The ‘Roast’ of Free Expression

“We can never be sure that the opinion we are endeavouring to stifle is a false opinion; and even if we
were sure, stifling it would be an evil still.”
- John Stuart Mill

The latest to walk the tightrope of freedom of speech and expression are a group of stand-up comedians called the All India Bakchod (AIB). Amidst raging controversies and the whopping 8 million views garnered by the infamous AIB roast video before it was taken down, the dichotomy between the right to free speech and the right to be offended stood exposed.

It holds true that the program contained language that was offensive and abusive but it also carried a disclaimer at the beginning about the nature of its content. The AIB’s argument that no one was forced to watch it also stands correct in its place. Thereafter, the filing of a criminal conspiracy case makes sense, of course, because a group of comedians would indeed resort to a conspiracy to crack admittedly offensive jokes with a warning!

Also, who decides what constitutes Indian values and culture? Seemingly, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. While the Maharashtra CM ordered a probe into the matter, ironically even the parliament seems to be in want for parliamentary language these days. Perhaps the question we SHOULD be asking is that when the usage of expletives and sexual innuendos is so common and even accepted in conversational language, why do we get so uncomfortable when it is broadcasted in on a supposedly free forum where all those who choose to witness it do it out of their free will? Perhaps the self-proclaimed sanitizers of the Indian value system should resort to washing the filth right out of the everyday Indian’s mouth in order to safeguard what they think constitutes the Indian culture.

Offense too has the right to be expressed, but should the fact that power lies with the offended party in this case be allowed to the extent where it starts dictating and defining what constitutes the correct thought for a nation AND the consenting adults for participating in a show? Maybe what tolerance has come down to in the Indian dictionary is what appeases to those who hold power and perhaps free thought is limited to what can be expressed in 140 characters.

Barren is beautiful: A journey to Gurudongmar lake, North Sikkim

It took me a moment to realize that it was not the world that had turned upside down because the sky, the clouds, and mountains were all staring up at me from the ground. It was just water.

The alarm rang and with much grumbling, we got out of bed. It was 3 AM after all, topped with deathly cold. It was the month of May and my aunt, uncle, cousin and I were at Lachen in North Sikkim. In the wee hours of the third day of our vacation, we were to travel to Gurudongmar Lake which is the second highest lake in India. By 3.30 AM, we were bundled in woolens, yawning and sitting in the car.

When road trips need to be taken in the wee hours, you would usually hope to sit in the car and catch some sleep before you arrive at your destination. We were no different. However, we ended up wobbling like fresh jelly in an unsteady hand, only much more violently, as the car climbed uphill. It was too dark to see anything outside for the next two hours, so we could neither sleep nor distract ourselves.

Around 5.30 AM, it was just beginning to get light and we made our first stop. There was a small space cleared for parking a car or two towards the side of the road; and there were three windswept looking tents alongside. Now, I had discovered two things that were consistent no matter how high up we went and how disconnected from the mainland the place was – Maggi and Cadbury Dairy Milk. Different varieties of Maggi – spicy, boiled, buttered, and with vegetables; and different prices of Cadbury which increased as we went higher up in altitude owing to the difficulty in getting them there. And of course, there was tea. We went inside a tent and sure enough, there was tea and watery vegetable Maggi waiting for us. We ate, thanked them and were on our way again.

It was light now and as we drove up, we could see how the topography had changed. The vegetation was sparse, with a few rugged shrubs with thick and knobbly branches here and there which slowly reduced to none in the three hours that we drove after that. It was as though we were in an extremely rocky, bumpy and infinite desert with no color in sight but shades of brown in the ground blending into the blue and white of the sky at the horizon.

Finally, after a back breaking five hour journey uphill, the car stopped. At 17,100 feet above sea level, our driver told us to walk slowly due to the lack of oxygen here. In a peculiar gesture, he handed us a packet of popcorn each. Looking at our befuddled expressions at receiving popcorns at 17,000 feet, he explained that we should keep chewing on them to prevent our ears from popping. We had half an hour to explore the place after which it is unadvisable to stay there for people not used to the altitude.

We learnt that the Gurudongmar Lake never freezes completely. Legend has it that Guru Nanak visited this place during his third udasi (journey) and was approached by the locals who told him that they had difficulty in accessing the water from the lake since it was frozen for most part of the year. The Guru is said to have touched one part of the lake after which the lake has never been completely frozen. The lake and the place have since become a place of much reverence for the Sikhs.

