I thought the furor over the banned documentary had died down. But looks like the issue about shaming our country is still continuing. Shoba De's column in TOI tried to show the real motivation of Udwin - there is nothing social concern but commercial reasons for her documentary. An email forward - an open letter to BBC daring them to make similar such documentaries on England's daughter or South Africa's daughter!
I do agree with these people on two points. (1) BBC documentary was for their trp ratings. Udwin was like any other documentary maker searching for good stories. Nirbhaya and the nation level protest that followed definitely gave her the fodder. No doubt about that! How come none of our tv channels thought about doing that! This is what i did mention earlier - our channels love talking issues to death instead of doing an objective investigation about underlying causes. (2) And the documentary need not be titled India's Daughter! It can be any other country's daughter! As the issue of sexual violence can be seen in so-called developed countries or third world countries! Nirbhaya is one story of such continuing violence.
Coming to the point about how this documentary is shaming our country! i doubt that! There is no need for any outsider to do that. We do it ourselves. One sitting in front of television or reading newspapers you would know what i am saying.
At the same time our country is not just about crimes. We have other good things happening which shows there is silver lining in these black cloud. Thousands of men who joined the protest march for nirbhaya is one example of that silver lining.
i came across a programme called Good News in Headlines Today! it started with an intro that TV news is not about bad news only. And they were showing positive news about the country. i was very happy to see something good on a news channel! otherwise it is always bad news only!
Coming back to the main issue which i started, the discussion seemed to have shifted focus! i thought this documentary might make us reflect on the core issue. our attitude towards women, not just by men but women themselves. About our society! One of my anthropological friend said that what else can we expect from patriarchal society! Patriarchy!
Patriarchy is defined as a social system in which: males hold primary power; males predominate in roles of political leadership, moral authority, social privilege and control of property; and, in the domain of the family, fathers or father-figures hold authority over women and children. (Online dictionary)
So are we patriarchal society? Yes it is predominantly patriarchal but it is not as if women are still relegated to kitchen. Women are progressing and taking part in different fields equal to men. The percentage is minimal but still it keeps growing.
But news about people attacking tv channel for the discussion on thaali or a writer being beaten for his novel are disheartening! Thaali sentiment has grown too much thanx to our movies! The same movies which was used to spread social awareness to remove the social evils in 60s is now used to spread regressive beliefs. If social reformer Periyar had been alive, what would he have done? Probably would have black painted such movies and kicked such men!
Movies' influence is all pervasive. Not one movie, we have many movies repeating such regressive sentiments. Naturally people will be influenced by it. Not just hindus, but in South India we have even Christians and Muslims wearing their version of thaali! (atleast the friends i have wear such things). And that ritual of removing thaali after husband's death is really sadistic in nature! And women seemed to do it themselves. If women come together and protest in uniform voice, most of our problems would be solved. We ourselves seem to follow these customs!
i remember my shock when i first heard a lady comment " i wear thaali only when i wear a saree". My middle class mentality influenced by movies was shocked. I saw those people as aliens. Later I realized thaali is just an accessory. i have seen women wearing all symbols of marriage behave in an immoral way. Thaali does not make you behave as a married man or woman. it is the person who does. By the way i have read that in anient tamil nadu, it was men who wore thaali, or should i say one version of thaali! So why so much fuss about an accessory? We love making ruckus!
I am rambling again! (i do that all the time!) Coming back to the issue of patriarchy, so was the protest against TV channel a patriarchal reaction? or attention seeking reaction? God and those group only knows!
But patriarchal society (which includes both men and women) tends to frown over such issues. So how do we deal with such reactions? We need to educate people and bring about the progressive ideas. How do we do that? The same media should take responsibility. But will they? Will it give them the trps? if so, then they might do it.
Parents should educate their children. Treat boy and girl equally. Make them respect each other. We need to have discussions on such sensitive issues not hide it because it brings shame to our country. We dont need outsiders showing mirrors. But we should start seeing it.
Instead of being indifferent to problems or hiding the issues we need to deal with it. One line i read in today's Hindu from Sudish Kamath review on NH10 impressed me.
'It would take multiple blows to the head to kill patriarchy. But as NH10 shows us, one
blow at a time'
(i shd check out the movie for this line atleast!)
So it should be a collective effort. And media which is responsible for most of the problems is also the solution. So discussion seemed to continue along with disturbances too!
