Exploring the Central Theme of Communal Riots in 'Final Solutions'.pptx

This Presentation Deals with how communal riots were also relevance in today's time. I also Raised Question that is there any "Final Solutions" of this riots?

1. Exploring the Central Theme of Communal Riots in 'Final Solutions'

2. Name: Drashti Joshi Roll No : 05 Enrolment Number : 4069206420220016 Sem : 3 [M.A.] Batch : 2022-2024 Paper Number : 202 Paper Code : 22407 Paper Name : Indian English Literature Post-Independence submitted To : Smt S.B.Gardi, Department of English, M.K.B.U. E-Mail : [email protected]

3. Points to Ponder -Introduction of Author and Play - Central Theme of Play - Historical Background of Play - Communal Riots in “Final Solution” - Will There ever be a ‘Final Solution’? - Conclusion - References

4. Introduction of Author and Play According to M. SHEYAMALA, Mahesh Dattani(1958) is the most influential and impressive dramatist in the contemporary Indian English dramatic arena. The scenario of Indian drama has transformed with his skills and innovative technique. He has penned several dramas which point out diverse social controversies. Final Solutions is the fifth play of Mahesh Dattani. It was staged after the Mumbai riot. The play draws to light the communal riot between the Hindus and Muslims. (SHEYAMALA) According to Uma Devi, Dattani’s Final Solutions is a three-act play which handles the theme of communal riots and forced resentments. It was first performed at Guru Nanak Bhavan, Bangalore on 10 July 1993. In India, the co-existence of multi-religions and multi-cultures has been a curious topic for the world. But the confrontations of Hindus and Muslims has been a dynamic issue more than the other religions to each other. Hindus and Muslims depict their own statement to prove their superiority and Dattani depicts this in Final Solutions. (Devi)

5. The play opens with two Muslim young boys Bobby and Javed seeking shelter in the house of the Hindu family of Ramnik Gandhi, from the chasing mob, during a hostile atmosphere and curfew followed by Hindu- Muslim riot in the city. With the entry of two Muslim young boys within the house, the familial drama begins. Here, the different religions, cultures, food habits, attitudes, resentments to each other, personal whims and psyches confront each other. Dattani takes the opportunity to move free into the time and closely scrutinize all such riots in the past and their influences to shape the characters and communities. He tear opens the tapestries of illusions of the characters and exposes the truth behind their social, cultural and religious patterns. The present study aims at the study of the problem of communal divide and communal riot in the Indian society through the play Final Solutions. (Devi) The play unfolds itself with Daksha, a fifteen year old young bride reading her diary. Daksha transforms to Hardika in her old age. It is through her consciousness the major dramatic event is exposed. Daksha/ Hardika may be conat the hands of Muslim majority. She is the grandmother of the Gandhis. Daksha is hostile towards Muslims because her father was killed in a communal riot and because of her overtures of friendship with Zarine, a young muslim girl. Her family comprises of Ramnik Gandhi, her son, a liberal; Aruna, her daughter-in-law, a devout Hindu, who is highly superstitious and her granddaughter, Smita is tolerant and represents the dynamic of new generation. (SHEYAMALA)

6. Central Theme of Play According to Dr. Rameshchandra F. Agrawal The theme of Hindu-Muslim hostility is introduced as the background of the play through the device of chorus. The men in the chorus put on Hindu masks and Muslim masks alternatively. They reveal the set view of Hindu and the Muslim towards one another.(Agrawal) Mahesh Dattani explores some possibilities for solution to the problem of communal separation in his play Final Solutions and ultimately suggests some remedies in this regard. The dramatist feels that liberal outlook with a pacifying approach and respect for one-another’s beliefs, mutual trust and sharing of pleasures and pains can help in overcoming the man-made separation where individual will be treated as a human being and not as a Hindu or Muslim. (SAINI)

