Re: [Assam] Suffering of the Widows

Thu, 04 May 2006 13:15:19 -0700

I agree with Umesh-Ji on the storyline(?) in Fire. As far as I remember, it was a boring and meaningless picture - caring and affection between two human beings do not have to be anything like that, it can very well be platonic and the audience can still get the message - I mean, the husbands taking over women's lives. Two issues were put together without good enough reasons - physical attraction is a different issue altogether, rejection by the husband does not necessarily change a person to turn into a gay person. Anyway!

In order to portray a particular problem, like male dominance etc., in a particular society, it does not need to be connected needlessly with a "current & controversial topic"  (or it should totally be on that 'hot' topic itself - not with a silly connection between the two). And if that useless connection is made, then it is viewed by many, as a futile attempt to draw attention - from the movie-maker's side.

From: umesh sharma <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: Rajen Barua <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Himendra Thakur <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Ram Sarangapani <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
CC: assam@assamnet.org
Subject: Re: [Assam] Suffering of the Widows
Date: Thu, 4 May 2006 20:38:58 +0100 (BST)

AIR would be a good title for her next movie - but it should not suggest solutions like those from a wind bag:)
 
Umesh
 
PS: My suggestion would be a movie on Meera Bai - who was a widow kicked out by her princely in-laws and devoted to Sri Krishna's worship  - world famous thru her songs

Rajen Barua <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>Is Deep Mehta right in portraying Hindu women as in "Fire" -- as lesbianism being the only solution - to their oppression.
 
An artist normally donot portray something as a solution, she may portray what may be the realty in her eyes. Everybody has a right to portray life the way they see it. Showing a solution is not necessarily an artist's duty. It is the duty of a social worker.
 
I don't understand why this anger against the artist Deepa Mehta.  Is it because that realty she projected shocked you? Or is it because you donot agree with that realty?
 
Mamony Roysom Goswami also had been portraying such realty through her various novels, either the plights of Hindu widows in Brindaban or Assamese Vaishnava Upper class widow in Assam. We should be grateful to these artists for bringing to focus these realty in our societies.
 
Similarly we need more artist to portray the realty of Suttee that is still going on in Bihar and other places.
Let us hope Deepa Mehta will pick up a such a story for her next movie and call it AIR.
 
RB
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, May 04, 2006 12:56 PM
Subject: Re: [Assam] Suffering of the Widows

Himendra-da,
 
You rightly said that those who do nothing but criticize are degenerate people. How much doing is good enough. Someone might say that he spent $1000 per year to fund a non profit for women - and it gives him or her a right to criticize everyone else (never mind he or she earns millions of dollars a year). Or someone who gave a beggar on an Indian street two rupees - and declare that he or she has done his bit for the cause.
 
How much is good enough? Is Deep Mehta right in protraying Hindu women as in "Fire" -- as lesbianism being the only solution - to their oppression.
 
 In a hypothetical case - Would you recommend to your daughter or daughter-in-law that she become a lesbian (as per Deep Nehta movie) to escape for her societal problems of male oppression and house-wifery drudgery?
 
Umesh
PS: I haven't seen "water" but I have seen "Fire" and "earth" by Deepa Mehta at Harvard library.

Himendra Thakur <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
 
 
Dear Ram,
 
I congratulate you for your open views. There are 33 million widows in India. Majority of them live below animal level. My cousin Mamoni (Dr.Mamoni Goswami) told me about the observations she made in Brindaban. What about the property rights of a widow in her marital home &/or in her natal home?
 
People who criticise Deepa Mehta's movie, but do not come forward to help stop the suffering, cannot call themselves Hindus. These are degenerated people. 
 
In violation of the ancient Indian scriptures, the evil of the gender oppression, hereditary caste system, dowry system, and many other evil practices appear to have well-trenched in India due to degenerations. After independence, the Constitution has been amended and laws have been strengthened to control these social evils. However, law alone cannot eradicate a deep-rooted malaise. The tragedy is enhanced by the fact that even educated people in India fail to join the movement to stop these evils.
 
