Mafiawith film industry led to Nepal violence

[Guest guest]

Mafia links with Mumbai's film industry led to Nepal violence

Free Press Journal

January 3, 2000

By V.Gangadhar

 

During the 1960's the mighty British navy almost engaged tiny

Icelandic fishing boats in what the media termed the `Cod war'. The

issue was the denial of fishing rights to Britain in Icelandic waters

which bred huge shoals of Cod, popular in Britain.

 

In the same era Hollywood made a Peter Sellers comic film, "The Mouse

That Roared" which depicted a tiny neighbouring nation taking on the

mighty United States of America.

 

Obviously all these sprung from the well-known David vs Goliath

clash. It is always big news when a small person attacked a big

bully. In the cases mentioned above, there were some causes for such

conflicts.

 

The ongoing tension between India and Nepal, though patterned on the

David vs Goliath legend, had no real causes. Of course, Nepal had not

declared war on India, but the signs of hostility were clearly

visible. People were killed and property destroyed in bitter anti-

Indian demonstrations at Kathmandu.

 

Indians are not exactly popular in that country. All this is

happening in the festive season, but for Nepal and India, it could

well be the silly season. No one seems to know why the people of

Nepal suddenly took to the streets against certain alleged remarks

made by film star Hrithik Roshan in a TV interview.

 

Hrithik, an engaging and likable young man, was as much appalled as

anyone else while denying the statements attributed to him. Why on

earth should he downgrade Nepal and its people in a TV interview?

Political leaders, sociologists, film people and the media had

intensely speculated over Nepal's motives. One of their ministers

supported the agitation and urged Hrithik to apologise for his

remarks. How can the young man do it when he had not made any such

observations? In the mob hysteria witnessed on the streets of

Katmandu, sections of the Nepalese media and some politicians with

vested interests while acting as prosecutor, jury and judge also

assumed the role of the executioner. Poor Hrithik had no chance.

 

Yet, the bitter outpourings of sections of the Nepalese people should

worry India. After all, Nepal was the only totally Hindu kingdom in

the world and must vibe with India which had a strong `Hindutva'

coalition government at the Centre. Nepal had nothing to worry from

India, yet seemed to have developed a phobia exhibited by small

nations which were close to much bigger countries.

 

Nepal was located between two giants, India and China. Though neither

of these two nations was hostile to Nepal, feelings of paranoia can

be understood.

 

Despite its propagation of Gandhian ideals, peace and non-violence,

some of India's neighbours viewed India as a not-so-gentle giant.

Pakistan had always attacked India's aggressive intentions

particularly with reference to Kashmir.

 

Though India was primarily responsible for the creation of

Bangladesh, relations between the two nations nose-dived after the

assassination of Banglabandhu, Sheikh Mujibur Rehman.

 

Here too Pakistan had a trump card to play and spread the message how

India helped in sundering united Pakistan and created Bangladesh.

 

Among those who believed this nonsense were former American President

Richard Nixon and his Secretary of State, Dr Henry Kissinger.

 

Sri Lanka had plenty of reasons to be unhappy with India. Fighting

the most powerful militant force in the world, the LTTE, the Sri

Lankan government had been quite uneasy at the open support extended

to the LTTE by the Tamil Nadu government. The support had been

tacitly approved by the Centre which had to rely on Tamil Nadu's DMK

government and the openly pro-LTTE group MDMK for its survival. The

Sri Lankans had reason to be deeply suspicious of the Indian

government for its failure to rein in the DMK and the MDMK, While

Nepal had no reason to fear India on these counts, its own internal

problems swayed the political mood against India.

 

The two large political groups in the Hindu kingdom, the ruling

Nepali Congress and the opposition Left Front, in turn, tended to

blame India for many of Nepal's ills. While the Communists blamed the

Nepali Congress as a stooge of India, the Congress itself attacked

the leftist forces for spreading violence and unrest in the kingdom.

 

It was significant that the ongoing anti-Indian agitation was led by

the Marxist student groups. On the economy front too, there had been

areas of tension.

 

The dominance of the Indian trading community in Nepal had created

envy. Enterprising Marwaris and Bengalis owned most of the shops and

trade all over Nepal, particularly in its southern regions. The

inferiority complex was further accentuated by the plight of

thousands of Nepalis in India. They were mostly working as watchmen.

The women, unfortunately, were identified with the flesh trade,

particularly in Mumbai. The sensitive elements in Nepal may feel that

India, was directly responsible for such exploitation.

 

Despite all this, why drag the name of a popular film hero who, till

recently, was a rage in Nepal?

 

The answer could be found in the sinister mafia-links with Mumbai's

Hindi film industry. This involvement, which were well known,

recently came to light with the arrest of the producer of the film,

"Chori chori chupke chupke." Hrithik's father, Rakesh Roshan, had

built a no-nonsense reputation and had not bowed to the demands of

the mafia dons who asked for the overseas rights of his super hit,

"Kaho na pyar hain." Last January, Rakesh Roshan, had been shot at

and wounded. What best way to remind the producer that he was still a

marked man, by besmirching the reputation of his son?

 

The Mafia had links within Bollywood which were used in this

nefarious campaign against Hrithik. The Mumbai police should

investigate the matter thoroughly.

 

The ministry of external affairs had once again been caught napping

over the Hrithik issue. In its obsession to be bracketed with the big

powers, the Indian foreign ministry had often taken for granted, the

smaller neighbours. As the elder brother in the sub continent, India

had a duty to assure its smaller neighbours that it meant no ill will

to them. This process could begin by imposing a ban on the LTTE,

warning the pro-LTTE Tamil Nadu political groups and exposing the

disinformation behind the hate Hrithik Roshan campaign. The ministry

of external affairs should lose no time in launching these measures.

As for any apology from Hrithik, the authorities should make it clear

that the star should be left alone.