Hindustan Times Reports Protests & Burning of the Effigy of Amir Khan,

Posted by Venu K.M


Hindustan Times reports protests and burning of effigy of
Amir Khan by a group of angry Vidharbha Farmers, alleging distortion of the farmers' plight by the super star film producer and director in his new film Peepli Live . They also reportedly demanded the film to be withdrawn from screenings.


http://www.hindustantimes.com/Vidarbha-farmers-condemn-Peepli-Live-burn-Aamir-s-effigy/Article1-587485.aspx



One might wonder who, in the name of protests, is actually doing even more dirty things toward 'trivializing' the farming crisis together with other related issues linked to globalization.

What if there had been a real or imaginary story of suicide of a
farmer motivated by compensation for his dependents?

Does a film having just such a story line distort the whole scenario of Vidharbha farming crisis caused by globalisation?

Why do these leading agitationists waste their energies on soft targets, for example, artists ?

Are they not tempted to think that the authoritarian (Thakre) style would get them little more media attention, other things apart ?

One can understand debating, discussing and even protesting without
encroaching on others right to express.

This is bad enough; even when one were to admit that the film distorts, the protests as reported  deflects attention from the real issues more significantly than they allege the film does.

 Look at the following excerpts from the report:
"...They demanded immediate ban on the screening of the movie objecting to the way the issue of farmers suicide has been depicted in the film.."

"It is an insult to poor farmers of Vidarbha who have been victims of
globalisation and wrong policies of the state. We will not tolerate
further as this movie revolves around a debt ridden farmer committing
suicide for the sake of compensation, trivialising the issue and is
far from reality,"
Tiwari(leader of the agitating Vidharbha farmers group)said..


"Producer Khan should have consulted some experts before finalising
the script," Tiwari said, adding the movie has put a question mark on
the farmers' widows demanding compensation.."


"Farmers in any region of India commit suicide due to the wrong
policies of the government, not because family members can live off
the compensation they would get," the release from Tiwari added.