With the deepest sense of gratitude all I can say to our elected Government is ‘THANK YOU for banning India’s Daughter the documentary, the real daughters you had banned a long time back’. And if it was not for you I would be deprived of many things in life, mainly a dialogue with my daughter on such sensitive subject. India’ Daughter Or The New Indian Daughter.
I watched it before you foolishly tried yanking it off the medium. You and your I&B Ministry in some time warp believe in these bans which at best can be ideological advisories. They fuel fire. Thank you for making me see it.
After that I kept debating if I should ask my daughter to see it. And how should I address it.
NDTV SUPPORT SCREEN AGAINST THE BAN. AN HOUR OF SILENCEHow should I tell her to follow her dad and do something illegal? Viewing something banned by the government is illegal. Yet I wanted her to watch it. I later realised that the current generation is not going to wait for the green signal. She along with her mother had already seen it. Her friends and her friend’s friend all in their teens have watched it. This digital age, who else but you who won on the wave of social media should know it better?
All of them had just comments on the documentary and a common question for the Govt. And I had no answers for it. ‘Why was Government hell bent on banning it?’ If the producer has not followed the defined process why was Govt not taking any action. If the jailer had not done his duty, when will it take action against him? If she followed every rule and was allowed to film, why and what grounds was it being banned? They are the New Indian Daughters (NID) and they hate inaction.
Just because you banned, I tweeted and mentioned it on Facebook, knowing that the feed will reach her too. I am surprised that the Tsunami of protest did not reach you. Or do you only act when swarms of citizens walk before India Gate?
This Saturday as luck would have it, my wife and I were taking my daughter and eight of her friends to Water Kingdom, a water park in Mumbai. Parents taking teenage girls to water park- you would have stopped us at the toll point if you knew what I was up to.
Anyway, we escaped crammed in the spacious Mahindra SUV500. We had just started when the discussion in the back rows shifted to INDIAN DAUGHTERS. It started with an innocuous comment ‘hey did you see that’. Everyone knew what was it referring to. All except one of the friend’s had seen it. My ears trained for consumer insight with an overlaying emotional of parental curiosity were glued to their discussion. I am proud to share some of the things they said. Maybe it will help you understand the new generation. It gave me an opportunity to have a relaxed fruitful dialogue with her on the subject. THANK YOU for making it possible.
First and foremost there was no ambiguity, hesitation when they started discussing. There were no whispers. What was happening was unthinkable many years back and by many other standards, my daughter and her friends were discussing it before me. I was happy and feeling proud.
I am sharing the gist of the discussion (statements) not necessarily in order they appeared.
1. Why is justice so late? Why when they have accepted their crime they are still not hanged. (I explained the way law operates and its demand on proof. Their reaction- oh you mean like Kasab case.)
2. When will they be hanged? I understand the case is in Supreme Court! It will take its own time. If this is with such a high profile case, think what happens with the common woman.
3. What is this the advocate was talking. (I explained that people like them exist and India as a whole is not like them.)
4. Maybe Mukesh is right; the rapists may now kill the girls.
5. 8PM, out for movie with unknown person! Where are they living? (I explained in certain parts of our country these barbaric laws and interpretations exist and are followed by most. They have no choice.)
6. The juvenile will be out by December 2015! (This was the most debated topic) just because he was 6 months short of age. And he will be part of the society!
7. Hang them. No that will be less of a pain. Maybe cut them and place mirch namak in their wounds everyday. You know where!
8. 200 rapes and the women did not complain. It is we who have given them strength. They say correctly the powers always feed on our fear.
9. Thank god, days have changed. Now people do not see this as woman’s fault.
10. He says there was no intention to kill. How convenient. And does that make it right. But if we have not been complaining maybe what he is saying is how he feels.
11. The one who died in jail? I am told that rapists are most hated in jail and many times they are made to suffer the same pain of getting raped. Must been killed. The people inside jail are better than outside it seems.
12. What is the part that Govt did not want us to see in this documentary?
13. If the parents of Nirbhaya are willing to talk they definitely want a voice to be heard.
14. Remember this was in Delhi!
15. I felt nice to relive the moments of agitation when the whole country came together, but what result. Maybe the citizen should not wait for the Government to act. Maybe the mob should give instant justice is
I realised I have a lot more to discuss with them and I have a lot to THANK THE GOVERNMENT FOR BANNING THE FILM.
This first appeared in Excahnage4Media
