Satyamev Jayate - flawed first steps but first steps nonetheless...

Satyamev Jayate has long stood for the mantra meaning "Truth alone triumphs" from the ancient Indian scripture - Mundaka Upanishad. Of late however, there has been a revolution of sorts wherein Satyamev Jayate or SMJ as it is now known by the more abbreviation savvy, refers to a popular television show anchored by "bollywood" actor and celebrity - Aamir Khan. For the uninitiated, though I doubt there are any, Aamir deals with issues that plague the Indian society - female foeticide, medical negligence, environmental conservation, casteism etc etc. He discusses them in a public forum and cites numbers and statistics to signify the scope of the problem. He also interviews people who share their genuinely shocking and sad stories which together with Aamir's generous histrionics leave the audience shedding copious tears. I don't mean to sound sarcastic or cynical here but that is the net feeling i have after seeing a couple of episodes so far.

This series should seem like a genuine and noble effort - a step in the right direction, and Aamir should get a lot of credit for this. He has long been known as a cerebral actor in the Indian film industry (someone who shies away from meaningless dancing, drama and comedy) and his avoidance of main stream media and his strong involvement in movies dealing with social causes (Tare Zameen pe and 3 Idiots) both attest to his genuine interest in initiating a venture such as this. And though I have only seen a couple of episodes, I really did like his common-man approach to the problem. Starting from timing the program on a sunday morning which is when the traditional prime time was slotted for mega-epic serials like Ramayana and Mahabharata to his introductory speech - I find the whole endeavor a very genuine and well planned effort. He has attempted to use Hindi in most places and has tried to make simple explanations and conclusions such that the average indian on the street can easily grasp the issue and its implications. At the same time, he tries to not judge the people involved or act like a moral custodian which is very tricky but essential nonetheless.

Now comes the big "BUT"...

I had seen the first episode on female foeticide and though his tear shedding seemed a little too theatrical for my comfort (if you see it you will see he looks almost surprised a lot of the times though he obviously has met these people and read their stories), I was willing to appreciate his effort and the intentions underneath it all. The corporate sponsorships from Reliance Foundation and the phone based donations also did little to strengthen SMJ's cause. To elaborate, Reliance is one prime example of corporate corruption in India and even as they try to cover their tracks with philanthropy, I am unable to appreciate their involvement in a venture such as this. Secondly, it was soon apparent that in the interest of raising the right media hype, the complexities of some issues were compromised. Imagine talking about casteism and its roots in India without talking about Ambedkar ! I certainly can't but that's what Aamir managed - for better or for worse. I can understand that he wants to steer clear of the controversial topics in the interest of maximum impact but its still unacceptable when its sneakily done. Reading this link would give you a better picture of the kind of media manipulations involved in building a show such as this.

Now while the majority of the Indian populace is still wowed by the show and dedicates a good two hours of its precious sunday morning time listening to Aamir and his victims, there is a significant but small number of people who are questioning his motives and his actions. And let me add that this skepticism is probably with good reason too. Since you are reading this on the blog of a self-confessed skeptic, you probably shouldn't find it surprising but the concerns of the opposing fraction and definitely not insignificant to be brushed aside. 

Many of these opinions came to my notice thanks to friends on Facebook as the above linked write up suddenly gained a lot of citation and readership. This article did raise a lot of questions amidst the skeptics and it did make a lot of cynics feel good. I have heard dissenting voices criticizing the Indian populace for only listening to celebrities though these are problems plaguing their lives for decades and even centuries before.  I have heard opinions questioning the show's intentions - whether it is to raise social awareness or whether it is to generate mileage for Aamir Khan and his corporate sponsors. I have heard questions about the honesty with which the show is designed, developed and presented. I have basically heard people questioning every aspect of the show, its necessity and ultimate objective. 

While I personally respect their concerns and the skepticism, I also find it difficult to trash the entire effort and the intent behind making a show such as this. It is true that when the entire world is manipulating public opinion with the click of a button and the sharing of a link, it is difficult to judge the truth and to tease it apart from all the other BS around. Also, over the years, politicians and media personalities have made it very difficult for people to trust them. And it is fair when someone says that "these issues have existed for a very long time and the Indian public needed an Aamir Khan to highlight it for them". 

Very true !

After all, we are living through this social mess. I have been scared of walking on the streets of Delhi at night. I have been warned against child abuse, molestation, ragging and the likes. I have faced discrimination against my gender and age. I have lived through it and seen it happen in everyday life for several decades now. Why was it that no one spoke about these issues for so long but when Aamir Khan voices his opinion, people are willing to join in? I agree with the criticism in principle but I also know that people are social creatures and in a developing country like India where mere subsistence is not assured people's concerns are different. 

The biggest chunk of the indian populace is too troubled and destitute to think of these egalitarian issues and it is too poor and weak (socially, politically) to make a difference. It is also very easy for the Indian politics to squash those feeble voices that rebel and that serves as a good enough lesson to prevent future outbursts. Most people in the rural areas probably don't even question these malpractices. That is how life has always been for them. They barely know where the rest of the world is going and about what "living" truly means. Even to me who has had a fairly privileged upbringing, the western concepts of exploring the world as a student, waiting for a career call seem too elitist and luxurious. Their ideas of gender equality to the point of reversing traditional gender roles does mildly shock the indian in me. Would the people in the Indian towns and villages even dream of questioning their social mores? I don't think they would. Their primary concern would be their meal for the next few days and a little to be put aside for the rainy days. They don't really care about female foetcide in the cities or water conservation or green house effect.

Many others in the cities and towns are also not aware of the whole picture - of how their limited vision is ignoring the bigger picture of a disaster waiting to happen. People need to become aware of a lot of social problems - from conserving natural resources to eradicating prejudice based on any criteria - from gender to race to caste to state or language. They need to be made to think - hard and deep about the problems that plague them as a country. And in my view if it takes an Aamir Khan or another celebrity to jolt them out of their delirious self-preservation instinct and to make them see the reality for what it is - then so be it.

Yes - the utopian in me would say that people can't stay isolated and indifferent like that and that everyone must bear their share of the burden and not wait for a messiah to come and solve their problems. True - but it is also utopian. Even as we dream of solutions and try and work our way around the problems plaguing us, one must be able to applaud the small efforts and improve upon them. The beginnings are always flawed. One has to learn from them and improve. I am not going to blindly follow Aamir khan and his show but I do not want them to deprive them of the credit they legitimately deserve. Taking the first steps is always challenging and one has to put a lot at stake. There are going to be mistakes but one must give some credit to the first man up.