It is extremely sad to see the events which unfurled after the death of Dr Rajkumar in Bangalore. The rioting, stone throwing, burning of buses all seemed apparently pointless. However if we scratch the surface we might find some reasons behind this extreme reaction. Unfortunately there is a tendency to brush away unpleasant truths under the carpet.
Dr Rajkumar as we all know was one of the most respected, loved and adored icon of Karnataka. He apparently started his career from in a Company theatre run by his father. However his obvious talent in dramatics and the roles which he enacted in the silver screen, transported him to an unimaginable higher plane. He acted in over 200 movies starting from the black and white era to the late nineties. His first film was Bedara Kanappa, a mythological while his last film Shabdavedi was a cop thriller. As a person he appears gentle, soft spoken and humble. His obvious pride for his Kannadiga roots is evident in his speeches and songs, which seem to leave an indelible impression on his numerous fans. People say he is one actor who used to speak Kannadiga with lot of love and passion.
Though an outsider I consider myself a student of cinema. In that capacity I can appreciate the contribution of Dr Rajkumar to Kannada cinema and culture. Whatever I have seen and read about him only reinforces the image of a simple gentle artiste who is dedicated to his craft and is extremely fond of his people. His credo was to live and let live. He was the most identifiable symbol of Kannadiga culture, graciousness and attitude. End of the day to me one can only become a great artiste if one is also a good human being. Dr Rajkumar, I feel took immense pleasure in making the lives of his fans a little better through his craft. His obvious reluctance to join the political bandwagon unlike his peers in the neighbouring states also is laudable.
The question therefore arises is why did the people of Bangalore reacted in such a extreme fashion after the natural death of one of their living legends. It is important to note that this reaction was mainly limited to Bangalore. Let me list some reasons which my readers can refute or reinforce.
The violence which immediately erupted after the news of his death was to an extent the reflection of the unconscious animosity of local unemployed Kannadigas to outsiders who have come to their city and earning millions. There is an enormous economic divide that exists between the local youth and the software professionals working in various office of Bangalore. This division between haves and havenots if not corrected or checked can prove detrimental to the future of Bangalore and Karnataka. Fortunately the violence did not escalate to a major problem as the incidents were sporadic and reduced drastically after the initial shock passed away.
The violence which erupted next day near Kanteeveera Stadium and continued unabated till the body was buried is more complex and difficult to analyse. The whole episode was telecast live on national television with brutal images and footages. It definitely created a black spot on Bangalore which will take some time to be washed off. It is strange to watch the expression of satisfaction and glee in the faces of the troublemongers. Do they really understand what Dr Rajkumar stood for? It was also extremely disturbing to see the plight of several policemen who were beaten up by the mobs. The government machinery obviously underestimated the crowd which would gather in the stadium to see the dead thespian. Once the realization came it was too late and I am sure several top bureaucrats spent some agonizing hours till the body was buried. We hope this incident will be a lesson to the Bangalore city authorities that major events cannot be controlled without proper planning and coordination. The obvious lack of experience which the Bangalore police demonstrated in handling unruly mobs in an urban chaos should be noted.
Ruling politicians next day as usual started a whisper campaign stating that the mobs were controlled by anti social elements of the opposition party. Police were ordered to exercise restraint in the interest of the genuine mourners.
I am sure the people who participated in the violence will go back home proud that they have made Dr Rajkumar’s funeral procession memorable. But will they ever realize the ethos and sensibility with which Dr Rajkumar lived his whole life?