7. Historical Background of Play March 12, 1993 changed India and Mumbai (then Bombay) forever. 12 bomb blasts across the financial capital left 257 dead and over 700 injured. But its long term impact was the communal fault lines it created in cosmopolitan Mumbai. Since then Mumbai has seen many more terror attacks. And every time an attack has taken place the notions of division have only been reinforced. (Gupta) Among the targets were places like Bombay Stock Exchange, Air India Building Century Bazaar and Sea Rock Hotel in Bandra. Today there is a permanent state of alert at the stock exchange and Air India building. Some other places, like the Sea Rock Hotel did not survive the aftermath of the blasts.Today the building itself has been razed to the ground. Even before the blasts, Hindus and Muslims in Mumbai lived in different parts of city. It wasn't about a communal divide but more on grounds of bonding within one's own community.But then the blasts seem to have changed the communal fabric of the city for worse. Well known Islamic scholar, Zeenat Shaukat Ali points out, "The outcome of the blast was the ghettoization and marginalisation of Muslims. There was a division of hearts in this city after those bombings. Development of islamophobia started after 93 blasts and Muslims began to be looked upon with suspicion which continues even today after every terror attack on the city." (Gupta)

8. Communal Riots in “Final Solution” Bhagyashree Varma she Observes in her article, The play successfully highlights human limitations, egocentricity, covetousness and opportunist inclinations. The issues of class, communities and the clashes between traditional and modern life style and value systems along with the complexes about minorities are not restricted to only Hindus and Muslims, but these are in fact the issues of the humanity in different contexts and situations. It talks of the problems of cultural supremacy, how Hindus had to undergo traumatic experiences at the hands of Muslim majority like the characters of Hardika and Daksha in Hussainabad. Muslim youth like Javed experience discrimination in the set up of the majority Hindu community. (Varma) According Dr. R. Devanand The role of chorus is quite significant here. Chorus changes their masks whenever the occasion demands. But ironically the actors of the chorus remain the same. The chorus links the play with the idea of dramatic development, the notions of collective identity and manufacturing of collective consent. (Devanand)

9. Mahesh Dattani portrays such incidents show Hindu and Muslim bias. When Hindu mob discussed against Muslim Mob that: (Dattani #) Hindu Mob Chorus Chorus 1,2,3: This is our land! How dare they? Chorus 1: It is in their blood! Chorus 2,3: It is in their blood To destroy Final Solutions, refers to the “ rath yatra ” which promotes communal riots and violence between the two religious groups. While conducting ‘rath yatra” festival, the idol of God travelled on Chariot. Rumors create gossips against Muslims. Muslim Chorus discussed how they confront the Hindu rioters: Muslim mob chorus (Dattani #) Chorus 1: Their chariot fell in our street!... Was the chariot built by us? Chorus 4: Manufacturing defect? Chorus all: we are neither idol makers nor breakers! Chorus 5: But they blamed us? Chorus 3: They say we razed their temples yesterday.

10. According to S.T.SHUNMUGA PRIYA, The play shows that the cause of two castes hatred is not only due to disbelief: but also it is related to economy. Zarine’s father collects his community people only when his shop was burnt. In the beginning he wants the real price of his shop. When he fails in the act he realizes in the fanatic way. All the male members of Daksha’s family know this. As Daksha writes: ‚Kanta told me he (Zarine’s father) is actually telling people that his shop was burnt down purposely.‛ Most of the people think that it was burnt by the mob but the conspirators knew the fact which Hardika faces reality at the last when Ramnik tells: ‚And we burnt it . . . They had burnt in the name of communal hatred.‛ It shows the mentality that the eyes are somewhere different but the mob in ignorance, do the work differently. (PRIYA) Hindu Muslim chorus depicts the reality . The violence made by the devout religious people, but violence affected ordinary people’s life . Most of them feel that their religion is superior to the other religion. This narrow point of view instigate them to participate into violence. They do not think of their family situation and loss of human life. Without conscious thought, their mind is occupied fully to hunt people to maintain their religion’s purity and uniqueness.

