It was a Compulsory English lecture, that, too, for the S.Y.B.Sc students. It was, moreover, the very first lecture. Each one of these would be a good enough excuse for the students to give a miss to the lecture. But, no! The classroom was as usual full. I was explaining Wordsworth's poem, while trying to relate it to Newton's optics. We were all happy together.
Suddenly stormed in to the classroom some six or seven students asking all to vacate the classroom. Such was their aggressive body language and virulent tone that some of my backbenchers would have liked to scoot. I quietly took charge of the situation, asked the intruders to introduce themselves. They belonged to the SFI apparently, and were opposing the privatisation of education.
I asked them to discuss the topic threadbare with my students. I began asking them relevant questions. Some of my students thus mustered the courage to put forth their queries. Neither the disrupters nor us, I and my students, realised how time passed. Soon the bell rang. The SFI's invited me to their next Gate Meeting! I would not know what happened to the B.Sc students' other lectures as I had my B.A. Special lecture in the Main Building.
Soon they came there, too. They refused, however, to enter my classroom to disrupt my lecture. One of them told the others in his group that I happened to be that very same teacher. That day, in my Novel Special lecture, I explained the basics of the Marxism and literature relationship.
Why this anecdote? Is that your question? Well, I would like to state categorically that Marx is not to be confused with Marxists or Communists! Just because the SFI-ites, the Marxist/Communist cadres and/or their academic counterparts are abrasive, exasperating, arrogant brutes, that does not mean Marx' relevance is zilch.
In fact, in the decolonised neo-capitalist world today, he continues to remain relevant. He was never doctrinaire. In his system itself is in-built a self-reflexive mould. His is a mode that questions its own premises, too. Most often, people do not read/understand him, and yet profess his ideas. Rather like the feminists who would not have read a line by Wollstonecraft or a word by Beauvoir, but would beat Manu black and blue, of course, without reading him or placing him in his context! Sad(ists)!
Pratima@Never judge a master by his/her disciples!
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