On the Article -‘Social function of an intellectual in India’ by Radhakanta Barik

Kalyan Kumar Guha

Read his comments on recent development in Indian polity on stifling the voices of dissent even in the declared democratic set-up in Indian political system. The persons who have been put behind bars are eminent in their own field. Lawyer, writer, activists and all the more sympathetic to the plight of the deprived and the downtrodden. They have been working for the poor either through rendering legal support or creating awareness of their rights . Whether they are persons of intellect or otherwise is a different issue. But one commonness among them is that they have a heart to feel and a mind to discriminate between right or wrong.They work among workers, plebeians, marginals. How come on earth they be misunderstood as anti-people and anti-democrats! They are respectful to the sane social behaviour and dissent when it is not. I am not going into the debate whether  social conscience is synonymous with one’s level of intellect. A simple gesture to the sentiment of the deprivation among the poor is enough for right expression of mind, intellectual or anything. Dissenting is part of ensuring democratic stability in the corridors of the legislature or on the streets. Arresting the voices of dissent is undemocratic. That is simple and plain. 

Sep 23, 2018