By Nadim Nikhat,
Recently I received a very colorful picture mail from one of my acquaintances from the national capital with a call rather an intimidation to support Anna Hazaare’s ’Jan Lokpal Bill or get lost. The title of the mail was “kaun hai aapka asli hero (who’s your real hero)” with a series of question followed by pictures of few celebrities.
This mail projects the recently concluded red-carpet fast-unto-death protest of Anna Hazaare & Co. Ltd. in the historic Ramlila Ground, as its context but it has many other hidden contexts too. Therefore I am trying to recontexualize this mail in the back drop of the present forced crisis. Let’s explore how much it is to do with ‘Ram’ (Read communal/fascist) and ‘Leela’ (Read political drama).
It started with very intimidating question in India TV style ‘kya yeh hain woh log??? (Are they those people?)’ Then followed by a series of sarcastic comments on every downloaded (stolen) photograph, out of which twelve are portrayed as villains and two are real heroes X-wo/men.
Villains included photographs of eight Bollywood celebrities (67%), one businessman (8%), one politician (8%) and two sports persons (17%) and at the bottom with photograph of poor (pale and frail-looking) Anna and a proud cop in uniform Kiran Bedi (Together 100%).
The choice of pictures suggests that the producer of this picture mail must be a movie buff and has a lot of interest in lives of filmy hero-heroines. And has a lot of expectation from the filmy heroes. Surely, it cannot be merely a coincident.
The mail concludes with a big question about these so called villains that where are these people? And raises the biggest question of the millennium that if they have so much love with the country then why they are not supporting Anna Hazaare’s fast for the Jan Lokpal Bill? The mail argues that they want only publicity therefore they are not with Anna. Being in Anna’s camp itself is a big publicity stunt for many heroes and heroines therefore according to his argument they should be there only.
The bias is quite ostensible and does not astonish me at all. And analysis of the mail actually tells the story in and out about the nature of the entire movement and minds, bodies, hands and legs behind this.
First photograph was of Shahrukh Khan’s Chak De India’s movie poster with a Hindi comment “film aur cricket team bana ke desh ka karoda rupya lene ko betab” (ready to take away millions of country’s money by making films and cricket team).
Why only Shahrukh khan is picked? He is not the lone millionaire celebrity who owns a cricket company. Isn’t that colorable? Interesting is the choice of Chak De India’s poster, it was a film which talked very openly about gender disparity and was about poor Indian Women’s Hockey Team which struggles for their identity and place. This film was a path breaker in terms of its script and characterization. Unlike many other big time bollywood sexy and masala hits and macho and chauvinistic flicks, it to a great extent does not reinforce the gender stereotypes and chose not to portray women as mere a sexual object. Also the film strongly makes a point that ‘chakla belan chalane wale hath na sirf hockey khel hi sakti hain balki khel jeet ke bhi dikha sakti hain’ (Hands which cooks to feed men can’t just play hockey but can also win the game). The film has also shown female characters as rebellion.
I ask a question to myself that isn’t likely that this mail was created and circulated by those who actually believe in the ‘chakla-belan for woman theorem’?
Also, Shahrukh’s last hit was ‘My Name is Khan’, a film puts certain open ended questions on the ‘war against terror’ and promotes all ‘Khans’ (Read Muslims) are not terrorists and very subtly leaves a breathing room for the pain and grief of and promotes justice to the victims of ‘war against terror’. This film was based in post 9/11 US but if not directly then at least metaphorically related to our country also.
The questions again to me that are the creative minds behind this mail are against justice to victims of this war? And/or do they see all ‘khans’ as masterminds of terrorism?
Then comes the sherwani clad (not gajni cut) Amir Khan with a comment ‘chahe wo amir khan ho’ (even Amir Khan). Interesting! Popular English daily ToI reports on Aug the 25th about Amir Khan’s support to Anna’s movement and indeed he has also written a letter to him suggesting picketing politicians.
[See- http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-08-25/india/29926618_1_anna-hazare-picket-residences-team-anna ]
Noteworthy, once Amir Khan supported people’s movement Narmada Bachao Andolan and invited wrath of BJP and its extremist allies for his support. His film Fana was also banned in BJP ruled Gujarat due to this. Also his films like “Peepli Live” raises serious question on government approach towards farmers’ suicides. “Tare Zameen Par” talks about making schools children-friendly and inclusive. Everyone knows Anna’s take on vibrant Gujarat.
Is the mailer subscribes to the ideology which is anti-people’s movement and anti-free speech or a promoter of vibrant or Garvi Gujarat?
Next to Amir is Saif Ali Khan, scion of Nawab’s family and the mail addresses him nawab only. He has never been a controversial figure then why he figured out in the mail. His recent flick is Aarakshan, which is a surrounded in controversies by its pro-reservation stand perhaps be one of reasons.
Hmmm! Is it because of this only? Poor Saif!
Is the author of this mail anti-reservation? I know one of Anna’s aides who is anti reservation.
Then comes two photographs of Bachchan family, Amitabh, Abhishek and Aishwarya Bachchans with comments such as ‘kaun banega karod pati’ (Who will become a millionaire) and ‘not a good idea sir ji’ (Not a good idea sir-popular Idea punch line) respectively. Quite recently, Bachchan family was attacked by pro-Marathi right wing extremist Sena.
