National Character And Cinema
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National character and Cinema

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See interview of Ashok  Kothare

We observe recent spate of cases of rape and other types of molestation of women in our country. Thinkers and other social workers are busy trying to locate the cause of this sudden rise in such crimes.

Popular opinion suggests that this is caused by our Bollywood cinemas. However, there are other opinions also. One opinion proposes that this is a deliberate attempt of some foreign agency such as CIA to publicly malign our country's moral image in the eyes of the world. Our country has been known for high moral standard since ages. Our philosophical tradition often disturbed the American bigwigs. Out of shear jealousy they are spending millions of dollars to hire salable Indian media persons and editors. Our moral standard also disturbs these other westerners and so they have planted their stooges in our media and also in press to high light such incidences out of proportion and give them a deliberate publicity so that our moral image is comfortably and out and out spoiled. The opinion says that, in any society of such a complex composition events of this type are always occurring, though unfortunately, but it is only recently that these crimes are highlighted on regular basis to demoralize proud Indian mind and in that way to make a laugh of our high moral tradition. I feel this argument may be of some value while trying to diagnose the exact cause of these events.

One old and experienced editor of yesteryears told me while we were working on this issue that, during his time as an editor of a daily news paper they often received news of this type of crime but they were instructed by their superiors that we should not give undue publicity to such news to keep spreading such fever in the society. Bad people and people with mental disorders are always there in any society but by not giving such news publicity we were supposed to control that fever from spreading to other susceptible individuals. The reason behind that policy was very obvious. If such crimes are often given publicity on regular basis on news papers or any such media, due to that effect other plausible individuals are inadvertently tempted to commit similar crime and by that a spate of such crimes can develop. It was a preventive measure on the part of then media. He showed that as news of such crime keeps coming almost daily on all types of news channels the number of cases has grown out of proportion.

One psychologist added to that and suggested that, all crimes are in a way contagious and when one incidence gets undue publicity other susceptible individuals are drawn to commit similar crime. This is like a chain reaction and the only way to keep it from growing out of proportion is to keep such news censored. He gave a simple example of a seemingly unimportant crime such as throwing litter on roadsides. If we allow litter on street to remain there and take no objection to that, more people begin to throw more litter on road and the problem takes shape that concern everybody.

There used to be some censorship on news papers but it appears that that practice is not in vogue today. Anybody can print anything to get cheap publicity; this applies to all media channels, a news paper or a TV news channel.

 We also have some laws to censor cinemas but in these days of corruption picture such as Dirty Picture, which should be rated as a pornographic, was given U certificate. One can notice that only after that movie got publicity only because it was made by a big banner that events of rape are increasing. One should also note that recently the actress admitted that a large number of her admirers want to embrace or kiss her. These things show that this sickness is already existing in our society and if we do not control such movies from going public we will have more cases of rape in future.

I want to draw attention of concerned people that more than Bollywood, Bhojpuri pictures are prone to excite these sick people. Since we have a large population of such sick people in our country our censor board should behave with greater sense of responsibility. Picture produced by any body (Big banner or bigger banner) if found to be pornographic, must be rejected and should not come out even as A certified movies. One observer told me that Tamil pictures are more vivacious than any of the Bhojpuri or Hindi movies but we did not get any news of any rape cases from Tamilnadu. That is because as yet people of Tamilnadu are not affected by this sickness of which people of UP, Bihar and other north states are suffering. However, if this publicity of rape cases on daily basis continues we should expect this sickness to spread in that region also since it is a contagious sickness.

As we observe that this sickness is contagious we should be more careful in our censorship. However, they say there are members of censor board who take bribe to allow such movies. If corruption is going to have its day everywhere then we shall have more such cases and more girls will have to suffer just because our censor board members are corrupt. The sickness I am talking about is not only contagious but also incurable; once a person is affected by it. Death penalty is the only one that may deter this people. The only acceptable way out for that is to strictly censor such sensuous movies in any language and those who produce such movies shall be punished for producing such movies, a punishment of five years of rigorous jail term. A much strictest punishment to the members of censor board is recommended if we really want our innocent small girls to be safe.

Alas, unfortunately we do not have a good responsible government worthy of it and so it shall not bother to make necessary provisions in the present law to bring sense of responsibility in producers and the censor board members. That means more girls are going to suffer at the hands of these sick people. Death penalty is the only penalty for these offenders since their sickness is not only contagious but also incurable.

One group justified production of such movies and claimed that in the democratic society we should allow all types of people to express themselves in the way they wanted. So far we had thought of democracy of only normal (gentlemen) people but this groups suggests that all people and not only normal people be given right to produce and publish whatever they want irrespective of following consequences. I entirely disagree with this approach but I do not understand how to prove that democracy only of normal people is our goal. We do not want democracy of abnormal people. What you say? Should we hold a debate on the subject of "Democracy for normal people or for abnormal people"? Who shall have final say? Majority of bad people in society can do havoc.

 

You may contact me on my Email ID given below,

ashokkothare@yahoo.co.in

ashokkothare@gmail.com

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Ashok Kothare’s Blog

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