In our personal interaction, I somehow felt that Muzaffar Ali was here in Aligarh to know about and feel the pulse of Muslim youth, given the dark and harsh times that India is passing through.

Discussing Zikr was, I think, just his pretext to turn into an event — so that he could have a direct interaction with young boys and girls. His self-effacing, un-assuming person, humility and modesty personified, having shed all the airs of his feudal ancestry and the celebrity-status was hardly interested in discussing his book. Rather, he was keener to get an insight into and reading the young minds. So, he was with us, first (on January 25) when he went to the Women’s College Auditorium.

The following day, the same event was held in the Kennedy Auditorium. The AMU’s Kennedy Complex is known for its extra-curricular activities; for its Drama Club, Film Club, Music Club, Literary Club, Bait-Baazi (poetry) Club, etc.

The AMU of the 1960s was one of the finest eras of AMU’s political and academic stirrings, records the historian and AMU alumnus, Mushirul Haan (1949-2018) in one of his academic essays published in the India International Quarterly (2003), “Recalling Radical Days in Aligarh”. Besides other essays for preceding decades, such as Nationalist and Separatist Trends in Aligarh, 1915-47; and  Majid Hayat Siddiqui’s 1987 essay on AMU, 1904-45.

Too many of Aligarh’s Urdu memoirs paint a very rosy, romantic picture of AMU life. The only exception is the Hindi novel, Topi Shukla (1969), of Rahi Masoom Raza (1927-1992), which depicts the darker sides of the campus life at AMU.. Muzaffar Ali also avoids discussing the academics of the campus in the 1960s. May be that is because, he doesn’t have good words to say about the academics?

Muzaffar Ali did his B.Sc. (Geology, Chemistry and Botany) in 1964. He paints a rosy picture of the creative world of the Kennedy Complex of AMU. Unlike Naseeruddin Shah’s wonderfully written memoir, And Then One Day, who almost avoids painting such a picture. The memoir (1999) of the actor Saeed Jaffery (1929-2015) offers an equally romantic picture of the art, theatre and sports world of AMU, but that was long before the enviable Kennedy Complex of the 1960s. Jaffery owed it to the school teacher (later, headmaster), Syed Mohd Tonki (1898-1974).

Though, both Muzaffar and Naseeruddin acknowledge the contribution of Zahida Zaidi (1930-2011) in their creative lives. She was, “our window to art”, who inspired him “to think from a feminine viewpoint”; where “theatre and painting came together”, and that “this was an Anglicized group and made Aligarh a little more acceptable to a Westernised world”. Urdu poetry and literature were a world unto itself”; “a small cauldron of artists and one had to dive into it”; “Aligarh had the pace, leisure and culture to make people become what they wanted to be… they existed in a dream world and could read meaning into their dreams with the aid of the poetic world around”. “Rahi sahib”, who gave to us so many novels and films including the tele-serial Mahabaharata, “was indeed a mentor and inspiration”, was a “colossus of poetry”. Muzaffar Ali’s “passion for painting went back to Aligarh”, a “backbone of his creative journey” and which offered a “gift of zamana shanasi (understanding the world)”.

While interacting directly with the students in the Kennedy Auditorium, he was responding to the difficult times they were living in. He suggested they seek solace from and resilience in the “Aligarian sense of humour” and wit and poetry and literature. He devotes a long chapter in his book on his life in AMU,

“The Imli Tree”; the tree is supposed to be a symbol of faithfulness and forbearance, in the Budhist tradition. When I spoke of this to him, Muzaffar feigned ignorance and evaded my query as to why did he refer to Imli (tamarind) tree for the sweet [and sour?] memories of his AMU life. His plan to make a film on the trauma of pre-Partition Aligarh remains unfulfilled. In Aligarh, he identifies, Asghar Wajahat to be his closest friend. Referring to a line of Majaz’s poem, the AMU’s anthem (taraana), he complains, there is “too much of barrenness for the clouds [abr] that rise from Aliagrh to irrigate the parched world”. Throughout his memoir, he comes out as a brilliant translator of both prose and poetry of Persian and Urdu into English; just as he has organised the autobiography in well-integrated, logically interconnected chapters, having creative profiles of many characters of his life.

The initial chapters of his memoir talk about his ancestry. He quotes from an unpublished PhD dissertation of his father submitted to the Lucknow University. He claims to belong to the Chauras of Gujarat, who claimed their descent from the Lord Rama of Ayodhya, the name, “signified that no human blood would be shed on its soil, no war would be fought on its ground”.

His father has been a strong influence on him, who “lived his life as a humanist, a life true to his country and its ideals of harmony, opposing anything that divided man”. Enamoured with the Brahmo Samaj, his father wrote on similarities between Advaita and Sufism, to find commonalities in faiths. His Abba, “specially gifted in the art of storytelling” told him stories at mealtimes; “stories and more stories made up the lessons of life”. Tilism-e-Hoshruba’s and Dastan-e-Amir Hamza’s characters such as magician Afrasiyab, the intelligent trickster Amr Ayyar were the usual stuff, in the Kotwara world of “simple innocence”, a holy town of Gola Gokaran Nath, with its Shiv Temple, built by his ancestors, which also had once the largest sugar mill in Asia, “a melting pot of ideas, of the coming together of beauty and humanity; seeing and living Sufism on the soil of Awadh”.

A fierce nationalist, vehemently opposed to and betrayed by the Muslim League; his father’s uncle having assured his father help in the elections, called him to a mosque on a Friday prayer, and told the assembled devotees that voting for him, against the League, would throw all them straight into hell. Muzaffar’s father was shocked and predictably lost the election in 1946. In return, after partition, his father would keep reminding, “a raven may not take a single bone from my body across to Pakistan”. His Abba loved someone in the kinship who “was often asked why he eulogized India, a country where cows are worshipped. He would retort that in Pakistan, donkeys are worshipped”.

For the students of modern Indian history to get such deep, unusual insights about the hazards of the politics of Khilafat and Partition, Muzaffar Ali’s memoir, and his father’s portrait into it, offers great wisdom.

