CRITICS OF REVOLUTION IN INA RAN BY ADESOJI OLATEJU USING MARXIST APPROACH

CRITICS OF REVOLUTION IN INA RAN BY ADESOJI OLATEJU

USING MARXIST APPROACH

OLATILEWA OLAYEMI S.

Introduction

Karl Marx was one of the first social scientists to focus mainly on social class. His main focus on social class was that one's social class dictated one's social life. Basically, Marx meant that if one is in the upper class, life was one of leisure and abundance, while those in the lower class lived lives of hardship and poverty. According to Marx, there was one social element that would determine where one fit in the social class hierarchy: that of who controls the means of production, meaning who owned the resources necessary to produce what people needed to survive.

The wealthy would be the individuals who owned the land and factories. The wealthy would then control all elements of society - including the livelihoods of the lower, working class. The lower, working class would work for hourly wages on the land or in the factories. Marx wanted to better understand how so many people could be in poverty in a world where there was an abundance of wealth.

Àgbékòyà Parapọ̀ Revolt of 1968–1969

In this analysis, we shall be looking at the drama, Iná Ràn, written by Adésọjí Ọlátéjú (2009) to explain Karl Marx view on how the poor or the oppressed can be liberated. Iná Ràn is an adaptation of the Àgbékòyà Parapọ̀ Revolt of 1968–1969, popularly known as Àgbékòyà or the Ẹgbẹ́ Àgbékòyà Revolt, was a peasant revolt in Nigeria's former Western region, home to the majority of the country's Yorùbá population. It is the most well-known peasant-driven political revolt in western Nigerian history, and continues to be referenced by grassroots organizations as a successful example of collective action against unpopular government policies. The revolt was predominantly aimed at agitating for a reduction in taxes, though some believed there were also political catalysts.

So, in this paper, we shall be looking at and applying five main points raised by Karl Marx that can be followed by people that are oppressed to be liberated. The five main point are:

Ø Consciousness or Awareness

Ø Determination

Ø Collective Action

Ø Protest

Ø Conflict stage

Consciousness

“Necessity is blind until it becomes consciousness. Freedom is the consciousness of necessity”

- Karl Marx

The people that are oppressed or suffering will never see any reason to desire for change until it enters their consciousness that they are truly suffering. At the beginning of the play, the first thing we are introduced to is the death of Bánkọ́lé who falls from kola tree. It is clearly stated that Bánkọ́lé won’t have died if not lack of hospital at Ọ̀bodá village. So his friends, Ògúndélé and Anísẹ́ẹ́rẹ́ are waiting for the following day when the bus will be available to take him to Ibadan.

Ogúndélé: Á ń retí ki mọ́tò de ni àárọ̀ ọjọ́ kejì,

ká lọ tọ́jú ẹ ní Oríta Mẹ́fà ni, afi

hẹn-ẹ̀n ti o mi kanlẹ̀, ló bá dákẹ́

(Olateju 2009 P. 5)

Ogúndélé: We are waiting for the arrival of vehicle in the following

morning, so that we could go and take care of him at Orita Mefa.

So just then we heard him had his last breath, and he died.

There are other cases of people that die as a result of lack of basic social amenities in the community. Such happenings make people to be aware or consciousness that they are really suffering, and they can’t but to seek for way out of their sufferings.

Àjàní: Débísí kọ, Gbàdàmósí ló já lórí ọ̀pẹ

Ibà amójúpọ́n’ lo pa Débísí ní tirẹ̀.

Dàání: Òótọ́ ni, mo ti gbàgbé. Kò yẹ káwọn méjéèjì kú rárá.

Sùgbọ́n ìgbà ti kò sí osibítù tí a lè gbé wọn lọ ńkọ́

(Olateju 2009, P.7-8)

Àjàní: It’s not Débísí, Gbàdàmósí fell from palm tree.

Debisi actually died of typhoid

Dàání: It’s true, I have forgotten. The two were not supposed to die.

But what of when there was no hospital we could take them to?

From Act 1, the playwright introduces us to the problems people are facing due to maladministration of the government. Even though people have been living with all these predicaments and they perceive it as part of living, but there comes a time when they realize that the government have marginalized them.

