… And no end to a world in conflict. Here we are on the front line between the State of Kerala and Tamil Nadu in India, where the airwaves are filled with the sounds of religious warfare. On a beach six kilometres north of this location close to the state frontiers, massive sets of 'master blaster' speakers broadcast to the enormous congregation of Christians encamped on the beach. Border blasting continues night and day, the sound spreading out indiscrimately in all directions.
Meanwhile, the predominantly Hindu communities to the south attempt to respond in kind, the airwaves filled with amplified temple drumming, singing, and chanting. The main Christian assault took place during the four days after Christmas Day, but we confidently expect a final thrust on Epiphany (January 5th) and possibly the following Sunday as well. Their music resembles Jim Reeves, New Age, crossed with Drum and Base, these are not hymns as you would generally recognise them.
It is all good-natured and well-intentioned of course, and there is also room for the three Moslem mosques whose minarets are visible to broadcast their regular calls to prayer to the faithful, and then there are also the local village fisherman. This other community, of whom everybody is slightly fearful, and who spend their nights out on the sea and shun daytime society, began broadcasting their New Years day party, a more raucous and unashamedly secular sounding affair involving raki spirit, beginning at 4 am. Nobody ever dares to ask these original proletariats to turn their music down.
All of us reaonably and more-or-less peacefully engage in our own forms of religion, and spreading the word through the airwaves for all to hear. In the early years of the Communist Revolution in Russia, the architectonics of broadcasting were invented, another triumph of originality from the Constructivist artists of genius, and today all of us fill the airwaves using whatever technology is available to us and we can afford.
Here on the blog it is no different, and we are in conflict too, broadcasting our own brand of criticality and comment, these silent words asking for attention. It is a wonder mmj and ak dont end up killing each other. How does dialogue enable us to avoid murder and keep going?
mmj