Next to Intizar Husain’s Urdu biography of Hakim Ajmal Khan, Ajmal-e-Azam (1999), Muzaffar Ali’s memoir is perhaps one of the rarest pieces of writing to have some candid and forthright details about the futile and hazardous politics of Khilafat. This Pan-Islamist mobilisation gets a subtle disapproval from Muzaffar Ali. The Muslim leadership of India had misled the Muslim masses mobilising them for restoration of a corrupt and degenerated institution far away in Turkey. The Indian leadership, too, kept the masses in dark as to how much unpopular had it become. The dethroned fugitive Ottoman Caliph had her princesses married off to the Indian princes (aristocrats) in Awadh and Hyderabad. One such prince was Muzaffar’s father, educated in Britain. The princess however soon deserted his father, ran away to Paris with the baby-girl, Kaniz, who was recovered with great difficulties, in 1962. His father knew, by the 1930s, “that the Muslim League would result in an ugly India”. He remarks, “Undivided India was torn politically between its vast Muslim population and its struggle for independence. The British played a major role in shaping minds and loyalties. Fifteen million Indians fought a war that was not theirs”. In the World Wars the British used Indian armies, “one million of Indian soldiers died. The leadership working on fanning anti-British sentiments used this emotionally”.

Muzaffar Ali claims his father, as elected member of the legislature, helped “minimizing the impact of migration in 1947 leading to the rehabilitation of the Sikh population in large numbers in the Terai region”.

Muzaffar is also fascinated with “fearless (Be-Khauf) and self-reliant (Khud-Aitamaad) women, such as his father’s sister. Though, her migration to Pakistan had shattered his father; another blow to his father came in February 1964, when Muzaffar’s mother passed away. So was Muzaffar too; his brother and mother both were suffering from incurable ailments: “But my days in Aligarh had a deep undercurrent of turmoil… I would go back to Aligarh with more pain than I could rise above”. His project of making a film on the fearless, self-reliant Mughal Empress Nur Jahan however remains unfulfilled, as yet.

At the age of 22, in 1966, he went to Calcutta passing through, “poverty-stricken, jobless” regions of eastern India. “Calcutta was a city fluent in the language of money”, “a weapon of subjugation, of tyranny and exploitation”. It “opened a world I could not have imagined in the wildest of dreams”. He met there his extended kinship such as the novelist Attia Hossein, who “appeared as a character in Gone with the Wind but could represent the modern Lucknow of the 1930s”. He was introduced to the “English theatre world of Calcutta”, the film maker Mrinal Sen, and of course Satyajit Ray, with whom he worked. In Calcutta Muzaffar got his first wife Geeti Sen, an art historian, a PhD on the paintings of Akbarnama from Philadelphia.

Having discussed each of his great films in separate, exclusive chapters, the pursuit of film-making revealed to him “the ugliness of film politics; camps and groups, rumours and espionage”.

Describing his indulgence in electoral politics, he found out that the world was increasingly “becoming crueler”; he “could see the ugliness of politics, smell the stench of power”. While going for door-to-door campaign, he found that it was a “mug’s game” at his level, whereas at higher level it was “game for mugs”; it was “all about ego”; “simplicity was lost in the politics of caste and communalism”; “demented leadership misleading the simple minds”. His description of Amar Singh kind of character in politics is extremely perceptive; where “strange characters show up, holding our future to ransom”.

About Lucknow of the 1990s:

“[He] discovered that an invisible layer of the RSS had taken over the cultural fabric of Lucknow and the entire Awadh region, a reaction to the Muslim League. The erstwhile Muslim taluqdars had shattered the Ganga-Jamuni myth by affiliating with the Muslim League around the time of Partition. They were secular to the core but stood by the communal forces of the League”…. “There was a tacit understanding with Amar Singh that I had to lose”. “While we dreamt of a future for Awadh that evolved out of its heritage of interdependence between craft and culture, the venom of communalism was spreading fast [and furious]”.

Muzaffar Ali turned, again, to art and poetry. An art commentator identified Muzaffar, the painter, as an Abstract Expressionist. For the answer to the problems of fratricide in India, Muzaffar turns towards the poets, Rumi (man to lead humanity into the twenty first century) and Amir Khusrau, the two “will forever continue to water my art, and make miracles happen to soften hearts and refresh human souls. We salute their invisible sawaar (rider) on the horse [rakhsh] of ishq [love]”.

In the lap of the two sufi poets, he wraps up his memoir, Zikr (a Sufi terminology, with many layers of meanings): This reminds us of Ghalib’s couplet:

rau meñ hai raḳhsh-e-umr kahāñ dekhiye thame

ne haath baag par hai na pā hai rikāb meñ

May Muzaffar Ali live longer and healthier to give us a sequel of his memoir as well as to give us the films he has been contemplating to make!

(The author is a Professor of History, Aligarh Muslim University)

Related:

The assault on the National Film Archives and Films Division is an assault on Constitution

Bollywood’s Conscience Speak: Celebs against anti- CAA violence at Jamia, AMU

Saheb, Bibi aur Palestine? Bollywood Must Make it Clear if it Stands with Colonialism or with Freedom

The post Muzaffar Ali and his English language autobiography, Zikr:  hope for a beleaguered India? appeared first on SabrangIndia.

“Ek Pyar ka Nagma Hai” is a famous Bollywood blockbuster song. It is a well known song, recognised by it’s lyrics, it’s music composer Laxmi Pyarilal and playback singer, the legendary Lata Mangeshkar. 

Without knowing the man, who penned “Ek Pyar ka Nagma Hai, Tere Meri Kahani”, the song has been a blockbuster in Indian classical and Bollywood’s film industry for the last 50 years of India cinema. 

The song, apart from being hugely popular, was brought alive two years ago. Renu Mondal, a street beggar, has been earning her livelihood singing the same lyrics at the Ranaghat railway platform in West Bengal for years. A video clip of her singing “Ek Pyar ka Nagma Hai” went viral on social media overnight after Atindra Chakraborty from the same state recorded her singing and put this recording on his Facebook timeline in 2019. 

Renu Mondal became a sensation over night,  famous all over the world. The renowned music producer Himesh Reshammiya picked her for a song for his upcoming film. 

