Paradigms: Marxism, Buddhism, and Epic Literature, Ideological Realignment and Civilizational Continuity >>>> 31st FETE-Friday Evening Team Meet: Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

 Paradigms: Marxism, Buddhism, 

and Epic Literature,

Ideological Realignment and 

Civilizational Continuity

31^st FETE-Friday Evening Team 

Meet (November 6, 2026)

Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

The thirty-first consecutive Friday Evening Gathering of like-minded journalist friends and professionals at the Press Club Hyderabad, held on November 6, 2026, seamlessly sustained the rich, evolving tradition of transforming informal weekend conversations into a living repository of shared intellect and institutional memory. Operating within the established framework of voluntary fellowship, complete egalitarianism, and the treasured culture of respectful disagreement, the evening's multilogue traversed a remarkable spectrum of ideas around ‘Friday Square Table.’

Without the constraint of a rigid agenda or formal presidency, the table allowed its collective curiosity to move effortlessly between contemporary state actions, ideological policing, deep civilizational philosophy, epic literature, and the institutionalization of cultural heritage. And in the process on the continuous case on Varavara Rao, Buddhism referring to Sri Lanka, Yoga Vasistham, Narla V Rao’s book, birth of new organization to spread Buddhist philosophy etc.

In addition to regular participants Amar, GK, Subbarao, Bharat, myself, Mallepally, two first time participants, both members of the Press Club joined the FETE this time. One is, N Venugopal (Nellutla Venugopal Rao), a Telugu poet, literary critic, translator and journalist, who is currently editor of Veekshanam, Telugu monthly journal of political economy and society. The other member is VSR Naidu Former CGM (Corporate Communications) AP Transco, and Former COO AP Solar Power Corporation.

The initial segment of the dialogue focused sharply on the systemic realities of ‘Political Governance or Governance by Politics’ and the state's treatment of Prominent Marxist intellectuals and activists, particularly those associated with radical left ideologies.

The FETE in accordance with its normal practice in its earlier 30 meetings, attempted an honest analysis of the growing tendency of state apparatuses to deploy trans-state legal mechanisms to implicate dissenting voices, citing the prominent, highly controversial case of the veteran ideologue and poet Varavara Rao. Participants examined the complex jurisdictional and structural dimensions of an instance where an individual was entangled in an intensive legal case originating not within his native state of Telangana, but in distant Maharashtra. Venugopal unbiasedly detailed salient features of the background and context.  

The table as usual, avoided partisan accusations, choosing instead to critique how modern democratic executives occasionally utilize administrative tools to execute long-term containment strategies against ideological outliers, raising profound questions regarding civil liberties, the limits of police power, and the resilience of constitutional safeguards when state security interests intersect with radical political philosophy.

Based on Venu explaining the FETE table analyzed the whole aspect as, Varavara Rao’s legal entanglement remains a highly controversial chapter in modern Indian statecraft, bridging local activism with trans-state policing. The septuagenarian poet and Marxist Ideologue from Telangana was arrested by Maharashtra police in 2018 in connection with the Elgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon case. The state alleged his involvement in a radical conspiracy linked to banned Maoist networks.

Critics, however, consistently argued that the multi-state investigation was a calculated, disproportionate attempt to suppress dissenting intellectual voices. The prolonged judicial process sparked intense national debates regarding civil liberties, political profiling, and the treatment of elderly political prisoners. Though it is not a secret, Venu mentioned that Rao spent over two years in custody, during which his deteriorating health and regular hospitalizations drew widespread humanitarian concern from international Human Rights bodies.

After a rigorous legal battle highlighting the structural delays in tribal-belt containment cases, the Supreme Court of India granted him permanent medical bail in 2022. The case remains a stark illustration of institutional friction between state security and constitutional freedom. FETE further viewed that, from an analytical perspective, Varavara Rao's case highlights the deep structural tension between state sovereignty and individual constitutional liberties.

By using the anti-terror law to cross state borders and execute long-term pretrial detention, the state apparatus effectively demonstrated how administrative procedures can be leveraged as instruments of political containment. While national security requires the proactive monitoring of radical underground networks, the lack of a timely trial and the heavy reliance on digitized evidence of disputed origin exposed significant institutional vulnerabilities, felt the FETE.

