In a dramatic development, 10 prominent filmmakers on Wednesday returned to the government various awards and honours they had received, protesting impediments to freedom of speech and expression and showing solidarity with the agitating FTII students.
Who is showing intolerance?
Authors, writers, scientists, filmmakers- Some of them have returned awards, some have resigned from their positions. Reason? They believe that intolerance is growing in the country. Writers are attacked, intimidated, rationalists murdered. All have right to decide for themselves, all have right to protest in this country.
Forget what damage these incidents do to the country as a whole, or to its image of being pluralistic & inclusive. Forget what prospective tourists, investors would think about this land. These questions don’t concern the immediacy.
Members of a dalit family in Haryana were murdered over a rumour of storing cow beef in the house.
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Your returning awards will only encourage those who you so vehemently oppose. Neither sides lacks courage. Neither sides lacks voices. Your quitting posts will only fill those with the ones whose inclinations you oppose. Whether that is right or wrong is not the question here. By returning a mere award, you can’t get rid of your responsibility towards this society.
Yes it boils blood. Yes it infuriates to the length of dragging the killers to jail. Yes it makes one ask whether the society or the country is worth living in. Yes it raises question of freedom of writing, eating, and choices. Yes it should wake up the government/administration of the day. Yes it should put all of us to shame as a society. Yes the pluralism that we always take pride in shouldn’t be lost. Yes this atmosphere of hatred needs to change. Yes someone has to speak out. These incidents are unacceptable, and answers should be sought from one and all.
But how? By returning awards? By giving up posts/positions?
The argument? It is a symbolic protest. It is about speaking out. It is about displaying unacceptability of such acts in the society. It is about taking a stand.
But how does returning awards, quitting posts alter the “atmosphere of intolerance” if at all it exists? Yes your protesting voice will reach people. But how will it stop those who are involved in such offences? Yes you should send a message to the government. Yes you have a right to protest the way you deem fit. But why is it that you want to turn it into one time protest? How many of you would be seen, heard once the current news coverage ends?
It isn’t even about which side of political dais you stand at. Some will agree with you; some will despise you. But the very strength that the world recognised you for is being questioned. You write a book, read a research paper, perform plays, conduct seminars, deliver lectures, make a film- you do all this with expertise, understanding. Your work is in public domain. Each of you have number of followers. Why isn’t the same expertise used to garner support? Why isn’t the same expertise used to reach out not only to one party or government, but the society at large? Yes they will ban your books. Yes they will block your films. Yes they will try to threaten you. But that is where the challenge lies. That is where the strength will be tested. That is where the sincerity of the cause will be established. Why not polarise people for the right reasons using those very tools that got you the recognitions you are now returning? Why limit your protest to Television channels and newspaper columns?
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Your returning awards will only encourage those who you so vehemently oppose. Neither sides lacks courage. Neither sides lacks voices. Your quitting posts will only fill those with the ones whose inclinations you oppose. Whether that is right or wrong is not the question here. By returning a mere award, you can’t get rid of your responsibility towards this society. Your voice of protest is everywhere, but is it really reaching anyone? For me, the idea of returning awards is close to the idea of giving up. Mobilising trophies or citations in a ministerial room will be easy, mobilising people against your cause is difficult. Why not take that difficult path?
There will always be challenging times, there will always be occasions when raising voice will be crucial and important. But your symbolic protest is just a register entry. Your returning awards or quitting posts will neither raise a question nor will it answer any.
And the timing
Don’t mind if the timing of your protests is questioned. You action is the result of thoughts and questions in your mind. Your actions will also invite questions from the people who do not agree with the timing of your protest. Those who are raising questions also reserve the right to ask. Call them trolls, supporters, bhakts. You can easily choose to ignore them. But questions will remain. If there is a possibility of some design behind the atmosphere of intolerance, there is equal possibility of some kind of design behind your protests as well. Why not take the criticism?
By any measure, safety of women in this country is much bigger issue than the incidents you all have used to protest. Women safety is probably the biggest worry of our times. Across region, religion, women are not safe. Why wouldn’t that lead to resignations? Why wouldn’t that lead to returning awards? This question will be asked. And failure to answer this will make those who you accuse of harvesting intolerance confident. These people will provide you with list of incidents when you could have resigned, but you chose not to. Either you weren’t sufficiently angry, or the incidents didn’t merit resignation or returning awards.
Yes there will be views. My view is your response is lazy. Your response is just for yourself. Your response speaks for none. Your response is an easiest and opportune protest. It’s even a luxurious protest, nothing more.
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Thick Skin- the only guard
Let those angry thoughts on intolerance never fade away. Speak your mind whenever you wish. Protest against those who you think are hurting the country’s plural fabric. But to do that, you need to have thick skin. Have that thick skin because some kind of opposition will always be there.
Voice of dissent is not under fire.
This country fought against the biggest case of intolerance- emergency. There will always be challenging times, there will always be occasions when raising voice will be crucial and important. But your symbolic protest is just a register entry. Your returning awards or quitting posts will neither raise a question nor will it answer any. Protest is a 24/7 activity in our country. But why not seek answers? Why not put the answering machinery under pressure? Why believe in sacrificing awards when the need is to fight hard?