FIGHT FOR THE RIGHT

Aastha Katyal

As Indians who have strong family values and bonds -we know there is nothing worse than a family torn apart.
When a man or a woman is jailed, given a strict term such as life imprisonment or a death sentence, we seldom think of the families they leave behind, if any. In case of notorious criminals and rapists, we hardly have any pity. “They got what they deserved. They asked for it.” Maybe, they did. But what about those who are imprisoned for nothing? What about those who are given strict sentences by the court for absolutely no fault of theirs, the judgement being based on ridiculous “evidence” and false, fabricated details?

Yes, I am talking explicitly about Dr. Binayak Sen, no one else. His case has grabbed so much of media attention over the past two months, ever since the Chattisgarh court sentenced him to life imprisonment on charges of sedition, his crime being a Maoist sympathiser.

What he had actually been doing, in fact, was his duty as a doctor. He had been treating Maoist leader Narayan Sanyal’s hand, in jail, under the supervision of the jailor and with his permission. It was during this time that he has been said to act as a courier between Sanyal and Piyush Guha, a businessman, and as a carrier of letters of correspondence between the two.

Dr. Sen, who is the General Secretary of PUCL [People’s Union for Civil Liberties], has been active as a human rights activist, working in the backward regions of Chattisgarh, for the tribals’ benefits. A documentary made by the acclaimed filmmaker Anand Patwardhan shows how he was among the few doctors, who worked in the back of beyond for the tribals and other locals of the state, in a hospital, that obviously did not pay him in gold, and yet he continued to strive for the welfare of his patients, often foregoing meals, carrying his young daughter with him to work, simultaneously looking after her.

A talk by Mrs. Ilina Sen, his wife, brought tears to my eyes and enraged me at the ridiculousness of his trial and the miscarriage of justice by the judiciary and the police – our supposed caretakers.

A few facts everyone must know with regard to his case, the trial and the judgement, something which the media refuses to pick up, discuss and debate:

a) The Judge was changed thrice. Not once, but thrice. And the Judge who ultimately gave the verdict was on probation.

b) The police in two of their documents submitted to the court mention two different places of arrest for Piyush Guha, something which instead of being looked into by the Judge, is brushed aside as a typing error!

c) The police did not come themselves to arrest Dr. Sen but when he got to know the police was going to be coming for him, he went himself to the police station to enquire into the matter and was thus arrested. Whoever has heard of a Maoist going himself to surrender to the authorities?

d) The police broke into their house and picked up minor, ridiculous details and tagged them to be anti-national or anti-governement. For instance, Ilina Sen, Dr. Sen’s wife had received a forwarded mail in her inbox mentioning as an acronym ISI which actually stood for something completely different and referred to a harmless institute, but was taken to be Pakistan’s intelligence service, and thus Mrs. Ilina Sen was said to have links with the ISI!

e) The Sens had, in their home computer, files and junk like any other family would have. They also had mails in their inbox from friends – Hindus, Christians and Muslims alike. But every mail from any Muslim person was blown out of proportion and thus they were termed to be in correspondence with “terrorists” if you please!

f) An article in Open magazine, Volume 2, Issue 43 dated 31 January, 2011 by Priyanka Borpujari talks of how Aparajita, Dr. Sen’s younger daughter’s algebra notebook was seized by the Chattisgarh police, as they suspected it might contain Maoist code.

All these incidents not only highlight the sad state of affairs as far as the justice system in our country is concerned but also the ridiculousness of the police while gathering evidence, the clear manipulation of the court, the lax attitude with which this trial was approached, and the gross fabrication of evidence by the “lawmakers”.

All this constitute not even half of the atrocities committed by those in authority upon Dr. Sen and his family in the process of his trial.
While the media has its own reasons of not covering these aspects of the matter – be it editorial policy or vested interests (we all know what they might be!) – these points are not known to the millions of people out there who are being fed the government propaganda as far as the case and its details are concerned.

Dr. Sen too is a family man, and while I would never appeal to the public to consider such things for any other criminal, an important point to be noted is that Dr. Sen is NOT a criminal but a doctor, and a human rights activist who raised his voice against state atrocities upon common, vulnerable people through movements like Salwa Judum and Operation Green Hunt and thus is paying the price of his efforts. The mere fact that he has been given a sentence as harsh as life imprisonment for an offence which usually guarantees not more than 3 years of imprisonment is widely being speculated as an effort on the part of the government to shut him up.

