“Indian filmmakers are guilty until proven”

Mohammad Arsalan

________________

Showing defiance against the Censorship laws in India and the CBFC, “League Against Censorship”- an organized group of filmmakers, lawyers and journalists held a public meeting at the Press Club Of India, New Delhi, vowing to plunge the modus operandi through which a film has to pass before being screened.

They argued that the right of a filmmaker to undertake his/her work without fear and interference is paramount and cannot be subjected to restrictions. In an issued mission statement they stated, “LAC’s mission is to fight against the State’s Role in Censorship of Cinema and Media, and to fight for the most basic human right, that is, Freedom of Speech and Expression.”

Rebuking the idea of censorship Ranjit Kumar, a filmmaker said that he feels more like a rebel after some of his films were obstructed by the Censor Board. “Indian filmmakers are guilty until proven”, stated Mr. Kumar. While taking about the restrictions that comes under the ambit of censorship, a documentary film maker Pankaj Bhutaria told that some of the restrictions are absurd for example, one cannot make a film which is against India’s interest with a friendly country. Now how could one know that which is an unfriendly country to India? However, he added that in case of Youtube and other new media platforms the films could be released without any restrictions but for cinema halls and open theatres there must be some notions of age appropriateness.

Meera Chaudhary, a co-director, narrated the hardships and judicial limbo of the censorship which obstructed the release of the documentary film “En Dino Muzaffarnagar” (2014) directed by her husband late Shubhradeep Chakravorti. She said that the documentary was a kind of investigation they did digging out the truth, whereas, the Central Board of Film Certification stated that the film could insight communal violence which was totally irrelevant. Years after the making of her film, she is still battling for the upliftment of ban on her film through the High Court.

A renowned activist, feminist and lawyer of the Supreme Court Karuna Nandi further put forward her views on legal aspect of the censorship claiming that Cinematography Act of 1952 or CBFC must under the ambit of Article 19 (1) of the constitution which provides basic freedom of speech and expression, leaving it to court to decide the reasonable restrictions that comes under clause (2) of Article 19 and not to the statutory bodies. “Organizational work as RSS or the left is missing here in the programme who are fighting for freedom of speech” Said Ms. Nandi pointing out sceptically to the film makers in the meet. Another layer Arjun added that there are also no specific qualification for being the chairman and member of the CBFC as well as the advisory committee which somewhere degrades the standard of the certifiers.

“Film viewers should also stand for no censorship as they watch more films than the filmmakers make”, said political cartoonist Aseem Trivedi while ending the meeting. The programme was attended by more than fifty people from different professional backgrounds showing consent with the idea of free censorship of films.  

AMU Students Protest Alleged Brutal Jewar-Bulandshahr Gang Rape And Saharanpur Violence

Scenes from the protest

Mohammad Arsalan
______________

On May 26, 2017, the Aligarh Muslim University Students’ Union organised a protest march at the varsity campus, condemning the recent, alleged gang rape that happened in the Jewar-Bulandshahr highway of Uttar Pradesh on May 24, 2017. The students demanded the immediate arrest of the alleged culprits and called for severe action against them.

The march started on Friday. The congregation proceeded from the University’s Jama Masjid and was called off at the University Circle. More than 200 students joined the protest. “Wo RSS ho murdabad (Down with RSS)”, “Bharat sarkar sharam karo, sharam nahi to doob maro (Indian government – feel shameful, or else, die in shame)” were some of the slogans that were shouted by the students, outrageously.

On reaching the University Circle, the president of the AMU Students’ Union, Faizul Hasan, addressed the students, where he staunchly criticised the incumbent dispensation both at the Centre and the state. He said that the goons and hooligans have allegedly got the upper-hand, due to the government, and that a series of such crimes are happening across the country.

“On May 24, 2017, four women were brutally raped and a man rescuing them was shot dead by the hooligans. Such criminal activities are terrifying, and are increasing day-by-day. The government is making appealing slogans like women safety, good governance, ‘sabka saath sabka vikas (everyone’s growth with everyone’s help)’ and what-not. But, when it comes to pragmatic situations, there is complete fiasco,” said Faizul Hasan.