One week it was the documentary, another wee mob attacking TV channels! Next week?? Let me wait for my newspaper to give the next 'sensational news'!!!!
I do agree with these people on two points. (1) BBC documentary was for their trp ratings. Udwin was like any other documentary maker searching for good stories. Nirbhaya and the nation level protest that followed definitely gave her the fodder. No doubt about that! How come none of our tv channels thought about doing that! This is what i did mention earlier - our channels love talking issues to death instead of doing an objective investigation about underlying causes. (2) And the documentary need not be titled India's Daughter! It can be any other country's daughter! As the issue of sexual violence can be seen in so-called developed countries or third world countries! Nirbhaya is one story of such continuing violence.
Coming to the point about how this documentary is shaming our country! i doubt that! There is no need for any outsider to do that. We do it ourselves. One sitting in front of television or reading newspapers you would know what i am saying.
At the same time our country is not just about crimes. We have other good things happening which shows there is silver lining in these black cloud. Thousands of men who joined the protest march for nirbhaya is one example of that silver lining.
i came across a programme called Good News in Headlines Today! it started with an intro that TV news is not about bad news only. And they were showing positive news about the country. i was very happy to see something good on a news channel! otherwise it is always bad news only!
Coming back to the main issue which i started, the discussion seemed to have shifted focus! i thought this documentary might make us reflect on the core issue. our attitude towards women, not just by men but women themselves. About our society! One of my anthropological friend said that what else can we expect from patriarchal society! Patriarchy!
Patriarchy is defined as a social system in which: males hold primary power; males predominate in roles of political leadership, moral authority, social privilege and control of property; and, in the domain of the family, fathers or father-figures hold authority over women and children. (Online dictionary)
So are we patriarchal society? Yes it is predominantly patriarchal but it is not as if women are still relegated to kitchen. Women are progressing and taking part in different fields equal to men. The percentage is minimal but still it keeps growing.
But news about people attacking tv channel for the discussion on thaali or a writer being beaten for his novel are disheartening! Thaali sentiment has grown too much thanx to our movies! The same movies which was used to spread social awareness to remove the social evils in 60s is now used to spread regressive beliefs. If social reformer Periyar had been alive, what would he have done? Probably would have black painted such movies and kicked such men!
Movies' influence is all pervasive. Not one movie, we have many movies repeating such regressive sentiments. Naturally people will be influenced by it. Not just hindus, but in South India we have even Christians and Muslims wearing their version of thaali! (atleast the friends i have wear such things). And that ritual of removing thaali after husband's death is really sadistic in nature! And women seemed to do it themselves. If women come together and protest in uniform voice, most of our problems would be solved. We ourselves seem to follow these customs!
i remember my shock when i first heard a lady comment " i wear thaali only when i wear a saree". My middle class mentality influenced by movies was shocked. I saw those people as aliens. Later I realized thaali is just an accessory. i have seen women wearing all symbols of marriage behave in an immoral way. Thaali does not make you behave as a married man or woman. it is the person who does. By the way i have read that in anient tamil nadu, it was men who wore thaali, or should i say one version of thaali! So why so much fuss about an accessory? We love making ruckus!
I am rambling again! (i do that all the time!) Coming back to the issue of patriarchy, so was the protest against TV channel a patriarchal reaction? or attention seeking reaction? God and those group only knows!
But patriarchal society (which includes both men and women) tends to frown over such issues. So how do we deal with such reactions? We need to educate people and bring about the progressive ideas. How do we do that? The same media should take responsibility. But will they? Will it give them the trps? if so, then they might do it.
Parents should educate their children. Treat boy and girl equally. Make them respect each other. We need to have discussions on such sensitive issues not hide it because it brings shame to our country. We dont need outsiders showing mirrors. But we should start seeing it.
Instead of being indifferent to problems or hiding the issues we need to deal with it. One line i read in today's Hindu from Sudish Kamath review on NH10 impressed me.
'It would take multiple blows to the head to kill patriarchy. But as NH10 shows us, one
blow at a time'
(i shd check out the movie for this line atleast!)
So it should be a collective effort. And media which is responsible for most of the problems is also the solution. So discussion seemed to continue along with disturbances too!
One week it was the documentary, another wee mob attacking TV channels! Next week?? Let me wait for my newspaper to give the next 'sensational news'!!!!
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