I have seen personally the tears in the eyes of Mrs. Ilina Sen and her younger daughter Aparajita Sen, as the former spoke to us about these horrific acts of the government, the police and the judiciary and believe me, they are NOT fake. I have sensed the helplessness of a woman who has been fighting a battle for the truth, for her husband’s innocence against vile authorities for months and years now, and do not want her to give up. But a person can do only so much all on their own.

While she has the support of her friends, family, co-workers, and many renowned personalities like Mr. Anand Patwardhan himself, what she and the entire family needs is our support. We, the common people, need to wake up and fight for Dr. Sen. We need to fight for the right, fight against the corrupt system that exists today, fight against the atrocities committed by the state and the police on common people. And this is a fight we cannot afford to lose, for today it is them, tomorrow it could be us!

Is Republic Day Really Happy?

“Who wakes people up at 7 am on a holiday?”

“Flag hoisting at 7! Are they kidding? Ek din toh sone do yaar”

These are some of the various sentiments voiced by hostelites on the morning of 26^th January as they wake up to go down for flag hoisting. You get the gist right? So, 26^th Jan is just another holiday for people today, especially the youth, the “future” of our nation! The sentiment of patriotism is fast becoming extinct even as people just love cursing India’s bad politicians, corruption and inefficiency in the bureaucratic system, poverty, and other evils.

While I am usually a very patriotic person and feel myself welling with love for my nation every time I hear the national anthem, or the notes of vande mataram ring in my ears, or just a positive thing about the nation, and never miss a chance to tell my friends how I am proud of being an Indian and would never trade with anyone else, this year I am not feeling all that proud. This could be because of the string of scandals that shamed our country internationally last year (CWG, Raida Tapes, 2G scam), the inefficiency in our system screaming out all of a sudden to be noticed by one and all, the new level of lowness our country explored this year in various ways – all this just astonished me!

I was speaking to Binayak Sen’s daughter the other day, trying to get the true picture of what was his role in the entire matter, and she told me about how he was simply fulfilling his duty as a doctor by treating Narayan Sanyal, in keeping with his Hippocrates oath, and was not trying to represent Naxalites or their interests. Arrested on the accusation that he was acting as a courier between Piyush Guha (a businessman linked to Naxalites) and Narayan Sanyal, Dr. Sen was actually conducting treatment sessions with Sanyal, with the jailor’s permission and under his supervision.

She related the tale of how her father was framed by authorities over the “salwa judum” movement which prompted the authorities, encouraged by Multi-National Corporations (who were seeking profits) to clear out tribals from their own land for the MNCs to reap the benefits of that land. It was those tribals interests that Dr. Sen was representing, through his organisation People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL).

It is simply very scary how Corporations are in cahoots with authorities responsible for our welfare, and how they are together exploiting our interests for their profits. An innocent man is behind bars so some big companies and a few politicians can fill their already overflowing coffers with more money.

This fact has prompted me to think how good a republic are we? A republic is a state in which people or a significant portion of them retain supreme control over the government. The word “republic” is derived from the Latin phrase res publica , which can be translated as ‘a public affair’.

But what have we here? We have a bunch of administrators and the ever powerful, profit crazy corporates, busy indulging in personal affairs with a damn-all attitude towards public affairs.

So here’s something for all of us to ponder over as we ‘celebrate’ our 61^st republic day. Is India a republic in its true sense? Or are we fast losing the essence of the word and moving towards a scary future for the people of the country?

Books of the MILLENIUM!

It is sad but a fact that we reside in a cruel world – one filled with twisted human beings who are numerous shades of grey. This statement has never been highlighted with greater intensity than by the Millennium trilogy – a set of three books written by Swedish journalist and left wing enthusiast Stieg Larsson.

The man has brilliantly penned down a blend of fiction and fact, sticking to a world he is most familiar with, rather than venturing into unknown arena. Genius and enthralling reads, the books - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl who Played with Fire and The Girl who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest - were published posthumously as Larsson passed away in November 2004, soon after delivering the manuscripts of these three books to his publisher.

Larsson drew heavily from Astrid Lindgren’s children’s books and based the protagonist of his saga, Lisbeth Salander on Pippi Longstockings. The idea for the character came to Larsson when he was discussing with his colleague, Kenneth Ahlborn, how characters from children’s books would manage and behave if they were alive and all grown up.

The books trace the journey of Lisbeth Salander, a social recluse who has been declared of unsound mind by the social welfare bureaucracy. She is fierce, pierced and tattooed, bisexual and heavily independent. Yet, she is an enigma – she is a multilayered personality who will leave you shocked, outraged and impressed, all at the same time as each layer is peeled off, one at a time.