Ultimately, this intervention blurred the critical line between containing violent extremism and suppressing ideological dissent, establishing a chilling precedent for how the modern state can neutralize inconvenient intellectual opposition within the framework of democratic consensus. The table contextualized these state interventions as part of an enduring global phenomenon, noting that mature and developing democracies alike frequently deploy cross-border legal apparatuses and anti-terror legislation to neutralize radical intellectual dissent.

 Parallel historical and contemporary templates resonate closely with the systemic dynamics of Varavara Rao’s case, demonstrating how states leverage legal frameworks for political containment. Reflecting upon these international templates, the FETE members reached a measured consensus that India is no exception to this global rule of statecraft. The FETE table observed that in the matrix of governance, constitutional democracy and state security cases operate as two distinct, parallel tracks.

At this juncture one of the participants made a reference to the phrase: ‘Kill the Indian, Save the Man’ episode, where the US Federal Government used its sovereign authority to forcibly remove indigenous children from their families and place them in distant, state-funded boarding schools. However, in this specific historical context, the word ‘Indian’ refers exclusively to ‘Native Americans’ (the Indigenous Peoples of North America), not people from the ‘Country of India.’

Throughout American History, the US Government, military, and public legally referred to them in the same way. The phrase was the guiding philosophy behind the late 19^th and early 20^th Century assimilation policies implemented by the US government. Coined by Captain Richard Henry Pratt, this doctrine served as the official rationale for the Native American boarding school system, most famously exemplified by the Carlisle Indian Industrial School.

When Captain said this, he meant: Completely destroy the ‘Native American Culture, Language, Religion, and Identity’ inside the child. Save the Man means, Save the individual person by turning them into a Westernized, English-speaking, Christian Citizen who would blend into white American society. Thus, it was a policy of ‘Cultural Erasure’ and if analyzed through an objective academic lens, it represented a deliberate exercise of ‘State Sovereignty’ to achieve total cultural homogeneity through forced institutional assimilation.

While the democratic framework loudly proclaims ‘Universal Civil Liberties,’ the administrative state simultaneously utilizes specialized legal machinery to execute the containment of ideological outliers, proving that the preservation of systemic stability frequently overrides the lofty ideals of individual franchise across the globe. This critique of materialist ideology and state coercion provided a natural philosophical bridge to the evening’s extensive exploration of Buddhism.

Thus, it was examined not through the lens of institutional religion, but as a revolutionary intellectual movement that fundamentally disrupted the established socio-religious paradigm of ancient India. The conversation focused on the profound existential transition of Siddhartha Gautama, who chose to deliberately abandon royal luxury, inherited status, and dynastic security to step into the isolation of the forest in a relentless pursuit of foundational knowledge.

The table analyzed his (Buddha) radical methodology, initiated by Mallepally Lakshmaiah, who himself is known for his fundamental views on various aspects, in addition to shouldering the responsibility as co-convenor of Political Joint Action Committee during the second phase of separate statehood agitation, eventually achieving the state, and demonstrated his capabilities through his transformative work at the internationally recognized Buddha Vanam project.

The Analysis was anchored in empirical observation and logical deduction rather than reliance on divine revelation or scriptural authority. FETE Participants noted that Buddhism emerged as a powerful, systematic critique of the contemporary Vedic Order, explicitly disproving and rejecting the absolute authority of the Vedas, the cosmic necessity of elaborate Yagnas, animal sacrifices, and the hereditary stratification of social hierarchies.

The discussion centered on the structural elegance of the Buddha's core philosophical framework: the Four Noble Truths. The table retrieved broadly these foundational principles, examining the systematic reality of ‘Dukkha’ (Suffering), ‘Samudaya’ (Its origin in Attachment), ‘Nirodha’ (The Possibility of its absolute cessation), and ‘Magga’ (the structured Eightfold Path to liberation).

The group deliberated on how this diagnostic approach operated as a highly rational, almost scientific framework for human psychology. By placing the agency of salvation entirely within individual consciousness, the Buddha revolutionized ancient thought, substituting rigid external priestly rituals with disciplined personal action.

