Certain laziness set-in the mind due to the arriving Deepawali on next day, last night sat down in front of TV for a movie. The combination of OTT sites, smart TV (with, possibly a reasonably good sound system) and internet is slowly changing the game of movie experience. The Cinema halls may soon face the fate of STD/ISD booths of pre-mobile phone era. And this pre-Deepawali laziness, prompted me to search for the movie “Sardar Udham” – Few days ago read an article about the background of this movie.
In the history text books of school, learned a little
bit about Jallianwala bagh massacre and the name General Dyer. Occasionally
these incidents come into mental screen thru’ various medias. But the intensity
of it never had entered into me. Even though it is a biographic movie, many cinematic
masalas might have been added into this history telling. Even discounting for those
masalas, it is truly capable of lilting my mind.
Out of 300 million plus population of India of those
days, only a handful participated in any form of freedom movement. Nearly an
equal might be in government services, helping the British to loot their own
nation, but unaware of it. The remaining large junk, like me and my kith &
kin (of these days), are indifference t0 British rule and freedom movement. If
I were present in those days, most probably me and the majority of those I
knew, might be the part of this large junk. No, it is not a crime or any bad
thing. We are made such a way and hence we are so.
In the jallianwala bagh massacre, the orders of British
officials were executed by Indian police men. All those bullets that killed so
many Indians are from the guns on the hands of Indian policemen. If any one of
such policemen looked beyond their government duty and entered into the mind
set of one of the freedom fighter, and his gun turned towards General Dyer, the
game might had been totally different. But a man with such a possibility cannot
have entered into the government forces! It must be true for these days also.
We are not in a different situation at the current
time. It is said that after the starting of Industrial age, the global average
temperature increased by about 1.5°C. And in last 5 year or so, the increase
was about 0.3°C. It is again said that, if this temperature raise go beyond
another 0.5°C, survival of species in earth will be in danger. The reason cited
for this temperature raise is, green house gases formed while burning fossil
fuel to fuel our consumerism.
It is unfortunate for me that the major portion of the
wealth I earned is from this industry of fossil fuel – The Oil & Gas
sector. In a sense, I am fortunate enough to say Good bye to this sector and for
that matter to the whole industrial community, except for my limited
consumption. No, I am not cursing the oil & gas or, for that matter, coal.
As long as it is for a need, it is fine. But, if it is for unfavorable
consumption boosting………
Coming back to Sardar Udham, it is about history, it
is about how they suffered to get the political freedom for us. It is a sample –
for the quantum of suffering, those handful people suffered for a cause. For
the current time, I think, it has no direct relevance. But it could be powerful
symbolic relevance – The suffering we need to take to fight for the next level
of freedom – The Spiritual freedom. No, I am not talking about the right to
practice the religion of one’s choice. By Spiritual freedom, I mean an inner
freedom, which is individualistic.
Like any other movement, only a handful will march towards
this inner freedom. Probably, the fruits may be available to everyone, or may
not be. Sardhar Udham lit a light within me on this Deepawali, to march on an inner
freedom movement, the movement within me!
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