Salander meets a disgraced financial journalist Mikael Blomkvist who is one of the directors of the magazine Millenium, famous for its outstanding journalistic efforts. The character of Blomkvist was inspired by another Astrid Lindgren character, ‘Super Sleuth’; thus the nickname Kalle Blomkvist for the journalist. Together, Blomkvist and Salander embark on a journey which exposes scandalous stories, shocking secrets, deplorable acts, and appalling misdemeanors on behalf of people supposed to be caretakers. The books are undoubtedly for grown up readers, certainly not a fairytale read and compel one to reflect on society and its dark realities.

The saga raises a variety of issues – cruelty towards women, corruption among authorities, propagandist agenda, appalling manipulation, and exploitation of basic human and civil rights. It forces one to not only ponder on these issues but also the multi - faceted monster that is society.

The characters are so well rounded and etched out so perfectly that one tends to forget it is fiction one is reading. Larsson’s feminist world view is what probably encourages him to sharply criticize Sweden’s misogyny and discrimination against women in the trilogy.

The books have enjoyed tremendous success in a very short while. The trilogy was in fact translated into 12 languages and sold over 6.5 million copies.

If there is ever a set of books I would heavily recommend, swearing my life upon it, it’s the Millenium series. Definitely a must read, a worthwhile read.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, who Played with Fire and Kicked the Hornet’s Nest is indeed someone you would want to encounter!

A Heavenly Bond or Earthly Desire?

It is very common practice in society today to mind other’s business rather than our own. People, men and women alike, love to rip apart someone else’s life, their decisions, their actions to contemplate on what could be the possible motive and then the consequence of everything they say or do, and also whether it is right or wrong. And God forbid if it’s a celebrity that too of an international stature. Has anyone even thought of who WE are to pass judgments on others?

Even as the 84 year old magnate Hugh Hefner, the multimillionaire responsible for Playboy – a magazine which satiates our basest instincts – has gone ahead to satisfy his own desire to be formally committed to Crystal Harris, his 24 year old girlfriend who used to model for Playboy, the international forum has gone berserk pondering on whether the relationship is based on pure love or materialistic desires. While it is true that the speculation may be fuelled by the many instances in the past where a young woman has married a much older man for his money, is it stupidity to think that this case might just be different?

But it’s difficult now to think that materialistic desires do not overwhelm our innate affection for someone, our very basic desire to be with them no matter what. This is further fuelled by cases where men and women get together purely because of material wealth or when a woman is not given in marriage to a man who is not “wealthy enough” to support her financial needs. While financial support is necessary but is there no value of a bond that is as old as civilization? Nowadays, couples tend to break up over non-issues like property or money so often that it leads people to wonder about the sanctity of marriage as an institution.

On another note, don’t Hugh Hefner and Crystal Harris have a right to take decisions of their own accord, whether they are for materialistic or passionate reasons? Just because Hugh Hefner is an international figure does not give a right to tongues to wag about what possible motive could be behind Harris accepting Hefner’s proposal. Even if Hefner proposed to Harris for her outer beauty and Harris accepted because of Hefner’s wealth and influence, it is entirely their business and their decision. Their step of committing to each other to the extent of legalizing their bond in the eyes of society is only being undermined by these petty speculations. It’s a case of the devil or the deep blue sea. They bite the dust if they choose to opt for a largely socially acceptable form of union that is marriage or then face conjecture about their seriousness to each other if they choose to merely live-in together.

Don’t you think it might do us a world of good if we focus on our personal selves more; engage in some self study and self improvement rather than suggesting ways of how others could improve their lives!

Maybe it is true after all – ‘Kuch toh log kahenge logon ka kaam hai kehna’!

Waah! Kya Dialogue Hai…

As we were returning from our dinner outing to Bombay Blue on Friday, the song ‘Aal izz well’ played on the Radio. My younger brother in the 9th grade started talking about the play he had performed at his annual day function in school and and recollected how each actor backstage, put their hand to their hearts and said ‘Aal izz well’ to themselves before going onstage. “Did that have any effect at all, whatsoever?” I asked him, with a hint of sarcasm in my voice.

“Yes, of course,” replied my brother. “I grew confident and did not forget even a single line of mine!”

This got me thinking the immense power certain dialogues can have on us. It is interesting how a certain line from a certain movie becomes timeless as it sticks in our mind, becoming embedded in our daily lingo very often. A line from the famous Shahrukh Khan movie of the same title “Kuch Kuch hota hai..tum nahi samjhogi!” is such a common line for lovers to quote to each other that it works magic even today, after 12 years of its realease !

Another day, when a friend of mine made a mistake while painting a poster, another friend genially said, “Koi baat nahi Senorita, Bade Bade deshon mein aisi choti choti baatein hoti rehti hain!” quoting the eternal Raj of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ).

