Readers’ comments: Good writers can transcend ideology, why use partisan labels of ‘left’ or ‘right’

I read this interview (“‘What unites the Kannada world is an admiration for vachana literature’: Writer Srikar Raghavan”) with mixed feelings. His observations on the plight of the immigrants in cities and the work of civic activists like SR Hiremath make sense, as does his analysis of Naxalism in Karnataka.

One should not judge a book by its covers and reviews. But if one has to go by the opinions expressed in this interview, one can only lament the author’s ignorance and prejudice. The same can be said of the interviewer. A case in point is the following passage:

“Despite the faithful recording and echoing of leftists that they failed to engage culturally with the masses, the book amply demonstrates the deep interest and grounding of writers (who may broadly be grouped with the left) in Indian religions, philosophy, and folk culture. A telling line is the claim by UR Ananthamurthy that they earnestly searched for god but returned empty-handed. This belies claims of mindless imitation of the West, often levelled by the right wing.”

The Left has always used the term “masses” for ordinary people. It is condescending. The leftists, as authors, failed to engage with the reading public. How much of their writing has stood...

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