11. Abhijeet Pawar Rightly observes that, Final Solutions has a powerful contemporary resonance as it addresses as issue of utmost concern to our society the issue of communalism. The play presents different shades of the communist’s attitude prevalent among Hindus and Muslim in its attempt to underline the stereotypes and clichés influencing the collective sensibility of one community against other. What distinguishes this work from other plays written on the subject is that it is neither sentimental in its appeal for simplified in its approach. It advances the objective of social scientist while presenting a mosaic of diverse attitudes towards religious identity that offer phages the country in to human strife yet the issue is not moralized a the demons of communal hatred are located not out on the street but deep within us. (Pawar) Thus, Final Solutions highlights on the problem of communal violence, communal tension between the Hindus and Muslims in India, prominently during the time of the after partition riots. The mental disorder that arise among the Hindus as well as Muslims in India, after the event of the partition of the country, cause a chain of neurotic reactions to even the most inconsequential of happenings. The play moves from the partition to the present day communal riots; probes into the religious bigotry by examining the attitudes of three generations of a middle-class family of Ramnik Gandhi.

12. Will There ever be a ‘Final Solution’? According to Dashrath Gatt he explain how this can be questioned in today’s time as well. Now the question that stares at us is can there be a solution to this larger than life problem of communal divide and hostility which we are facing till today? (Gatt) One reality cannot accept another reality’ will remain pointless. Smita, Bobby, and Ramnik make the plea that we need to belong to all the creations of the Almighty and be concerned about the pains and pleasures, trials and tribulations, aims and aspirations of all the mankind without any selectivity on racial or communal grounds. When we are able to assimilate all the diverse forces running through our social fabric, Hardika, Aruna or Javed; then we hope a new pattern based on humane qualities will emerge and this will as Bobby suggests pave the way for the final solution : “The tragedy is that there is too much that is sacred. But if we understand and believe in one another, nothing can be destroyed. (Puts on his footwear and looks at Hardika). And if you are willing to forget, I am willing to tolerate”

13. filmmaker Rakesh Sharma released his award-winning documentary Final Solution (2004) on Vimeo. Originally released in 2004, the film documents the communal violence that broke out in Gujarat during 2002-2003, specifically the pogrom against Muslims. Shot in two parts, the film follows the aftermath of the carnage and records in great detail, the exploitation of the Godhra incident during the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s electoral campaign. The movie was initially banned in India in 2004 for fear that it might provoke communalism and radicalism. The ban was lifted in October 2004 after a sustained campaign which included, an online petition, hundreds of protest screenings countrywide, multi-city signature campaigns and dozens of letters to the Government sent by audiences directly. (Sharma) Final Solution Documentary

14. Manipur Riots: On 3 May 2023, ethnic violence erupted in India's north-eastern state of Manipur between the Meitei people, a majority that lives in the Imphal Valley, and the Kuki-Zo tribal community from the surrounding hills. Gujarat riots: The 2002 Gujarat riots, also known as the 2002 Gujarat violence, was a three-day period of inter-communal violence in the western Indian state of Gujarat. The burning of a train in Godhra on 27 February 2002, which caused the deaths of 58 Hindu pilgrims and karsevaks returning from Ayodhya, is cited as having instigated the violence. Nua Riots of Haryana: . On 31 July 2023, communal violence erupted in the Nuh district of Haryana between Muslims and Hindus during an annual Brajmandal Yatra pilgrimage organised by the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), a Hindu nationalist organization Bombay Riots: In the Bombay riots in December 1992 and January 1993, an estimated 900 people died. The riots were mainly due to escalations of hostilities after large scale protests by Muslims in reaction to the 1992 Babri Masjid Demolition by Hindu Karsevaks in Ayodhya; and by Hindu mobs in regards with the Ram Temple issue.

