Filmmaker Shubhradeep corners Left, League over communalism
By Abdul Basith MA, TwoCircles.net
Kozhikode: His documentaries ‘Godhra Tak: The Terror Trial’ and ‘Encountered on Saffron Agenda’ had infuriated Sangh Parivar and made a commotion in the society a few years back. Shubhradeep Chakravorty is back with two new titles -- ‘After the Storm’ and ‘Out of Court Settlement’. The two documentaries were screened last week in Kerala.
For ideological closeness, he had expected the communist party in Kerala to take initiative to screen these films in the state, but alas he says they are insensitive towards Muslim issues. It was then Solidarity, the youth organisation of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, facilitated the screening in the Calicut Press Club hall last week. Talking to TCN, Shubhradeep said, ‘the communists may not be supporting the fascists but they are not serving the cause of Muslim community’.
He says that the screening won’t be that effective when a Muslim based organisation like Solidarity does it, as most would consider it just as a Muslim issue, whereas his films, he says, are completely secular and the purpose is served when mainstream secular organisations take it up.
Left miserably failed in resisting fascism
He expressed his disappointment over the fact that Left failed miserably in resisting fascism and he says that very few among those Left groups have shown interest in screening his films. “The anti-communal side is time and again getting weakened or is turning out ineffective and this is very unfortunate” he said. In March 2008, the screening of his film ‘Encountered on Saffron Agenda’ was attacked in Jaipur and he had to move to a Muslim ‘Musafir Khana’ to continue screening. He says it is sad that we will have to move to a Muslim ghetto to show secular things and for upholding our basic constitutional provisions.
The director reminded that when Babri Masjid was demolished the Left parties considered it a major issue but now they are not even talking about it but for Muslim organisations the situation is like ‘do or die’ and so they recognise the importance of screening such documentaries. The fascist elements are up against them, so what else should they do than creating awareness by screening such films, asks Shubhradeep.
Muslim League far insensitive towards Muslim issues
He says the case is not much different when we take into consideration the major Muslim political organisation in Kerala, the Indian Union Muslim League [IUML]. “They appear to me like just another corrupt, capitalist party” he says and he recollected the memories of ‘Godhra Tak: The Terror Trial’s screening being banned in Calicut when Muslim league was in power as a major ally in the UDF-led state govt. They are far insensitive towards Muslim issues than the secular mainstream parties and it is only the sectarian divides within the Muslim community which keeps them in power, he said.
'After the Storm'
The documentary ‘After the Storm’ narrates stories of seven former terror accused set free by various law courts across India. The film narrates their ordeal and miseries and shed light on their current fight for survival. The film strongly advocates that they must be compensated, cases against them withdrawn and an unconditional public apology should be made by the authorities to keep faith in democracy and democratic institutions.
The documentary ‘After the Storm’ narrates stories of seven former terror accused set free by various law courts across India. The film narrates their ordeal and miseries and shed light on their current fight for survival. The film strongly advocates that they must be compensated, cases against them withdrawn and an unconditional public apology should be made by the authorities to keep faith in democracy and democratic institutions.
The film features an acquitted youth named Musarrat Hussain Bobi who was framed as a culprit in the Kolkata American Center firing case [2002]. This happened in communist Bengal and strangely the Kolkata Police behaved similar to the Andhra and Gujarat Police. When the issue is regarding Muslims the answer to the question, Is there any real difference? is always negative, says Shubhradeep. So he thinks that the real issue is not just political, the politicians come and go but the fascist penetrations into the state machineries like police stays forever.
‘Out of Court Settlement’
‘Out of Court Settlement’ shows, through investigation, the darker side of Indian democracy by revealing the involvement of rogue elements of Indian establishment in the killings of Shahid Azmi and Naushad Kashimji, prominent lawyers involved in the defence of various high profile terror accused, and the resilience of other lawyers who are still trying to fight for justice by remaining within the framework of democracy and system established by the law.
‘Out of Court Settlement’ shows, through investigation, the darker side of Indian democracy by revealing the involvement of rogue elements of Indian establishment in the killings of Shahid Azmi and Naushad Kashimji, prominent lawyers involved in the defence of various high profile terror accused, and the resilience of other lawyers who are still trying to fight for justice by remaining within the framework of democracy and system established by the law.
Former journalist Shubradeep is now a fulltime documentary maker committed to social cause. This he says is because issues like Godhra, Gujarat, Fascist penetrations into administrative bodies all demand us to stay with it for longer time. Mainstream journalism hardly raise these issues and so documentaries are helpful this way to give a prospective to the issues, he believes..