Furthermore, he also criticised the violence in Saharanpur, and said that the atrocities on Dalit and marginalised people have been done in an ‘orchestrated clash’. The rise of the Bhim Army and their ongoing agitation is a testimony to the fact that the persecutions on Dalits and other minorities are rising each day. He also praised the ongoing agitation by the Bhim Army at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. He said that the AMU Students’ Union stands in solidarity with the Dalit-protest. He added that if such persecutions by right-wing fringe elements did not stop, then he too will lead a similar kind of protest.

Another leader, Abul Farah Shazli, said that the unofficial Hindu Rashtra (Hindu Republic) has already been made. He said that not only are the Muslims going to suffer, the Dalits and tribal groups will also face social repression, under the garb of Manusmriti. Ahmad Mujtaba Faraz, a final-year law student, also announced that he would be going to Saharanpur on June 9, 2017, with a team of lawyers and academicians to look into the reported violence against Dalits, pro bono.

While ending the protest, the students also presented a memorandum to the additional district magistrate (ADM) of the city, the proctor of AMU and to the various media persons who were present there. The memorandum will also be sent to the President of India, demanding punishment for those involved in the incident. Some students present at the march were Mughal Wasif, Shamim Bari, Asad Usmani, Ahsan Khan, Adnan Amir, Sharjeel Usmani, Naved Ashrafi, Mohammad Tabish, Abdul Qadir, among many others.

                                   **************************

FILM REVIEW: BAAHUBALI - II

Mohammad Arsalan
________________

The nation was indeed curious to seek the galvanizing question or a surprise may by “Why did Kattappa kill Baahubali?” The answer was simple, the launch of its second part Baahubali-2. Despite the fact that part two was the initial story and the stuff behind the curtain, it was successful in maintaining the suspense.

S S Rajamouli has given his best to the reverse chronological story but somewhere there is requirement of a better articulation. The typical Indian family melodrama undertakes the hindsight and conspiracy game takes the turn.

Baahubali (Prabhas) falls in love with Devasena (Anushka Shetty) and the two is set to get married. Meanwhile, Bhallala (Rana Dagubatti) plays his conspiracy card and asks the regal queen Shivagami (Ramya) for his marriage to Devasena. Queen Shivagami gives her consent and a marriage proposal is sent to Devasena to which there is a rejection.

After Baahubali returns to the kingdom with his phianse and stands by the side of his to-be-bride and openly declares their love nexus, annoys the mother and she gives him two options, either to be the king or marry Devasena. Bhaubalu chooses the later. From here the story takes turn from contretemps to confrontation, and meanwhile hostile arguments clears apart mother-son relationship.

Later, to reinforce the hegemony on kingdom and to break down Baahubali’s partisanship among people, a conspiracy to defame Baahubali is laid down by Bhallala, accusing Baahubali of orchestrating his killing. The case is taken to the mother Shivagami where she is outraged by the heinous act. She commands Kattappa (Sathyaraj), a stalwart of the kingdom to go and kill Baahubali, being stated that it’s a state order and is his sacred duty to follow. Likewise, the suspense gets unveiled and Baahubali is set off for the heavenly abode.

Further, the epilogue of the movie continues, where son of Baahubali comes after 25 years of his father’s death and Coup d'état the incumbent cruel king Bhallala by killing him and rescuing his mother; all after triumphant of a battle.

Movie is tedious that is quite unusual in this hectic era, fiction has been used in a serious genre to a great extent. The acting deserves a flattering response. As far as culture is concerned, South-Indian movies robustly uphold their legacy. The film doesn’t have vulgar scenes which has become a common manifestation in modern film making.  Overall, the film has achieved its bid and is all set to break the block office records.

                                                 

                                      ****************************

ARTIFACTS OF JHARKHAND

Mohammad Arsalan
________________

Jharkhand is a state separated from Bihar way back in 2000. It was because of the fact that major part was covered with forest and mineral rich natural resources, Tribal people comprised of a huge population and had distinct culture which led to the demand of a new state. In Jharkhand tribes like Santhal, Birhor, Munda, Oraon, Gond etc. live in jungles and have extremely distinct social life. From language, rituals, paintings, clothing, food, festival, social gathering, worship and so on it has a beautiful setup that is far beyond the new modern and technical world. Here are some of the artefacts of Jharkhand that can paint a picture of the state.