The song then is much talked about, sung by hundreds of renowned singers over decades, bringing with renditions awards and recognition. Nowhere however have credits gone where also actually due, to the man, who penned the song. 

Indian Idol, in its 12th signing competition telecasted on Sony TV recently, surprised the nation by bringing in an 84-year-old man on a wheelchair on the stage. It was none other than the man who penned 109 songs for 29 Indian films including “Ek Pyar ka Nagma Hai” for the film, Shor in 1972 – Santosh Anand. 

He is very old, but remembered his close friend Laxmi Pyarilal, a special guest of the show, who was seated on the front row. Waving both of his hands, hardly able to hold them together, passing his greetings on to the renowned composer, both hands folded. 

Neha Kakkar, one of the judges of the competition, sang for Santosh Anand, and reminded the crowd, competitors and the nation that it was Santosh who wrote the song. 

The audience, including the judges and participants of the competition were shocked to see the legend. 

The story did not end there. What overwhelmed and shocked viewers more was his beleaguered

physical condition. Santosh ji has been living with the sole support of his grand daughter. 

The tragedy of Santosh began after his son and daughter-in-law committed suicide in 2014. Since then, he has been confined to a wheelchair. 

The richness and melody of a song, comes alive on the big screen only with the flashy, richness of  music composers combined with the melody provided by a singer. The soul of the song, the heart and poetry as it were come from the lyrics. The pain in the poetry behind the blockbuster. 

In tribute, that day on a popular TV show, Neha Kakkar sang the song in tribute to Santosh Anand. 

Santosh Anand hails from Uttar Pradesh, did his schooling from Aligarh. He has written 109 songs for 29 films. He received the Filmfare Award and the Best Lyrics Award in 1975 and the Yash Bharati Award in 2016.

The post A song known by it’s lyrics, it’s singer, not the author  appeared first on SabrangIndia.

On October 12, a civil suit was filed before the Delhi High Court by four Hindu film industry associations and thirty-four leading film producers against the vicious and derogatory reportage by a section of the news media.

The suit names Arnab Goswamy and Pradeep Bhandari of Republic TV, as well as Rahul Shivshankar and Navika Kumar of Times Now as defendants, and prays that they be directed to refrain “from making or publishing irresponsible, derogatory and defamatory remarks against Bollywood as a whole and members of Bollywood, and to restrain them from conducting media trials of Bollywood personalities and interfering with the right to privacy of persons associated with Bollywood. The Plaintiffs are also praying that the Defendants abide by the provisions of the Programme Code under the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994, and to withdraw, recall and take down all the defamatory content published by them against Bollywood.”

The four film associations are:

·        The Producers Guild of India
·        The Cine & TV Artiste Association
·        The Film and TV Producers Council
·        Screenwriters Association

Film producers backing the suit filed through DSK legal include Aamir Khan Productions, Anil Kapoor Film and Communication Network, Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions, Frahan Akhtar’s Excel Entertainment, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra Pictures, Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment, Reliance Big Entertainment, Salman Khan Ventures, Vinod Chopra Films, Vishal Bhardwaj Films, YashRaj Films and many others.

The plaintiffs take umbrage to certain terms used by these media houses in their reportage, such as “dirt”, “filth”, “scum”, “druggies” and expressions such as “it is Bollywood where the dirt needs to be cleaned”, “all the perfumes of Arabia cannot take away the stench and the stink of this filth and scum of the underbelly of Bollywood”, “This is the dirtiest industry in the country”, and “cocaine and LSD drenched Bollywood”.

The suit goes on to say, “The livelihood of persons associated with Bollywood is being severely impacted by the smear campaign being run by the Defendants. This is in addition to the ongoing pandemic which has resulted in extreme revenues and work opportunity loss. The privacy of the members of Bollywood is being invaded, and their reputations are being irreparably damaged by painting the entire Bollywood as criminals, seeped in drug culture, and making being part of Bollywood as synonymous with criminal acts in the public imagination.”

A press release by the plaintiffs said, “Some of the Defendants are also openly flouting the Programme Code framed under Section 5 of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 contained in Rule 6 of the Cable Television Network Rules, 1994, which governs the television channels owned and operated by these Defendants. These Defendants are conducting and publishing parallel private ‘investigations’ and effectively acting as “courts” to condemn persons connected with Bollywood as guilty based on what they claim is “evidence” found by them, thereby trying to make a mockery of the criminal justice system.”

The Plaintiffs clarify that they are not seeking a blanket gag order against media reportage of the investigation in the cases relating to the death of Sushant Singh Rajput or of the subsequent investigation by the Narcotics Control Bureau, Mumbai. “The Plaintiffs are merely seeking perpetual and mandatory injunction against the Defendants from carrying on reportage and publication of material that violates applicable laws,” said the statement.

It is noteworthy that the said smear campaign began in the aftermath of actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death by suicide earlier this year. His partner, actor Rhea Chakraborty was dragged through the muck with vile allegations being made against her on a daily basis. She has recently secured bail and according to her lawyer Satish Maneshinde she too is going to fight back against those who tried to defame her. Maneshinde said, “We will be forwarding a list of people to CBI who made fake and false claims on TV and Electronic Media including carrying mobile recording and fake stories on SSR case with particular reference to Rhea Chakraborty to go after them and record their statements. We will request CBI to take legal proceedings against them for misleading the investigations.”

Many other film personalities were also dragged into the controversy including actors Deepika Padukone, Shraddha Kapoor and Sara Ali Khan were also questioned by the Narcotics Control Bureau after media houses made a series of serious allegations of substance abuse against them.

Related:

Guilty as charged: Investigators, judge, jury and executioners of TV news ‘debates’
Actor Rhea Chakraborty arrested by NCB, but the TV media trail continues to bay for blood
SSR’s tragic death: Are we missing the wood for the trees?

The post Hindi film industry moves Delhi HC against news media appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Bollywood continues to remain divided over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC). While actors like Anupam Kher and Paresh Rawal have supported PM Modi’s decision to implement the CAA, many others have come out in support of the students who suffered police brutalities at the Jamia Millia Islamia University (JMIU) and the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).

