By Amber Dias
That's more or less what columnist Aseem Chhabra is trying to say when he writes about the ban on Prakash Jha's Aarakshan. The film is based on the issue of caste based reservations in government jobs and educational institutions. The film was banned in several places because of the controversial nature of its subject.
As Mr. Chhabra rightly points out the film itself is disappointing, however the banning of the film does raise several questions especially in this day and age when almost anything goes. This does not simply apply to this film but any film, book or other form of art. It definitely makes you wonder what kind of society we live in where politicians feel the need to ban anything they find objectionable in the name of looking out for the better interests of the public. Whatever happened to our rights to be able to think for ourselves and express ourselves in a way of our choosing? Do they really think that the people of India are so easily influenced that watching a film could have them breaking out into riots just because they did not like what they saw.
It paints a very grim future for India if our leaders are unable to open their minds even a little bit. If this continues we will be moving backwards instead of forward. Especially if they do not even realize that by banning something all they succeed in doing is motivating people to break it. After all they've said it themselves the Indian society is a rebellious one.
That's more or less what columnist Aseem Chhabra is trying to say when he writes about the ban on Prakash Jha's Aarakshan. The film is based on the issue of caste based reservations in government jobs and educational institutions. The film was banned in several places because of the controversial nature of its subject.
As Mr. Chhabra rightly points out the film itself is disappointing, however the banning of the film does raise several questions especially in this day and age when almost anything goes. This does not simply apply to this film but any film, book or other form of art. It definitely makes you wonder what kind of society we live in where politicians feel the need to ban anything they find objectionable in the name of looking out for the better interests of the public. Whatever happened to our rights to be able to think for ourselves and express ourselves in a way of our choosing? Do they really think that the people of India are so easily influenced that watching a film could have them breaking out into riots just because they did not like what they saw.
It paints a very grim future for India if our leaders are unable to open their minds even a little bit. If this continues we will be moving backwards instead of forward. Especially if they do not even realize that by banning something all they succeed in doing is motivating people to break it. After all they've said it themselves the Indian society is a rebellious one.
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