To be honest, at that point I was thinking that we had made this five hour journey to a place where we could not even stay for more than twenty minutes, in all practicality. However, I tried putting that thought out of my head as we made our way ahead.

What lay before us was a landscape completely barren, save for a small temple called ‘Sarv Dharm Sthal’ (the place for all religions) with triangular flags in all colors tied along its walls. It was the only splash of colour to the otherwise brown monochromatic scenery. From inside, it seemed more like a Gurudwara, with the Guru Granth Sahib (The Sikh holy book) shrined and a box kept for offerings.

We walked ahead of Sarv Dharm Sthal. There was something about the emptiness in the place, something about the lack of the greenery and civilization we are so accustomed to seeing. It was strange that in my mind when someone mentioned the phrase “beautiful landscape,” I thought of one of those open fields in Switzerland right out of a Yash Chopra film; either that or a moonlit seaside. And yet, here I was, taking in this emptiness, this haunting quiet, this lack of colour, lined by mountains with sparse snow capping their peaks and thinking to myself that I had never seen something more hauntingly beautiful.

A little way ahead, the landscape dipped downward to form a large crater. My eyes followed the slope as ground melted into a window from which the sky and the mountains stared back at me – clear, still and silent as they could be. It took me a moment to digest this. The lake reflected its surroundings like it was made mirror, not water. Though it was still as ice, the water seemed to make everything reflected shimmer and breathe.

Winds pick up at Gurudongmar after 10 AM and are considered detrimental for people who are not used to the extreme conditions. With our half an hour up, we bade goodbye to the armymen and made our way back to the car at 9 AM.

As I sat back in the car and the engine revved up to make the rattling journey back downhill, I looked outside the window to this desolate, remote landscape. I remember thinking to myself, “These twenty minutes were worth it.”

“Defending” the “offensive”: how far would you go?

Instances of Islamic extremism with instances like Muslims from France joining the rebels in the Syrian war and becoming radicalized have also been on the rise. In one example, two boys as young as 15 escaped to Syria on 6^th January 2014 to join the fighters from Al Qaeda in Syria and in a phone call to one of the boys’ disraught father, referred to the fellow rebels as their “brothers”. There are many more parents like him.

The attack on premises of Charlie Hebdo which left four prominent cartoonists dead (including its editor) was carried out by three gunmen who claimed to have associations with the Islamic State. After the attack, solidarity with the survivors and the magazine has echoed over the world with “Je suis Charlie” (I am Charlie) trending all over social media, the internet and in the demonstrations held. The tabloid has become a symbol of defiance against those who attack the freedom of expression. Despite the attack, it came out with a special “survivor’s issue” on 14^th January 2015 which carried a cartoon of the tearful Prophet holding the sign “I am Charlie” and a title reading “All is forgiven” in the backdrop of the color green, often used to signify Islam.

While some have interpreted this cartoon as conciliatory, others have attached a defiant meaning to it. However, behind the entire furor against the carnage, Charlie Hebdo has always been known for its provocative digs at Islam and cartoons of the Prophet which some would call offensive and provocative rather than satirical. While one may argue that the magazine has all the “creative liberty” in the world to take digs in whichever way it wants, but where do we draw the line between tolerance and acceptability for a community that forms 10 percent of the French population and the right to free speech?

Times are turbulent for a pan world Islamic diaspora, with the religious fundamentalism causing even “moderate” and “modern” Muslims to be looked at with suspicion. In such a situation should a state allow under the freedom of expression, acts that attempt to provoke to the point of offending a community that is already facing isolation and an identity crisis?

When a state says that tolerate and allow all faiths and religions to practice as equal, how can it take away the choice of dressing as one wishes to? It implies that women who wear a burqa are more likely to be dangerous to the national security than those who don’t. Even if the possibility of them concealing a weapon in the burqa is considered valid, what happens to the psyche of a woman who is forced to not wear what she is comfortable with because she belongs to a certain religion?

While Charlie Hebdo’s new cartoon may stand for its freedom even in the face of the terror attack, it has stirred fresh controversy from the Muslim nations in the Middle East. The Egyptian President for example, issued a decree which would allow the prime minister to ban foreign texts that would be considered offensive to religion. A local court in Turkey, which is also a major Islamic country, also called for blocking four major websites as they had published the most recent cartoon of the magazine. Other Muslim organizations have decried Charlie Hebdo for continually publishing cartoons that attempt to provoke Muslim sentiments. 

