India is a not a banana republic. India is worse than a banana republic. India is a mango republic.
There are not many liberals in India. There are a lot of pseudo-liberals. They defend the rights of some authors, artists and singers but want ban on item songs. One singer and his songs are their target. There was protest against his concert on New Year Eve and it had to be cancelled. Now the government has decided to ban item songs on TV as it considers them adult content. CBFC said there were complaints from general public and also from National Council for Women about two specific songs. Issues like sexy, vulgar, sensuous, erotic, obscene are subjective. What one finds vulgar or obscene is not vulgar or obscene to someone else. A woman who paints nudes thinks her paintings are art but item songs where women are fully clothed vulgar. Some people think her paintings are vulgar and item songs are art. Some people say item songs commodity and objectify women, others say item songs beautify and empower women. Item songs are popular. People of all ages dance to them. If someone finds item songs adult content his/her mind in infantile. CBFC should be worried about its relevance. Films certified by it are banned by state governments. Different groups demand cuts and succeed. CBFC should revise its guidelines. It should not cut nude scenes in adult films. Manish Tewari, MoS (I&B), should reverse the decision to ban item songs on TV.
Rahul Bose wanted ban on item songs. He plays a role in Vishwaroopam. Vishwaroopam got banned in Tamil Nadu. How did he feel? Kamal Haasan talked of leaving India as M. F. Hussain did. One judge of Madras High Court lifted the ban. Next day two judges of Madras High Court overruled him and kept the ban. Kamal Haasan had to compromise and agree to some cuts and the ban was lifted. The protests against the film were orchestrated. Muslims in other states and outside India did not protest against the film. It is obvious district collectors did the bidding of chief minister and banned the film.
Adult content, whether films or songs or serials, should be allowed on TV. On pay channels it should be on any time, on free to air channels it can be from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m.
National Council for Women has not done much for women. Very often women who complained to it have not got justice. Pseudo-liberals who say you do not have to watch a film if you do not like it, have not defended item songs.
The Naked and the Nude art exhibition got protection from Delhi police. Women who protested nude paintings were stopped outside. The exhibition did not have nude paintings of Hindu gods and goddesses. In Bangalore, three paintings had to be removed after government’s order.
Pragaash, an all-girls band in Kashmir, disbanded after the grand mufti of Srinagar issued a fatwa saying music is not Islamic. Then came Ghazal, an all-women band from Iran, to perform in India. Iran is an Islamic Republic. There is no ban on music there. If music is not Islamic it should apply to boys as well. Will the boys whose religious leader is the grand mufti disband their bands?
Pseudo-humanist, pseudo-liberal, pseudo-modern people are the main reason for India being a mango republic. Laws have been diluted to favour criminals. Punishment is not in proportion to crime. Criminals are not handcuffed. On the other hand what is popular is turned into vulgar and obscene. They defend Ashis Nandy when he slanders OBCs, SCs and STs, nude paintings of Hindu gods and goddesses but oppose item songs.
Judiciary is inconsistent. One bench of Supreme Court gives one judgment. Another bench gives contrary judgment. Some judges instead of delivering justice attempt compromise. In one divorce case that attempt led to murder of wife. The legal age of marriage for a woman is 18. In one high court judges said women who are below 21 are not fit to marry. In another high court judges recognized the marriage of a 15 years old girl. After Supreme Court has confirmed death penalty and President has rejected mercy petitions, matters go to court again.
Education is in a mess. The policy of not detaining students has resulted in many students who are unable to read and write or do maths.
Many policemen are officially shown as present in police stations; unofficially they serve former ministers, bureaucrats, judges, police officers, and other persons. Some Delhi policewomen said they do not feel safe at night. Without uniform they are like other women. Policewomen are trained to deal with troublemakers. They can wear uniform when they travel at night. Still if they are afraid they should quit their jobs and find something else.
In India you can be jailed for drawing or sending a cartoon, writing or liking a comment. A smart person can turn that adversity into advantage as Aseem Trivedi did. For most persons being in jail is not a pleasant experience.
