The importance of any historical event can’t be judged immediately; rather it takes months, or years, to witness the role it plays in the society. Many of us forget the course of events that follows a particular incident, as people’s memory is relatively short. But protests against politicians across India in the last one month remind me of the first such demonstration, though it did not take place in reality, but on screen. In a country where millions swear by the demigods of Bollywood matinee idols, this film took a different course to ask youths not to compromise with politically motivated situations, but put up a brave front against the corrupt leaders.
This piece is not at all a review of the film, but to give an outline of how Rang De Basanti shaped our thought processes. The film is a work of art and fiction. But in reality, people cutting across social lines have learnt to stand united against exploitation and injustice. From the Jessica Lal murder case to carnage in Nandigram — people, especially the middle class, took out protest rallies. This could not be imagined even five years back — of course there were demonstrations against Narendra Modi for Gujarat riots in 2002, but that was not like the one Calcutta witnessed last September/October after the death of a multimedia professional over pre- and post-marital problems with his in-laws.
Politicians came under fire every time there was a terrorist attack; bureaucrats, especially the IPS officers, too had to bear the brunt if there was a whiff of their unlawful involvement in a case; even high-profile businessmen were not spared by the populace. It’s may not be true that Rang De Basanti taught people how to put an agitation programme forward, but the film certainly instilled the courage in them to protest — with candles, and if required, with revolvers too. However, we, the middle class thinking Indians, did show a lot of restraints on our part, as we never shot a politician to death, but numerous candlelight vigils made their cushioned existence shaky.
Now, one Sachin plays for India more than ever; an Aamir sits at Jantar Mantar to show solidarity with Narmada dam oustees; the icons, the stars come down to earth to be with us in hours of crisis where politicians fear to tread. From Gateway of India to India Gate, from Facebook to GTalk status message — people say it with unforeseen courage: f*** the politicians. Virtual communities for proper justice on social networking websites grow everyday; anger spills on to roads making the otherwise smooth rides for political leaders bumpy; religious borders also get blurred even when provocation comes from a section of saffron-clad leaders — some of them are also arrested for deviating from the path of meditation to mayhem in Malegaon. In a word, India stands in unity in crisis today.
The true meaning and implementation of democracy is being unfolded gradually. Voting is not only an exercise done every five years, but also a real tool that may unseat a chief minister, or a septuagenarian home minister with impeccable taste for changing designer apparels even when terrorists rip cities apart and limbs lie scattered on streets! Probably that’s the message Rang De Basanti wanted to convey and that’s why a website is launched with corporate support for voting rights and that’s the reason a cellular company thinks an idea of democracy in its latest ad campaign involving a member of the Bollywood’s first family.
©Supratim Pal
