Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'He who has the gold, makes the rules' that was published in Newsband

He who has the gold, makes the rules

The Nobel Prize in Literature comes up with its fair share of surprises.  Singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, a long shot in the Nobel sweepstakes for years, is this year’s delightfully idiosyncratic choice, for “having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition”. He is the most inspirational and influential poetic lyricist and songwriter of our generation, so an entirely appropriate choice for this prestigious award. It is about time that such a genuinely talented artist/musician who has been contributing to the industry for decades has gained recognition. All of his millions of fans across the world will be delighted.

Dylan has vast and varied creative output. He has the unique ability to stir hope in listeners even while plumbing the depths of darkness. Dylan's work with Picasso's 'Guernica', where a slain soldier is portrayed holding out a flower, is simply great.  

Bob Dylan is the first poetic writer, whose poetic lyrics have influenced more Americans. We have to appreciate Mr. Bob Dylan who has devoted his life for creating a new poetic expressions within the traditional American songs for decades together. We also have to remember on this occasion our first Nobel Prize winner in literature Sri Rabindranath Tagore in 1916. The difference is that Indians have not lived up to, or popularized Tagore's words, but Americans have popularized and tried to live up to Dylan's words.

While congratulating Dylan for the award, it is pertinent to ask committee awarding the prize, what are the parameters for awarding the prizes to particular person's works only. Recent trends reveal that most of the awardees have been dissenters of their country's politics and tilted in favour of capitalism and free- market US economy. The trend also indicates domination of USA in both awarding committees as well as the awardees over the years.

Viewed from a vantage point, many would wonder what makes material for Nobel Prize. Powers who hold the reins of the "demonic" nation are offered Noble Peace prize, and the greatest apostle of Peace - MAHATMA GANDHI - was actually considered a "terrorist" and disregarded - what is all these? In another instance, Dr ECG Sudersanan, a physicist, who not only predicted and mathematically proved that there is a "Mirror Universe", as well as proving that the Einsteinian concept of Speed if light being the "ultimate' as wrong and infinity does exist in "speeds" - has not been given the Nobel Prize for Physics, even in Nine attempts! There are many such instances of biases and wrong offers.

The Golden Rule of life is "He who has the gold, makes the rules". You can't tell the Nobel committee how to spend their money. It is their money, they decide who to give it to. Even Tagore was given Nobel only because of active influencing by poet W.B Yeats.