They have now written a letter appealing the Uttar Pradesh administration to take cognizance of the situation in the state. In their appeal, noted actors Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane, Konkona Sen, Aparna Sen, Alankrita Shrivastava, Kubbra Sait, Mallika Dua, Zeeshan Ayyub and Swara Bhaskar reads, “Uttar Pradesh is very dear to us. Some of us have our roots in the state and most of us have worked in UP for our projects. What is most important is that whenever films in India are talked out, the heritage of UP has always shined bright.”

Regarding the CAA protests in the state, they said, “The CAA has given rise to a lot of contesting views. However, keeping individual opinions aside, what is fundamental is that the Constitution of India allows each person to peacefully protest and it is the duty of the government to stay within law and support the protests, conduct fair inquiries and it is only the right of the judiciary to decide right from wrong and penalize the guilty.”

They further added, “We feel that the government has shelved these principles, the government has used its brute force to snatch away our right to live, to keep forth our views, our right to dissent, etc. and the brought matters in the state of UP at a dangerous turn.”

Condemning the deaths that have taken place in the state in the wake of the protests and demanding justice for the victims they said, “We wish to highlight a few matters that have come to light from the state – the number of deaths due to police firing, police excesses, targeting a particular community, torturing of minorities, and the abuse of freedom and communal speeches of leaders belonging to the ruling party.”

They also said that according to the ‘godi’ media that is in favour of the ruling party, 18 deaths have taken place in the state, most of them due to police firing. There have to be some protocol of dealing with protestors they said and claimed that none of those protocols have been followed.

Their letter also mentioned that according to media reports, there have been mass arrests and the police is using sheer force for the crackdown on protestors, for which disturbing video evidence is available. They said there could be no justification for the barbaric torture of unarmed innocents, all for exercising their right to protest.

They also condemned CM Yogi’s statements in their letter saying, “The CM says that the breach of law and order will be avenged. Nobody denies that it is the government’s responsibility to maintain order in the state, but it is unbecoming of the authorities to give such inciting orders.”

They also said that the shutting down of the internet was another tragic example of trampling upon the fundamental rights of citizens, putting everyone at an inconvenience.

Speaking about the damage to property they said, “We collectively condemn the damage to public property. We maintain that if someone is found to be guilty, a fair trial must be instituted against them. But we unequivocally support peaceful protests which are an integral part of democracy and we feel are being curbed in Uttar Pradesh.”

In their concluding statement they said, “We appeal the courts in India to take suo moto cognizance of the happenings in UP and urge them to conduct a fair trial into the loss of lives and damage to property. As concerned citizens of the country, we follow the letter and spirit of the Constitution and pledge to adopt the Gandhian method of non-violence to resist such oppression.”

Related:

‘Zee TV misleads people’, journalist resigns over channel’s coverage of Jamia protest
Celebs join anti-CAA chorus, condemn police brutality against students
Bollywood’s clarion call against the CAA and police brutality on students
Bollywood’s Conscience Speak: Celebs against anti- CAA violence at Jamia, AMU

The post Bollywood appeals against police excesses in UP appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The agitation against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) has now become a national issue, not just staying limited to Assam. The students of Jamia Millia Islamia University (JMIU) and Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) who came out in protest to oppose the anti-constitutional CAA were heckled, beaten up and brutally injured have now found solidarity in the influential Bollywood industry who has now asked people to take to the streets and come together to condemn the violence of the police against the students and raise their voice against the undemocratic CAA.

1. Farhan Akhtar

Here’s what you need to know about why these protests are important. See you on the 19th at August Kranti Maidan, Mumbai. The time to protest on social media alone is over. pic.twitter.com/lwkyMCHk2v

— Farhan Akhtar (@FarOutAkhtar) December 18, 2019

2. Neeraj Ghaywan  

Mumbai, be there!

August Kranti Maidan is the same place where Mahatama Gandhi issued the Quit India speech on 8th August, 1942. pic.twitter.com/7EqIi1duf4

— Neeraj Ghaywan (@ghaywan) December 17, 2019

3.  Swara Bhasker

The venue for the 19th December peaceful protest against #CitizenshipAmmendmentAct has changed and is now AUGUST KRANTI MAIDAAN.
Time : 4pm
Date: 19the December 2019
Stand up for India, Mumbai! ?? pic.twitter.com/H0C2VIJAFI

— Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) December 17, 2019

4.  Konkona Sensharma

pic.twitter.com/Gn9fXhUTdJ

— Konkona Sensharma (@konkonas) December 17, 2019

5.  Kunal Kamra

#MumbaiAgainstCAB pic.twitter.com/6IXibSV8Av

— Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) December 18, 2019

6.  Aditi Mittal

19th December. August Kranti Maidan. #Mumbai https://t.co/PRNmHSjggI

— aditi mittal (@awryaditi) December 18, 2019

7.  Anurag Kashyap

Let’s meet for a peaceful protest on 19th https://t.co/Xp6CXNFnVh

— Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) December 17, 2019

8.  Reema Kagti

The venue for the protest march on the 19th in Mumbai has changed to August Kranti Maidan. Be there and be counted. pic.twitter.com/M7CVlKEewO

— Reema Kagti (@kagtireema) December 17, 2019

9.  Caralisa Moteiro

For that DM’d

19th December ( Tomorrow)
4pm
August Kranti Maidan.

Be there ! pic.twitter.com/NmLTVvs44f

— Caralisa Monteiro (@runcaralisarun) December 18, 2019

10.  Onir

#CAAProtest 19th Dec 4pm to 7 pm . August Kranti Maidan pic.twitter.com/IpFEpBr8wC

— Onir (@IamOnir) December 18, 2019

11.  Nikhil Advani

Come on #Mumbai Let’s show everyone that we are more than just glitz, glamour and paparazzi sightings. Come out in numbers and show that #YouStandWithIndia #IStandWithIndia pic.twitter.com/IiZFmxo0VM

— Nikkhil Advani (@nikkhiladvani) December 17, 2019
 

The #MumbaiAgainstCAB movement to take place at the August Kranti Maidan at 4 PM on December 19, 2019. Celebrities, young and old, have voiced their support in the favour of students who have been silenced violently by the state. The anti-CAA agitation is one of the first movements in recent times that the Bollywood industry is throwing its weight after. Not only this is a positive push towards encouraging the general public, but also a welcome move to see that some of these celebs are not scared to value their country and its secularism over the fear of the loss of their privilege.
 

