Waging War With Water

Just saw Deepa Mehta's Water. First, a view of the film. Although her previous films from 'elements trilogy' could be classified as one of those films that use controversy as a tool to generate hype and hence more revenues, this one is more pure. Everything about the film - the casting, cinematography, soundtrack, screenplay, acting and direction - oozes a brilliance that puts a halo on the film's original plot, which highlights an issue in way which keeps you from saying "yet another social issue".

The issue at hand is the plight of Hindu widows. Naturally in India, anything remotely condemning anything religious faces steep opposition from the extremists groups 'representing' the particular religion. Burning of effigies and vandalism in cinemas has become a norm. But when a movie causes violent demonstations even while being filmed, and when an entire cinema is burnt to ashes, loud alarm bells should be ringing among Indians that something that they value the most is in jeopardy - their freedom of speech.

The extent of the troubles that Deepa Mehta and her crew went through, and which led her to lose 80% of the film's budget and drove her filming activities out of the India completely, is a prime example of the lunacy of Hindu extremists and the sad state of affairs that are the Indian state governments and police forces.

And in the wider view, this is another reason why its people leave the land to enrich themselves and the lands abroad, and why India puts off business and investment. No wonder the film is recognised as a Canadian one (Deepa Mehta is a resident of Canada), and why most of the successful Indians gained their success abroad. Hats off to Deepa Mehta for a valuable contribution to an otherwise silent war that is social change in India.

Connecting people

Is there a simple way to unite India? Perhaps.

How about having this in India, all over India?

Lingo kid and latent India

India never stops surprising me. Recently came across 'lingo kid', a child on the streets of Mumbai, who doesn't go to school and sells peacock feathers outside Hanging Gardens in more than 6 international languages. Watch him here:



Incidentally the same kid has now grown up, but is still doing the same thing day in day out (see below), and he still doesn't go to school. Although he is an incredible spectacle, is it really worth admiring his skills or the 'wonder of India' if he, and millions other like him, perpetually do the same business for the same rates for years? It's a fact visible in hundreds of teeming towns across India which never seem to have changed every time I visit them. I fear that the continuing disparaties between the progressing India and those left behind may have disastrous consequences.



'Inclusive growth' is the buzzword of the time. Many mega-schemes of the government aimed at this - most recent one being the Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme - are a failure. It is fundamentally incorrect to forcefully create jobs where there is no work, rather the rural economy should be stimulated to grow organically which would create jobs by itself. Examples of success in that regard are microfinance schemes. Capitalism wins again.