THE KASHMIR FILES : What is your take on it?

 

The story of Kashmir Files focuses on the exodus of Kashmiri Pundits from the valley in the 1990s. The film received its share of bricks and bats. Mostly, it was well received, globally. A lot of people related to the pain, a lot of them felt it spoke the truth, and an alternate opinion also said that it was made with an agenda. Movies must be treated as the culmination of imagination, fiction, research, and story-telling, and thus, there is no point in debating, right or wrong about them. I would like to believe that it was not made with an ulterior motive because films must unite us and not divide us. Every film has a fate and it finds its audience. Kashmir Files found a place in the heart of people, who had faced the situation or read about the exodus during those years. Kashmir issue has been close to my heart and when I watched the movie recently, it shook me as well. 

MY PERSONAL FEELINGS

Every person in India is aware of the terrorism and militancy that has existed in Kashmir. A lot has been written and said about it. A lot has been discussed about it. And a lot of news still floats around it. But if you wish to learn more ( read in detail) about this particular incident and sorrowful event of the 1990s, you can read the book titled Our Moon Has Blood Clots. The writer of this book is Rahul Pandita who has narrated the flow of events, as seen. The details are extremely harrowing. When I had laid my hands on the book for the first time, I was a young chap, government employee, posted in Lucknow. I remember reading the book with curiosity. And after completing the book, I was extremely moved and compelled to write something about it. 

I was elated when my words found space in one of the esteemed newspapers- The Pioneer. The first article was published as “War To Be Fought In The Minds Of The People”. And later in the year 1999, I wrote a poem titled “When Will Smile Bloom Across Kashmir”. The lines of which are as follows:

They are scared on their soil, in the shadow of fear spent the night. Where they go leaving their dignity, honour and land. They are constrained and think, what a mistake so much, that is their homeland. They see the way, and think, when will the violence stop? They are waiting, when in their valley  tourists will come? When will their pain go? When will smile bloom across Kashmir? VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

The events of Kashmir were touching the mood of everyone. On one hand, pain was emerging in the hearts of the people and on the other hand resentment. A report of the government of India says that 219 Kashmiri pundits were killed and around 140,000 migrated due to militancy. It was sole violation of human rights. Terrorists in majority sect targeted Kashmiri Pundits minority. From 1993, reports of rape by Islamic militants had increased, and there were many cases of the militants threatening to kill the family unless a woman was handed over to the militants. The human rights violation which happened in Kashmir was neglected due to political interference. And the Kashmiri Pundits were left with no justice for a very long period of time.

This is the human psychology that people want to see something that could be true to a plot and about that they could have heard before. Kashmir Files, a film is in some way based on real event. Keeping aside any kind of agenda, I believe the truth of Kashmir was portrayed through the film and people came to know of the plight of their own countrymen. 

FILM: A POWERFUL ART FOR EXPRESSION

Films reflect the eternal human search for truth, a process where we can discuss it as both cause and effect. Film is the most complex and powerful art form in the present world and it is chosen for freedom of expression. Movies have a lot of influence on our outlook about everyday life and they also help us make an opinion. Before films, it was plays/dramas that made a mark and educated people on many real-life scenarios.

Bharat Durdasha is a Hindi play composed by Bharatendu Harishchandra in the year 1875. In this play, Bharatendu had depicted the then condition of India through symbols. 

 

TRUTH VERSUS LIES

Films, offer a unique ability to reflect the events that have happened and affected us. India needs free, fair and non-hyphenated information. Kashmir Files seemed like a good attempt to show the truth but it should not have been used as a tool for propaganda.

The film showed everything clearly without any rhetoric and by doing so the film firmly established the issue of the tragedy of Kashmiri Pundits all over the world. For any society, truthfulness makes social bonds, and lying and hypocrisy breaks them.

 

MIXED REACTIONS

After seeing the film what I felt, its impact is phenomenal and it’s more reality. An ordinary citizen does not have time and resources to take on himself the job of collecting information for his enlightenment. It is done by the film maker. In a democratic country like us, every citizen has got the right to know and films play a great role towards it. This is the freedom about which we talk of. Freedom needs the creation of opportunities to exercise it. Otherwise it has no meaning. Freedom is recognition of necessity.

It is being alleged that many false things have been shown in the movie. While, a big number of people say that this movie was based “entirely on facts”. Some says that this film incites against the particular community. The pain of Kashmiri Pandits has been mentioned in the film which cannot be only their own, it is the pain of India.

For the first time in 32 years, the democratic and liberal state of the United States of America - Rhode Island has officially recognized the Kashmir genocide because of this film. That in itself tells a lot.

Some community groups had approached the censor board of New Zealand to put it on hold.

Two Pakistani tuber sisters named IDL – have described the trailer of this The Kashmir Files movie very well. They say that a lot has gone wrong with Kashmiri Hindus.

In fact, killing and exodus of Kashmiri Pundits were not given due importance as human rights violation by world community and India also. This is tragedy of India. The film does give an insight into the events. The film is an acknowledgement for accepting the truth.