The fair one : story of a decade long fast..

For the last three weeks or more, we Indians have been confined to the invisible walls erected by the media and a number of NGOs. Everyone have been watching, hearing and talking about the same issue. All other news scattered on this wall. All other voices were immersed in the noise emerged from Ramleela Maidan. The country has been seemingly steered by a group of unpolitcal people.
Now a short break has been taken, the noise has reduced. May not be the right time, but let me take some of your valuable time. Lets listen to another story. This is not a drama, but a story of struggle, a story of agony, a story of plight of a society. In fact, this is life. A life which none likes to have.
In Manipur, a north east state of India, there is a village called Khojpal. On 14 March 1972 a girl was born there. From her childhood, she used to fast on every thursdays for the sake of her family. She carried on this tradition as she grew up. As usual, a thursday she fasted, but this was not going to end the same day. It continued next day, and the next day and so on. Days gave way to months. Seasons changed, but not this fast. And now, it's been a decade.
Her name is Irom Chanu Sharmila, the Iron lady from Manipur. The people call her 'Menghaobi' (' the fair one ' ). She is not a familiar name for the housholds. Her name or photo dont appear on newspapers regularly, nor she gets screened on TV channels frequently. Silently, she has been on indefinite fast for the last 10 years, making her the longest hunger striker. The extreme courage and will power she is showing is somewhat unimaginable. It is a struggle for freedom, for rights, for a peaceful life.
Let me unfold the thing what led to this adventourous act. It was in 1958, the Armed Forces Special Powers Act was enacted by the Indian Parliament. It conferred special powers upon the armed forces in what the act calls ' disturbed areas ' in North East states of India. Later in 1990, it was extended to Jammu and Kashmir. It was only later revealed to be a sleeping volcano.
According to the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), in an area that is proclaimed as "disturbed", an officer of the armed forces has powers to: 1) "Fire upon or otherwise use force, even to the causing of death, against any person who is acting in contravention of any law" against "assembly of five or more persons" or possession of deadly weapons. 2) To arrest without a warrant and with the use of "necessary" force anyone who has committed certain offenses or is suspected of having done so. 3) To enter and search any premise in order to make such arrests. It gives Army officers legal immunity for their actions. There can be no prosecution, suit or any other legal proceeding against anyone acting under that law. For declaring an area as a 'disturbed area' there must be a grave situation of law and order on the basis of which Governor/ Administrator can form opinion that an area is in such a disturbed or dangerous condition that use of Armed Forces in aid of civil power is necessary.
As a result of this, on 2 November 2000, in Malom, a town in Manipur, 10 civilians were shot killed when waiting for bus. It included a national child bravery award winner, 18 year old Sinam Chandramani.
In protest of this, Sharmila began her hunger strike recieving her mother's blessings, asking the govt to repeal AFSPA.
Three days after her fast began, she was arrested in the charge of 'suicide attempt' and transferred to judicial custody. Her health deteriorated and was forcibly made use intubation. Since then, she has been released and rearrested every year. By this long period, several activists, includind Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi, have declared their support for her. But the eyes of the successive governments stayed shut, and politicians never liked to burn their hands taking this issue.
To be very frank, this words are triggered by the dramatical incidents that have been showcased in the last few weeks or so. The saga of a fast against corruption and its subtales.
Yes, the media have played a vital part in this. All except a few have been dogging a man named Anna Hazare and his team, and repeatedly broadcasting this so called 'battle'. But why didnt their vision extend towards north east ? Didnt Sharmila strike have the frequency to meet the media radar ? No, because it wasnt enough to rise the TRP ratings of channels. Nor the people gave an eye to it for there was no drama in it and they were unable to measure or imagine the magnitude of the plight of the people in north east.
Corruption is omnipresent in the country, but it doesnt alone constitute the entire spectrum of the problems faced by India.
This is being written at a house miles away from Irom Sharmila's home, but by a heart touched by her act. Nothing has apparently changed in this 10 years, and in this few minutes. Better it come soon.. Hope drives all..

What a Rat Trap tells..

