PK is not OK

Posted 23rd December 2014 by Swami Muktanand Puri

It is quite astonishing to see movies like PK and Haider being made in India presently and even more shocking to see the Censor Board pass them. There has been an ongoing trend to poke fun, demean and show Hindus in bad light in Indian cinema and television especially by Bollywood. The trend is to deliberately slant and twist the presentation to make the Hindu appear small, to show them down, to make us look nasty and ugly. PK is such an intentional representation. Respecting each other's faith and beliefs unless they are harmful to others or gory is an accepted norm in democratic society. One cannot insist on absolute freedom for in reality there is none as our freedom is always limited by the rights of others. One cannot play loud music and disturb one's neighbors since they have a right to peace and quiet. In the name of creativity, some people like to trample on others sensitivities, insulting them, demeaning their beliefs, and in general promoting a reckless insensitivity by hurting other's beliefs and faith. At the base of all this are many factors. To start with—Is the shock value of a particular act big enough to attract attention and second will it bring financial rewards? In any religious or spiritual system, objects of worship; Gods, Goddesses, Sannyasis, Saints, Prophets, Angels, Monks, Priests have a really high, venerable and honorable place in that particular system. By what right does anybody have the privilege to demean another's value system and to insult somebody's spiritual beliefs? If one does not disturb you, what right do you have to hurt them?

Those who follow dogmatic faiths have reached a misunderstanding that they have a right to barge into another's home and behave as they please. As seen in some cases, they make shoes with Hindu Gods and Goddesses printed on them, in another, comics of deities, further they steal and butcher Cows against the law of the land, victimize girls (the term love Jihad actually came up in UK where young Asian and White girls were and are being victimized), allure and bribe people to convert religion, coerce & force conversions and now movies portraying Hinduism in bad light. The result of these insults will only polarize society, and therefore the movie does harm to the nation to some extent by hurting sentiments. Some people will argue that it is merely a movie; Is it enough to hurt or change people? The answer to that is this continuous projection of Hindus in poor light has finally gotten under our skins and sometime soon one may get a rather shocking reaction from the people of India. Usually, the person who is the source of the provocation may get away but others will suffer for his misdeeds.

Rajkumar Hirani really needs to understand a lot but perhaps what he only wants to understand is how much money will come into his pockets, for his movie project is seriously flawed. There is no real research done to create the movie, just some hotch-potch job. Today, I find a writer of some kind of erotica accusing saints; paid media prosecuting and maligning the reputation of Swamis; and now a munnabhai director trying to dish out what is god and what is not. Perhaps Mr Hirani should understand that playing with God is not his cup of tea. He would not know the difference between a Naga, a swami, a pandit, a vairagi or a Tyagi. Why choose such an un-informed topic and create a shoddy movie? And Mr RajKumar Hirani there is a great difference between a cheap sense of humor and some classy humor. You seem to like cheap humor. Aamir Khan might want to examine his taste and judgment for he could have well refrained from doing such a movie that is in such bad taste and he could have also had much better judgment. How would Muslims like Prophet Mohammed being chased in the toilet and riding a bike? And how would Christians like Jesus under the same circumstances? Mr RajKumar Hirani have you any good sense and judgment? How could you depict Lord Shiv being chased in a toilet, on the road and riding a bike? Is there within you some kind of sadistic streak intent on insulting others? Or was it for the money?

The majority Hindu community has for much too long been at the receiving end of a bad deal from Indian politicians. The winning of the elections by a Hindu party for the first time since Independence, in part, being a reaction to such treatment along with a host of other issues; but then, even deeper than all that are more important questions. Has India really been able to imbibe democratic values? Have all the institutions been able to uphold these democratic values? Is justice really being given to all groups of Indian society? The answer to that is a big NO for turning a blind eye and letting people do what they want to is clearly irresponsible, unjust and poor governance. If the court says, if you do not like it, do not watch it, I hope they will not say next, if you do not feel safe, do not walk on that road. When one person loses his right, so eventually do all the others.

When one salutes the Flag of any country, one salutes the values, the ideals, the rights, the sentiments, the will, the faith, the respect and pride of the people enshrined in the constitution of that nation. One cannot disrespect that flag for it is not just a piece of cloth and a pole but an insignia, an emblem of the people of that country. Try insulting it and you will be jailed. In the same way, when one prays to God, bows to the statues, representations and the form of the deities, it has great meaning; it is about the faith, the respect, the love and all higher values associated with these statues, forms, Deities, Gods and Goddesses. Nobody has a right to disrespect them.

So at best one can call PK really cheap tasteless entertainment but in reality PK is an act of aggression on the Hindu population, a deliberate provocation meant to hurt the sentiments of the Hindus. And at the same time a grave failure of the Indian Democratic institutions to ensure the respect of the majority community.