Related:

Aftermath of clashes at AMU
Disproportionate and extraordinary use of force by police at AMU: Fact-finding team
Pakistan’s Minorities, Hindus, Sikhs & Christians react to India’s CAA/CAB

The post Bollywood’s clarion call against the CAA and police brutality on students appeared first on SabrangIndia.

 

The fight against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) has now gained full steam with the film industry that has the most powerful voice given its reach, joining in the protests. There has been inhumane police brutality against students of the Jamia Millia Islamia University (JMIU) and Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) and slowly but steadily, the whole country is now standing with the youth of India.

There are known dissenters like Richa Chadha and Swara Bhaskar who have of course voiced their displeasure with the Act, but even celebrities lesser known to share their political views have now come out in support of the public, especially the students of India and their fight against police brutality and the draconian CAA.

1.   Sushant Singh – The host of Savdhaan India was given the boot from the show after he attended a CAA protest that was held at the Mumbai University in solidarity with the students of Jamia Millia Islamia University (JMIU) and Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). Undettered by the fact that he was pulled off the show, the young actor said, “I sell my talent, not my conscience.”

Good to see @sushant_says come out in support. Also, the protesting students kept the focus on #CAA and police excesses in #Jamia and #AMU. A speaker trying to make it Cong vs BJP was asked not to venture there pic.twitter.com/gZM2UW6Pn3

— Vishakh Rathi (@vishakhrathi) December 16, 2019

And, my stint with Savdhaan India has ended.

— सुशांत सिंह sushant singh سوشانت سنگھ (@sushant_says) December 16, 2019

2.   Farhan Akhtar – The actor who is going to attend the protest against the CAA in the city soon, has urged people to now come to the streets and support the movement opposing the CAA.

Here’s what you need to know about why these protests are important. See you on the 19th at August Kranti Maidan, Mumbai. The time to protest on social media alone is over. pic.twitter.com/lwkyMCHk2v

— Farhan Akhtar (@FarOutAkhtar) December 18, 2019

3.   Dia Mirza

I stand in solidarity with the students of India. pic.twitter.com/OCl8gH276B

— Dia Mirza (@deespeak) December 16, 2019

4.   Renuka Shahane – Renuka is known to voice her opinion against injustice and she did the same with the CAA too. After PM Modi tweeted appealing for peace and not fall prey to falsehoods, this is what she said –

Sir, please ask people to stay away from all your IT cell Twitter handles then. They spread the most amount of rumours, falsehoods and are totally against brotherhood, peace and unity. The real.”tukde tukde” gang is your IT cell sir. Please stop them from spreading hate ???? https://t.co/bMaXDFnvsP

— Renuka Shahane (@renukash) December 16, 2019

5.   Manoj Bajpayee – He too stood in support of the students who bore the brunt of violence by the police.

There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.
With the students and their democratic rights to protest ! I condemn violence against protesting students!!!!!

— manoj bajpayee (@BajpayeeManoj) December 16, 2019

6.   Ritiesh Deshmukh – Condemning the violence against students, he said –

pic.twitter.com/rI2BOw5TBf

— Riteish Deshmukh (@Riteishd) December 16, 2019

7.   Sidharth Malhotra – Sidharth is an alumni of the Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, University of Delhi. He expressed his anguish for the security of the student community who are being demonized by the police and government.

My heart goes out to all the students back home in Delhi. In a democracy like ours, its sad to see violence against citizens for voicing their opinion through peaceful protests. There should be no place for violence of any form & intent in our country. I strongly condemn this act

— Sidharth Malhotra (@SidMalhotra) December 16, 2019

8.   Parineeti Chopra – The actress strongly condemned the violence against innocent protestors in the wake of the CAA protests.

If this is what’s gonna happen everytime a citizen expresses their view, forget #CAB, we should pass a bill and not call our country a democracy anymore! Beating up innocent human beings for speaking their mind? BARBARIC.

— Parineeti Chopra (@ParineetiChopra) December 17, 2019

9.   Sandhya Mridul – The actress who had been vocal about the #MeToo movement, this time expressed her solidarity towards students and urged them to not give in to the violence inducing tactics of radical elements.

Dear students…everywhere.
We stand with you.
In solidarity. pic.twitter.com/4LDALMBaDK

— Sandhya Mridul (@sandymridul) December 17, 2019

10.   Pulkit Samrat – The actor, calling the crackdown on Jamia Millia Islamia students barbaric has urged people to come out to protests in large numbers against the CAA.

BARBARIC! UNDEMOCRATIC! UNSECULAR! That’s what we are turning into! Not the India I was born in! #UnityIsOurReligion #IStandWithJamiaMilliaStudents

— Pulkit Samrat (@PulkitSamrat) December 17, 2019

11.   Twinkle Khanna – Mrs. Funny Bones as she’s popularly known, has too come out in support of the students that were cornered and beaten up by the police. This, after a whole controversy erupted when her husband, well known celebrity Akshay Kumar, mostly known for doing films with a patriotic flavour, went back on liking a tweet mocking the crackdown on protestors.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That was last week and now add oppressing the voices of our students by using violence and we have crawled even further into the dark tunnel. I stand by a secular, democratic India where peaceful dissent is our constitutional right.

A post shared by Twinkle Khanna (@twinklerkhanna) on Dec 17, 2019 at 3:05am PST

That was last week and now add oppressing the voices of our students by using violence and we have crawled even further into the dark tunnel. I stand by a secular, democratic India where peaceful dissent is our… https://t.co/wiZVSq71Nc

— Twinkle Khanna (@mrsfunnybones) December 17, 2019

12.   Konkona Sensharma – The actress and director condemned the Delhi Police for their actions against peaceful protestors.

We are with the students! Shame on you @DelhiPolice

— Konkona Sensharma (@konkonas) December 15, 2019

13.   Alankrita Shrivastava – The filmmaker, writer, feminist and a JMIU alumni has strongly condemned the barbaric violence meted out to students in hostels and universities in the name of maintaining law and order.

