[Reader-list] Freedom of speech [Re: Intentions behind..]

[Sudeep K S]

On 2/19/07, Nitya Jacob <nityajacob at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> To take Ms Jogi's logic further, we should be living in a Hindu republic
> with Vande Mataram as the national anthem, saffron as the only colour in the
> national flag, sadhus as ministers and a Kshatriya as Prime Minister. Anyone
> lower than a shudra should be banished to kala paani, including non-Hindus.
> Sikhs, Jains and Budhists should be co-opted as Hindus as they were
> 'offshoots of Hindu reformist movements'. The economy should grow at 4%
> annually. We should ONLY have temples to Ram. Anyone opposing the creed of
> Manu or the Arthashastra should be beheaded. Women and cattle should be
> treated alike.
>
> Fortunately for us and the rest of the world, those who wrote the
> constitution realised India could not exist without giving equal weightage
> to all religions and respecting people regardless of caste and religion.
> They recognised that for the past 1000 years India has been ruled mostly by
> non-Hindus (invaders, if the RSS pleases, enemy no.s 1 & 2) but who put down
> roots and settled here and so need to be assimilated.
>
> It was enlightening to read Sanjay Kak's essay and distressing to see Ms
> Jogi's reaction. But then freedom of speech exists, save in Gujarat - we all
> know who rules there, now dont we.

   Dear Nitya,

   "Freedom of speech exists, save in Gujarat"? Are you living in some utopia?

   If you are refering to Parzania not getting released in Gujarat,
let me tell you the film has not been released in Assam. It is not
that the cinema halls in Guwahati are filled with Assamese films, they
are all showing some Hindi movie or the other. From Ekalavya to
Traffic Signal to Undertrial. And  it is likely that the film won't be
shown in most of our smaller cities/towns (other than the city
multiplexes). The reason is that the distributors and theatre owners
are afraid, or they are themselves against such a film being shown to
the public. The hatred and Islamophobia is running in this secular
country's blood deeper than you may wish to believe. RSS has played a
pivotal role in it. If you are happy with this  "freedom of speech",
and this "secular fabric" of our country (I am afraid many of us are),
we will see many more genocides, and each of them will probably come
as a "shock" to us.

    regards
    sudeep

   [I'm still happy that the film (that apparently had the guts to
speak what even most of the documentaries on the genocide shied away
from, as one my friend puts it) got to see the light at least in the
multiplexes, but one should not forget that it took about two years
after the film was completed. And when a group of guys in the capital
city are planning to go for the film, the first question that arises
is, "Should we really spend our money on such anti-nationalist
movies"?]