Ok! Does it mean that this spammer is a pro-regionalist movement too? Yeah! I know Anna’s view on Marathi manoos.
On a different note comes the business tycoon Vijay Malya with subtitles ‘vikhyat king fisher company ke malik Vijay Malya’ (Famous Kingfisher Co.’s owner). I don’t understand why he is here. Is it because he succeeded a corrupt chair of IPL?
Oh ho!
Is he an insider from the camp of the corrupt Modi (not Narendra Modi here, at least!)?
His list of industrialists and businessmen is very short; it seems either he works with (for) some industrial house on a fat salary or might be running organization hugely funded by his corporate donors.
Anyways! Anna’s Lokpal Bill leaves corporate houses from its ambit.
After such a bad performance in England, how one can spare cricket and cricketers in this list, so he included one of them here? So comes the ‘cricket ke badshah’ Tendulkar (King of cricket). Sachin Tendulkar? A sweet Sai Baba’s bhakt, best batsman of the world, highest run- maker, century-maker, so then what is he doing here?
Let me guess! He must have declined from displaying Anna’s hologram on his t-shirt and the mailer is teaching him a lesson. At least spare him in his last days of cricket career.
Sania Mirza comes next to the little master with an opening comment “khel ke lie kam lekin apni sundarta ke lie zyada mash-hoor” (More famous for her beauty than her sports). From the very beginning she was in controversies like ‘skirt controversy’ etc. Apart from these controversies she is known for her professional tennis which brought her and the country many feathers in the hat. She is the first ever Indian to break into the top 30 WTA rankings (See his achievements and contribution- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sania_Mirza).
Then why she is here?
Is it because she married to a Pakistani cricket celebrity and continued to play for India?
Is this mailer-demon also has aversion to India-Pakistan friendship and peace talks? Or s/he wants the bitter relationship between Indo-Pak to continue, so that both countries could do more nuclear and missile tests and hoard more arsenal-weapon of mass destruction?
Penultimate to the last comes A R Rehman (Birth name- AS Dileep Kumar) carrying punch line “commonwealth games me 5 Crores rupya sirf ek gane ke lie lene wale” (Who charged Rs. 5 Crores for only one song at common wealth games). A R Rehman, a new convert Muslims, whose song ‘Vande Mataram’, which is the slogan of Anna Movement too, was very popular and loved by all, cutting across all the religious, class, culture and political lines.
He brought a number of laurels and awards including Grammy, Academy, Golden Globe Award and many more so to India and created a huge global market and money for Indian music and films.
So what makes a case for him to be here in this list of so called villains and not so real heroes?
Isn’t it unfair?
Is it so that the e-campaigner is anti-conversion or against a Muslim singing patriotic songs like vande mataram and becoming popular for that and/or representing Indian music globally? Is it like s/he does not consider a Muslims being representative of what is called a multicultural India?
Last but not the least, the final curtain raiser comes at the end with sarcastic comment ‘aur desh nav nirman ke sapne dikhane wale” (Dreamer of country’s revival and rebirth)
Guess who?
The only politician figures out in this list. For obvious reasons he is Congress’ successor, Rahul Gandhi!
Why only Rahul Gandhi? Because he is in the ruling Congress Party? Does it mean that the creative director of this mailer considers the fight against corruption means only against congress and not against corrupt politicians, bureaucrats, corporate housed and civil society?
Isn’t it narrow and partisan?
The matter of the fact that these pictures have not been selected randomly rather has chosen with certain degree of understanding and design that what they are and who they are.
It cannot be coincidental too.
Out of these twelve villains a substantial number of them are Muslims (5 persons including 3 film stars one musician and one sports woman). Why?
Don’t say it just a coincident again. Are you trying to convey that Muslims are not against corruption? Or rather you want to convey that they are the corrupt ones?
To take it to the fourth plane, I want to recall the stupid statement of “Shahi Imam” of Delhi Jama Masjid calling Muslims to reject Anna on silly religious grounds and also the flood of support from Muslims organizations aftermath of Shahi Imam’s message to Muslims.
If you look at it from a bird’s eye view, you find so called movement accusing Muslims of being indifferent, one Muslim Religious Leader calling Muslims to reject the movement and other section of Muslim religious leaders accusing and abusing the other and suddenly starts supporting the movement which is being criticized due to undemocratic means and objective just to prove and serve their point only.
My question here is that where is a common Muslim in all this? And if a Muslim is really an equal citizen then s/he has all the rights of citizens to think and form independent views and opinion. There is no doubt in that.
It’s not vital for every Muslim to necessarily and always carry the burden of showing and painting themselves in the color in which other want to see you and at the end lose your unique and real essence.
Don’t forget the people who are standing with Anna, rejects reservation to OBC including Muslim OBCs. The future hope lies in extending OBC coverage to Muslims after the recommendations of Sachchar and Ranganath Misra Commission. So don’t be carried away by the rhetoric and the manufactured expectation created by the propaganda machinery of the right-wing lobbyists.
Independent of All, an indeed direct question finally to you Mr. Mailer. Are you an RSS/BJP agent?
If yes, matter ends there.
AND don’t mislead us by thoughtfully use of Inquilab Zindabad (Long Live revolution!). Don’t malign it please.
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Nadim Nikhat is a Senior Research Fellow at CSSEIP, NLSIU, Bangalore