Just now, @ranjithoskote was driven to resign from his...
Raghu Karnad@rkarnad
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Apr 05, 2024
~4 min read
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Just now, @ranjithoskote was driven to resign from his distinguished role at #Documenta, for reasons involving the word #antisemitism. The real story is ... just so perverse and bizarre, and it's worth going over. A thread.
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2. In August 2019, the Israeli Consulate in Mumbai hosted an event called “Leaders’ Idea of Nations: Zionism and Hindutva.”
It was co-hosted by a group no one had heard of, the Indo-Israel Friendship Association.
It was co-hosted by a group no one had heard of, the Indo-Israel Friendship Association.
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3. The invitation they sent out used a portrait of Theodor Herzl alongside a portrait of VD Savarkar. (One is a founding ideologue of #Zionism, the other of #Hindutva.)
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4. (The Israeli consul has a sorry record, by the way, of cozying up to the lowest rung of right-wing frauds and provocateurs here, in an effort to prove its deep connection with Indians. Lots of that this month!)
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5. There were plenty of good reasons to criticize the 2019 Israeli consulate event, and its endorsement of Savarkar.
Here's one: Savarkar was a big admirer of Hitler, and was specifically inspired by Nazism's approach to dealing with religious minorities.
Here's one: Savarkar was a big admirer of Hitler, and was specifically inspired by Nazism's approach to dealing with religious minorities.
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6. To Savarkar, in his own words, Indian Muslims were “potential traitors, like the Jews in Germany.”
(Here he borrowed the dual loyalty argument, a classic trope of European antisemitism.)
(Here he borrowed the dual loyalty argument, a classic trope of European antisemitism.)
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7. Another good reason to criticize the event was given in a letter from @IWF_Writers.
It noted "the collusion of two ideologies", both supremacist, in which "other communities have to be relegated to an unequal status through suppression".
It noted "the collusion of two ideologies", both supremacist, in which "other communities have to be relegated to an unequal status through suppression".
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8. The statement contains not. a. breath. of antisemitism -- nor any reference to Jewish people.
More than 40 writers, artists and cultural figures from India signed it, including a Jewish critic of Israeli policies, Marcy Newman.
More than 40 writers, artists and cultural figures from India signed it, including a Jewish critic of Israeli policies, Marcy Newman.
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9. The letter was also signed by Ranjit Hoskote, a poet & leading critic and art curator from Mumbai.
Among recent distinctions, Ranjit co-curated the show that opened @nmacc_india; he also exhibited at the Venice Architecture Biennale this year.
Among recent distinctions, Ranjit co-curated the show that opened @nmacc_india; he also exhibited at the Venice Architecture Biennale this year.
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10. Ranjit was forwarded the letter by the artist Vivan Sundaram (whose own grandmother belonged to a Hungarian Jewish family)
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11. Okay, part of me resists the need to produce Ranjit's credentials this way, since he is one of India's most recognised and admired thinkers. But since we're here...
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12. Ranjit's first mentor was the poet Nissim Ezekiel, a Bene Israeli, and part of Bombay's celebrated Jewish community.
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13. Ranjit's own family included relatives who were Viennese Jews, one of whom - Kitty Shiva Rao, nee
Verständig - moved to India in the 1920s, and helped other Jews fleeing persecution in Europe.
(She has a great story:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitty_Shi…)
Verständig - moved to India in the 1920s, and helped other Jews fleeing persecution in Europe.
(She has a great story:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitty_Shi…)
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14. Another of Ranjit's distinctions is his twenty-year-long association with #Documenta, the major art festival in Germany.
This year, he was a member of the committee to appoint the artistic directors of Documenta 16.
This year, he was a member of the committee to appoint the artistic directors of Documenta 16.
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15. Until last week, when the German newspaper @SZ found the 2019 ICF letter and - appalling, but predictable - ran an article accusing him of anti-Semitism.
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16. Given the prominence of #Documenta, others in Germany took this and ran with it. No concern for Ranjit's actual views, or his right to them.
Or the validity of tearing down non-European thinkers for fabricated thought-crimes developed around Europe's own historical sins.
Or the validity of tearing down non-European thinkers for fabricated thought-crimes developed around Europe's own historical sins.
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17. The 'allegation' was soon repeated by Claudia Roth, the culture minister of Germany’s Green Party, who called the 2019 letter (the valid concerns of thinkers from India, about an event held in India) as “clearly anti-Semitic”
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18. Roth threatened to withdraw state funding for Documenta.
And the art festival - which should have stood up for Hoskote and his values - has folded, distancing itself and waiting for him to somehow recant or apologise for signing the letter.
And the art festival - which should have stood up for Hoskote and his values - has folded, distancing itself and waiting for him to somehow recant or apologise for signing the letter.
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19. Instead, Ranjit has stood by his beliefs, and was compelled to resign.
His letter to #Documenta colleagues: "These last few days have been among the most deeply distressing days of my life."
e-flux.com/notes/575318/d…
His letter to #Documenta colleagues: "These last few days have been among the most deeply distressing days of my life."
e-flux.com/notes/575318/d…
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20. TLDR:
An Indian thinker, with deep ties to Jewish people and heritage, is being smeared as 'anti-Semitic' by German politicians and deserted by German associates -- for signing a letter, years ago, that criticized an event which (btw) honoured an ideologue inspired by Hitler
An Indian thinker, with deep ties to Jewish people and heritage, is being smeared as 'anti-Semitic' by German politicians and deserted by German associates -- for signing a letter, years ago, that criticized an event which (btw) honoured an ideologue inspired by Hitler
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21. Tempted to add my own comments here – about the West's eagerness to weaponize 'antisemitism' against the global south, and its new struggles – but that might be redundant; the absurdity speaks for itself.
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Raghu Karnad@rkarnad
Here's one: Nobody is better placed than Indians, right now, to call out & reject the cynical conflation of faith, heritage, national ideology, govt policy.
It's a conflation Israel has exploited, ad nauseum, and which the Hindu right envies and is busily laying groundwork for...
It's a conflation Israel has exploited, ad nauseum, and which the Hindu right envies and is busily laying groundwork for...
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You can follow @marcynewman, who's also a @thewire_in contributor.
Read her latest:
truthout.org/articles/pales…
Read her latest:
truthout.org/articles/pales…
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This just in:
Rather than permit its guest curators their own views (views shared by most of the world) the Board of the Biennale für aktuelle Fotografie has consulted state authorities and decided unilaterally to *cancel* their 2024 festival.
Rather than permit its guest curators their own views (views shared by most of the world) the Board of the Biennale für aktuelle Fotografie has consulted state authorities and decided unilaterally to *cancel* their 2024 festival.