…Today my heart is bleeding for the students of Jamia who have been mercilessly attacked on campus. This is wrong and cruel at every level. I stand in solidarity with the bravehearts of Jamia. I am praying for the students who are injured and fighting for their lives.

— Alankrita Shrivastava (@alankrita601) December 15, 2019

14.   Tillotama Shome – The Indian actress called out PM Modi for his comment where he suggested that the people who were inciting violence could be identified by their clothes, thus singling out a minority community.

“कपड़ों से पता चलता है” Really?!
Should we protest against unconstitutional,divisive acts in the nude like the women of Manipur did in 2004?Don’t confuse secular citizen protests with petty politics by playing the religion card. It’s not very grown up of you nor is it democratic

— Tillotama Shome (@TillotamaShome) December 17, 2019

15.   Papon – The singer, who expressed his solidarity with the students and the on-going protests in Assam against the CAA, has now cancelled his Delhi concert to stand with the protestors.

It’s painful to see the way Assam is burning!Humanity is suffering! Assam has been burdened with illegal immigration for decades!We don’t deserve this!The diverse, complex mix of the Assamese culture & people and their existence needs to be understood!We need to be heard properly

— papon angaraag (@paponmusic) December 12, 2019

16.   Siddharth – The actor, best known in Bollywood for his role in Rang De Basanti has highlighted how the regime is shifting focus from important matters like the economic slowdown by looking to divide people on religious lines.

First they will filter Muslims, then Christians, then other religions, then they will corner the oppressed castes and slyly go after the rights of women. They will always find a way to divide. They will always find a way to hate. This is their way. Say no to fascism! Save #India.

— Siddharth (@Actor_Siddharth) December 18, 2019

17.   Pooja Bhatt – Mahesh Bhatt’s elder daughter, she has urged people to come out and voice their anger against the CAA.

To speak with silence when we should protest is what makes cowards out of men. India is burning. One can’t be mute anymore.

— Pooja Bhatt (@PoojaB1972) December 16, 2019

18.   Aditi Rao Hydari – The actress too urged people to rise against autocratic policies and act against the forces shutting down dissent. 

In a democracy, when voices of dissent are shut down, when plurality is shut down, when diversity is shut down with violence time and again, we are done for…
Till we rise, for real ( not just on social media)… We Can, and We Must…NOW. pic.twitter.com/rHaaw4j7Dh

— Aditi Rao Hydari (@aditiraohydari) December 18, 2019

19.   Huma S Qureshi – Questioning the police’s action against the fundamental right to protest she directly tweeted to Home Minister Amit Shah and PM Modi whether or not the citizens in the country had a right to protest anymore.

This is unreal. We are a secular democracy. This violence that the police have shown in dealing with the students is terrible. Citizens have the right to peacefully protest. @narendramodi @AmitShah Or that is not an option anymore ??

— Huma S Qureshi (@humasqureshi) December 16, 2019

20.   Sonakshi Sinha – The actress who has been a crusader for many a campaign for women’s rights posted a picture of the preamble asking people to remember the four pillars of a secular society.

This is what we were, what we are and what we MUST remain! #neverforget pic.twitter.com/itmacCC9qV

— Sonakshi Sinha (@sonakshisinha) December 17, 2019

21.   Rajkummar Rao – An actor and Delhi University graduate put out a statement condemning the violence against students by the police.

I strongly condemn the violence that the police have shown in dealing with the students. In a democracy the citizens have the right to peacefully protest.I also condemn any kind of act of destruction of the public properties. Violence is not the solution for anything!

— Rajkummar Rao (@RajkummarRao) December 16, 2019

22.   Vikrant Massey – The actor too tweeted in support of the JMIU students who were brutally harassed by the Delhi police.

This is a picture of students from #JamiaMilia holding photos of #Ambedkar & #Gandhi opposing the #CAA2019

We haven’t forgotten our roots.

And we will fight to regain the lost sanity of this proud country ?? #StandWithJamia #Delhiviolence pic.twitter.com/gOCh0B7Cnw

— Vikrant Massey (@masseysahib) December 15, 2019

23.   Radhika Apte – The actress put out a post on Instagram explaining how the CAA and NRC are linked.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#NRC aur #CAA #IndiaAgainstCAB #studentprotests

A post shared by Radhika (@radhikaofficial) on Dec 17, 2019 at 4:54am PST

24.   Varun Dhawan – The actor, popular with the youth of the country, didn’t resort to a lot of words, but let a picture do the talking.

?? Jai hind pic.twitter.com/mvDKpj7Z4z

— Varun Dhawan (@Varun_dvn) December 17, 2019

25.   Vishal Bhardwaj – The filmmaker, a graduate of the Hindu College, DU expressed his sadness for the students at JMIU, but urged them to not be silent.

My heart pains for the students of Jamia.
Don’t Be Silent, Don’t Be Violent.

— Vishal Bhardwaj (@VishalBhardwaj) December 17, 2019

26.   Bhumi Pednekar – The actress condemned the violent turn of the protests against CAA.

Violence is not a tool to make our country better. We are a democracy and we have the power to exercise our fundamental rights in a rightful manner. What the students faced has shaken me and my heart goes out to them and I protest the way the situation was handled.

— bhumi pednekar (@bhumipednekar) December 16, 2019

Support from celebrities has always been a welcome move, for those who stand in power must support the meek. Though the most well-known, veterans of the industry are still silent on the protests and the violence against students, it is heart-warming to see young celebrities come out in solidarity with the students, the future of India.

Related:

Aftermath of clashes at AMU
SC to hear petitions against CAA on Dec 18
175 arrested, over 1400 detained: Assam gov’t says ‘All is Well’
Horrific Police brutality on Jamia Students, over 50 injured

The post Bollywood’s Conscience Speak: Celebs against anti- CAA violence at Jamia, AMU appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Movie Poster

The film, set in Uttar Pradesh is supposedly based on the Badaun gang-rape and murder. Aesthetics is how the film lures its viewers: A pretty, light-skinned Brahmin boy, so earnest, so bewildered by caste hierarchy who is as clueless as the research team for the movie is the hero and saviour. Khurrana’s character, Ayan is after all an IPS officer. I wonder how he even passed his UPSC exam without hearing about the caste phenomena that befuddles him for most of the film? But this pales in comparison to the other missteps in the film.

