Sheer intolerance in air

There is nothing filmy about the protests over 'Padmaavat.' These are all carefully, planned, orchestrated and executed protests. The so-called Karni Sena is just one more extortionist gang that has sought its pie from the producers and threatened to stall the film's release on the grounds of it being inconsistent with the known history of Rajasthan and that it brings disrepute to the Rajputs.

The Apex Court thought it fit, and rightly so, in stressing on 'freedom of speech and expression' to stay a notification issued by Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana Governments that banned the screening of Padmaavat, paving the way for the all India release of the controversial movie on January 25.

There was a bitter court room exchange before the decision, of course. Unfortunately, there is nothing sanctum sanctorum in this country than politics and vote-banks and everyone succumbs to it. For Congress which objected recently to the film on Emergency and Indira's role in it, it is OK that Padmaavat is released. For Asaduddin Owaisi, Padmaavat is comparable somehow to the triple talaq issue and, hence, it must be boycotted.

Strangely he argues, to prove his point, that the alacrity shown in pushing triple talaq ahead was absent in case of the controversial 'Padmaavat' for which the government created a panel, too. There was politics here as the BJP tried to appease the majority community, he argues. Is this the only place of intervention or appropriation? Have not we seen every space being occupied and questioned by the fringe groups of every religion? In fact, the danger for our democracy and for healthy growth of our country is this tendency to politicise every issue right from country's security to society's preferences to individual choices.

The Preamble of our Constitution has been flown out of the window and every assurance provided in it – which we, the people of this country, gave to ourselves. What is Padmaavat? A movie which is based on folklore? Going by the recent controversies involving films and the stand of the political parties, State governments and hardliner groups, it seems the very concept of film certification has taken a beating. Do we really need a certification board in the first place?

When such a board's certification itself has no sanctity and the Apex Court's judgment becomes irreverent to the extent that the Karni Sena calls for beheading of the producer and the heroine with impunity, do we still claim ourselves a matured democracy? Isn’t it going the Pakistan way? This is not right-wing politics either because, it only means holding that certain social orders and hierarchies are inevitable, natural, normal or desirable, typically supporting this position on the basis of natural law, economics or tradition.

Hierarchy and inequality may be viewed as natural results of traditional social differences or the competition in market economies. The term right-wing can generally refer to "the conservative or reactionary section of a political party or system.” What is on display is sheer intolerance. Sadly, such an intolerance has the blessings of our mainstream politicians!