Bangalore:
The Gandhi film – the much-publicised production of Richard Attenborough – has considerably disturbed our Dalit and Muslim comrades. Though the film is yet to be released in India, and as such the internal reaction is yet to be gauged, we have received a number letters from our readers in US and UK stating that the film has totally ignored Dr. B. R. Ambedkar – considered the greatest Indian after the Buddha and one who played a notable role in securing “independence” for India.
The film has also wounded the sentiments of the Muslims by picturing Jinnah, the greatest Muslim leader of the undivided India, in a bad light. They have sent us clippings of the film review from the prestigious London Times, New Statesman, New York Times, In These Times etc. all of which are critical of the film. A Dalit intellectual from the UK says Dalits there are very disturbed upon seeing in the film. While they consider the British people as very fair and impartial in their judgement, they have started doubting the integrity of Attenborough, who did the greatest injustice to Dr. Ambedkar, one who actually saved the life of Gandhi by signing the “Poona Pact” that amounted to a stab on the back of India’s vast number of Dalits. To save Gandhi’s life Ambedkar sacrificed the interests of the Dalits, this fact was recorded by history. But Attenborough ignored history itself to please India’s Ruling Class, which financed the film. While Gandhi did hardly anything to liberate the Dalits, they say, he was busy helping the Brahmins and finally handed over the country to them. After doing them so much of service, it was finally a Brahmin organisation that employed a Poona Brahmin (Nathuram Godse) to kill Gandhi – whom this very Brahmin hailed as the “Mahatma”. This “Mahatma” must be exposed, another angry Dalit writes from London. According to the New Statesman, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi herself “vetted the screen-play as part of her bedroom reading and saw the film before the final editing”. The review is a brutal indictment of the film and also the “Mahatma”. As for Muslims, the lesser said the better. “Jinnah is cast as a political opportunist …. hinting that terrorism was a special Muslim preserve”. Pat Aufderhide, the reviewer in the In These Times, concludes: Even lacking vitality, though may yet ignite passions if Muslims contest the film’s choice of the villains”. We have been echoing through the DV, what Ambedkar used to so often say: Gandhi was not even an honest enemy of Dalits. The Gandhi film has confirmed this. India’s middle-class messiah is dead. When alive, just to keep him in poverty, the Govt spent millions of rupees. This complaint against Gandhi was voiced by no less a person than one who was a close lieutenant of Gandhi: Mrs. Sarojini Naidu. It is no wonder therefore that Gandhism has become another word for hypocrisy and corruption, as beautifully represented by the Gandhi capped Congressmen. Compare Gandhi with Mao. The latter’s teachings have brought about Revolution in China but the former’s brought about counter-revolution. Today, Gandhism is the official philosophy of India’s Fascist party, RSS. Whatta guy, that Gandhi!!