When I started the movement to stop dowry & bride-burning in India, some Indian intellectuals strangely connected it to “neo-colonialism” of western powers. Any effort to help widows or to stop dowry/bride-burning/female-feticide are ignored as an outcry of feminists. Confusion prevails. An amendment of the “Hindu Succession Act” by the Parliament in December 2004 to guaranty equal inheritance of a daughter [which would have helped the hapless widows] remains ineffective due to the lack of enforcement. In spite of strict laws against it, selective female feticide (for the fear of future dowry) by using ultrasonic embryo test is proliferating leaps and bounds in the dowry infested areas of India. There is not a single political party in India with a clear agenda to eradicate suffering of the widows, or to stop dowry, bride-burning, female feticide or hereditary caste system.
 
Nonetheless, there are exceptions. We see the rays of light through these exceptions. In an October 9, 2003 Judgment against a case of female feticide, Justice M.B. Shah and Justice Ashok Bhan of the Supreme Court of India observed that “It is also known that number of persons condemn discrimination against women in all its forms, and agree to pursue, by appropriate means, a policy of eliminating discrimination against women, still however, we are not in a position to change mental set-up …”  
 
It is wonderful that these points are being discussed in the assam-net. The next step is to come forward to help the work.
 
With love to everybody,
Himendra
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, May 03, 2006 8:16 PM
Subject: Re: [Assam] Deepa Mehta's love for Hinduism--or otherwise

I just read the write-up on "Water" and Deepa Mehta in the NYT.
 
I think Umesh you are being way too sensitive. Film produces/directors and authors usually have the leeway in portraying as they see the world. They often make us see things that a community or a country does not or just ignores. In that aspect, I think Mehta has actually done a great service to the cause of Hinduism.
 
This aspect of widows being shunned by society and even by family members is very real and is shameful to say the least. The NYT article mentions villages etc where these practices still exist. I for one am not willing to blame the villagers, as they may be too steeped in traditions and customs - but do find fault with the supposedly educated class of Indian society which seems to ignore such faultlines.
 
Progressive Hindus ought to be able to take their messages across India and educate people on the evils of casteism, ill-treatment of widows, or other evils that haven't necessarily been mandated by Hinduism.
 
So, IMHO, Hindu fundamentalists ought to be thankful to a Deepa Mehta for opening their eyes to such problems instead of creating havoc.
 
One last thing I would like to state is that generally, you will find mainstream Hindus peg themselves to varying viewpoints on this and other issues regarding criticisms of their own religion, and thats a great thing. At least one won't see a Salman Rushdie like dikat on Deepa Mehta from a majority of Hindus.
 
-- Ram
 

 
On 5/3/06, Rajen Barua <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>I haven't seen any effforts by Deepa Mehta to highlight any good points about Hindusim at all.
 
Why you have to depend on Deepa Mehta to high light the goods of Hinduism. Are there no other Hindus who can do that?
Or Deepa mehta have some special; power?
RB
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, May 03, 2006 3:14 PM
Subject: [Assam] Deepa Mehta's love for Hinduism--or otherwise

 
Just like I haven't seen any love emanating from C-da's writings about Hinduism similarly I haven't seen any love emanating from Deepa Mehta's movies or otherwise about Hindu faith.
 
Anybody who is not a Hindu should expect negative response to negative comments about Hinduism.
 
I take my own case - while I was in India I did not know many realities existing in US etc . But after coming to US I started commenting about them - and then a member of my mailing list got angry that if you did not like USA why did you come here. My constructive comments were miscontrued. Now I take care to highlight good points of USA from time to time.
 
I haven't seen any effforts by Deepa Mehta to highlight any good points about Hindusim at all.
 
have you?
 
Umesh


Umesh Sharma
5121 Lackawanna ST
College Park, MD 20740

1-202-215-4328 [Cell Phone]

Ed.M. - International Education Policy
Harvard Graduate School of Education,
Harvard University,
Class of 2005

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Umesh Sharma
5121 Lackawanna ST
College Park, MD 20740

1-202-215-4328 [Cell Phone]

Ed.M. - International Education Policy
Harvard Graduate School of Education,
Harvard University,
Class of 2005
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College Park, MD 20740

1-202-215-4328 [Cell Phone]

Ed.M. - International Education Policy
Harvard Graduate School of Education,
Harvard University,
Class of 2005

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