PAITKAR PAINTINGS:

Pic 1- A Paitkar painting 

‘Paitkar Paintings’ also known as ‘Scroll Paintings’ are the old form of paintings which has been practiced by Shahbar tribe for thousands of years. These paintings are made up of natural colour from plants, ashes, fodder etc. the medium through which the Paitkar artists use to paint their scrolls is water-based colours. These paintings are made up on walls and houses that narrate some or other kind of stories. These stories generally depict life after death. Pata painting is one of the earliest folk paintings of India. The Paitkar artists make the palm leaves as the base of the art and the brushes are made from the hair of squirrel and goat. Human characters occupy most part of the painted space. These characters are present in profile and sometimes in semi profile. The eyes are elongated which reflects the characteristic of Indian painting style. The painted face came much later only in the mid-20th century.

KOHVAR & SOHRAI PAINTINGS:

Pic 2- A lady painting Kohvar.

These are sacred, secular and relevant to a woman's world. This is the art practiced exclusively by married women, during weddings and at harvest time, and the skill and the information is handed down to younger females of the clan. Comb-cut or finger-painted, Kohvar art celebrates marriage, and the wall-painted Sohrai, bumper crops. Elaborate design motifs, animal and plant forms, fertility motifs are abundant and often echo ancient cave art found in the surrounds. The colours used are all natural - neutral earth shades, red oxide from stone, red ochre, kaolin white, manganese black earth etc. Blue and green are aberrant colours and do not feature prominently.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS:

Pic 3- Tribal Bansuri made of Bamboo

Kadri, Arbansi, Sarangi, Tuila, and Bansuri are some musical instruments of this State. The Jharkhand Sarangi looks curved, has three main chords which weigh more than other chords in the instrument. It is played along with Singa, Bansuri and Arbansi to give it that enthralling quality. Paika dance is accompanied with music of Shahnai, Bheir, Narsingha and the Dhak and Nagara drums.Instruments like Nagara, Jhanj, Mohuri, Turi, Dhol, Dhumsa, Bheri, Bansuri and conch shells are used in Chhaw dance. Karma is accompanied by folk music along with instruments such as Jhumki, Thumki, Challa and Payri. Such dances and forms of music play are performed generally at the wedding ceremonies, festivals and harvest seasons.

BOWS AND ARROWS AS WEAPONS:

Pic 4- Bows and Arrows of Tribal.

One of the most important and distinctive symbol that characterizes this community is the bow and arrow. The Santals use it extensively. Apart from using it for hunting, they use it during various rituals, festivals and celebrations. During the ceremonial cleansing after birth, the arrow is used by the midwife. In ancient times the umbilical cord of a new born baby was cut with the sharp edge of an arrow and the same arrow was placed vertically on the head side of the baby. During marriage ceremonies the arrow is used too. Again bow and arrows are offered to the dead (male members of the community) during burials. The bow and arrow is highly respected in the society. If anyone by chance touches it by his feet, he is immediately asked to bow to it. Therefore, it is impossible for the Tribals to abandon these bow and arrows as they are culturally, emotionally and mentally attached to them (bows and arrows).

TRIBAL ARTWORK:

Chhou mask - Chhou is a type of dance done with colourful masks. The masks are made of paper Mache in Singhbhum and Purulia district of Jharkhand and west Bengal respectively. Paper Mache of Saraikela and Charinda are famous for Chhou dance. Sometimes it appears similar to the masks used in Kerla in Kathakali.

Tribal woodwork - Jharkhand is full of good quality Saal forest and hence wooden artwork in the "should" of Tribals. The wood is used for cooking, housing, farming, fishing etc. The tribal artists of some villages have explored their creativity in art, like beautifully decorative door panels, toys, boxes, and other household articles.

