Driving back home on a weekend, whilst I was hopping from one  FM Radio Channel to the other,  this song being played on one of the Channels caught my attention……..Juhi Ki Kali Meri Laadli , (from the movie Dil Ek Mandir – 1963), sung by Suman Kalyanpur with the lyric penned by Shailendra. It was that of a mother praising her little daughter with motherly affection,  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5F_hBjEbtMs

As a father of growing daughter, I am deeply perturbed. I and am sure, like me all those who have this bundle of joy called daughter  across the nation are. At this moment my sympathies are with the family of the photographer who was subjected to such inhuman and  barbaric act….i have been deeply contemplating since the Delhi incident, and was believing like many and hoping against hope, that against a back drop of  such a nation wide outrage against the incident, it must have stirred the conscience of many. But, the Mumbai incident proved me wrong. It seems nothing has changed.

Trial is going  on in the Delhi case and the Nation is eagerly waiting to see the outcome. Like all the fathers, I am also keen to know how and what kind of Justice gets meted to the family and to the soul of departed. Already, we are seeing some accused being protected or an attempt being made under the garb of being juvenile. As a nation we are sick of hearing this old trite, “Justice will be done and law will take its course….but which course we don’t know”.

It is told and I quote from TOI, ” The police, after attending Monday’s proceedings, told the media outside the Juvenile Justice Board that the verdict has been deferred till August 31 as the apex court has reserved its order on the maintainability of the PIL.

This is the fourth time that the pronouncement of verdict has been deferred by the board since July 11. ”

Now, why the delay in meting out the verdict, the crime took place on 16th of Dec 2012, it is almost 9 months, I understand,  we are torn between the technical nuances. We are fighting to interpret  that “mental and intellectual maturity” of minor offender be considered instead of the age limit of 18 years while fixing their culpability. I fail to understand what mental state and intellectual maturity would have encouraged the juvenile in the instance to commit such a dastardly act.

Sad and Sullen, i was introspecting, where does this perpetrators get the fuel and fodder from, which forces them to go to any extreme to satisfy their lust laced with anger…other wise how could one explain the barbaric mindset. There could be thousand of triggers. A couple of weeks later, as my vehicle stopped at the usual busy Junctions…..my roving mind scanned surroundings outside and my eyes could not move away from the poster of a Bollywood movie. I am not a regular movie buff….but this poster on boundary wall, besides which many school going children, parents and others were moving with ease, gave me jitters, somehow i was uncomfortable.

 This was a poster from the movie “NASHA”…..traffic moved and  i also got immersed in the rat race. However, the poster was still doing rounds in my mind. I was thinking ,if it was on my mind even after week, what impact it would be having, on  the many a young minds who have to pass by it daily. I failed to understand, what was the director trying to communicate and is there no body who looks into it. The poster definitely was indeed not encouraging one to be patriotic or show respect to opposite sex, further, what is the NASHA, it is encouraging one to have. Aren’t we able to see a correlation between the crimes on girl child or women and these as one  of the reasons, I am not staying this is the only reason, but certainly will not agree if someone says these are reasons small enough to be ignored.

We have a CENSOR board working under the aegis of Ministry of Information and Technolgy, a visit to their website gives their Vision, which says and I quote”  To ensure the good and healthy entertainment in accordance with the provisions of the Cinematograph Act 1952 and the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules 1983,  and one of their 06 missions outlined states , ”  To ensure healthy entertainment, recreation and education to the public”. Now, is this anyway healthy entertainment by any means or what is this trying to educate.

Can’t the CENSOR board, if it is working towards healthy entertainment as it claims, come before the public after every approval it grants and tell the public why have they given permission to a particular film and why they have stopped it. Now, imagine, poster such as this remaining on walls for weeks together….can’t the government and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting take note of the same. Further, the poster had a tag line, from makers of JISM…….another titillating tile….curiosity drove me to see what it was. I think why people are not protesting against such poster, why others,  i was thinking what stops me  also from joining the groups working towards bringing decency in public life OR have we come to accept these as regular.

It is not that we [ Govt] do not have the where withal. There is a huge machinery, which can monitor the same. I feel, just like way we submit documents to various government agencies, makers of FILM should be made mandatory to submit poster of the film that would be displayed across the nation. Is it impossible to implement this simple measure. Why can’t each poster displayed across the country have a stamp and seal of “approved by CENSOR board for public display”. On the songs front too we are not better off, the excessive emphasis on the ooomps and the pelvic gyrations make some of the songs not worth watching and humming.

Imagine, if this is a situation in a metro, what could be small towns and villages. Is CENSOR board doing what it is supposed to do, if so then are these vetted by the BOARD. Are they not answerable to  the citizens.  These and many other such issues are currently agitating the mind of ordinary denizens across the country.

I reiterate, it is not the only reason, but surely would argue that, it is one of the triggers and a strong trigger. I know there is lot of opposition to such views, just like the way when Mumbai’s municipal council passed a resolution barring stores from displaying scantily-clad mannequins outside city shops. Ask the actors, pat they would be reply, it is the demand of the scene in the film, as if the entire film hinged on her wearing the skimpy clothes. Ask the producer, he would say his movies reflects the society, as if the women in this country are wearing such clads. Ask the Government, they seem to be clueless.

Mean while lets wait for the Juvenile Board to pass its opinion in the Delhi Rape case….to see which course this discussion takes.

The views expressed here are purely of the writer and one is at will to agree or disagree.