Determination

“A dream doesn't become reality through magic. it takes termination, and hard work” - Kevin-Prince Boateng

Now that people are aware of their ill condition and it seems they have had enough. The first step they take is to write latter to the government. People are longer waiting for government again, they rather choose to go to the government and make their intention known. Which shows to us that they are determined to have a turnaround of their situations.

Dàání: Bàbá, mo ti gbà láti ṣiṣẹ́ náà. N ó kọ lẹ́tà náá lórúkọ abúlé wa yìí.

N ó si lọ mú–un fún akọ̀wé káńsù. Òun ni yóò fún ìjọba.

Àwọn ni aṣojú ìjoba ni agbègebè wa níbí. Ọmọ iná la a sì í rán sí iná.

Tó bá di Mọ́ńdè, n ó kọ lẹ́tà náà yóò si tẹ Sẹ́kítìrì tàbí Siamaanu Káńsù lọ́wọ́.

(Dàání dìde)

(Olateju 2009, P. 11)

Dàání: Baba, I have accepted to do the work. I will write the letter on behalf of our village. And I will deliver it to the council secretary. The Secretary will give it to the government. They are the government representatives in this our locality. It is the offspring of fire that is send to it. When it is Monday, I will write the letter and it shall get to either Secretary or the Chairman of the Council. (Dàání stand up)

Dàání is assigned to write letter on behalf of the villagers to the government to make their

grievances known. Also in page 53 of the same text, Iná Ràn, we see one of the tax payment

defaulters openly declares that there won’t be payment of tax again after the tax collectors

kill one of them.

We can say here that people’s determination to be liberated is gathering momentum as people are

bold enough to confront the government.

Arúfin kìínní: Ìyà dópin lónìí. Àti owó-orí ni o,

àti owó ìsọ̀ ni o, àwa kò san ọ̀kankan mọ́.

A bi bẹ́ẹ̀ kọ́?

(Olateju 2009 pg 53)

First Law Breaker: Our suffering has ended. And tax o, and levy on shop o, we are not paying anymore. Is that not so?

Collective Action

“Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results” – Andrew Carnegie

When people are determined to be liberated from oppressors, the next action is to come together

as one. The fight for freedom or liberation is not what can be achieved by an individual but

collective activities of all the concerned parties and that is exactly what happens in Iná Ràn. Even

though Ọ̀bọdà is the village at the centre, but struggle is collective solidify with the support and

agreement of other neighboring villages.

Aníṣẹ́ẹ́rẹ́: Mo ki gbogbo yin pátá o.

Gbogbo: Ò oo!

Aníṣẹ́ẹ́rẹ́: Ẹ kú ìrìn. Ẹ sì káàbọ̀ sí ìpàdé tòní, yóò jú wa ní ṣíṣe o. Yóò jú wa ni ṣíṣe o.

Gbogbo: Àṣẹ

Aníṣẹ́ẹ́rẹ́: Ká tó bẹ̀rẹ̀ ìpàdé, mo fẹ́ mọ̀ bóyá gbogbo ẹsẹ̀ ti pé. Àwọn ará Ọlọ́gẹ̀dẹ̀. Olórógbó ati Látúnde?

Ohùn: A ti dé o.

Aníṣẹ́ẹ́rẹ́: Àwọn ará Ọlóya. Móníyà, Orílé ati Ojútáyé ńkó?

Ohùn: Àwa náà ti dé o.

Aníṣẹ́ẹ́rẹ́: Ṣé àwọn ará Abà-Ọdẹ, Àkùfò ati Gbẹ́muyọ́ná ti dé?

Ohùn: A ti dé o.

Aníṣẹ́ẹ́rẹ́: Ìkèrèkú-Olódògbédò náà ńkọ́?

Ohun: Gbogbo wa la ti dé o.

Aniseere: Tó bá ri bẹe. Ka bẹ̀rẹ̀ ìpàdé…

(Olateju 2009, P.55-56)

Aníṣẹ́ẹ́rẹ́: I greet every one of you o.

All: Ò oo!

Aníṣẹ́ẹ́rẹ́: You are welcome. And you are welcome to taday’s meeting, it shall be success o. It shall be success o.