15. In conclusion, 'Final Solutions' by Mahesh Dattani is a thought-provoking theatrical work that effectively shines a spotlight on the central theme of communal riots. The play's portrayal of complex characters caught in the web of religious and communal tensions serves as a compelling mirror to the real-world struggles faced by many. It offers an unsettling but necessary examination of the deep-rooted issues that lead to communal violence and the profound impact it has on both individuals and society. As we reflect on the central theme of communal riots in 'Final Solutions,' we are reminded of the enduring relevance of addressing such conflicts in our society. The play encourages us to confront the challenges of religious intolerance, prejudice, and hatred, urging us to strive for greater understanding and unity. In this context, 'Final Solutions' stands as a powerful testament to the importance of promoting peace, empathy, and communal harmony in our diverse and multicultural world, emphasizing that the ultimate solution lies in fostering a more inclusive and harmonious society. Conclusion

16. Agrawal, Dr. Rameshchandra F. “Communal Conflicts in Mahesh Dattani's Final Solutions.” 9 March 2019, https://knowledgeresonance.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/SP3-1-23.pdf . Accessed 17 October 2023. Dattani, Mahesh. Collected Plays . Penguin Books, 2000. Accessed 17 October 2023. Devanand, R. “Resonance of Communal dis/harmony in Mahesh Dattani's Final Solutions – Drishti.” Drishti – The Sight , https://www.drishtithesight.com/volume-ix/resonance-of-communal-dis-harmony-in-mahesh-dattanis-final-solutions/ .Accessed 17 October 2023. Devi, Uma. “Problem of Communal Divide and Communal Tension in Mahesh Dattani's Final Solutions.” Ashvamegh Indian Journal of English Literature , https://ashvamegh.net/problems-of-communal-divide-and-communal-tension-in-mahesh-dattanis-final-solutions/ . Accessed 17 October 2023. References

17. Gatt, Dashrath. “Will there ever be a final solution? Mahesh Dattani's final solutions revisited in the light of communal divide.” Academic Journals , https://www.academicjournals.org/app/webroot/article/article1379517182_Gatt.pdf . Accessed 17 October 2023. Gupta, Saurabh. “Blog: 1993 blasts changed Mumbai forever in all sorts of ways.” NDTV , 22 March 2013, https://www.ndtv.com/mumbai-news/blog-1993-blasts-changed-mumbai-forever-in-all-sorts-of-ways-516992 . Accessed 17 October 2023. Pawar, Abhijeet. “Delineation of Communal Violence in Mahesh Dattani's Play Final Solution.” Academia.edu , https://www.academia.edu/42687732/Delineation_of_Communal_Violence_in_Mahesh_Dattani_s_Play_Final_Solution . Accessed 17 October 2023. PRIYA, S.T.SHUNMUGA. “Religious bias concluded with Racial discrimination in Mahesh Dattani'sFinal Solutions.” Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research , https://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIRAG06009.pdf . Accessed 17 October 2023.

18. SAINI, RAJNI. “MAHESH DATTANI’S FINAL SOLUTIONS: A STUDY OF HARSH SOCIAL REALITY.” RESEARCH JOURNAL OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE , http://www.rjelal.com/ . Accessed 17 October 2023. Sharma, Rakesh. “Final Solution.” IFFR , https://iffr.com/en/iffr/2023/films/final-solution. Accessed 17 October 2023. SHEYAMALA, M. “Communal Disharmony in Mahesh Dattani’s Final Solution.” IQAC – Kamaraj College , https://iqac.kamarajcollege.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/3.3.2-CommunalDisharmonyinMaheshDattanFinal.pdf . Accessed 16 October 2023. Varma, Bhagyashree. “Critiquing Communal Violence without any FINAL SOLUTIONS : Mahesh Dattani's Domestic Realism.” Academia.edu , https://www.academia.edu/33905770/Critiquing_Communal_Violence_without_any_FINAL_SOLUTIONS_Mahesh_Dattanis_Domestic_Realism . Accessed 17 October 2023.