Heights of intolerance

The protests against Aamir Khan mark another instance of increasing intolerance in Gujarat.

IT is Aamir Khan's turn to be Gujarat's enemy number one. The Bollywood star follows a long list of illustrious people - Mallika Sarabhai, Medha Patkar and M.F. Husain among others who have been targeted by the Bharatiya Janata Party mobs.

The BJP's youth wing called for a ban on his new Hindi film Fanaa in Gujarat. His crime: He wanted those displaced by the Narmada dam to be rehabilitated. His earlier movie, Rang De Basanti, was pulled out of Gujarat's theatres in April after they were attacked.

He supported the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA), a group seeking proper rehabilitation of oustees. NBA leader Medha Patkar has been attacked and hounded out of the State by both the Congress and the BJP.

"Aamir Khan has insulted Gujarat by sitting with Medha Patkar on her hunger strike in Delhi last month," said Amit Thaker, president of the BJP Yuva Morcha. "Medha Patkar is Gujarat's enemy number one, by being with her, Aamir Khan is also an enemy of Gujarat. He should apologise or he will have to face the anger of Gujarat. We will not allow any of his films in Gujarat and will also ban the products he endorses - Titan, Toyota, Coke." In the wake of the protests, Toyota pulled out advertisements of its product endorsed by Aamir Khan.

But Khan refused to be threatened. "Why should I apologise? All I have said is that people should be rehabilitated. I am only repeating what the Supreme Court has said," he told Frontline. "Are we a democracy? Don't people have a right to speak without being targeted? The opposition to me is not from people or theatre owners but from political parties. I have received a lot of support from the public. I want to reiterate that I am not part of the NBA. I am not getting involved in politics but speaking only on a social issue. In a way, I am happy this has happened because it has shown people what our political parties are made of."

Fanaa, starring two of Bollywood's big stars, is a money-spinner. It was a good box office opportunity for Gujarat's theatre owners. But they were too scared to release the film. "Last month, mobs attacked theatres screening Rang De Basanti. There was a lot of damage to property. They broke glasses and seats. To prevent it from happening again, we decided not to screen the film," said Manubhai Patel, president of the Gujarat Multiplex Owners Association. "There is no pressure on us. Even with security, it's not enough to stop the mob. We don't have a problem with Aamir Khan. If only he had apologised, the whole issue would have been resolved. He has hurt the pride of the Gujarati public. We have to support them."

The film's producer Yash Chopra met Chief Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the ban. Modi said he was willing to provide security but the theatre owners had decided not to screen the film. That is a big decision for Gujarat's businessmen to make. A big-budget multi-starrer like Fanaa, in its first week, would have raked in around Rs.1.75 crores at 59 screens across the State. Film industry sources say that regardless of the ban, Fanaa may not have been released in Gujarat owing to an ongoing dispute between Yashraj Films and ECity Films (part of the Zee group). Even in Mumbai, two ECity-owned theatres have not screened Fanaa. The prime programmer for Gujarat's theatres, D.Y. Patni, is also part of Ecity Films, and would have anyway blacklisted the film throughout the State unless they came to a mutual settlement, which they did not reach in Mumbai. While business battles remained private, political groups created havoc on the streets.

The Narmada dam evokes strong emotions in Gujarat, the State that stands to gain the most from the project. Yet, the number of those displaced here is the least. Most of those made homeless by the dam are in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. In this drought-prone State, propaganda for this controversial dam has been so thoroughly entrenched that many call it `Gujarat's lifeline'. It is an issue on which there is a political consensus and any opposition is brutally silenced. Over two decades and several election campaigns, political parties have held out the illusive hope of the Narmada waters bringing prosperity to Gujarat.

Yet, the reality is somewhat different. Recent government audits have shown that Gujarat is not utilising only 11 per cent of the Narmada waters that is available to it currently because the State has not constructed enough canals (Frontline, June 2, 2006). But this vital fact is hidden. The Aamir Khan controversy has been used to drown out the real debate about the Narmada project and its promised benefits. Why is there no public outcry at the government's neglect to deliver water to areas desperately in need?

