Its been more than two years and no one here did it, but then a foreigner makes a documentary and suddenly our egos are on fire.
If we are really that averse to sympathy (which does not seem to be the point of the film, anyway), we will not wait to be sympathized to realize our dignity.
Not allowing it to be viewed in India shows cowardice and diffidence, not a supposed pride or a feigned patriotism. And also, of course, the quintessential Indian quality - we have to grind everything down to differentiation, politics, racism, and stupidity.
Any rational person who has seen the film will agree that it is not in bad taste or derogatory to women or to India.
It just shows the bare facts. It NEEDS to show the facts, not clever editorial tricks.
And yes it shows our widespread misogyny, the patriarchal mindset, and the insensitivity.
Averse to truth?
Well, you cant refuse to hold a mirror to yourself and then break one when it is being held.
Why would a foreigner make a film about our incident? You ask. Why make a big deal out of it and show it to everyone when there are such things happening everywhere too?
Simple logic. Because, my dear, beyond our castes and religions and nationalities, apart from social, cultural, political, and a lot other approaches, there is a broader arena called humanity, and a 'humanistic' approach. Once you start seeing things from that perspective, you would automatically start working for the cause and not for baseless accusations. Not everything is about conspiracy and agendas and grand schemes. Unless you are trying in vain to save your own skin, that is.
Secondly, this incident DID spark unprecedented outrage and it is NOT a secret from anyone in the world, really. So yes, the media IS MEANT to work on issues that have such mass impacts around the world.
The question, instead of being why a foreigner did a movie about a culture she cant understand, should actually be, why didn't ANYONE in India who understands 'our culture' so perfectly well, do one? Or, if that is not a comfortable means for us because we still uphold unfounded views on shame and such, did India do ANYTHING substantial at all, after the incident, to ensure that people are sensitized more, made more aware, the culprits given harsher punishment (in practical), and thus prevent things like this happening? Unfortunately no.
And unfortunately, we never seem to get off our butts unless we are whipped off our seats. Nudges don't seem to work.
Media is the most powerful tool and it is meant to be used for a greater good, whether it is done by Britain or India. And again, why don't we have more programs like this which REALLY reaches the core and is qualitative, open, educative, eye opening, challenging and competitive too? Do we need to always wait for triggers? Can't we work without catalysts?
Does not feel good to have fingers pointed ! Does not feel OK to have our roots exposed on a global platform! Really? Well then fabulous! So, instead of reacting with baseless arrogance, use this as a blessing in disguise and PLEASE START DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THE ISSUE!
Take it as a challenge to assert our country in the RIGHT way - Have the documentary shown in every school, every slum, every college, every workplace; have education volunteers and social workers talk to children and teenagers, organize a mass movement where every wall in every home in the country realizes that rapes and gender inequality and ANY violence against women will not be tolerated.
Impose harsher action against culprits, prove that that action will actually be taken, have the men realize that every eye is watching their every move, raise your voice against every act of crime and work on instilling a true sense of safety among the citizens. Make it a 3 year or 5 or 7 year plan to make our country rape free (Sorry but I am unapologetically idealistic), and then you can yourself invite the BBC to make a documentary on how we have tackled our problems and issues.
Because if for some strange reason you take this documentary as an assault on your prestige and global face value, THIS would be a proper and dignified response, not banning the film or getting tangled up in trivial justifications and blame games.
It is already proved that we are great at reacting and not at responding to the 'why' and 'what' and 'what next' of anything; so now that the fire has been lit and the whole world is watching us, use that fire with intelligence to light up our society than to keep burning ourselves, again and again. Because we the nameless, common mass of the nation are really done with everything and are on the brink of diving headlong into positive change, whether it happens in peace or with protests.
No matter what we ban or not, our truth is not a well kept secret from anyone, and at this stage it SHOULDN'T be. Yes we need empathy, yes we need as much support and assistance as possible, and we will keep getting it from everyone, because we have allowed our pit to be dug this deep.
And yes, there are rapes and violence and several other atrocities happening everywhere. Wherever there are humans, there will be problems, whether it is India or London or Pangaea. No one is idolizing or defending a particular culture here and saying the other is full of loopholes. This matter goes higher than high school politics.
But what we DO need to realize is that we are still not even open to accepting our loopholes yet, and you need no more proof than the events of the past few days for this. We live in denials, and we give ridiculous justifications and excuses.
I don't know much about the complications of how the film might hamper the process or the system, and frankly, as a common citizen, I don't care. If systems are formed to protect us but they fail to do so, then we have all the right to fail in our loyalty to them as well.
And thus, we pointing fingers at anyone else will only make us look more pathetic, not protective and patriotic as we foolishly seem to be thinking right now.
Because seriously, if people who are supposed to be 'protecting' us in their respective positions and powers have such unimaginably low standards of respect and esteem as is seen in the documentary, and we allow them to continue, we will soon not have much left to be patriotic about.