A dialogue that has been timeless providing a base for numerous advertisements and humour shows, is the one between Amitabh Bachchan and Shashi Kapoor in Deewar. When Amitabh’s Vijay says, “Mere paas gaadi hai, bangla hai, bank balance hai, tumhare paas kya hai?” Shashi Kapoor’s Ravi Verma proudly replies, “Mere paas Maa hai!” This dialogue has raised the ‘Maa’ to a higher pedestal than before, if possible, by depicting that the worth of ‘Maa’ surpasses every valuable material possession one may have. It is probably even more popular because it draws from the pre-dominant values of the Indian culture of viewing ‘Maa’ as a Godly and an indispensable figure.

The power of dialogues is only re-enforced by the enormous popularity of those from the classic movie ‘Sholay’ penned down by the award-winning duo of Salim-Javed in their prime. Whether it is Amjad Khan’s “Kitne aadmi the…Tum teen aur woh do bahut na-insaafi hai!” or whether a friend wants to fool around with another, or there’s a feud between two, and it is Dharmendra’s line - “Kutte, Kaminey, main tera khoon pee jaunga” that immediately comes to mind, each and every dialogue of Sholay has impacted all and sundry.

Sunny Deol, though now fading into oblivion, is still widely popular for his line in Daamini, “taarikh pe taarikh, taarikh pe taarikh”, such is the power of dialogue.

It is most fascinating to observe how some lines affect our daily, banal activities by adding that filmy spice to our regular chatter. Some lines are also very effective in saying something in a catchy way, that may otherwise sound terribly lame and unattractive when uttered ordinarily.

So, lets continue observing and applying the filmy twist to our daily banter. “Jeeyo, haso, muskurayo, kya pata.. Kal Ho na Ho!”

Cartoon strip

India is a Democracy… Really?

I am sure all us Indians have heard that our nation is a democratic nation, and freedom of speech is one of our fundamental rights. But in the wake of the recent controversy wherein Shahrukh Khan voicing his opinion on the non-selection of Pakistan players for the forthcoming season of IPL, did not go down well with the Shiv Sena, the essential question arises: Are we really a democratic nation in a true sense?

Shahrukh Khan criticised the recent exclusion of Pakistani cricket players from the IPL tournament, and said he wished Pakistani players were playing in the forthcoming edition of the cash-rich tournament. He probably made the statement merely keeping in mind the game and its requirements, and not in an attempt to malice his nation in any way.

Threatening his with consequences, Shiv Sena spokesperson, Sanjay Raut, said, “If he has courage, let him take the players… Shahrukh Khan talks about Pakistani players, if he has courage let him take them, let them play, we will see what is to be done then.”

[More at : Shiv Sena threatens Shahrukh Khan for “supporting” Pakistan players http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/india-news/shiv-sena-threatens-shahrukh-khan-for-supporting-pakistan-players_100311699.html#ixzz0egblD7wA]

But obviously, freedom of speech and opinion is something that the Shiv Sena has probably never heard about. That would explain their ruffian like behaviour in a supposedly democratic country like India which apparently has a government in place which is too much of a wimp to stand up to such blatant violation of basic fundamental rights that our constitution entitles each and very citizen of this nation to.

Why cannot SRK have an opinion and voice it? Why is he asked to apologize for merely exercising his right to freedom of speech? Why is he told that he is in Mumbai and not Pakistan and thus every word uttered by him should be pro India (or rather Maharashtra) and anti-Pakistan. I do not intend to defend Pakistan here in any way. By all means that nation is probably going to the dogs. However, SRK’s statement was with regard to a universal game of cricket and not apolitical.

Banning his upcoming movie ‘My Name is Khan’, burning posters, organizing rallies against him, can only be classified as ridiculous and juvenile behaviour, in my opinion. As far as I am concerned, this is not only about SRK. SRK, in this case, happens to represent every citizen of this country out there, who is now scared to speak his mind for fear of irregular behaviour he/she might face as a consequence from the Sena. SRK should not apologize merely for speaking his mind, voicing his opinion. As long as there is nothing anti-India in his words, I believe he has no reason to apologize.

According to me, his opinion does not reflect his apathy for the victims of 26/11 as is being said but merely sympathy for the good players in the Pakistani cricket team who have been excluded from the tournament.

However, what needs to be seriously pondered over are the questions: How democratic are we? Does the sacred document of this nation, our Constitution, hold no more value? How free can our speech be?

Do we need to seek permission for freedom of speech now? Is our country regressing instead of progressing?

Think, reflect and worry. We need to!