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Social Scientist
Review: Subaltern Studies III & IV: A Review ArticleAuthor(s): Kapil Kumar, R. Gopinath, Partha Dutta, Prakash Chandra Upadhyay, SanjaySharma, P. K. Dutta, Atlury Murali, Rashmi Pant, Biswamoy Pati, Indrani Chatterjee, PragathiMahapatra, Srimanjari, Saurabh DubeReviewed work(s):Subaltern Studies III by Ranajit GuhaSubaltern Studies IV by Ranajit GuhaSource:
Social Scientist,
Vol. 16, No. 3 (Mar., 1988), pp. 3-40Published by: Social ScientistStable URL:
http://www.jstor.org/stable/3520197
Accessed: 05/06/2009 23:14
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SubalternStudiesIII&IV:AReviewArticle
SUBALTERNSTUDIES III*KapilKumar**ShahidAmin'sessay,'Gandhi asMahatma:GorakhpurDistrict,EasternUP,
1921-22',thefirst inVolumeIIIofSubalternStudies,is aproductof
meticulousresearch,and atthesame time aself-contradictoryexercise.Amin
makesitclear thathisconcernsnotwith'analysingheattributesofhis[Gandhi's]harisma utwithhow thisregisterednpeasantonsciousness'p.2).This,accordingohim,isaperspectivewhichs 'somewhatifferentromtheviewusuallyakenof thisgrand ubject'p.2)-i.e.,therelationshipetweenpeasantsndGandhi.Theaimoftheexercise,Aminellsus,is a 'limitedne oftakinga close look atpeasant erceptionsfGandhiyfocussingon the trailofstories...'(p.2).The twomainissues discussedarethe'locationof the
Mahatmaimagewithintheexisting patternsofpopularbeliefsand thewayitinformed directaction,oftenat variance with thestandardnterpretationsftheCongresscreed'(p.2).Gandhi'spopularityrestedonhis'peasant nlage'whichhadbeenprojectedbythepress,intelligentsiaandthedominant socialgroupsduringandaftertheChamparanepisode.Itwasnotwhathe haddoneinSouthAfricathatwasregisteredinpeasantconsciousnessbuthisroleasaleader whotookupthepeasants'cause and talked abouttheirgrievancesandexploitation.1Letusbegin by examininghowpeasantconsciousnessregisteredtheimageofthe Mahatma.Bothperceptionsandpopularbeliefsemerge,existandoperatewithinspecificsocial andeconomicrelationships.Andthesepopularperceptions
andbeliefsarealsoinfluencedbythe classpositionsand interestsof thedominantlasseswhoplayavital roleintheiremergence,propagationndtransmission.ThisispreciselywhereAminis notonly ambiguous,but hissearchora 'somewhatifferenterspective'akeshimawayfromsocialreality
andwhat hasbeen claimedassubalternhistory.AminlaboriouslylinkstheMahatma'simagewith rumour andexisting popularbeliefsbuthefailstodelineatethelinks between theimage,therumours,theagrarianstructureandpoliticalaction.Afterall,rumoursare notsupra-historical.
*RanajitGuha(ed.),Subaltern StudiesIII,OxfordUniversityPress,NewDelhi,1984,327pp*Reader inHistory,Departmentof HumanitiesandSocialSciences,IndiraGandhi NationalOpenUniversity,NewDelhi.
 
4SOCIAL CIENTIST
When thepeasantsofGorakhpurelievedinrumoursabout Gandhi'spratapwas itjustbecause thesewerealongthe lines ofpopularbeliefs?Aminhas citedfromotherregionsinthisregard.Whetherthey'were theproductofpopularimagination'or'veryconsciouslyspreadbythe localagitators',herumourshadgainedcurrencyinrelationtotheexploitativeagrarianstructurenChamparan(p.6).Theexploited peasantssawhopeinGandhi.They perceivedandinterpretedhiminrelation to theirowneconomicand socialproblems.This tookplacewithin thepatternofexistingpopularbeliefs,whichveryoftenprovidedthepeasantanideologicaljustificationto revoltinthe absence of otheralternatives.Itis notsurprisingthatinmany peasantmovementsinIndiababas,faquirsorsadhusplayedaprominentrole.Wedogetevidence ofthe'links betweenrumours about Gandhi'spratapandpeasant exploitationinareas ofGujarat,Rajputana,Andhra,aswellas theneighbouringregionof Oudh. TheselinkswerethereinGorakhpurasopen'lettersappearedinthe columnsof Swadeshhighlightingtheoppressionsufferedby peasantsinthebiggerzamindarisandchallengingthepresumptionof therajasto bethenaturalspokesmenoftheirpraja'(p.14).Amininformsus: TheEditorofSwadesh,who hadhimselfsoughtto inculcate an attitudeofdevotioninthe district towards heMahatma,had thusnohesitationinprintingrumoursabout the latter'spratap.Itwasonlywhentheseappearedtoinstigate dangerousbeliefsandactions,such as those
concerningdemands fortheabolitionofzamindari,eductionofrents orenforcementf justpriceatthebazaars,hat hejournalameout withprompt
disclaimers'p.50;emphasisadded).However,what the editorofSwadeshdidisrepeated byAminwhenheignoresthesocio-historical basisoftherumours,andwrites:'PeopleintheGorakhpurountrysidebelievedinthesenotout ofanyunquestioningtrustintheweeklynewspaperbut becausetheyaccordedwithexistingbeliefs about
marvelsndmiracles,boutightandwrong'p.48;mphasisdded).
Swadesh,weshouldadd,hadadefinitemotiveinpropagatingsuch storiesandgivingrespectabilitytothem.For,inthe caseofalargenumberof rumourscited theperson reportingthehappeningswasa'gentleman',a'specialcorrespondent', 'respectedperson',a'vakilsaheb',etc. But Swadesh wascriticalofa zamindaronlywhen hewaslikelyto beanobstacletothepeasantsdesiringto have Gandhidarshanp.24).Aminsuccessfullydemonstratesthe efforts ofthe'elite' tomobilisethepeasantsbehind them.However,ageneralisationhe makesisnota truerepresentationfreality:TheBrahmanhiefofRudrapurillageisrepresentativenotjustoftheordinaryvillagescepticbut ofhigh-caste oppositiontotheGandhian creed'(p.31; emphasisadded).DashrathDwivedi,theeditorofSwadesh,Gauri ShankerMisra, etc.,wereallbrahmans.Consequently,thisgeneralobservationserroneousandmisleading.Anotherquestionthat comesupafterreadingAmin'scontributions,whichsectionsofthepeasantryrespondedtothe rumours?Veryoftenpopularbeliefsareinterpretedbydifferentsectionsinrelation totheirday-to-daylife. It ispossible,andithashappenedinhistory,thatthesamepopularbelief has beenperceiveddifferentlybydifferent socialgroupstojustifyoropposetheexistingsocialorder. The PeasantWarinGermanyis oneexample; ChristopherHill'spositionregardingthreeGodsintheEnglishRevolutionisanother.Whileexaminingtheroleofrumourone has tokeepthisinmind as well.Interestingly,thegovernmentattributedthe violence atChauriChaura tothepropagandaof'non-cooperators'ndthe storiesabout Gandhi.Aminstarts
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