As I watched the film amongst an audience who hooted, clapped and cheered, all I could feel was horror and disbelief. How could this pass muster with the audience? How could a sick exhibition of violence and brutality get mistaken for awareness? How can a movie on caste discrimination in which dalit bodies exist only as props to be raped, murdered, lynched, beaten and shredded with bullets be okay? Dalit characters bow and scrap. They clasp their hands in servile supplication, either begging for mercy or in gratitude. As if fetishised oppression is the only way to convince the savarna viewer about social justice, they are denied agency and assertion, they are denied their humanity. They are even mostly denied dialogues unless they are meek wide-eyed beseeching to the powerful.

The portrayal of dalit culture: protest songs, rallies and “Jai Bhims” betray the writer who has never heard and seen any of those. It dehumanises and humiliates the very people in whose favour the film has supposedly been made. Clothed as gritty cinema, it denies dignity. It is inebriated by its own righteousness. The sheer breadth of its ignorance, matched only by caste-blind entitlement, is stupefying.

How does this industry create the impression that it has dared to go into murky places that no one else has? How does Bollywood and its viewers exist even today, not knowing the fearlessness of many in “regional” cinema? Pa Ranjith, Leena Manimekalai, Amshan Kumar, Mari Selveraj – these are directors from just the Tamil film industry who deal with caste issues sensitively and powerfully. There are others in other Indian languages. How does Bollywood crudely play catch-up and yet convince a certain audience that it is leading from the front?

Article 15 is trapped between a rape and murder cop mystery and giving ham-fisted lessons in casteism. It chooses a macabre Nordic drama aesthetic with matching music and lightening, further distancing the atrocities from reality. The framing of the scene where two minor girls are found hanging by their necks from a tree as a restless fog swirls around them, while the music is adequately chilling, says that their deaths mean nothing without the cinematographic drama. It says simply that these deaths are worth less in their ability to move the viewer in comparison to what some good computer work could accomplish. Anubhav Sinha himself acknowledges this cinematographic style, reminiscent of the HBO series True Detective, but fails to recognise that as a problem. This, when the 2014 Badaun case led to immense trauma for the family and the CBI stalled the investigation. When the photograph of the two girls hanging from a mango tree was already hungrily consumed by media and viewers alike. Even without the cinematic drama, the photograph is shattering. It should never have been made public.

Characterisation too continues to be problematic throughout the film. The dalit constable in the station is the source of comedy, portrayed as dim-witted and ignorant but an essentially good soul. It recalled, forcefully, the racist “humour” of 30s American cinema that routinely used black-face or included black characters only for the jokes or as simpletons. The corrupt brahmin police officer played by Manoj Pahwa for all his casteism is so reduced by the villainy of his role, that he’s just a grunting, barely coherent creature filled with malice, stomping about as he rages at subordinate officers. It’s hardly surprising that the audience clapped in unison when he is slapped dramatically by the constable. One wonders if the same people would be equally thrilled about a brahmin being slapped by a dalit man in real life. Not all caste oppressors look and act like cine-villains.

The dalit constable in the film was apparently played by a brahmin actor. The caricature version of someone modelled on who appears to be Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad was allegedly played by a baniya actor. But the role of a sanitation worker rising out of a septic tank, covered in black sewerage was reserved for a real life worker. The director has defended the scene saying the set had been created by the production designer and that the sewage was artificial.

In the scene, the man rises out of the sludge, black liquid waste clinging to him, and wipes his eyes. The music soars. Everyone is supposed to be obligingly moved. I just felt sick. Do we really need a suitable background score and a towering theatre screen to see the inhumanity in the jobs of sanitation workers? Are the deaths and the actual news not enough? Is the fact that it continues to exist not enough? If the movie is about oppression, what is the director saying if not that a flesh and blood dalit’s sole role in a film about his community is to clean fake sewers for an audience? Is that his “aukaat” — a word the movie throws around relentlessly? This is when I also have to point out that the film in setting the events in a village in UP, reitetrates the urban myth that caste is only a problem in rural India. 

Of course, the legally aware viewer is wondering why the filmmaker has only just discovered Article 15 of the Constitution. Article 15 promises equality, but Article 17 of the same constitution specifically abolishes “untouchability”. Yet, these were not enough. The 1955 Untouchability Offences Act was amended in 1976 as the Protection of Civil Rights (PCR) Act. This act continues to exist. That too was not enough. That is why we have the Prevention of Atrocities against SCs and STs Act (PoA), 1989, that was amended in 2018. An act that has been in the news only in the last couple of years for the several changes it went through. An act under which such a case as depicted in the movie would be registered, if only the savarna hero knew his pretend job.
 
Courtesy: Indian Cultural Forum
 

The post Article 15: A Spectacle of Dalit Oppression appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Image Courtesy: Punit Paranjpe / AFP

Similarly, the Hindi Cinema, as it is called today, has more contribution from the non-Hindi speaking people. Whether it is Lata Mangeshkar or her sisters, Mohammad Rafi, Sachin Dev Barman, Salil Chaudhury, Hemant Kumar, Kishore Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Yeshu Das, S P Bala Subramaniam, and others, Hindi was not their first language but they enriched this.

The greatest of all was Shailendra, whose poetry touched everyone’s heart as it came from his own experiences of life. But who was Shailendra and why has he been so spiritual and why was his poetry so inspiring?It is believed that once upon a time, he was a railway worker and that he was a lifelong ‘communist’. But none tried to put the honorific ‘Pandit’ before his name. Shailendra’s caste remained unknown. Was it deliberate or was it an attempt to draw the attention away from something? What would have happened hadShailendra declared his caste identity in a cinematic tradition where the hero always belongs to a ‘poor’ brahmin family and fights for the have-nots? Yes, this question itself was answered by his son, Dinesh Shankar Shailendra,during a conversation about a year back. He said his father belonged to the Chamar community but then, probably, was afraid in those days that if he revealed this fact, his ‘acceptance’ by the film fraternity would be affected. This is a dirty fact which is still prevalent. Or else, why have the researchers not made an effort to know more about him?

