[world-vedic] Saffron fires and a film named water

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>OFBJP <OFBJP

>OFBJP Editor <Editor

>Saffron colored fires and a film named water

>Fri, 11 Feb 2000 22:44:49 -0500 (EST)

>

 

>

>SAFFRON COLOURED FIRES AND A FILM NAMED WATER

>

>Author - ANIL CHAWLA

>

>For most Hindus Varanasi or Kashi is the same as Vatican is to

>Christians, Jerusalem is to Jews (and Christians) and Makka-

>Madina is to Muslims. It can of course be argued that the concept

>of treating a city as sacred is ridiculous and does not stand to

>reason. Any city has its mix of good and bad. There can be no city

>that has no crime or illicit sex or such other vices. Yet, neither

>Vatican nor Jerusalem nor Makka-Madina will allow a film-maker to

>make a film on the darker side of the city. The sentimental and

>emotional appeal that the city has to millions of people will be hurt.

>In fact, the cities are oldest surviving super-brands and a projection

>of the evil in any of them can kill the super-brand and therefore the

>city. It is unreasonable for any artist or film-maker to hope to be

>welcomed by the city concerned while digging out skeletons from

>the history of the city and attacking at the root of the existence of

>the city.

>

>Deepa Mehta's proposed film "WATER" is a story about a portion

>of the history of Varanasi that the city would like to forget about.

>The film, as has been reported, is a story based in the year 1930

>and focuses on a child-widow in Varanasi who eventually has sex

>with a number of men. There can be no denying that there could

>have been such instances. The film-maker does not claim that

>what she is portraying was the norm. The film-maker does not even

>say that the practice is prevalent today. She accepts that she is

>trying to talk of a dark spot that is no more and that could have

>been more an exception rather than the rule.

>

>There have always been unconfirmed stories about illicit sex in

>Vatican. Recently a newspaper published that the incidence of

>AIDS in Catholic Priests in USA is four times than in general

>population. It is not known whether the report is true or false but it

>cannot be denied even by the Pope that among Catholic priests

>there are some black sheep who are not living life as they profess.

>This presence of black sheep cannot give a license to any artist to

>go to Vatican and do a film with a story line about a priest having a

>homosexual affair with someone. The idea of such a film will be

>considered shocking and deserving condemnation by any sensible

>man and not just by a Catholic. Artistic freedom and liberty of

>expression cannot be allowed to hurt the basic belief structure

>cherished as sacred by millions.

>

>Art, literature and film have to operate in a social environment and

>cannot be removed from it. An artist can and possibly should be a

>reformer. But in such a case the artist has to tread a cautious

>path. His/her intentions must be honourable. The desire to reform

>should stem from a genuineness of purpose and commitment

>towards the goal. One cannot reform by hurting people's

>sentiments. The process of reform needs patience, perseverance

>and long term vision. Deepa Mehta claims that she is a just a film-

>maker and nothing more. Her film's subject is a skeleton of history

>that needs no reform because it has ceased to exist long ago. In

>other words, she has refused to take on the mantle of a reformer.

>Her intentions are purely commercial and she makes no bones

>about it. Yet, there are some who defend her venture as if it is an

>attempt to reform.

>

>Emancipation of widows has been discussed for more than a

>century in India. Remarriage of widows has become well accepted

>in India due to the efforts of various reformers who raised the

>consciousness of Indian people on this subject with a lot of

>sensitivity. None of the reformers had an eye on profits, none of the

>reformers was a foreign citizen and none of the reformers tried to

>make a big show out of the widows for foreign consumption. Deepa

>Mehta has failed on all these counts. The mistrust about her is a

>result of her own background, which will not be changed by

>deleting a few words here and there in the script of the film.

>

>Non-Muslims are not allowed to enter Makka and Madina. Salman

>Rashdie's book Satanic Verses did not directly point at any dark

>spots of Muslim history, yet the book is banned in India and most

>Islamic countries. Projecting dark spots of Islamic history will lead

>to violent protests by Muslims and hence the artists, film-makers

>and authors make no attempt to focus on the underside of Islamic

>society. Christianity has changed a lot since the times when

>scientists were burnt publicly. But even now there are limits that

>one must observe while writing about the Church, priests and nuns.

