Perzania, a film based on a true story in the
backdrop of Gujarat violence, sensitively portraying
the plight of a Parsi family, whose son goes
missing during the carnage, was released all
over the country barring Gujarat. Earlier to
this, another film, Fanaa starring Amir Khan,
who personally sympathized openly with the plight
of those displaced due to the Narmada dam project,
could also not be screened in Gujarat. What
is the social and political scenario as we are
just a month away from the fifth anniversary
of Godhra train accident and the Gujarat carnage?
Gujarat carnage was very different from the
communal violence which took place in Independent
India so far. Here one could most clearly see
the well planned violence unleashed on the pretext
of Godhra train accident, duly supported by
the state Government under the patronizing eye
of the central government. While every possible
rule of the law was violated by the authorities,
the hapless victims were left to rot in the
refugee camps with atrocious living conditions,
totally ignored by the state government. The
mirror of Gujarat's dominant social thinking
was to come to light soon with the winning of
elections by Narendra Modi, who had played central
role in the violence. What has been happening
in the social milieu of Gujarat is beyond belief
as far as the democratic norms and the communal
amity is concerned.
One has witnessed that the process of deliverance
of justice, remains unexecuted. Many a people
under different types of pressure could not
lodge their complaints, many a times it was
made as a condition for their return to their
homes. Many an FIRs were not filed, the victims
of the riots are gripped by the losses of lives
and property in mammoth proportions, while the
perpetrators of crime are moving with great
pride in having taught 'them' a lesson. Those
arrested for Godhra train burning are rotting
in jails with the POTA charges on them. Barring
the cases like those of Zahira with different
twists and turns, most other wronged ones are
living the constant agony and pain of what they
had to face. The role and attitude, impartiality,
of sections of judiciary has also come under
severe doubts
Added to that is the alienation, social boycott
and the ghettotisaztion of Muslim minorities,
which has been set very deeply in the aftermath
of carnage. One can see the areas marked by
religious denominations getting converted into
geographic dividing lines. Once the hatred crosses
the threshold limits it creates the wedge which
becomes unbridgeable over a period of time.
And that's what one sees in the social milieu
of Gujarat. The pattern of life amongst large
sections has changed, and the constant harping
on identity, first that of religion and later
that of caste has been the logical corollary
of the hate ideology which is ruling the roost.
Over fifty thousand families are living in the
poorly maintained rehabilitation colonies totally
deprived of the basic facilities. The subtle
intimidation of Muslim majority is supplemented
by the attacks on Christian missionaries and
also by the holding of events like Shabri Kumbh
to co-opt the Adivasis into the Hindu fold,
at the same time changing the terms of social
reference, from the ones of development to the
ones of identity issues is there for all to
see. The social common sense in Gujarat in particular,
has been taken to the insane heights where every
issue becomes a ground for further intensifying
the hatred against minorities.
The dominant social opinion may have some dissenting
voices which may feel the present brusque anti-minoritism
will spoil the business atmosphere in Gujarat
but the large sections of middle class sees
Modi as a protector of Hindus. Two set of laws
already seem to be in operation, the ones for
majority and the other for the minorities. Intolerance
directed to 'external enemy' does not stop there.
It does come back to majority as well and the
sharpened religious identity leads to the caste
and other narrow identities becoming stronger
by the day, and that's what Gujarat is witnessing
today. The very air is becoming heavy with the
intolerance, which is the basic credo of Gujarat
society today. It also does manifest itself
in the people like Babu Bajrangi who are openly
flaunting the laws and acting as moral police,
intimidating; beating up young couples; with
full patronage from the ruling party and associated
affiliates, who emboldened by the power and
ideology of sectarianism are out to abolish
the democratic and liberal space, which is the
hall mark of any open society.
The image of a vibrant Gujarat is being strengthened
through media, a section of which played a were
compliant and supportive role to the agenda
of Hindu Rashtra. The overt violence is not
there but covert violence and deepening of sectarianism
is the order of the day. What is Fascism? It
is not a mere academic debate. When state, in
connivance with dominant sections of society,
is out to bury the norms of liberal and plural
values, when the dominant section of society
approve this intolerance for 'others' and than
for 'our' dissenting people, the fascism is
there. The fate of Fanaa and Perzania are the
mere symptoms of the piercing trishuls of RSS
ideology stalking the streets and bastis of
Gujarat. It is a state where the social activists
can be beaten up right in Gandhi's Sabarmati
Ashram, a place where non violence and dissent
had been propagated as the basic norm for creating
a democratic society. While Modi has 'successfully'
deflected the criticism of his policies as an
insult of Gujarat, the matters become difficult
for those who will like to uphold the gains
of our freedom movement, for those who will
regard all people of India as equals, irrespective
of their religion.
The processes going in Gujarat are a definite
pointer towards "Hindu Rashtra in One state",
an Indian variant of Fascism. While looking
forward to the change in the turn of the tide
in anticipation of the fifth anniversary of
the genocide, one hopes the worst is over and
the society at large will not only welcome Perzania
with open eyes and mind but will also revive
the humane spirit of the Indian nationalism.
http://www.sacw.net/DC/CommunalismCollection/ArticlesArchive/puniyanifeb2007.html
www.sacw.net
4 February 2007
