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| Umesh Anand |
REGIONAL cinema is making waves in the hands of a new breed of
directors who are fiercely independent and rooted in their local
realities. They aren’t attracting nationwide audiences as yet, but that
perhaps has more to do with the way films are marketed and distributed
than their own formidable talents. It is a question of time before the
demand for such films grows and in these early offerings is perhaps the
first truly original Indian cinema in a long while. It is a measure of how
much attention these films are capable of attracting that Harishchandrachi
Factory by Paresh Mokashi was an Indian entry at the Oscars.
Is regional cinema representative of a larger trend in the country? Are
people demanding a better hearing for their local problems? Are new technologies
helping them to express themselves nationally and globally? The
films not only speak of local realities, but they also show flowering of talent
which seeks to be recognised on its own terms.
Behind the tragic story of Ruchika in Chandigarh is the long history of
poor police reforms. We have in this issue a story which looks at the
Ruchika case from this angle. Politicians want to continue using policemen
for their own ends and the result is a force that doesn’t really bother to
serve ordinary people. But modernisation of the police force is critical and
can no longer be ignored. What appears to be certain is that reforms are
not working. Police reforms need to be debated by a wider section of society.
A cue could be taken from RTI and NREGA and other laws which have
been crafted by peoples’ movements.
It is necessary that more than one voice be heard on national issues. It
is because of this that we have interviewed Sunita Narain of the Centre for
Science and Environment (CSE). The view CSE has on the so-called
Copenhagen Accord is very different to the official claim of success. It is a
view taken by this magazine as well and expressed in our January issue.
There is a need to differentiate between the right to develop and the right
to pollute. Climate change is a reality whether glaciers vanish in 2035 or
later and it is the developing world which will be a victim.
Serious open debate is needed in India on our claims that we will reduce
emissions. The government has so far not shown any real ability to push
the economy in this direction. It is also most unlikely that we can hope to
shift to a low-carbon emission regime without money and technology
from the developed world. We need representatives who can argue in
India’s best interests in contemporary terms. Instead we choose to be
taken for a ride.
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