The group deliberated on how this diagnostic approach: identifying the reality of suffering, locating its origin in attachment, affirming the possibility of its cessation, and mapping the structured path to liberation, operated as a highly rational, almost scientific framework for human psychology and ethics, transforming the ancient world by placing the agency of salvation entirely within the reach of individual consciousness and disciplined action rather than external priestly intervention.

The theme of acquiring knowledge and navigating internal crisis naturally led the table to examine the profound narratives embedded within the ‘Yoga Vasistham,’ focusing on the transformative spiritual journey of a young Prince Rama. The dialogue reconstructed the poignant moment when Rama, returned from a nationwide pilgrimage and overwhelmed by a deep existential dejection regarding the fleeting nature of worldly existence, received the news of his impending royal coronation.

Rather than embracing the material grandeur of the throne, the young prince mounted his horse and rode directly to the humble forest hermitage of the family's Chief Priest and preceptor, Sage Vasistha, seeking structural clarity on the nature of reality, duty, and human consciousness. This narrative prompted an absorbing comparative analysis between the trajectories of Buddha and Rama. The roundtable highlighted the stark structural difference in their paths to enlightenment.

Siddhartha Gautama was forced to completely sever his institutional ties, abandon his kingdom, and wander as an isolated seeker to discover truth entirely on his own terms, whereas, Prince Rama obtained his profound philosophical realization within the matrix of his royal duties, receiving the comprehensive teachings of the Yoga Vasistham directly from his Chief Priest while remaining firmly embedded within the framework of statecraft, family responsibilities, and dynastic expectations.

The participants then traced the historical and philosophical evolution that followed these ancient intellectual movements, viewing the later emergence of the schools of Indian Philosophy: Advaita, Visistadvaita, and Dvaita, as a direct, sophisticated historical sequel to the sweeping spread of Buddhism across the subcontinent. The table reasoned that the radical Buddhist Critique had so thoroughly shaken the foundations of traditional thought that the ancient orthodox systems were propelled to structurally reinvent their own metaphysical frameworks.

The subsequent philosophical renaissance, pioneered by masters like Adi Shankaracharya, Ramanujacharya, and Madhvacharya, was analyzed not as an isolated theological development, but as a rigorous, dialectical response designed to assimilate the logical rigor, monastic organization, and psychological insights of Buddhism while simultaneously re-anchoring society within a redefined Vedic framework.

Yet, against the backdrop of Buddhism serving as the Primary ‘Purvapakṣa’ (opposing viewpoint), that forced orthodox schools to refine their logic, the FETE discussion remained objective: appreciating how each distinct school, whether proposing absolute non-dualism, qualified non-dualism, or stark dualism, contributed to a magnificent tapestry of intellectual pluralism. This demonstrated that civilizational continuity in India has always been sustained through intense, sophisticated debate and the constant capacity to absorb, counter, and refine challenging ideological paradigms across successive eras.

Turning their attention back to epic literature, the ‘Friday Square Table’ revisited the Valmiki Ramayana, focusing on the highly complex, intellectually provocative character of ‘Jabali’ as depicted during the intense deliberations in the Ayodhya Kanda. The conversation analyzed Jabali’s sharp, uncompromising counsel to Rama at Chitrakoot, where he actively urged the prince to reject his father's deceased mandate, dismiss abstract notions of after-life righteousness, and return to claim the material comforts of the kingdom.

The table engaged in a layered discussion regarding whether Jabali should be categorized purely as an absolute atheist, a proto-Charvaka materialist, or rather as a strategic, highly skilled sophist who deliberately deployed extreme rationalist arguments solely to test the depth, resilience, and unshakeable ethical commitment of Rama's character. This exploration of moral ambiguity in the forest exile extended to a subtle analysis of an often-overlooked dialogue between Sita and Rama regarding the carrying of weapons.

