Brown Truths

From here

Charlie is arrested because he once had a white dog. His beloved white dog was poisoned to death on the order of his government which had decreed that it was antinational to have pet dogs and cats of any colour other than brown. When his little son wept over the death of their pet, Charlie controlled his grief because it was treason to grieve. Brown was the only true colour now. All other colours had to die.

Charlie is a character from Franck Pavloff’s novel Brown Morning (1998). The title refers to the Brown Shirts of the Nazi Germany which had stifled all truths except their own pet ones. In the novel, brown truths become the only truths. All other truths and their adherents are done away with. When those who keep pet dogs and cats of other colours are already exterminated, the state will start arresting those who had such pets earlier. History matters.

I haven’t read Pavloff’s novel. In fact, I was not even aware of it until I read an article about it in this week’s Malayalam periodical, Sathyadeepam. The article makes a comparison between what happens in the novel and what happens in Modi’s India. The novel has a state which is intolerant of colours other than brown and much in the same way India has its official colour today.

Which animal is sacred is decided by the state. Which food can the citizens eat is decided by the same government. What dress to wear, which language to speak, which gods to worship, which media to watch, which movies… Your government decides. In the Brown Country, writers and books that don’t subscribe to the official truths are banished for ever.

Even the restaurants serve only brown food. Brown pasta is the favourite dish. When you order that, you are displaying your patriotism. You endear yourself to the rulers. Make sure also that you don’t keep other foods in your fridge at home. Remember Akhlaq?

The above-mentioned article ends with a warning that India is moving towards fascism. The homogenisation of food, language, history, religion, dress, etc is just an indication. Wait till the next general elections are over.

The article subtly places a tragic image in our imagination. A little lamb is butchered brutally. Reason: its great grandfather had entered a pool and polluted its water. If you are innocent, it doesn’t matter. What your ancestors did or what your government thinks they did is enough to get you under the guillotine. Best wishes.

PS. I ended this post with the image of the lamb. By sheer coincidence, today is Eid. Happy Eid to all those concerned.