Although there are so many kinds of Red books on different subjects. But the the contents of this article confined to Red books, that once was in vogue, and another still in vogue. Prior to the decades of 1970, and, afterwards for one or more decade,the influence of Student Federation of India (SFI of left wing) prevailed. It prevailed over, in the students of medium and small size cities’ college politics. Still the Student Federation of India exists but in lackluster. At that period of time, circumstances were more and more favorable for the propagation of its ideology, in Indian colleges. And one reason was, a good numbers of students from the rural background, after completion of their Intermediate education, happened to move to the city degree collages. They moved to city, as an aspirant for graduation and post graduation courses.
Trap of Left wing – Since in that old time, no any degree college facility for further study were available in rural side. This situation, forced such students to seek admission in city’s colleges. By virtue of their coming from a rural background, at the beginning they found it hard to get adjusted in city college life. Specifically, with students who reared up in the city culture and students of city culture too looked upon such students of rural side as deprived and coming from a backward standing. In fact, their demeanor with them was not friendly, at least at the beginning. SFI wing, properly aware of this psychology, ever had a hawk prey sight upon these shyly and inferiority complex students.
S F I would take these diffident students, under their wings. This they would do, in the name of social service with a clandstine agenda. With the purpose, to get them involved into the political ideology of communism. In their modus operandi, they used to assimilate with them as a friend and in this drive firstly assist them in seeking admission. Afterwards help them to enroll as a member of the library of the college, and arrange for discount in the monthly fees. To facilitate this drive, Student Federation of India already have had a network, since the existing political system of that time, had a lenient support to make them flourish.
Never, such students from the rural side had any inkling, how softly, they had been fallen prey to the net of the SFI. It was not that, such students belonged to the deprived class at all. Back in the village, they had somewhat agrarian background of efficient grains producer. But, their inferiority complex at par with the city students, inclined them to join the SFI wing. Never they would come to know, when and how, they shaped up into an active member of the left wing. Some of these students with sound background often managed to stay in the city by hiring a room on rent. such students, having sufficient time to spend on such activities.
After a given period of time, they found themselves, spending their evening time in local SFI headquarter. There, discussing about an “imaginative revolution” in the entire society. The ideology that got pumped into their mind, by veteran members 0f SFI wing. This “trap” they would come to know, when they become “addict” to the ideology of Karl Marx’s ” popular “Communist manifesto or Das kapital.” . In this seizure of the mind by that ideology, no any other “ism” had a place to stay in the mind. The “Das kapital” occupied them like a most sacred and inspiring scripture. In India, this book referred in common parlance by such members ( now Comrades) as,”Red book.”
Their common pattern of addressing of pleasantry, most likely be as “red salute comrade” instead of “good morning or good evening” etc. Comrade was but obvious the substitute of friend. An extra emphasis, to peruse the communist literature was must to them and in fact a fashion for them. No doubt, the generation of youth of that time ,too, had an inclination for extra- curricular studies. And by that study, they were so heavily harnessed with the general- socio- political study in a specific mold. No any student, from a different ideology, hardly could defeat them in debate or in general argument.
The secret of this “debating factor,” lied in their daily practice of discussing theory of communism at length, in the SFI office in late evening meetings. Whilst, the participants with other ideology began to tire, in sheer an hour long discussion. Left wing’s such comrade could stretch the debate for hours . Such a good practice to maintain the debating stamina they had. Along with,they could put your arguments at an awkward level, by declaring you scornfully “bourgeois”. It often be there most used tool, to let down the opponent.
The incidence back in village – The main intent of this all is, to relate a comical incidence. One of my childhood friend back in the village and school life, you name him ‘Y’. He, too happened to fall prey of the Student Federation of India wing. It happened in the same pattern, on his reaching to the degree college, after intermediate schooling. It occasioned, we both sought the admission in the same session. he got enrolled in the Art faculty with subjects of Sociology, political science and Economics, as a part of the course, and I was in Science faculty. Myself, being the student of Science faulty, was bound first to attend the practical classes and then theory classes. This busy schedule, left me with no spare time.
on the other hand, he on account of being Art faculty student, had no such bound and have had no dearth of spare time. In due course of time, how and when, he became an active member of SFI, even he didn’t know. Later, on account of our schedule of attending classes being varied, that made us to see each other rarely. But back in village, the outcome of his becoming the staunch leftist got revealed. There, during the monsoon season of paddy planting, he instigated the local laborers of the village to get united and demand for an unlimited raise in the daily wage. The demand of laborers, was hard to pay by rest of villagers ,due to hike of the rate. He, somehow managed to allured them through the communist ideology. In consequence to that, laborers boycotted to provide the services, and a chaose occurred inside the village.
In the agronomy, if sowing and planting is not done at a prescribed time, the entire crop is supposed to get spoiled. Somehow, villagers managed to hire the services of laborers from the neighboring villages and saved their skin. But as an aftermath, the entire village socially boycotted the family of the friend ‘Y’. This put his parents to a sorry plight for the unlawful activity of their son. They were forced to tender an apology in a general meeting held in the village. Upon the good advice of the sagacious elders of the village, they forcefully made friend to get wed locked with a beautiful bride. At that period of time, to get a spoiled son married to a beautiful girl was considered a remedial nostrum. Anyhow, this incidence remained the ‘topic of talks’ for so many years to come for people.
Hilarious change – With the lapse of time, everything came to normal. I too got migrated to the city, and, for a long found no chance to see the friend ‘Y’ in person. But about after twenty years, once he came across me in the same city. We held a long meeting and talked in details of bygone days . Eventually I asked him, ” Still you go through the Red book or not?” The answer astonished me, ” Oh yes, I daily go through the book daily and only because of that, I am earning my bread and butter comfortably.” This made me confused, since the existence of the Left wing parties in the region had waned away. So how come, this friend was living a comfortable life through that? I astonishingly asked him, ” Still on today “Red book” of Karl Marx is so effective and fruitful in this our country?”
The answer friend gave was enough to shake my existence, ” Who is this Karl Marx and what kind of “Redbook” he jotted down dear friend, I am not aware of that . I am talking of the “Red book” of Astrology, which is instrumental in predicting the future of a person, and this genre is so popular now a days. Don’t you watch that on TV programmes. Now days, I run an astrological office and maintain a big number of clients who throng there, to get rid of daily problems they encounter . Those problems get solved, with the passing of time, but all my financial problems been solved by this Astrological Red book. Living a comfortable life because of that. Do visit me, whenever caught with some problem in daily life.”….. Penned by– Vinay Pharasi.