Tribal Bamboo Artwork - The Bamboo found in this area are different from Bamboo of Southeast Asia. There is tourist place, Netarhat, which means a Bazaar of Bamboo. These bamboos are thin, and strong and flexible. The tribal people use bamboo for making baskets, hunting & fishing equipment. Especially the bamboo made fishing cage is very attractive.

Pic 5- Godna

Godna - Tribals use ornaments a lots but the spiritual concept of ornament is very different. They believe that all ornaments are human made and are mortal. Therefore, they invented tattoos as permanent ornament. Majority of tribal woman have tattoos called Godna, on their bodies. However, tribal men also use Godna. They believe that Godna are the only ornament which goes with them after death also.

Tribal weapons - Bow and arrow is the symbolic weapon of the Tribals of this area. Apart from this they use iron made Axes and Ghana (Big hammer).

The Unchecked Reality Of Beef-Ban.

Mohammad Arsalan

________________

The recent Beef-Ban in Uttar Pradesh is one of the biggest frauds that would have been done. Many see it as Muslim bashing and hurting their religious sentiments but in actuality our Hindu brothers are being fooled and their religious sentiments are being fired out for fulfilling the vested interests of the capitalist-owned-government. Now here’s the prove:

India is the largest exporter of beef in the world. India exports more than 2.4 million tons of beef every year around the world and contributes to 23.5% of the total global exports. Before 2014, India stood no. 2^nd in beef export, whereas we surpassed Brazil after BJP coming into power and now we top the list.

India‘s four largest beef export companies are owned by our Hindu brothers, which are as follows:

1 )Al-Kabeer Exports Pvt. Ltd.
Owner name: Mr. Shatish & Mr. Atul Sabharwal
Add: 92, Jolly makers, Chembur Mumbai 400021

2) Arabian Exports Pvt.Ltd.
Owner’s name: Mr.Sunil Kapoor
Add: Russian Mansions, Overseas, Mumbai 400001

3) M.K.R Frozen Food Exports Pvt. Ltd.
Owner’s name Mr. Madan Abott.
Add : MG road, Janpath, New Delhi 110001

4) P.M.L Industries Pvt. Ltd.
Owner’s name: Mr. A.S Bindra
Add : S.C.O 62-63 Sector -34-A, Chandigarh 160022

Now with this we must understand how the government is inciting religious sentiments for mere political gains. The current government is too smart and playing two sides in the game. By banning beef they prima facie appear in working out with their Hindutva agenda, polarization and partisan of the ruling dispensation. The small retailers are being crushed and big corporate exporters are increasing. In actuality more that 3.25 lakh Muslim people in UP has suffered from the negation.

The second most important thing is that the government wants people to engage in foul discourses and be aloof from the ground realities that matters in day-to-day livelihood. For example as per financial express report as many as 287 farmers, including agriculture labourers have committed suicide in Madhya Pradesh during the past three months. Almost none of the promises under the “Vikaas” slogan has been fulfilled yet. Hence, the government is finding refuge in this gutter-game and masses are being used for propaganda. I hope the people understand this and take a better stand in future elections.

I very much care about the sentiments of my Hindu brothers, for that matter I will not let the government fool them. My appeal to the government is that there shouldn’t be a selective rule of law. Let’s make equal laws for all. Ban the beef export. Nor in India we will eat beef, nor we will let the blacks and whites eat beef around the world exported from our country.

#NoSelectiveRuleOfLaw #BanBeefExport

(Positive criticism and views accepted)

A VISIT TO MUKUNDPUR VILLAGE

Mohammad Arsalan
____________________

7^th February’17- After a-two-day international conference on “Media and Sustainable Development: Key Issues and Challenges” organised by the department of Mass Communication, Aligarh Muslim University on 5^th and 6^th February, 2017, a delegation of faculties, students and 25 guests from different countries visited Mukundpur village of Aligarh district where organic farming is done.

The village has an estimated population of 3000 and a thousand people owning lands. Villagers make vermin compost naturally by collecting and nurturing fertilizers from specialised earthworms and husks. Natural gas plants are also installed at many spots used for cooking purpose-cow and buffalo dung is mostly used in producing the same.

