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August 2003
The Mahatma of Untouchables
and Bombs Away—India Goes Ballistic

Film Reviews by Catherine Clyne

 


Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar directed by Dr. Jabbar Patel (in English, 1999).

Until last winter, I’d never heard of Dr. Ambedkar. You may not have heard of him either, so I’ve got the perfect remedy: Dr. Jabbar Patel’s epic biographical film titled simply Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar.

Dr. Ambedkar was a contemporary of Mohandas Gandhi and fought for the civil rights and dignity of India’s 70 million Dalits, the “untouchable” caste. Dalit means “oppressed” and is the name untouchables have chosen for themselves. I understood that Dalits were considered pariahs, but I had no idea just how brutal everyday life is for them. Traditional Hinduism teaches a worldview with rigid categories into which people are born. You can’t shed your caste or switch to another, or simply refuse to cooperate with such an oppressive system. Thousands of years of Hinduism have integrated the caste system into the social and cultural fabric of India, rendering a large part of the population unworthy of any rights or consideration. Dalits are perceived as polluted, where in some cases only cow urine and feces can cleanse whatthey have touched and contaminated.

An untouchable himself, Dr. Ambedkar had the extraordinary opportunity to study in England and the U.S., earning a law degree and a Ph.D. in economics. His experiences were similar to those of Gandhi when he studied in Britain: the lofty democratic ideals of Western philosophy contradicted by the racism of white, privileged students and teachers. Dr. Ambedkar saw this hypocrisy and rejected it. He returned home with a greater confidence and a new awareness, which eventually set in motion the Dalit movement on the eve of Indian independence.

This film shows us a different side of Mohandas Gandhi, who, when negotiating the formation of a new government, did not want to address the caste system or the untouchables as a separate political issue. Dr. Ambedkar disagreed. In representing the millions of Dalits, Dr. Ambedkar insisted on their representation in government. At one of the most dramatic moments, Gandhi goes on a hunger strike to force the different parties to come to an agreement. By demanding representation, Dr. Ambedkar is portrayed as the obstacle and is blamed for Gandhi’s prolonged starvation. Ambedkar wryly points out that Gandhi is responsible for his own life and therefore his own death. This film gives a different and controversial perspective of one of Gandhi’s most effective nonviolent tactics, revealing how manipulative it was to use his life in the theater of public opinion to shame his opposition into backing down.

If he couldn’t get Hinduism or Indian society to acknowledge his humanity, Dr. Ambedkar decided to convert to a religion that was more compassionate and egalitarian. The film climaxes with the conversion of thousands of Dalits to Buddhism en masse, which inspired millions more to convert, an awesome revolutionary moment in Indian history that I was totally unaware of.

Pediatrician-turned filmmaker, Jabbar Patel took nine years to complete this epic, which spans six decades, from 1901 to 1956, and convinced Malayam superstar Mammooty to play the main role, which earned him the best actor award from the Indian equivalent of the Oscars. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar is a riveting and educational bio-pic, as worthy of three hours of your time as Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi. Watch, learn and be inspired.

Although the State has outlawed discrimination against untouchables, Indian society has yet to catch up. Today’s 160 million Dalits—one in every six Indians—are still persecuted with little recourse. They are usually forced to live in segregated housing and, if lucky enough to gain employment, are limited to traditionally “unclean” jobs: digging graves, butchering cows, cleaning latrines and sewers, etc. To learn more about Dr. Ambedkar and the Dalit movement, see www.ambedkar.org or visit the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights at www.dalits.org.

War and Peace
directed by Anand Patwardhan (First Run/Icarus, 2002).
The subtitle to Stanley Kuberick’s satirical classic Dr. Strangelove—How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb—came to mind while watching War and Peace, Anand Patwardhan’s comprehensive documentary of the history of atomic weapons and the growing nationalistic furor spurring India’s creation and use of them.

A few years ago, I heard a report on NPR about the testing of a nuclear bomb by the Indian government. I listened, incredulous, as a conservative Hindu nationalist explained how Gandhi would approve of India’s development of nuclear weapons. Of all the hair-brained things I’ve heard… The rationale was that they would maintain peace in the region, somewhat like the Cold War did. I seriously doubt the Mahatma would smile upon (or even consider!) the use of bombs capable of instantly vaporizing hundreds of thousands of people as a way to maintain peace.

If you don’t know much about the birth of the atomic era, War and Peace is an excellent primer. There are revealing interviews of scientists who secretly developed the first atomic bomb. The controversial display of the Enola Gay (the plane that dropped the first bomb on Japan) at the National Air and Space Museum is explained with first-hand accounts from the curators, and the veterans who opposed it. They objected because the exhibition told of the effects the bombs had on the Japanese victims, who were civilians. One Hiroshima survivor makes a very moving pilgrimage to India as an ambassador of peace and tearfully recounts his horrific experience (a real no-no for Japanese, who usually try not to show emotions publicly) to a shocked and silent audience.

The film shows chilling pogroms in India in support of the bomb. People proudly say that India will no longer cow-tow to the West, and with nukes the world will now respect India as a powerful nation. That the test was conducted on the birthday of the Buddha was no irony and only shows how religion is integrated into a terrifying political agenda.

When Satya recently asked what he’s doing now, Patwardhan responded: “I am taking time off from filmmaking to travel around the country doing screenings of War and Peace. The response is amazing—especially from younger people in schools and colleges. Amongst adults too, there is far more receptivity than I had hoped for. Obviously questioning jingoism, reminding ourselves of the legacy of Gandhi, and warning against cheap imitation of militaristic America are a felt need.

“The development of weapons, the import of them, all this continues. We have a huge task ahead if we are to undermine the circular illogic of the deterrence theory which states that we must arm ourselves to the teeth because we fear that others will do the same! It’s sad to think that it needs a Mahatma to point out that unconditional disarmament is not only the ethical, but also the practical way to disarm others. Universal demilitarization has to be the goal with tangible steps taken on a regular basis. Yes there may be the rogue state or person who hesitates to reciprocate, and yet taking our chances on this is a far safer option than to have Bushmania spread across the globe converting potential friends into deadly enemies.

“In India the battle to preserve our secular identity continues as politicians use the religious card for short term gain. Resistance to this hijack is growing, imperceptibly, but surely.”

 

 


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