All: Amen

Aníṣẹ́ẹ́rẹ́: Before we start the meeting, I want to know if we are all present. The people Ọlọ́gẹ̀dẹ̀. Olórógbó and Látúnde?

Voice: We have arrived

Aníṣẹ́ẹ́rẹ́: What about the people of Ọlóya, Móníyà, Orílé and Ojútáyé?

Voice: We have arrived too.

Aníṣẹ́ẹ́rẹ́: Are the people of Abà-Ọdẹ, Àkùfò and Gbẹ́muyọ́ná arrived?

Voice: We have arrived

Aníṣẹ́ẹ́rẹ́: What about Ìkèrèkú-Olódògbédo?

Voice: All of us have arrived

Aníṣẹ́ẹ́rẹ́: If that be the case. Let’s start the meeting…

In the excerpt above, the struggle is not just about Aníṣẹ́ẹ́rẹ́ or the people of Ọ̀bọdà alone; there are others villages involve too. There coming together signifies that the battle can’t just be fought individually but a collective effort. We have some other villages like Ọlọ́gẹ̀dẹ̀. Olórógbó, Látúnde, Ọlóya, Móníyà, Orílé, Ojútáyé, Abà-Ọdẹ, Àkùfò, Gbẹ́muyọ́ná and Ìkèrèkú-Olódògbédo. Whenever there is meeting, each village always send their representative not only to feed them back about the outcome of the meeting but prove of being together with other villages as single union.

Protest

“We must always take sides. Neutrality helps he oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented”

- Elie Wiesel

The first protest is a written letter that is collectively assigned to Dàání to send to the government representative at the local council level. But the letter yield no positive result as the government go ahead to announce increase in taxes payment.

Ògúndélé: A mọ̀! Ṣé àbájáde létà tí wọn ní kó o kọ sí ìjọba lèyí?

Abí o ò kọ lẹ́tà náà?

Dàání: Mo kọ ọ́! Ṣé e mọ̀pé ìjóba ni Ọlórun wa,

bó sì ti ṣe wu Ọlọ́run ló ń ṣọlá

(Olateju 2009, P. 21)

Ògúndélé: Oh! Is this the outcome of the letter you are told to write to the government?

Or you didn’t write the letter?

Dàání: I wrote it! Hope you know that government is our god and god does whatever he likes.

The people do not relent in making their grievances known after the first attempt yield no positive

result. The second attempt, the people nominate Anísẹ́ẹ́rẹ́ and Àjàlá to visit the tax master at

his office in Ibadan and deliver their message directly to him.

Aníṣẹ́ẹ́rẹ́: Ẹ dákun Ajẹ́lẹ̀, Ẹ máa bínú.

Àjàlá: Ẹ jọ̀ọ́. Ẹ forí jìn wá.

Ajẹ́lẹ̀: Ẹ wá ṣe dògídògí wọlé bí àgùntàn tó já ní ìso erèé. Ibo lẹ ti wá gan-an?

Aníṣẹ́ẹ́rẹ́ Asojú ẹgbẹ́ Bínúkonú ni wá…

Àjàlá: Ẹgbẹ́ náà ló sì rán wa sí i yín.

Ajẹ́lẹ̀: Ẹgbẹ́ wo lo ń jé bẹ́yẹn

Aníṣẹ́ẹ́rẹ́: Ẹgbẹ́ àwọn àgbẹ̀ ni.

(Olateju 2009, pg 42)

Aníṣẹ́ẹ́rẹ́: Apology to you Tax Master, Don’t be offended.

Àjàlá: Please, forgive us.

Ajẹ́lẹ̀: And you just walk in like a loosen sheep from manger. Where did you come from?

Aníṣẹ́ẹ́rẹ́ We are representatives of Bínúkonú association…

Àjàlá: And it is the association that sent us to you.

Ajẹ́lẹ̀: Which association is that?

Aníṣẹ́ẹ́rẹ́: It is an association of farmers.

When tax collectors kill Làmídi, people protest to express their sadness and dissatisfaction about

the actions of government officials.