We'll have umpteen films made on us, and they won't be out of empathy for much longer.
If we are really that averse to sympathy (which does not seem to be the point of the film, anyway), we will not wait to be sympathized to realize our dignity.
Not allowing it to be viewed in India shows cowardice and diffidence, not a supposed pride or a feigned patriotism. And also, of course, the quintessential Indian quality - we have to grind everything down to differentiation, politics, racism, and stupidity.
Any rational person who has seen the film will agree that it is not in bad taste or derogatory to women or to India.
It just shows the bare facts. It NEEDS to show the facts, not clever editorial tricks.
And yes it shows our widespread misogyny, the patriarchal mindset, and the insensitivity.
Averse to truth?
Well, you cant refuse to hold a mirror to yourself and then break one when it is being held.
Why would a foreigner make a film about our incident? You ask. Why make a big deal out of it and show it to everyone when there are such things happening everywhere too?
Simple logic. Because, my dear, beyond our castes and religions and nationalities, apart from social, cultural, political, and a lot other approaches, there is a broader arena called humanity, and a 'humanistic' approach. Once you start seeing things from that perspective, you would automatically start working for the cause and not for baseless accusations. Not everything is about conspiracy and agendas and grand schemes. Unless you are trying in vain to save your own skin, that is.
Secondly, this incident DID spark unprecedented outrage and it is NOT a secret from anyone in the world, really. So yes, the media IS MEANT to work on issues that have such mass impacts around the world.
The question, instead of being why a foreigner did a movie about a culture she cant understand, should actually be, why didn't ANYONE in India who understands 'our culture' so perfectly well, do one? Or, if that is not a comfortable means for us because we still uphold unfounded views on shame and such, did India do ANYTHING substantial at all, after the incident, to ensure that people are sensitized more, made more aware, the culprits given harsher punishment (in practical), and thus prevent things like this happening? Unfortunately no.
And unfortunately, we never seem to get off our butts unless we are whipped off our seats. Nudges don't seem to work.
Media is the most powerful tool and it is meant to be used for a greater good, whether it is done by Britain or India. And again, why don't we have more programs like this which REALLY reaches the core and is qualitative, open, educative, eye opening, challenging and competitive too? Do we need to always wait for triggers? Can't we work without catalysts?
Does not feel good to have fingers pointed ! Does not feel OK to have our roots exposed on a global platform! Really? Well then fabulous! So, instead of reacting with baseless arrogance, use this as a blessing in disguise and PLEASE START DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THE ISSUE!
Take it as a challenge to assert our country in the RIGHT way - Have the documentary shown in every school, every slum, every college, every workplace; have education volunteers and social workers talk to children and teenagers, organize a mass movement where every wall in every home in the country realizes that rapes and gender inequality and ANY violence against women will not be tolerated.
Impose harsher action against culprits, prove that that action will actually be taken, have the men realize that every eye is watching their every move, raise your voice against every act of crime and work on instilling a true sense of safety among the citizens. Make it a 3 year or 5 or 7 year plan to make our country rape free (Sorry but I am unapologetically idealistic), and then you can yourself invite the BBC to make a documentary on how we have tackled our problems and issues.
Because if for some strange reason you take this documentary as an assault on your prestige and global face value, THIS would be a proper and dignified response, not banning the film or getting tangled up in trivial justifications and blame games.
It is already proved that we are great at reacting and not at responding to the 'why' and 'what' and 'what next' of anything; so now that the fire has been lit and the whole world is watching us, use that fire with intelligence to light up our society than to keep burning ourselves, again and again. Because we the nameless, common mass of the nation are really done with everything and are on the brink of diving headlong into positive change, whether it happens in peace or with protests.
No matter what we ban or not, our truth is not a well kept secret from anyone, and at this stage it SHOULDN'T be. Yes we need empathy, yes we need as much support and assistance as possible, and we will keep getting it from everyone, because we have allowed our pit to be dug this deep.
And yes, there are rapes and violence and several other atrocities happening everywhere. Wherever there are humans, there will be problems, whether it is India or London or Pangaea. No one is idolizing or defending a particular culture here and saying the other is full of loopholes. This matter goes higher than high school politics.
But what we DO need to realize is that we are still not even open to accepting our loopholes yet, and you need no more proof than the events of the past few days for this. We live in denials, and we give ridiculous justifications and excuses.
I don't know much about the complications of how the film might hamper the process or the system, and frankly, as a common citizen, I don't care. If systems are formed to protect us but they fail to do so, then we have all the right to fail in our loyalty to them as well.
And thus, we pointing fingers at anyone else will only make us look more pathetic, not protective and patriotic as we foolishly seem to be thinking right now.
Because seriously, if people who are supposed to be 'protecting' us in their respective positions and powers have such unimaginably low standards of respect and esteem as is seen in the documentary, and we allow them to continue, we will soon not have much left to be patriotic about.
We'll have umpteen films made on us, and they won't be out of empathy for much longer.
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