Remembering emergency to camouflage failures
India saw days of ‘emergency’ exactly 43 years ago, when Indira Gandhi was the prime minister. In the last four and a half decades after that, much water has flown under the bridge. Many people who lived through those ‘dark days’ have passed away. The new generation that came after those days, do not have any experience regarding how terrible those days were.
All of a sudden, Finance minister Arun Jaitley has been referring to ‘those’ days like they happened yesterday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the days of emergency are a blot on the history of India. Arun Jaitley has gone a step further, and has said Indira Gandhi was worse than Hitler. He probably does not know that it is not decency to speak about people who do not exist among us anymore.
Many other BJP leaders including Modi and Jaitley have been remembering the days of emergency, stating fundamental rights granted by democracy were being violated blatantly during those days. These skeletons of the past are being dug up to compensate for the failures of current dispensation, and divert the attention of the country from the problems for which they have not been able to find any solutions so far.
The country has revisited and criticized the days of emergency way too many times since India Gandhi invoked it over four decades ago. The country even served an electoral defeat to those who committed the crime, and subsequently brought them back to power too. Indira Gandhi imposed emergency and withdrew it too, all by herself. She sought people’s mandate after that. This is the history. To compare her with Hitler is intellectual bankruptcy that Arun Jaitley seems to be experiencing right now. Modi and Jaitley are followers of Savarkar and Golwalkar, who designed Hindutva ideology based on the fascist ideology created by Hitler, are saying Indira Gandhi is worse than Hitler. There cannot be bigger irony than this.
In reality, the country shouldn’t be invoking memories of whatever happened 43 years ago. The nation should actually be taking stock of whatever progress has been made in the last four years of BJP/NDA being in power. Have the pre-poll assurances by Modi to the people of this country have been met? How has the government performed in the office? People were made to believe ‘acche din’ will arrive with Modi being in the PM’s seat of this country. But thanks to neo-liberalisation policies, common people are reeling under many challenges those are threatening their existence. The promise to create 2 crore jobs annually has fallen flat along with the promise of bringing back black money stashed abroad.
More than anything else, the parliamentary democracy is on the brink of being compromised. Democratic institutions are being constantly under attack. People are suffering owing to the drastic demonetization decision that was taken by Modi. GST has posed very difficult challenge to small businessmen. People like Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya have escaped the clutches of the government after swindling banks of thousands of crores. As a result of this banking sector is under threat. Agrarian crisis has pushed farmers to suicide. Gau Rakshaks are acting like quasi government and killing innocent people in broad day light too. University campuses are not witnessing unreasonable fights. ABVP goondas in those campuses are indulging in smearing black paint to the faces of their professors and taking out processions.
Autonomous bodies like Election Commission, CBI, Implementation agencies and even Supreme Court are witnessing massive interference by the government. As a result of all this, one cannot help but suspect if a cultural emergency has been imposed on the country.
The government led by Narendra Modi is harming the federal structure of this nation and its basic tenets. It is also trying all possible ways to topple state governments by using their ‘agents’.
For example, the central government is instigating IAS officers to create instability within AAP government in Delhi. Lt Governor in Delhi is doing whatever he can to ensure AAP government does not work and people vote them out of power. Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan has sought the appointment of PM Modi since last three years but he has not been given any time for this. Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu was also denied an appointment with Modi. However, the PM was kind enough to give some time to Karnataka CM H D Kumaraswamy. This was not done out of respect for the state, or a mind of duty or any affection for CM HDK. Instead, this was done to create ripples among the coalition government.
Pinarayi Vijayan or Naidu hadn’t sought the audience as private persons. Instead, they had taken their all-member committee to Delhi to discuss the issues and challenges faced by their governments. They were not given any audience. This is an insult to the federal system. This dictatorial attitude does not serve anybody well.
Vijayan wanted to discuss PDS and agricultural issues faced by his state. Today, except for Sangh Parivar bhakts who sing praises of BJP and Modi, no one else can live a comfortable life. Many intellectuals who have spoken against the establishment have been killed or punished. RTI activists are being hounded. Dalits, backward classes and minorities are living in fear. The secular fabric of the nation is under threat of turning into a land that follows the ideologies of Manu. All the pillars of democracy are being threatened. Since there are no great works that the government can speak to uphold its own merit, it is taking the support of invoking the memory of ‘dark days’ of emergency, and misguide people into something else.
