Shiban Khaibri
There are various connotations to what Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid spoke at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa where among other movies , a stark fact though pinching to many who conveniently manage to look to the other side , in the form of ‘The Kashmir Files ‘ too was screened . As we know ,the Filmmaker was selected and invited to chair the jury of the said Festival . It is intriguing as to how could a person hailing from a community synonymous in real terms with the intrinsic meaning of persecution of worst form in the world be so much blind to accept the fact of a perpetual persecution of over seven hundred years followed by an exodus and genocide in 1990 (akin to) of an entire ethnic community of Kashmir – the Kashmiri Pandits ? However, it is reflective of how no real spade work was done by those who selected Nadav to head the jury which needs to be made fairly known .
Much needs to be seen and much remains to be deciphered about the entire nemesis of organising such events especially about the participants. It also needs to be inquired into whether such a negation of a virtual decimation of original inhabitants of Kashmir and thus glorifying of armed terrorism, religious fanaticism, bigotry and involvement head deep of Pakistan and various agencies in driving Hindus out of Kashmir had some connection with India crowned with heading G-20 and in world forums coupled by top global leaders , India being heard and its leader overwhelmingly acclaimed and his views on various global issues appreciated and valued. It is to be seen in this perspective too that none of the secular parties in India including the new experimenting with novelties AAP have criticised the Israeli filmmaker and impliedly thus shown criminal apathy towards the sufferers for 32 years in this “secular” country. They , however, have lost no opportunity in attacking Modi government about what they call “Hype” about G-20 Presidency and by saying “it being just rotational”.
Why should , therefore, we see the grand ”game plan” in just a limited and pointed manner and forget that barring the ruling party ,no political party appreciated the movie in its objective – The Kashmir Files which is an attempt to educate though in a limited way those who knew little about or not beyond that vilified and mischievous story of “Jagmohan Theory” behind forcibly driving Kashmiri Pandits out of Kashmir. The Film also is a ringing warning bell about the horrors of the scourge of terrorism and how humanity was imperilled by it . Can it be treated just an ordinary development in Indian politics that many from the opposition have in fact praised Nadav for “daring to speak the truth”. They have thus sympathised with Nadav for he being “shocked” and ”disturbed ” by the film’s inclusion in the competitive area. Political ends are seen derived and fortunes of votes secured by keeping the miseries of Kashmiri Pandits under the wraps permanently or at best distort it or trivialise it by so called secular parties who lose no occasion in furthering their agenda and programme of appeasement followed by the allurement of freebies and largesse by an over ambitious Party.
Have we forgotten how the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal mocked this film in the Assembly and a lady member in the back row, among others, laughing over it only adding insult to the wounds of the persecuted. Why go any far , the Shiv Sena “leader” on bail Sanjay Raut has said that “Maximum killing in Kashmir occurred only after this film” . He further said that it was a “propaganda of one Party against the other”. Another MP from the same Party exonerated Lapid that at “no point of time Lapid denied Kashmiri Pandit exodus or dismissed it”. And just see post Lavid’s remarks , malicious slogans appeared on the walls and faculty rooms of the Jawahar Lal Nehru University against Brahmans and Kashmiri Hindus being coincidentally Brahmans. When such a prejudice and mischievous designs are abuzz within the country , how can anti India Tool- kits, anti India and anti Hindu lobbies not get encouraged which keep on nourishing and sustaining the feelings in the likes of Nadav Lapid .
The interesting part of the issue is as to how could the Israeli filmmaker afford to be so stone hearted and totally blind to the fact of massacres and targeted killings of the miniscule residual number of even those who stayed behind in Kashmir like in Gool, Wandhama, Nadimarg etc , the process continuing now even ? Either he is cloistered within his own very limited field and not keeping abreast of the happenings taking place or does not read and again despite knowing is succumbing to an agenda .
How could he , again , embarrass and virtually humiliate his own country by attacking and rejecting the film ab-initio which has highlighted how in an organised way an ethnic community was hounded out , chased , persecuted and exiled. Who are these forces and lobbies at the international level, of course emboldened by those so called liberal secular, democratic elements etc from within who while in the burst of criticising and attacking the present dispensation in India go to the extent of even defaming their own country, that persons like Nadav dare to resort to the extreme humbuggery about a stark fact well recorded, well documented and even openly visible even presently.
His blanket views of terming the movie as vulgar , propaganda and what not is condemnable although the Film has highlighted only a fraction of what befell the hapless people for the only fault of theirs being professing a faith – the most ancient in the world- and converging on ”the entire world is one family” and ”let all living beings be happy and prosperous , free from all worries, problems and diseases ” and ”let peace prevail all-round and all around” and never praying for all good on this earth for Hindus only . That speaks not only about the greatness of the Sanatan Dharma but about the legacy and original culture of this land where scholars from far and wide used to come to learn and get enlightened .Although the suffering community has felt shocked over such a prejudiced, biased, totally unwarranted and unjustified stand of the Israeli filmmaker who abused the hospitality and the invitation of the host country, yet there appears to be a silver lining in that the Israeli envoy Naor Gilon , ostensibly at the behest of and in pursuance of the policy of Israel , has equated the exile of the Kashmiri Pandits from Kashmir valley with a movie – a Holocaust classic Schindler’s List so that Lapid could “justify ” his criticism.
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