While there are many good films being made, but as the mainstream tradition of this cinema has been that its main patrons are the ‘progressive’Savarnas or the upper castes, and therefore any solution has to come within the framework of their worldview. So, a Good Samaritan in Bambai films always comes from the powerful castes, preferably Brahmin, who ‘helps’ the ‘poor’ and redefines what the ‘dharma’ is. Dark skinned, physically challenged or people with disabilities are mostly laughed at and can never be heroes. Most of the characters are vilified.

Even when one of the main characters in a film belongs to a non-mainstream background, the actor playing that character is definitely from the dominant mainstream. E.g.HemaMalini plays a Banjara woman in Raja Jani(1972) or Dharmendra and Jeetendra belong to the Banjara community in Dharamveer. However, the Banjara community is a very vibrant and talented community, and yet it never occurred to our star directors and producers to look for the talent from the community.It is only when a brahmin or a savarna playsa Banjaracharacter in the film that ensures the ‘success’ of the film.

Similar things can be said about many other films. While their intentions might be good, why do the film makers not attempt to look for an actor from the community itself,  who can speak on the issue with conviction? It is good to speak about discrimination but equally important to find voices from within the communities and encourage them. They will certainly show the discrimination in a much more powerful way.

A recent movie, in which its upper caste hero acts as a messiah for the lower castes, is being much talked about nowadays.. One friend wrote in his Facebook post that Dalits in India needed a Martin Luther King and only then they will be able to play such roles, which portray their issues. Till then, the Brahmins will always enjoy the monopoly. Any effort made by anyone to being an issue to light should be appreciated, but it is equally important to see how the issue is addressed. Issue of participation and fair representation is equally important to address an issue in a wholesome manner. Whether the star directors and producers are able to see it or not, the new generation Ambedkarites are ready and will surprise the world in the coming days with their creativity and ideas. After all, the 21st century belongs to Ambedkarism and Ambedkarite assertion.
 
 

The post Dalits in India need their own Martin Luther King appeared first on SabrangIndia.

As reported in the ANI, the BSOI, through its National Organising Secretary, Nemi Nath Chaturvedi, filed a writ petition (civil) in the SC on Thursday to stop the release of the film and mentioned the matter for an urgent hearing. In its petition, BSOI contended that the film, based on the horrific 2014 Badaun rape case, has various objectionable dialogues, spreads rumours and caste hatred in the society based on a “false and concoted story.” The petitioner further argued that the film violates the true spirit of Article 15 and 19(1) of the Constitution of India. It also stated that naming a film on an Article of the Constitution without the approval of the government, for personal or commercial gain, is illegal and violative of section 3 of the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950.

The petitioner further pleaded that the certificate issued by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) granted to Benaras Media Works Pvt Ltd should be cancelled and the release should be stayed as it will lead to “public disorder, incitement to offence, among different castes against each other,”
In a huge relief, the SC refused to hear the matter on an urgent basis and didn’t even give another date for hearing. 

The BSOI has been protesting against the film release since past 15 days and its members have been visiting various theatres to stop the screening midway. “We the members of Akhil Bhartiya Brahmin Samaj are protesting against this film ‘Article 15’ from last 15 days. The director of the film says a movie is made to showcase malpractices of the society, which is true, but such movies should be made on true incidents. This film is made on the claims that it is based on Badaun gang-rape incident but the truth is none of the members of the Brahmin community was involved in that incident. In this film the makers have portrayed our community as the cruel and aggressive group who oppresses the Dalit community, because of which Brahmin Samaj is displeased,” said one of the members of the Akhil Bhartiya Brahmin Samaj.

In Nagpur, the Brahmin community protested outside a movie theatre by hitting posters of the films with footwear. “The film is showcasing Brahmin community as mean and rapists and that’s why we are revolting against it. Even after this, if the movie is released, Brahmin communities from around the country will lodge FIR against Anubhav Sinha,” said Manish Anand Trivedi, member of Brahmin Sena, Bhopal.

On Thursday, during the special screening of the film, actor Ayushmann Khurrana had said, “Today Anubhav Sir (Anubhav Sinha, director) has issued a statement in which he has cleared that the movie is not against any community.”

Related Articles:

1. Kerala HC permits screening of Anand Patwardhan’s documentary on religious fundamentalism, “Reason/Vivek”
2. Today the basic question is not just of freedom of speech, but also freedom after speech
3. The New ‘Emergency’!

The post Brahman Samaj of India challenges Article 15 movie, SC refuses to stay the release appeared first on SabrangIndia.

In the appeal, the signatories have urged the voters to vote to defend the idea of India and save our Constitution.

The letter reads, “We appeal to all the people of India, our dear brothers and sisters, to use your power as citizens and as caring human beings to defend our Constitution, and nurture the very idea of India. Please, pause and think, before you vote.”

Though they haven’t directly targeted the current ruling dispensation, which is infamous for its divisive politics and politics of polarisation, they have expressed their concerns about the anti-democratic forces posing a threat on our founding principles of diversity, equality and the separation of religion from politics, in the current times.

Recently there was another appeal made by 600 artists in 12 languages from across the country to the voters to vote ‘bigotry, hatred and apathy out of power’. This included prominent names like Naseeruddin Shah, AnuragKashyap, RatnaPathak Shah, GirishKarnad, AmolPalekar, ShantaGokhale among others. Also, 107 artists from the Marathi creative industry appealed the public to consider the last five years before casting their votes. The signatories were national-award winning authors and literary writers such as writer BhalchandraNemade, playwright Mahesh Elkunchwar, film director ArunKhopkar among others.
The right-wing supremacist Hindutva party BJP has had a flickering relationship with the creative industry. While politically motivated and controversial appointments of chairman, CBFC and Director, FTII antagonised the creative professionals, films like ‘PM NarendraModi’ held the PM in high regards.

The current government’s nasty strategy of labelling the dissenters as ‘anti-nationals’ or ‘Pro-Pakistan’ is not hidden anymore. Despite the threats of drawing the ire of ‘nationalists’, such valiant efforts by eminent personalities gives a ray of hope to save our democratic structure.
 
Related Articles:

The post Vote to Defend Our Constitution: Appeal by Bollywood Actors and Writers appeared first on SabrangIndia.