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Nayanthara slams Dhanush for sending Rs 10 crore lawsuit over her documentary: All-time low for you
New Delhi, Nov 16: South cinema star Nayanthara on Saturday criticised actor Dhanush, who produced her 2015 Tamil movie "Naanum Rowdy Dhaan", for refusing permission to use footage from the film in her upcoming Netflix documentary.
In a three-page open letter posted on her Instagram page, the "Jawan" actor slammed Dhanush for sending a legal notice demanding Rs 10 crore in damages after the trailer of the documentary, titled "Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale", was released online.
“After two long years of battling it out with you for an NOC (No Objection Certificate) and waiting for your approval for our Netflix documentary release, we finally decided to give up, re-edit, and settle for the current version since you declined to permit the usage of 'Naanum Rowdy Dhaan' songs or visual cuts—even the photographs, to say the least—despite multiple requests.
“The songs of 'Naanum Rowdy Dhaan' are appreciated to this day because the lyrics came from true emotions. Knowing that there’s no better music we could use in our documentary, your refusal to give us the opportunity to use it, or even just lyrics from the songs, broke my heart,” the letter read.
Released in 2015, "Naanum Rowdy Dhaan" was a romantic comedy written and directed by Nayanthara’s husband, Vignesh Shivan. The actor starred opposite Vijay Sethupathi in the movie, which was produced by Dhanush’s Wunderbar Films.
“The vengeance you have been harbouring against the film, my partner, and me doesn’t just affect us but the people who have contributed their effort and time to this project.
“This Netflix documentary about me, my life, my love, and marriage includes clips of many of my industry well-wishers who have graciously contributed and memories from multiple films, but sadly does not include the most special and important film, 'Naanum Rowdy Dhaan',” Nayanthara said.
Dhanush has not yet responded to her letter.
The 39-year-old actor said she was shocked after receiving a legal notice for using a three-second behind-the-scenes clip in the documentary.
“We were startled to read those lines wherein you questioned the usage of some videos (just three seconds) that were shot on our personal devices, and that too BTS visuals that are already very much publicly present on social media, and claimed a sum of Rs 10 crore as damages for the mere three seconds.
“This is an all-time low from you and speaks volumes about your character. I wish you were half the person you portray on stage at audio launches in front of your innocent fans, but clearly, you do not practice what you preach, at least not with me and my partner,” she said.
Nayanthara said she would be giving a “befitting” reply to Dhanush’s notice through lawful means.
“Does a producer become an emperor controlling the lives, freedom, and liberty of all the persons on the set? Any deviation from the emperor’s dictum attracts legal ramifications?
“Your refusal to give an NOC for the use of elements of 'Naanum Rowdy Dhaan' for our Netflix documentary might be justified by you to the courts from a copyright angle, but I wish to remind you that there is a moral side to it, which has to be defended in the court of God,” she added.
Nayanthara noted that the film was released almost 10 years ago but Dhanush continues to act “vile while wearing a mask in front of the world”.
The actor added that she hasn’t forgotten “all the horrible things” Dhanush said about the film, which became one of his biggest hits as a producer.
“The words you said pre-release have already left some unhealable scars on us. I learned through film circles that your ego was supremely hurt after the film became a blockbuster. Your displeasure over its success was perceptible even to the common man through award functions connected with this film (Filmfare 2016),” she said.
“Courtesy and decency mandate large-hearted behaviour in such matters. I believe the people of Tamil Nadu, or anyone with a right conscience, would not appreciate such tyranny, even if it comes from an established personality like you,” she added.
Nayanthara concluded the letter by saying that in a world where it’s easy to look down upon others, “there is also joy in others’ joys, there is happiness in seeing other people’s happiness, and hope that comes from others’ stories”.
“That is the reason behind our Netflix documentary. I suggest you also watch it, and maybe it might change your mind. It is important to #SpreadLove, and I hope and pray that someday you are also fully capable of doing it and not just saying it,” she said.
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