This, after all, is not the
now famous rapist’s shame alone. It is India’s shame, which the Government is
now so desperate to hide, ban and bury.
Too late. BBC 4 documentary, ”India’s
Daughter” on the 2012 Delhi gang rape incident and it’s aftermath, has been
seen, thanks to the Internet, by lakhs of people.
If it wasn’t for the ban, the
documentary might have been recognized as a very average piece of journalism
and filmmaking as it does not go beyond already known specifics.
It starts by revealing the
rape victim’s name. Her brave parents are shown not objecting to it either. The
mother, Ashadevi, is seen shedding tears of helplessness and the father, Badrinath
Singh, valiantly articulate.
Their daughter is recalled as
a feisty feminist studying to be a doctor. Her upbringing and a last few hours
watching “Life of Pi” before the fateful nightmare on the bus, is juxtaposed
against the poverty ridden backdrop of the group of rapists and their drunken
evening.
In between a few sound bytes
from Leila Seth, Kavita Krishnan, Sheela Dixit, a juvenile rapist’s wife, another
rapist’s mother, a couple of investigating officers; the focus stays on Jyoti’s
parents, Mukesh Singh’s interview and two defence lawyers: M.L.Sharma and
A.P.Singh. Their brazen misogynist blame-the-woman views are as condemnable as
the crime itself.
“"A woman is like a diamond. If you leave her on the street,
the dogs will come and take her," says Sharma.
"We
have the best culture. In our culture, there is no place for a woman. “He adds.
"The
death penalty will make things even more dangerous for girls. Now when they
rape, they won't leave the girl like we did. They will kill her." Threatens
the rapist, Mukesh Singh.
These kinds
of regressive views, which reflect the mindset of Indian society at large, are
nothing new. If the idea of the documentary was to get into the mind of a
criminal, all it does is repel and admittedly reaffirm how scary and unsafe
this country is becoming for the Indian woman.
Does it
propel some kind of a momentum for change and rebellion? No. Instead, the film
ends with visuals of Ashadevi’s teary face and a burning pyre and Jyoti’s
father philosophizing the value of the word “jyoti”.
The
documentary could easily have highlighted the huge protest wave in Delhi;
something it recapsules quickly in the beginning. A wider perspective that also
reflects the political and social milieu, gender inequality and the rise of new
wave feminist voice in India, would have given a more rounded version to the
story of Jyoti Singh.
What the documentary has
achieved instead, is the following:
-The maker, Leslee Udwin, has
fled the country post the ban and parliament furore.
_BBC has garnered great
eyeballs.
_The film will premier in the
U.S and will be attended by Meryl Streep and Frieda Pinto, global ambassadors
of “Because I am a girl” campaign.
-Bollywood personalities like
Kirron Kher and Jaya Bachchan got a chance to display their histrionics.
-The Government has chosen to
be an Ostrich by banning the film in India. This is the most dangerous stance,
as it will only harm both the country’s rape situation and its worldwide image.
-TV channels like Times Now
and NDTV have a field day with opposing views and debate dramatics.
-Unnecessary controversy regarding the rapist getting fame, and prison rules have taken centre stage.The more important matter of violence against women and the Government stand and action, have got sidelined.
Meanwhile, Jyoti Singh’s
parents will slowly fade away in their tragedy.
People like A.P.Singh and there
are many, will continue to blame a pair of jeans and the woman within.
Everything
except the rapist. And that is India’s shame.
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