While much of the international media has been prudent in showing support for Charlie Hebdo, the New York Times decision to not to publish the cartoon of the weeping Mohammad drew criticism. However, was it really such a bad idea? The editor of the Times defended the decision saying that they had indeed published Charlie Hebdo’s cartoons previously but would refrain from printing something that “deliberately intended to offend religious sensibilities”. The fact that the New York Times took an individual call on what it considered offensive is also after all, a matter justified under free expression.

The point remains that what is considered offensive and satirical is an extremely subjective matter. 

Although the French state grants freedom of expression, its constitution also includes anti-hate laws. In fact, the French comedian M’bala M’bala was convicted for violating these laws in 2014 as his acts contained jokes that were interpreted to be anti-Semitic in nature. However, the French state seems to have decided that Charlie Hebdo’s cartoons do not violate the same anti-hate laws even though they may be considered hateful and marginalizing by a substantial chuck of the French Muslim citizenry.

The dichotomy between free speech, what can be excused under it and what extent is one that has always existed and will continue to. In the context of Charlie Hebdo, where does one draw the line between what is considered satirical and what is considered offensive? Not to imply that the murders were justified or “asked for”, but this just goes on to say that extremities on any side do not bode well to all those involved in the equation. Charlie Hebdo’s caricatures of the Prophet can be considered as one form of extremity and the reaction of the Islamic fundamentalists who carried out the attack is another.

On a basic level, maybe a little consideration towards a community and their sentiments would not be such a bad idea. If that consideration allows a little less room for provocative creativity, it does not always have to be interpreted as a curb on the free speech and expression. The function of humour should not be limited to make only the majority laugh. Tolerance, being an internal part of free speech, is not just a matter of inclusion of criticism, humour and commentary on anything and everything. It is a matter of respecting what the other group stands for as well; and whichever side one is on, this a fact that cannot be forgotten.     

Being Human – Too Much to Ask For?

Filth.

Uncivilized, diseased scum.

They sit where they like and they shit where they like. They carry illness and get in the way. Look at them! Sleeping on the pavement like it was made only for them. Spitting where they see fit and spraying surfaces with their muck.

Homeless, jobless morons! Why do they not work? Do they not have two legs and two hands?

Up until the last lines, I could have been talking about either street dogs or beggars on the streets. Both are common sights on the streets of India. The difference in my opinion, is that despite the hindrance the beggars might cause an action where they should be wound up, beaten or just put to sleep for it, would not find many takers. Why? Are human beings the only species that have the right to live, no matter how “undignified” their standard of living may be?

This is not to put all people into one, ignorant category. This is just to say that there are many individuals who regard strays to be beneath themselves as living creatures simply because they belong to a species that cannot mobilize itself into NGOs and awareness drives. Apparently, the fact that these are living, breathing, feeling creatures with fully equipped nervous systems that feel pain, hunger and joy are not enough to make the worth of their lives equal to ours.

I am not going to quote statistics about how many animals on the streets of India are abused annually or how many shelters for strays are actually up and functional or how much budget the state municipality allocates for them. My argument against cruelty towards animals is something very basic, something very intrinsically human; which is ironical because as human beings, it is humanity department where we seem to lacking most.

Taking the specific case of stray dogs in India, the basis for my appeal against cruelty towards them is not based on the fact that everyone must love dogs. We are all human and we have our own whims, fancies and fears. However, as the species whose claim to fame on the planet is the ability to feel pity and compassion and rise above the necessities of food, security and desire, is it not natural for us to have a basic respect for life?

Do we quarantine all the poor and homeless because they are less privileged and have to sleep on the streets? They make homes where they can and with what they can find. They eat what they find and by whatever means they find it. Is that not what these animals do as well? They do what they have to in order to survive. Is that not what we all basically do all of our lives? Why the discrimination, then?

The solution is not to beat and harass these animals and drive them away. The solution is also not to drag them up into a cramped trailer to be transported into a suffocating cage where it is not only freedom to move and fend for themselves that they lose, but it is the will to live that gets lost. Yes, a caged animal behaves the same way that a chained human would.

