Genius, cynic, but ‘no guru’


Hindustan Times, Evening News, Tuesday, January 7, 1992

By Jaspreet Kindra


U. G. Krishnamurthy. Called UG, born July 9, 1918. That makes him 73. He makes no claims to be a philosopher or as a thinker — not even a guru. (“If Mahesh thinks so, I feel sorry for him.”) “So why do you want to interview me? My opinion is not of more importance than that of the girl making coffee inside.” But then he says it, since you've got to make money (I would prefer to call it doing my job). He admits there is nothing wrong in making money. That was what he had been telling Mahesh Bhatt on the phone some time back, “You are only making money now, make lots of it, enough to keep all of us going.” Like it or not but he does enjoy it — the publicity. He shows you the video cassette, his latest interview for Australian television.


At last we get down to the interview. Then he tells you. He hates being quoted. Some help. The other journalists keep doing that, he explains, he doesn't like it. You can make something out of anything I say, suits me fine. I tell him, maybe his opinion is not influenced by anything which makes it valuable hence sought after, I reason. He has caught the word ‘influence’. (I have to quote you Mr U.G.) “I am the luckiest man alive. Everything I had read, heard (influences) has been flushed out of my system.” He is he, living his own life. “I can't live anyone else's lives for them.” He has warmed up now. He hates it — the so-called culture and what you call tradition. Everything is forced down one's throat. He has got rid of it all now — but since it doesn't fit into the value system, the traditional thought — that there is a God, religion … “All crap” he stays away from it all. Does he come up with such statements to shock people? He doesn't, he tells you quietly. People come and talk to him, ask him things, he doesn't go to anyone, he reasons.


Talking about religion, he reveals that people actually go to the temple for material wants — nothing else. “If I say I don't believe in God, I am automatically labelled an atheist — I am not an atheist. An atheist is someone who goes about destroying the concept of God and converting believers into non-believers,” he explains.


Does he believe in life after death? He scornfully puts it — what are you talking about living — we are already dead. Since he sounds kind of disappointed, you ask him about the present situation prevailing in the country — would he justify violence? “Anything borne out of thought is violent — there is always a battle going on within you. The violence is already there, so you won't resolve anything by condemning it.” Another quote — “The utopia they are promising will always be a dream.” He elucidates — what do we have in common, food? No. Language? No. We are economically dependent on each other, you point out. “So that's it. Why don't we admit that that is what binds us and stop all that crap about unity in diversity?” He is laughing — what will India do internationally — they must set their own house in order first. We have no role to play. He candidly admits that he comes here because he can ‘stretch my dollar’ here and so do all other foreigners.


How does he react to power? “Everyone loves power, even knowledge is not gained for the sake of knowledge, it's done to assert your superiority over the illiterate. You have enough now! And don't quote too much. I used to think I was the first one to have called Freud a fraud, G. K. Chesterton had already done that. Some day the computer will call our bluff.” And he excitedly shows you his new word bank — it is a bank of words in all the European languages. And he is proud of it.


No big deal. Anyone can talk like that. But then who dares do it? Sorry about the quotes UG, but I have to make money, right?

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