularly important as it comes at a time when there are forces around us that are looking at multi-cultural, multi-lingual, and multi-religious societies more as problems that need to be solved.
On a personal note, as someone who works on raising awareness about constitutional values, I have always found it extremely challenging to communicate the idea of fraternity and dignity to common people. In this context, Dr Tarikere’s sharp articulation of what constitutes bahutva provides a very useful and accessible framework to enter the idea of fraternity.
We must invent and reinvent the content of pluralism to align with current times. In this regard, there is an urgent need to understand and internalise bahutva as a core humanitarian value that is critical to building bridges and bringing people together. This is the only way we can move towards an egalitarian society.
This must, in turn, push us towards democratising power and sharing responsibilities among various groups in an equitable way. Each of these is necessary for us to be able to imagine a casteless, hierarchy-free society. It is only when pluralism as a concept seeps into our political and social consciousness that we can truly break the shackles of caste, class, and gender.
Poorna Ravishankar is a Bangalore-based lawyer and a member of Bahutva Karnataka, a coalition of progressive organisations in Karnataka that stands for a diverse, plural and harmonious Karnataka.
Views expressed are the author’s own.