There is an acute need to create sensitization towards unclaimed and stray animals. An ideal situation would be no animals on the streets but in homes where they are well loved and cared for or in their natural habitat. However, that is NOT the current situation. Studies have found that merciless killing and hounding of strays only encourages unruly, dangerous and defensive behavior from them; and does NOT, in fact, result in reduction of their population on the streets. Sterilization and vaccination, meanwhile, DO result in the same.

Loud voices are raised when there are scams of dislocation and hazard to lives of people. Not to say that there are no voices against inconsiderate rounding up and dumping of strays, but these voices remain marginalized, not the front page news material – not for long anyway. A very simple gesture of consideration would go a long way. Proper shelters with the optimized use of resources allocated for the same, and adoption drives would go a long way. Respect for all things living and breathing would go a long way. You need look nowhere but inside – because being a little more human would go a long way. 

"Didi jab mere paas mobile aayega na, main aapko call karungi!"

November 7, 2014 - the last day of our Social Responsibility Project. The time we spent with them was limited, but the experience was not. Here is how the day unfolded.

It was not pre-decided but all of us reached earlier than we were supposed to. We went inside the empty premises, some talking some just walking, taking it all in - trying to consolidate it all in our heads probably. Shooting for a promotional video for Hamari Kaksha and Project Akanksha would be winded up today and so would our brief stint with this place and its children - for a while anyway.

The shooting had been a lot of fun, especially for the children. They were so taken by the presence of the camera that we had them rehearsing what they were going to say like stage actors! It was quite amusing, honestly. Mostly, we had captured them saying what they wanted to say, in their own words. What came out was a candid reflection of what these children thought about their their life's ambitions. Then there were always kids wanting to get clicked. The way their eyes lit up when we told them that their photos were going to be on the internet was something that melted our hearts. 

The day began with the usual - teaching and shooting. What was different though, was that every few minutes, Preeti or Manisha or Shalini or Deepak or someone would come and ask us if we were indeed leaving today. Their crestfallen expressions when we replied in affirmative was echoed in our yes too. 

Towards the end of the time, we requested Ms. Sangeeta to have all the children assemble at one place so we could say what we had wanted to tell all of them. She announced so and with the last twenty minutes left, there were children pulling thin rugs together on the ground to create a space where all of them could sit together. Within a few minutes, we had faces from all classes seated on the ground and looking at us expectantly.

We all said our thank yous and recounted how much we had learned from all of them. All of us reiterated the potential we had seen in the students there and how, in so many ways, they were all so much more diligent than even we had been at their age. Our lively audience applauded in pride, happiness and glee. Thereafter, we distributed the chocolates we had gotten for them and a football that would be kept in the premises for all the enthusiasts to play. 

Even numbers were exchanged; given, rather. Eager to stay in touch, many of our students asked us for our contacts, which we were only happy to give. From promises of messages and calls from their parent's phones to promises of calling whenever they got a phone were made over and over again. 

Once the hullabaloo of the crowd subsided, we had Preeti and her gang pulling us to the back of the ground where they made us stand in a huddle so we could not see what they were doing. The nest thing we knew, we were surrounded by a blur of little bodies, squeals and color. They had made us an entire bunch of farewell gifts!! There was a scrapbook of sorts with just drawings and pictures of things, a Mickey-Minnie Mouse wall stick on, a card and a big thermocol heart.

It was clear that none of these things were bought or new, and that is exactly what made it so special. That moment also made us realize how much of a difference any external support would make to their lives. These children had the creativity and willingness to find ways to learn. They had enough potential to be as good, or even better than someone who went to more high end educational institutions - all they needed was a little push, a little encouragement, a little facilitation by those who would be willing to provide it.

With that thought, an initiative like Project Akanksha seemed even more significant. We were glad that we could in our own small way, contribute to a cause so relevant and necessary. Education does turn lives around. And organizations like Hamari Kaksha move towards that transformation, one tiny step at a time, everyday. 

Dil hai chota sa, choti si... Akanksha

Much of our experience in the last few days has been as much of learning as we attempted to teach. Over the last week, we found ourselves growing extremely fond of the children at Hamari Kaksha. Their enthusiasm about life and work has not failed to amaze us and has indeed become a driving force for us, compelling us to put our heads together to do more than the designated volunteering - something that could help them in the longer run.

Speaking of the longer run, remember when we were little and someone asked us what we wanted to be when we grew up? Remember how your eyes either lit up with an answer? Or the worm like lines on your forehead as you wondered what you should pick from the options of a painter, astronaut, doctor or teacher? Remember the strength of a dream before you even knew what you had to do to get there?

