The concept of inferno in the best way explains the essence of refined fascism, to the sources of which we paid our attention. Hence I try to briefly retell certain theses of that, what was very precisely formulated by Ivan Efremov – geologist, palaeontologist, biologist and historian at the same time.
First, he considered that the notorious natural selection is the most glaring example of the infernality, in which the evolution follows the single direction – the direction of greatest freedom, independency from environment. With all this a multiplication of immature, a hypertrophy of sameness, like sand in a desert, a break of originality and unique preciousness because of countless repeats happen. So going through the trillions of transformations from unknown sea creatures to thinking organisms the animal life was in inferno for billions of years of geological history.
Second, he rightly thought that human as thinking creature is trapped in double inferno – for body and for soul. At first a man thought that he saves from all life’s problems by escaping to nature. Thus ware created tales about pristine heaven – biospherically harmonious civilization without mechanics and machinery, which even today our “greens” dream of returning to. Inferno for the soul is the primordial instincts, a trap, which an individual holds himself captive in thinking that he keeps his individuality, but really he stops his development at the animal level, or at the level of zombie or demon, closing for himself thus the way to humaneness. With the development of mighty state apparatuses of power and oppression, with the strengthening of nationalism, with strictly closed border, infernos also began to be created in society. Any imperfect social system aims to self-isolation protecting its structure from contacts with other systems. Obviously, only an “elite” of any society was able to save the imperfection. And for this it primarily created the segregation under any pretext – national, religious etc. – to turn the life of its people into the vicious circle of inferno, to separate it from other world. That’s why the infernality was always “elitist” clans’ handwork. Ivan Antonivich warned the mankind not to let the world power of oligarchy – the main source of fascism. If it happens, over our planet will be shut down the lid of total hopelessness of infernal existence under the thumb of absolute power armed with the whole might of terrible weapon and same-murderous science. And nobody and nothing will help, because it will be impossible to escape from the circle of infernality, where only animals and its varieties – zombies and demons – will come into the world under the blind instinct of reproduction and species saving.
And in that philosophical-political novel, Mr, Holmes, there is a place where the author, though not mentioning India, tells about the culture, in which people with their strong feelings, memory and ability to understand the future have already realized that as any earthly creature they from their birth are doomed to death. And the question for them is only the time of execution and the suffering they are to bear. And the higher, purer, generous is an individual – the greater measure of suffering will be given to him by the “lavish” nature and the social being. And are there no pure and generous men between three million of “little people”? But the “lavish” nature and the “social being” have forever given them the full measure of suffering, which neither they nor surrounding people notice. And where is the exit from this real and not literary inferno?
Sorry, Grisha, but I think that you lay it on thick, when speaking about India. It seems to me that you had a dream about “Indian fascism”.
It isn’t so, Mr. Holmes. Being a Russian I like India with all my heart. And I spent the three years not only in the ashram of Sai Baba. You’ve lived in Bombay for two days. Did you turned the TV on?
Yes, Grisha, I did. I changed the programmes: there were more than 80 channels and everywhere they sing, play Indian musical instruments, dance folk dances. What is bad? The national culture is protected. In many western rather difficult to understand where are you – the single American standard.
I also don’t admire the western culture, but it reflects the real life somehow. But one cannot know the life of India by its films. And the Western critics created a popular formula of estimating the Indian cinema: “There are good films, bad films and Indian films”. But in the reticence it is the West’s self-estimate of its inability to understand the real aims of the Indian cinematograph. However, only the film studio of Bombay makes more than eight hundreds films a year – true Bollywood, as it is said here.
And what do you think to be the main goal of the Indian cinema, Grisha?
I think that cinematograph is the basis of religion in India. When we discussed the absence of the category “concept” in the Ancient Atlantis we didn’t raised the questions of religion and worldview. One can say that the origins of Indian cinema culture lay in the Ancient Atlantis. And the modern Hollywood is a pitiful imitator of the Indian cinematograph. Look at American films – a simple row of images, bright and catchy, but not a single thought, not a concept, not a dialog touching a people’s soul. Ask any spectator, who has exited from the cinema after an American film, what did its character speak of? He will look t you as if you are mad and answer that American guys don’t speak but act. The same is happening in the Indian cinema, but there are more exquisite images, more colours, dances, and music. I.e. it’s the well-designed languages of images. And it’s not surprising that many people look at Yankees like at rich monkeys. India in Indian films is like a peculiar advertisement – charming-beautiful, musical and full of puritanical love. But the saddest is that many people, and not only in India, like this “cinema- ersatz-life”. And now compare what you’ve seen in the real life with the cinema and with what has Efremov written about the inferno. You will understand that “I didn’t dream of Indian fascism”.
At this moment somebody knocked the door and Prakash appeared.
Sorry, Mr, Holmes, for I’m late. There are only two flights from Puttaparthi to Bombay a week – on Wednesday and Sunday. And you are to be in London on October 13. I was trying to get know about the variants with train or car trips, when in the ashram administration I was secretly told that today in the morning a plane with some delegation had come from Bombay. It will fly back at four p.m. After I had shown the requisites of our firm they promised to take us on board, if the administration would not object. I’ve just get the permission and immediately ordered you a ticket for the flight “Bombay – Frankfurt am Main – London” that takes off at two a.m. October 13. I hope that everything goes all right and you will land in Heathrow on Saturday morning. We have two hours before leaving for the airport.
Thank you that everything goes so well, Prakash. And does your brother really live in Russia?
Yes, Mr. Holmes, he really lives in Russia and occupies the tourist business. My elder brother went to Switzerland long ago and successfully works in the field of medicine. Our father dreamt that the middle brother lived and worked in Switzerland too since he had got the medical education as well. But our family had a protector – our teacher – who especially liked my middle brother. He recommended him strongly to live and work in Russia after his studies would have been finished.
It’s interesting, Prakash. Why even in Russia, if the life in Switzerland was much more calm and rich?
He told that in the next century all the important events would happen in Russia, and in Indian they should understand what would really happen there.