Walking the experience of freedom

It is the quest for freedom that is at the core of human existence. 

Freedom is mankind’s most cherished dream, but remains hard to achieve as society has outsourced virtually all the tasks needed for survival.  With interdependence being the leitmotif of human existence, both good and bad people could maintain their freedom by simply staying out of reach of those who deprived them of it. Not content with this simplistic linearity, Sebastian Junger undertook a long walk with three friends along the rail lines in south-central Pennsylvania to have a firsthand experience with freedom. ‘We were the only people in the world who knew where we were’, which helped them experience personal autonomy and mutual interdependence to ponder a very big idea called Freedom. 

Best known for the bestseller The Perfect Storm, which was turned into a blockbuster movie, Junger weaves the magic of literary prose that holds explosive calm as he unravels multiple perspectives on the primary human desire that defines us. Taking reader through long detours in history and anthropology, the author questions why those who protect themselves against others are the ones who are organized enough to oppress freedom of their own people? Why is it that democracy, designed to strike a balance, is unable to uphold and guarantee freedom? As democracies are under growing threat, one wonders if history is seeking sacrifices from those who value it to something almost sacred.   

Loaded with musings on freedom, the book is a short narrative with much to be read between the lines and with clear reflections on the disreputable political environment we are part of. Although the storyline is somewhat incoherent, it has pellets of enduring truth which are thoughtful and engaging. Junger considers the lessons of the Spanish War, which his father fled from, akin for our own time with lies out to destroy democracies - the custodian of freedom. As was in Spain, once lies get accepted as truth, everything including life, death, and reality are up for grabs. The takeover of democracies seems to be a work in progress ever since.

Illuminating and thought-provoking, Freedom is an engaging exercise in meditative self-indulgence. Its contemporary relevance draws serious attention to the need for preserving freedom by protecting democracy from fascist takeover. Junger’s concerns on upholding the right to freedom are indeed real as fascist forces are gunning for power in the guise of being democratic in intent, but not on purpose. In the post-truth era, knowledge is being compromised for faith, loyalty for obedience, and power for freedom. Unknowingly, people have bargained their freedom for illusive safety and security. “Freedom and safety seemed to exist on a continuum where the more you had of one, the less you had of the other.”

It is indeed fascinating how a long walk along the rail lines, the veritable no man’s land between civilization and nature, could propel ideas on freedom in the wilderness of forced isolation. Sleeping under bridges and in the abandoned building and in the woods and on golf courses, the author found that ‘there are many definitions of freedom but surely that is one of them’. Securing temporary freedom to wrestle with oneself is close to being a Hemingway in the making. It is a style of writing that guides one to understand human fight against fellow humans for freedom and survival; be it between the natives and the usurpers, the Irish against the British, or the Taliban against the US. It is the quest for freedom that is at the core of human existence. 

Freedom ought not to be read with any preconceptions as the author himself admits that the trip was an escape from lived reality, a temporary injunction against whatever was coming. Back home after four hundred miles of walking, it was time for him to face life again. Perhaps, it is the acceptance of the random nature of our existence that truly sets us free.

Freedom 
by Sebastian Junger
4th Estate, UK 
Extent: 147, Price: Rs. 499.

First published in The Hindu, issue dated Oct 17, 2021. 

How the past speaks

Much as history should have helped broaden our intellectual horizon, as a society we have beset ourselves with deficits in critical thinking and historical imagination. 

History may be cast in stone but not human identity which draws from and builds upon the past to reinterpret it, as it rummages through time. Historian H E Carr would argue that history is a continuous dialogue between the past and present and a continual interaction between the historian and the facts, for a correct interpretation and accurate recording of facts. Stretching the argument further, Namit Arora contends that history should as much advance our understanding of the past as extend help in understanding our place in the rapidly transforming world. Bringing together ancient history, chronicled narrative, and present interpretation of six iconic places, Arora triangulates history as an evolving process.

Illuminating and evocative, Indians is a credible attempt at reconstructing history through astute reflections on the evolution and decline of historical sites which were once cradles of civilization in this part of the world. Told through visits to the archaeological sites at Dholavira, Nagarjunakonda, Nalanda, Khajuraho, Hampi and Varanasi, and peppered with the perceptive accounts of the times by noted travelers like Megasthenes, Xuanzang, Alberuni and Marco Polo, this prehistory explores our interconnected ancestry that binds us to our collective present. It is a book about belonging: about walking in ancient places in search for an authentic identity. 

In addition to fulfilling the author’s quest for reconnecting with the country after two decades of overseas sojourn as an IT professional, the book serves a dual purpose of replacing the dull, untrue or often motivated narrative on history with more open, evidence-based and empathetic perspective on shaping the idea of India. That the Harappans had the most sophisticated water management system including the first-ever indoor toilets over two millennia ago exposes our present-day sanitation inadequacies, and the erotic architecture of Khajuraho temples mocks at our cultural aversion to harnessing the power of desire toward spiritual awakening. Much as history should have helped broaden our intellectual horizon, as a society we have beset ourselves with deficits in critical thinking and historical imagination.         

Like discerning students of archaeological history, Arora marvels the artistic excellence, technological  sophistication  and religious moderation of the bygone era but expresses concern at some cultural misunderstandings by the travelers, for which he suggests long overdue need for fresh translations of their account to get new insights on history. The suggestion is not without purpose as ‘the accounts of travelers (Chinese) are invaluable to inform and enchant us, and for providing us the evidence we need to resist the rewriting of history to suit narrow political ends.’ Without staking any serious claim to history writing, Indians provides an exciting churn of ideas, beliefs and values that have the potential to reshape our present. 

An ambitious journey covering the period from 220 CE to 2600 BCE makes for absorbing reading, although at places author’s innocent curiosity gets the better of accepted historical facts. Some of this comes from the danger and difficulty inherent in journeys across historic time zones, and hence perception on the eulogy of pre-Hindu era; the fall of Buddhism; and the mutilation of temples by the Mughals may fall short of academic rigor. No such claims are staked by the author either, who perceives history as many layers of suggestions such that it evokes, conjoins and involves the seeker. Else, who would be courageous enough to write that ‘most temple desecration had political and not sectarian motives.’ Arora evokes historian Richard M. Eaton’s famous remarks ‘absence of evidence is not evidence of absence’ to justify his digressions.  

It is with pleasure one reads a book like Indians, which provides hitherto unmatched style of dealing with multiple layers of history. With Arora as an inquiring travel companion, the archaeological sites come alive showcasing the complexity and diversity of the lost worlds. Written with transcendent beauty to prose, and with occasional moments of epiphany and even ecstasy, it fills the growing demand of capitalism and nationalism to draw a new narrative about being Indians. Without a judicious sense of history, argues the author, reflection on human societies across time and place alone can help construct an authentic present.

While deepening our sense of wonder that was India, touring historical landmarks to capture their imminent downfall brings about a new awakening on our past. For not been aligned with any ideological view, Indians should come a handy reading for the present generation which, under the influence of modernity, is getting distanced from our rich heritage and illustrious past. Only through an appreciation of unbiased history, can one bridge the distance between past and present to carve a distinct future for our civilization. Indians could offer a perfect start!       

Indians 
by Namit Arora
Penguin-Viking, New Delhi 
Extent: 296, Price: Rs. 599.

First published in Outlook weekly on Oct 1, 2021.