“There is a larger space for organic farming but it is not apt in fulfilling the requirement of the poor to feed. Hence, chemical farming is also done for more production. In chemical farming external inputs like urea, DAC etc. are used”, says Pratiyush Varshney, an ISI graduate who works in the village and promulgates the idea of scientific farming. Further he adds that farmers are not well acquainted with scientific farming and are averse to it. They rather prefer traditional techniques, which apparently acts as debacle to the farming output. On asking about the government’s incentives and subsidies on seeds, fertilisers etc. provided to the farmers, Mr. Pratiyush blames corruption and says, “The government plans and initiatives are good, but in reality complicit, the big land owning farmers enjoy all the priorities, leaving others toiling”. Majority of the farmers are landless and suffer the negation.

A major population of Mukundpur is illiterate and those who are educated, most of them have migrated to towns and big cities for earning their bread and butter. The literate families generally have kitchen gardens where they grow crops and vegetables for feeding the family and not for selling it out in the market. The rest of the population is involved in commercial farming.

Despite small huts and seemingly poor condition prevalent in the village, the house of the up-pradhan Sunil Singh looked wealthier than many. Mr. Sunil owned more than 40 buffaloes, cars and motor-bikes. He had a-two-story building along with a lawn in front of his house, where a prerogative salutation was provided to the delegates and the framing technicalities were demonstrated. Ostensibly, Mr. Sunil talked about the village farmers and claimed to have helped most of them in providing government subsidies but prima facie his efforts seemed apathetic.

Organic farming was fostered by the delegation. The purpose of the visit was to practically observe and gather ideas for sustainable development. As farmers by profession delegates from Yemen exchanged their ideas of farming with the locals. A generous reception was given to the team by the villagers and Chaach and Gud were served as beverages. The village was surrounded by wheat fields; the ambient was peaceful and tranquil.

                              ******************************

Why Muslim And Dalit Politics Fail In India? (Falling prey to ‘Vote-Bank’ politics)

Mohammad Arsalan
_________________

Many Muslims intellectuals claim that Muslims don’t have a political stand, some say that Muslims only vote against the BJP, some are talking of Dalit-Muslim alliance in the upcoming UP polls. In my opinion all these things doesn’t fit to the prevailing political unawareness of Muslims in India. All the marginalized communities of India don’t have a political stand that mainly consists of Muslims, Dalits and Tribals (w. r. f.  Justice Sachhar committee report 2006). The reason is that they are educationally, socially and financially backward. They battle only for bread and butter and know nothing of what is going around, hence they easily fall prey in the political system as underdog. That is what commonly called ‘Vote-Bank’.

Every political party requires lobbying for which Brahmins (including Rajput, Bhumihar and Baniya- not all but majority) are the fittest as they have always been socially powerful and financially strong since 2500 BC. Initially they lobbied for Congress and now they have their own fascist Bartiya Janta Party. Amid all that, Brahmanical hegemony is uprising creating more social repression, inequality and injustice in the society; the same that happened after 2500 BC up till the ‘Gora Sahib’ arrived in India followed by ‘Bhura Sahib’ and now by ‘RSS’.

This social inequality was realized by Dr. Ambedkar and he included Article 16 (4) i. e. ‘equality of opportunity in matters of public employment’ in the constitution providing special reservation for the backward class for their social and educational empowerment. At that time also Ambedkar was opposed by many upper caste Hindus. Further deliberate plotting was done against him to defeat in the Loksabha elections of 1952 & 54, later he was nominated in the Upper House or Rajya Sabha. Whereas the Élite Muslims in British India didn’t accepted the due demand in constitution and later majority of them flee to Pakistan leaving back the backward Muslims as orphans.

Now what Muslims and Dalits need to realize is that to take political stand it’s very important to come out of poverty. One is in despair when is in poverty and has no option but to be used as masses for propaganda by the ruling-class. Here I would like to quote Sir Syed, he said ‘Ignorance is the mother of poverty’. Ignorance comes from lack of knowledge and education. This was realized by Sir Syed after the first war of Independence in 1857, where he saw Muslims being brutally butchered by the British. He got to understand that education is the only key which could take these poor marginalized community including Muslims and other backwards from deprivation and vicious circle of poverty. That was the only key they could attain their position in social and political spectrum. Later on he started Aligarh movement and MAO College was formed in 1877.

