Victory through fear! Approve of it?

Editorial By- Sukhpreet Giani

In what could be described best as a video of a hostage held for ransom, Bollywood director Karan Johar issued a video message last week pleading that his film Ae Dil Hai Mushkil be allowed to be released on Oct 28 without disruption. His words portraying patriotism –that put his country before everything else appeared forced due to an anticipated loss of business. His expression of respect for the Indian Army that has been facing fire across the border may have left his attackers joyful, but it was disappointing to see a powerful and acclaimed director brought to his knees by political bullies.

Trouble for Johar started when the regional Maharashtra NavnirmanSena(MNS) party first demanded that Pakistani actors in Bollywood be sent back in the aftermath of last month’s militant attack on Uri –Johar, whose film had Pakistani actor Fawad Khan in its cast, pointed out that a ban on Pakistani actors was no solution to terrorism. This is not the first time that certain political party has passed a diktat on a movie. Movies of Sharukh Khan, Aamir Khan have faced opposition due certain political ideologies. His movie My name is Khan was subjected to similar treatment by Shiv Sena for Shahrukh Khan including Pakistani players in his IPL team. Shows by Pakistani singer had to be cancelled in last moment due the threats issued by political parties in Maharashtra. This attitude has not always been for the Pakistani stars or cricketers-Wake Up Sid (2009) faced the wrath with the MNS objecting to the use of the word Bombay instead of Mumbai in the film. This time the state government had to call a compromise meeting between the film maker and the party issuing threats. The compromise resulted in Maharashtra NavnirmanSena (MNS) party allowing the release of the film, but came with a rider for all the producers. All producers who employed Pakistani artists must pay Rs 5 Crore each into the Indian Army’s welfare fund as atonement. Asking all producers to ensure that Pakistani artistes “ don’t get entry to Bollywood”, MNS leader Raj Thackeray asked that the producers must submit a written undertaking to his party that they would not employ any Pakistani actors, singers, technicians among others. He issued another directive, “producers will discuss the atonement amount to be given with Fadnavis and inform us, but from today no more Pakistani artistes shall be hired. We will not tolerate any excuses on this”. It’s important to mention that Fadnavis mentioned in his statement is none other than the Chief Minister of Maharashtra and his stance of “inform us the atonement amount”, goes to show his control over the government and ability to run a parallel government that flourishes on his diktats and bullies. Raj Thackery sounded like that that monster who warrant the fear we have of  him.

The Indian Army has been a political and secular organization and asking for an atonement amount be deposited in Army Welfare Fund, MNS leader has exploited the name of the Army for scoring brownie points.

Any contribution to Army Fund is considered a donation and anyone can contribute to the fund. A donation is voluntary and any kind of forced contribution can best be called extortion and not a donation. Army for that matter would not like to be associated with any such kind of deal that nurtures arm twisting.If something is wrong –as perceived by the MNS, it is wrong. How can a forced donation of Rs 5 crore make it right?

“We have always raised our voice against Pakistani actors, cricketers coming and working here.  This is our victory,” Thackeray asserted. What the leader feels is a victory for his party, is actually a failure of the state.

Asking the producer to deposit a sum into a national fund is arm twisting- the system of “hafta”-(the weekly monetary collection by goons to let small traders work in peace) taken to national level. Raj Thackery needs to be reminded that his misdeeds and those of his party men won’t get cleansed by taking a dip in the “Ganges of atonement money”.  He needs to acknowledge that army seeks the love and respect of its citizens while it carries on defending the nation. The central cabinet has a host of ex army officers as cabinet minister. A former chief of army is a minister of state too. None has come forward rejecting the step so proposed by Raj Thackery. One wonders, are they too calling it a victory???