The group examined Mallepally Lakshmaiah’s nuanced analysis of Sita's profound, gentle objection to Rama and Lakshmana constantly carrying lethal arms while living the peaceful life of forest ascetics. With remarkable psychological and tactical foresight, Sita had cautioned that the mere possession of weapons naturally alters human intent, warning that carrying bows and arrows in a tranquil environment would inevitably provoke an unwanted violent confrontation with the Rakshasas, effectively acting as an indirect catalyst for a full-scale war.

In this context, the book authored by the yester years legendary journalist and rationalist thinker Narla Venkateswara Rao, the celebrated Telugu play ‘Seetha Josyam’ (The Prophecy of Seetha), came for reference and discussion.  In the context of the dialogue at Chitrakoot, the play offers a fiercely rationalist re-examination of the epic timeline, highlighting Sita’s critical voice against the normalization of structural violence.

Narla leverages Sita's profound moral objections to the carrying of weapons in the forest as an early civilizational critique of pre-emptive militarization, explicitly framing her not as a passive companion, but as an articulate, independent advocate for ethical restraint and philosophical containment. The square table celebrated this narrative nuance as a timeless meditation on the relationship between militarization, disarmament, and human psychology, illustrating that the epic constantly balances the demands of ‘Kshatra Dharma’ with a profound awareness of ecological peace and moral restraint.

The final segment of the evening transitioned seamlessly from ancient literary geography to modern global institution-building and cultural diplomacy. The table enthusiastically deliberated on the conceptualization and imminent formation of a new international organization, anchored across the Palk Strait with Sri Lanka as its operational base, dedicated exclusively to the global dissemination, research, and preservation of Buddhist philosophy, heritage sites, and traditional knowledge networks.

Crucially, the participants noted with immense collective pride that this high-profile global initiative is scheduled to function under the international chairmanship of one of FETE’s own core members. He is none other than the distinguished senior journalist and social intellectual Mallepally Laxmaiah. The name of the organization revealed Lakshmaiah as: ‘World Buddhist Scholars Alliance.’ 

Mallepally Laxmaiah has been actively leading this cross-nation synchronization effort. Alongside international partners like Bollywood actor and Buddhist activist Gagan Malik, he participates as a core pillar of the Alliance to promote global peace, cultural diplomacy, and structural preservation frameworks between India and Sri Lanka. Lakshmaiah told the group that the alliance was formally inaugurated in ‘Matara, Sri Lanka,’ establishing a new anchor across the Palk Strait for cross-border heritage collaboration.

As narrated by Mallepally Laxmaiah at the FETE meeting, the establishment of the World Buddhist Scholars Alliance (WOBSA) is a commendable and timely initiative that brings together scholars, Buddhist institutions and cultural custodians across nations. Its vision of preserving and promoting the rich tangible and intangible heritage of Buddhism, while fostering peace, equality, compassion and fraternity, gives this organisation a truly global significance.

It is structured specifically as a platform for global scholars and lay practitioners to advance research into Buddhist philosophy, protect historic heritage sites, digitize ancient manuscripts, and disseminate traditional South Asian knowledge networks. The group reasoned that Laxmaiah’s proven institutional expertise, demonstrated through his transformative work at the internationally recognized Buddha Vanam project, and Center for Dalit Studies, positions him perfectly to steer this cross-border cultural bridge, connecting the shared civilizational memory of India, Sri Lanka, and the wider Asian landscape.

WOBSA deserves appreciation for going beyond the boundaries of academic scholarship and creating a common platform for research, knowledge-sharing, cultural exchange and the preservation of Buddhist traditions. Its commitment to bringing together diverse intellectual and spiritual resources for the benefit of humanity is particularly noteworthy. This new initiative holds immense promise in strengthening Buddhist unity and ensuring that the timeless wisdom of the Dhamma continues to inspire future generations.

As the unhurried evening drew toward its eventual conclusion over ‘Social Drink, Shared Refreshments and Warm Spiritual Camaraderie,’ the participants recognized that the thirty-first meeting had successfully reinforced the defining strength of their fellowship: providing an unhurried, free-thinking sanctuary where the profound insights of ancient history, philosophy, and epic literature consistently arrive to illuminate, balance, and humanize the immediate, complex civic and political realities of the contemporary world.