>Compared to Islam and Christianity, Hinduism is extremely

>tolerant. Reformers are reasonably well accepted and have rarely

>faced prosecution or threats to life. The proponents of artistic

>freedom must realise and appreciate this. They must understand

>that they will need to evolve a set of norms for self-imposed

>discipline when focussing on aspects of Hinduism. Absence to do

>so will harm their interests and will lead to the Hindu losing his

>tolerance. In simpler terms, it can be said that here is a giant that

>does not get offended easily and can take a lot of nonsense, but

>please let it be that way by not hitting him where it hurts him most

>unless of course you can convince him that he is being hit for his

>own good.

>

>Unlike Islam and Christianity, Hinduism lacks institutions to give

>voice to the collective will of Hindus. RSS, BJP and their sister

>organizations (called collectively as SANGH PARIVAR) have often

>tried to act as self-appointed representatives of Hindus. However

>the Sangh Parivar has, in recent years, tried to become everything

>to everybody. On one hand, Sangh Parivar has tried to project a

>liberal, suave, internationally acceptable image, while on the other

>hand majority of its members and activists come from fairly

>traditional conservative families. The contradiction between these

>two extremes became self-evident in the handling of the WATER

>episode. The protests in Varanasi were headed and organized by

>front organizations of Sangh Parivar while some prominent leaders

>of the Sangh Parivar including some who occupy ministerial

>positions in the Government of India have been trying to help and

>defend Deepa Mehta. This has sent confusing messages to the

>world and has undermined the reputation of the Sangh Parivar as a

>coherent, consistent body. BJP and Sangh Parivar must realize

>that they cannot simultaneously run with the hares and hunt with

>the wolves.

>

>For all its follies, inconsistencies and internal contradictions, BJP

>and Sangh Parivar need have no fears, since on the other side of

>the fence, Congress has become so far removed from people that

>Congress has ceased to understand and appreciate Indian psyche.

>Strong emotions of people of Varanasi on the issue found

>expression in the general strike organized in Varanasi on 7th

>February. The general strike (bandh) was a total success. Ignoring

>such expressions of the collective will of people, Digvijay Singh,

>Congress Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, has invited Deepa

>Mehta to shoot the film on the banks of river Narmada in Madhya

>Pradesh. No wonder that Congress is moving fast towards

>becoming a dinosaur of Indian history.

>

>Politicians in India are so busy playing games of one-upmanship

>that they have no time to observe, analyse and understand the

>people's will even when the people's will is expressed loud and

>clear for the world to hear. Deepa Mehta's proposed film has

>evoked strong reactions but the reactions are being seen as fires

>stroked by communalist fanatics. The fires raging in Varanasi are

>seen with politicaly coloured glasses as saffron coloured fires.

>Media joins the politicians in this rabble-rousing. There are learned

>men and women who are preaching the virtues of free speech and

>fundamental rights as well as advancing high sounding lofty

>arguments while at the same time closing their eyes to the way the

>world at large looks at such matters concerning faith. It is high time

>that some of these learned men and women did some introspection

>and opened their eyes to the realities in the world. True liberal

>attitude, modern outlook and secularism consists in respecting the

>sensitivities of all faiths for their sacred cities. No one has any right

>to sensationalise and make money by rigging up controversies

>regarding any sacred city - whether it be Vatican or Jerusalem or

>Makka or Madina or even Varanasi. The world knows it and

>accepts it. It is high time that people like Deepa Mehta, Shabana

>Azmi, Nandita Das, Javed Akhtar and Shahrukh Khan understood

>this simple rule.

>

>ANIL CHAWLA

>Tel.: (91)-755-736901/736902 (Res.)

>E-mail: snacks

>

>

>10 February, 2000

>

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>ANIL CHAWLA is an engineer by qualification but a philosopher by

>vocation and a management consultant by profession. He has done

>extensive work on Constitutional Law. His "DRAFT OF A NEW

>CONSTITUTION OF BHARAT" has been recently published and

>well received. A copy of the "DRAFT OF A NEW CONSTITUTION

>OF BHARAT" can be downloaded (in MS Word format) from

>http://anilchawla.homestead.com/

>

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>HINDUSTAN STUDIES & SERVICES LTD.

>MF-104, Ajay Towers, E5/1 (Commercial), Arera Colony,

>BHOPAL - 462016, INDIA

>Tel.: 91-755-567485, 562665 (Off.) 736901, 736902 (Res.)

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