It’s true that politics decides the fate of individuals and communities especially in an inclusive and diverse country like India. But feudalism and Brahminisation has still influenced the politics of India. To my little knowledge I think that Muslim and Dalit intellectuals fail to understand that it’s poverty, despair and jeopardy that has made marginalized communities aloof from the main stream. Those Muslims who use slangs like ‘rehnumai’, ‘qyadat’, and whatnot are either highly ambitious and are used by different political parties for Muslim appeasement, the others who actually commit themselves for a social change fail to understand the social fabric, problems of poverty, and beat around the bush. At initial level it’s important to eradicate the class-inequality, more and more focus on education should be done for emancipation and demanding rights rather than making hubbub of SP, BSP, Congress, BJP and bla bla. Until social equality and social justice is achieved; democracy will be a mockery in India and marginalized communities will remain a ‘Vote-Bank’.

NO FULL STOPS IN INDIA: BOOK REVIEW

Mohammad Arsalan
_________________
For those who want to know the ground realities of India and the way her culture and traditions are harbored by its inhabitants ‘No full stops in India’ is a must read. Mark Tully, a renowned British reporter and commentator of BBC has pinned up series of events in such a beautiful way that it paints a felicitous picture of India, his understanding of the ‘Idea of India’, its diverse and pluralistic culture makes this a compelling reading.

He has been critical of his own British people in the way they have swept in the westernized narrative of being superior and further creating an élite class in India that endorses the same. Tully accuses the same élite Indians and British for poverty, despair and jeopardy that major population of India face. He quotes renowned economist Amartya Sen who wrote, ‘It’s important to understand the élite nature of India to make sense of India’s policies’. Citing the democracy and the ruling-class culture in India he says, ‘India’s élite have never recovered from their colonial hangover, and so they have not developed the ideology, the attitudes and the institutions which would change the poor from subjects to partners in the government of India. Democracy has failed because the people the poor have elected have ruled- not represented- them. The ballot-box is only the first stage in democracy.’ He promulgates the idea of perpetuating India’s own civilization rather than making a replica of the west. Brazenly he argues that lingua-franca of English among Indians by the English is part of their cultural hegemony or imperialism. For the adaptation of English language and knowing it’s pride among Indians, Mark being a British brutally accepts the way English giggle at the Indians, he says, ‘yet the irony is that we, the British, laugh at India’s zeal for our language, and Indian accent and Indian English have long been a fruitful source of jokes.’

In ten essays Mark has projected ample of de-facto cosmos of India’s life, from Shudra’s life in Badaun district of UP to Kumbh Mela that is held after every 12 years at Allahabad. He gives case studies and first-hand account of data of how extreme liberals and feminists have caused more fundamentalism in India; he has explained that in the whole episode of ‘Deorala Sati’ incident where a teenage girl Roop Kanwar deliberately committed Sati, and how the issue was then politicized and mongered. The historic epic Ramayna’s telecast at Doordarshan and the art culture of South India is all well imbibed in the essays. ‘Operation Black Thunder’, Indira Gandhi’s assassination, tussle among the Congress party, Rajiv Gandhi as PM and his assassination, Hindu radicalization, tribal issues and their vernacular art, rise and downfall of communism in Bengal, and whatnot. The book is a whole lot of realities and perspective that India falls into.

Tully says that intellectuals in India try to find out the solutions of their problem from the west not actually realizing that much of the solutions to Indian problem lies within India. Though written in 1992, the book still holds a lot of relevance in today’s context in India. For this book ‘No full stops in India’, Kushwant Singh in Sunday magazine has commented, ‘What [Tully] has to say makes for compelling reading’. And yes the Swami rightly said in the book, ‘there is always a story behind a story in India’…’There are no full stops in India, only comas.’

Post Script: Though there are certain points of which I am critical of, the stories are impeccable.