Arúfin kìínní: Ó t́o gẹ́ẹ́. Alubàtá kì í dárin. A ó gba ọ̀nà Kánsù lọ báyìí. Ẹni tí ọwọ́ wa bá tẹ̀ nínú wọn, àwa náà ó fi ònà ọ̀run hàn án. Ṣùgbọ́n ká tó lọ, ẹ jẹ ká tójú òkú arakùnrin yìí…

(Olateju 2009, pg 53)

First Law Breaker: Enough is enough. A bàtá drummer can’t lead a song at the same time. We will be going to Council now. Anyone of them we are able to catch, we too we show him/her the way to grave. But before we go, let take care of the man corpse…”

Conflict Stage

As one event leads to another and the government is unable to response positively to the plights

of the people, the conflict eventual happens. The people decide to attack the oppressors, the

government.

Aníṣẹ́ẹ́rẹ́: Mo kí gbogbo yín pátápátá, mo kí i yín tẹ̀sọ́ tẹ̀sọ́. Mo kí i yín tológun tológun. Ìbàdàn ya, lókè Agodi lóùn ún. Ẹni tó bá ní ìyá kó padà sẹ́yìn. Ẹni to bá ní baba ni kó bá mí kálo. À ń regbó ọ̀dájú nù-un.

(Olateju 2009, P. 68)

Aníṣẹ́ẹ́rẹ́: I greet every one of you, I greet you like soldier. I greet you like an army of war. Time to go Ìbàdàn, on the hill of Agodi. He who has mother should go back home. He who has father should follow me. We are going to the evil forest.

The people aim is not actually to overthrow the government but to set their people free from

captivity and to reject the government unnecessary imposition of tax on them. The Chief Police

officer is conquered and the people in the prison are set free. It is a victory for the people of

Ọ̀bodà and other concerned villages.

Shortcomings of Marxist Approach

Even though the people are able to claim victory at a particular period of time, that doesn’t mean

that the everlasting freedom is assured. In Iná Ràn people still continue to pay taxes and no prove

that all peoples’ problems are visited or solved by the government. Also, the main figure that

champions the revolution in Iná Ràn, Aníṣẹ́ẹ́rẹ́ never goes scot-free, government still punish him

for the role he plays. And this serve as a warning to everyone that may have same intention in

future. So we can conclude that the freedom people hope and fight for, which they think they

have after the revolution never theirs. People are not free in its actual concept of freedom.

At the time of Àgbékòyà Parapọ̀ Revolt of 1968–1969 a lot of lives were lost just like in Iná Ràn where many people lose their lives in the struggle for revolution. I think there should be better way for gaining freedom than that the process that will lead to losing lives of loves ones. At the end of it all, it seems people are the only ones live to bear the pain, tragic memories, loss and all that come with revolution and not the government or oppressors.

Some of the Loan words playwright uses in Iná Ràn

Loan words are words borrowed from one language to another. These borrowed words usually undergo adaptation processes to conform to the structural constraints of the borrowing language phonology. Such adaptation affects all facets of phonological structure, reflecting the segmental, phonotactic, suprasegmental and morphological restrictions of the borrowing language.

Yorùbá loanwords are prompted by contact between Yoruba people and other tribes like the English, Arabs and Hausa.

Several linguists have discussed the notion of loan words or what others called “linguistic borrowing”

Gleason (1961:446) defines borrowing as “the copying of linguistic items from speaker of another speech form” .

Spencer (1971:147) classifies loan words a “innovation, which cannot be accounted for in terms of inheritance and which at the same time is systematically related to a donor language”.

According to Howard and De Amuuda (2000:32) “when speakers imitate a word from a foreign language and at least partly adapt it in sound or grammars to their native language, the process is called “borrowing” .

Linguistic borrowing, loan words, loan adaptation, words assimilation or acclimatization, stolen words and phrase etc are all terms variously applied to this popular linguistic phenomenon. Whichever term one uses, it is generally agreed that this process is when one adopts a phoneme, word or phrase into a particular language lexicon by way of integration. Yoruba loan words can therefore be defined as words from another language, integrated into the Yorùbá lexicon by various strategies.

The table below shows some of the loan words in Iná Ràn, a Yoruba literary text.