Ironically, Khan's stand on the Narmada project is similar to that of the Gujarat government. Both are in favour of rehabilitation, but feel that dam construction should continue alongside. However, Khan's main concern is rehabilitation, while the Gujarat government's is increasing the dam height. In April, Narendra Modi had gone on a fast for a day to counter the NBA's 20-day hunger strike. The NBA was protesting against the Narmada Control Authority's decision to increase the height of the dam from 110.76 metres to 121.92 m until those already displaced are properly resettled.

On the day Fanaa was released in other parts of the country, a huge mob gathered outside Manubhai Patel's multiplex, WideAngle. Just to remind him what would happen if he did not toe the line. "Imagine what would have happened if we had screened the film. We can't take the chance," said Patel. "Till this is resolved, we will not screen any of Aamir Khan's films. People are scared of the damage to their property," said Harish Patel, president of Gujarat Cinematograph Exhibitors Association. "Aamir Khan should not get into politics. He should stick to his own business. If we don't stop him now, he will continue. We have to teach people a lesson."

"Teach them a lesson" - that is a familiar line in Gujarat. It was the same argument used to justify the State-supported pogrom against Muslims in 2002, when more than 1,000 people were killed and 250,000 hounded out of their homes. There are many others that the BJP has taught a lesson. The NBA office in Baroda has been attacked thrice. When Patkar attended a peace meeting at Sabarmati Ashram during the 2002 carnage, a mob led by Amit Thaker (the same person targeting Khan) attacked the ashram and dragged her out by her hair. They said that Patkar should not be allowed to enter the State.

There have been many instances of such intolerance in the State. Mrinalini Sarabhai, from the most powerful industrialist family in Gujarat, was forced to withdraw her signature from an NBA petition. A mob attacked Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe commission chairperson Ramdhan when he visited the dam site. M.F. Husain's gallery in a cave in Ahmedabad has been attacked twice and his works destroyed. Danseuse and theatre artist Mallika Sarabhai has been harassed for speaking out against the communal violence. Government officials harass several non-governmental organisations, even the most well-known, SEWA (Self-Employed Women's Association), headed by Ela Bhatt, which worked on riot rehabilitation and justice.

Recently, actor Dia Mirza was hurriedly rushed out of Rajkot because she said she supported Aamir Khan's stand on the Narmada issue.

"I agree that Gujarat is not so receptive to democratic values, particularly in the last three or four years," said Hasmukh Patel, spokesperson for the Congress' Gujarat unit. "That's because we have a communal party in power. Also, with urbanisation there has been a lot of unemployment and inequality." The Congress too has played a double game. While the party's official stand has been to oppose the ban on Aamir Khan's film, Youth Congress members have organised protests supporting the ban. That is another reason why the BJP can flex its muscle. There is barely any opposition to the party. The Congress in Gujarat is more like the BJP's B team.

Do the threats of a mob reflect the opinions of all Gujaratis? "This is only the view of political parties, and not that of the people of the entire State. The regional media plays a regressive role in that it propagates only one opinion. Often they publish facts that are not true or use insulting language," says Rohit Prajapati from the People's Union of Civil Liberties, Vadodara. "It's not only anti-democratic but a fascist way of dealing with the issue. Many of those so vehemently in favour of the dam won't even know where it is located." In fact, Youth Congress activists from Vadodara who protested against the film then went to Mumbai to see it. When they returned, BJP student activists threatened them.

"Democratic space doesn't exist in Gujarat," said Hiren Gandhi, theatre director. "There is fascism and goondaism by a small minority. But the rest remain silent. Even respected people are scared to speak out. The Gandhians are sleeping."

"With the Gujarat government, you cannot resolve an issue through discussion. There is utter intolerance in its method of dealing with issues whether it is religion or development. They kill human beings and opinions," said Medha Patkar. "The Narmada is not a political issue, but has been made one. The facts are there for all to see."

Is this the start of Modi's campaign for the 2007 elections? This is a tactic he knows well - whipping up fervour over non-issues, twisting facts, obscuring the real debate. After the 2002 carnage, Godhra was used to create hysteria.

As we get closer to the election campaign Modi may even claim that by banning Aamir Khan's film, he has solved Gujarat's water problem.

How far will the intolerance go? How much longer will five crore Gujaratis sit back and watch fanaticism in the name of false pride?