It was only a few days ago, i got a chance to watch the Adoor Gopalakrishnan masterpiece ' Elippathayam ' ( Rat Trap ) that heralded the coming of new age cinema in the early 1980s. Owing to my weak intellect, i could concieve the movie to only a certain extent though, it left me in a different state of mind.
The film was released in 1981, ten years before i was born. Every work of creativity is heavily influenced by the socio economic conditions prevailing then. Nothing different in the case of this film too. It's an account of a family with a feudal ancestry that struggles to accommodate the changes happening in the existing system. The film revolves around Unni and his three sisters. The elder sister fights for her family share, the second sister serves her brother like a slave whereas the youngest one elopes with her lover. The characters Unni and Rajamma, the second sister, have been immortalised by Karamana Janardanan Nair and Sharada. Unni, the uncaring brother who doesnt let Rajamma get out of her life of spinsterhood for his interests, symbolises the feuds filled with narcissm and narrow mindedness. With the lose of his sister, he crumbles and withdraws as if into a rat hole. Rajamma, on the other side, serves her brother selflessly till she falls for ever.
The film presents a few of the best scenes in the world cinema has ever seen, which cant be detailed in words with the reputation it deserves. The rat trap, which acts as the major metaphor, the symbol of plight of women in the society. The long breaks between the dialogues assume different meanings as the story grows up. The other element that draws attention is the outstanding cinematography by Mankada Ravi Varma.
On the whole, the film stands a class apart and was a different experience for me.. Thanks to Adoor..

Corruption, Lokpal, Hazare : Impressions of an ordinary citizen.

"Either you support Anna Hazare or you are corrupt. " ! I can take this statement only with a pinch of salt. Let me tell you, I dont have millions in my pocket, dont have a Swiss bank account, nor I have bribed anyone to get my things done. But all these should make me a pro Hazare thinker ? No will be my answer..
Corruption, Lokpal, Anna Hazare, these may be the words that have been echoed in India over a few months and have become the vital part of the environment that has been created by the print and television media. That all give nothing but an impression that Anna Hazare is the Doctor General who has arrived to cure the plague of corruption with a magical medicine called JANLOKPAL, which i dare object.
If anyone imagine that the corruption can be fixed by enacting a strong law, I can only wish a good day to him. It's not a thing that can be alleviated by a 10 or 15 members commitee of a 1.2 billion populous country.
The common people face corruption neither in 2G Spectrum nor in Commonwealth Games, but in a village office or that kind of basic block of the beaurocracy. The corruption is at the grassroot level and it must be treated at the same. The most important thing to do that not just creating another extra governing body but carrying out the implementation of laws strictly. Overhaul in the existing system will help it.
Coming to Lokpal, I'm not at all against a strong law or body that aims to tackle the corruption. But that should be democratic and constitutional. As far as i'm concerned, the propositions, though i'm not an expert in this, made by the Team Anna are apparently that what questions the significance of a constitution. How can we imagine some unelected persons deciding the country's future ? It is a extra jurdisictional body incorporated with elements of dictatorship.
Coming to the current scenario that's been prevailing over these days, it reminds me only some film scenes i have watched. Action, breath taking dialogues, even songs all are there.
I respect the sentiments of people towards this movement for that i know, most of the people are fed up with this corruption. But in a democracy that has been lauded as the largest in the world, it's not the right way to get a law enacted. Needless to say, half of the people on the street dont know about Lokpal. They are fighting only against corruption.
And who is Anna Hazare ? An Indian citizen who has the every right to protest against the government. But, he and his team should not act as the sole spokespersons of the society. Unless he is an elected member of parliament, he dont have the right to make laws for the people. What is the point in his insistence that his version of the Lokpal should be enacted ? His words are in a tone of blackmail, of course that can well hit a fragile government we are under.
The government, led by a PM without a magical wand, are seemingly benting knees before Hazare. That is because it has lost all its credibility and literally its spine. Whereas the opposition is making full use of the situation and trying to keep the pot boilling.
Well, the media have played their part well to make an environment in favour of Hazare and team. They cater to the audience, who are very much interested in this kind of exaggerated dramas, with what they want and escalating their own business.
To end with, there is a lady, from less cvilized North East, who has been on a fast for a span of 11 years. Her name is Irom Sharmila. She has been fighting for freedom of her people from a wild law and cruelties done by the Army. Does anyone care ??