N/A	Loan words	Source	Actual form	Where to be found in text (page/s)
1.	Sọ̀píráìsì	English	Surprise	7
2.	Ọsibítù	English	Hospital	8, 32
3.	Daas-ọrait	English	That’s alright	9
4.	Gọ́fúmẹ́ǹtì	English	Government	10
5.	Létà	English	Letter	10, 11, 21
6.	Káńsù	English	Council	11, 19, 21,22, 36,37, 44, 53,6,65
7.	Ṣíámáànù	English	Chairman	11
8.	Mọ́tọ̀	English	Motor	22, 43, 94
9.	Rìsíìtì	English	Receipt	23
10.	Éńjìnnì	English	Engine	26
11.	Wàláhì tàláhì	Arabic	Wallaahi Tallaahi	27
12.	Páfẹ́ẹ́tì	English	Perfect	27
13.	Kọ̀rẹ́ẹ́tì	English	Correct	28
14.	Àlàmísì	Hausa	Alhamis	38
15.	Jímọ̀	Hausa	Juma’a	38
16.	Fọ́ọ́mú	English	Form	40, 41
17.	Ọ́fíìsì	English	Office	41,49,57
18.	Ṣẹ̀ríà	Arabic	(Alshrye) الشريع	42
19.	Ìlèntírìkì	English	Electricity	44
20.	Tábìlì	English	Table	48
21.	Nọ́ńṣéǹsì	English	Nonsense	50
22.	Míntìnnì	English	Meeting	57
23.	Dásì-raìtì	English	That’s alright	58
24.	Mọ́bà	English	Mobile (Mobile Police)	78
25.	Básíkùlu	English	Bicycle	80
26.	Wisikí	English	Whisky	87
27.	Sítáà	English	Star	87
28.	Gúlúdà	English	Gulder	87
29.	Tẹlífiṣàn	English	Television	88
30.	Pọ́ọ́sì	English	Purse	93
31.	Takisí	English	Taxi	94
32.	Sà	English	Sir	95
33.	Lọ́yà	English	Lawyer	97
34.	Téṣàn	English	Station	97
35.	Rédíò	English	Radio	104
36.	Kọ̀ǹgilátọ̀	English	Contractor	104

The “That’s alright” uses in page 9 is different from the spelling of page 58 of the same text, Iná Ràn. The character that makes use of it in page 9 says “Daas-ọrait” while that of page 58 is “Dásì-raìtì”. The latter is believed to be a loan word because it contains the features of loan word into Yorùbá according Kola Owolabi 1989. The Character that uses the Daas-ọrait in page 9, Dàání, is educated, so we perceive is actually code mixing at that particular area. My conclusion is that Dàání actually says “That’s alright” which the playwright put down as Daas-ọrait being a Yoruba written text.

Conclution

We can say that the suggestions of Karl Mark really work if it is observed duly. Because the people

of Ọ̀bodà and some other villages are able to achieve their aims. Government reverses some

additional tax impose on the people at least for some period. Aside that, the action of the people

send a strong signal to the government about what people are capable of during if such thing

reoccur again in future. The change or better life that people desire will never come true until they

realized they have been marginalized. And there is nothing people can’t achieve if they are united

in their goals.

References

Tunde, Adeniran 1974, The Dynamics of Peasant Revolt: A Conceptual Analysis of Agbekoya Parapo Uprising in the western State of Nigeria, Journal of Black Studies.

Olateju, Adesoji 2009, Ina Ran, DB Martoy Books, Ibadan.

Owolabi, Kola 1988, Ijinle Itupale Ede Yoruba (1) Fonetiiki Ati Fonoloji, Onibonje Press & Book Industries (Nig) Ltd.

Abraham, R.C 1958, Dictionary of modem. London: University of London Press.

Awobuluyi, O. 1967, Vowel and consonant Harmony, Yoruba Journal of African Languages. 6:1, pp 1-8

Daniel, L Newman 2013, A to Z Arabic – English – Arabic Translation

& Husni, Ronak

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CRITICS OF REVOLUTION IN INA RAN BY ADESOJI OLATEJU USING MARXIST APPROACH

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