We got around asking the children at the NGO what they wanted to be when they grew and the plethora of answers we got amazed us; the hope and gleam in their eyes endeared us. Army men and women, IPS and IAS officers, scientists and astronauts, dancers and singers, teachers and sportspersons - we had all of them right there.

Their enthusiasm was naive, hopeful and infectious. The organization only takes up this after school grooming of children till class 10. We spoke to Ms. Sangeeta, the in-charge of the branch, about what happens when the children pass out from class 10 and do not attend Hamari Kaksha anymore. Some students who are eager to study continue to be sincere. Here at Hamari Kaksha, they cater to individual needs of children who have difficulty in comprehension due to their basics being unclear and/or language barriers. Being unable to find this kind of individual attention, some students often get discouraged, lose interest and do not finish their education. Moreover, further education often exceeds the economics of the backgrounds many of them come from.

Between dreams and the outcome, there is a expansive sea called life. What makes all our different lives converge though, is the point where they meet. We have the ability to affect and touch each other's lives in ways big and small without even realizing it.

In the shortest time, this place, these children had touched our lives in an unforgettable way - which was one thing that drove us to try to do something to help these children realize their dreams. Hence was born the idea of Project Akanksha.

Through Project Akanksha we wanted to celebrate the hope and love that these children spread to everyone who comes in touch with them. We wanted to celebrate how bright their dreams shone despite all odds. Project Akanksha is drawn from a provision that Hamari Kaksha has, where people can sponsor a child's education for a year at a menial cost. So far, the association for this support extends till the child is in Hamari Kaksha. However, association after that is possible as well.

A gesture like this would go a long way in helping a child move one step closer to a better future. Each one of them has the potential of realizing this future, with a little help from you.

Details of the Project Akanksha - http:// on.fb.me/13r4eWP

"Didi aaj aap hamari class ko padhaana!"

Me: Preeti, tum ghar jaake kya karti ho?
Preeti: ghar jaake, main aadha - ek ghanta hath-muh dhoti hoon, fir main bacchon ko tuition padhaati hoon.
Me: Kya? Tum aur bacchon ko padhati ho?
Preeti: Haan, A B C D vagera. chote bacchon ko. Fir unko 7.30 - 8 tak chorhti hoon.
Me: Accha fir padhai karti ho?
Preeti: Nahi, padhai toh yahin karti hoon. fir mummy ki help karti hoon, khaana khaate hain aur so jaate hain. 
Me: Accha, khelte nahi ho?
Preeti: Nahi, ghar jaake kabhi nahi khelti. sunday ko shayad thoda time ho, tabhi. Baaki jo khelna hota hai, wo yahin hota hai. 

Ghar jaake time nahi milta na. 

 ***

As soon as my car pulled into the premises of Government Nursery School at 3 pm, I was greeted with eager smiles and waves even before I could get out of the car. When I did, I was immediately flanked on both sides by children saying, "good afternoon didi!! Aaj toh aap padhaoge na humein?" Soon we went inside and before I knew it, a chair had been brought for me, I was seated on it and these curious little children were all around me, chattering away.

Before the classes started, Preeti and gang clicked pictures with my phone while some other classmates of hers - Prabhjeet and gang pondered of the specification of my phone - "didi ek baar phone palatnaa. Dekh 8 megapixel hai!" "Oh accha front camera se kheench rahe ho!" "Arre ye SAMSUNG hai! Dekh!" "didi mujhe aapka pattern lock samajh aa gaya!" "accha mujhe phone do na please, main photo kheechungi!"

The hullabaloo aside, we spoke to the kids about their backgrounds. When I asked them what their parents did, that was the only time I saw the tiniest bit of hesitation in their eyes as they looked at each other as if contemplating. Most of them are children of drivers, housemaids, factory workers, rickshaew pullers etc.  Once they started talking about them though, the hesitation vanished and they seemed eager to tell me about what they did after they went back home from here.

The above conversation hapened then. And Preeti only about 13 years old. Thereafter, others pitched in. the conversation then turned to cooking. They talked among themselves about how they cooked at home and they are all in the age bracket of 10 to 13 years. AND they are talking about full fledged cooking, cleaning as part of their routine. They do not sound unhappy about it either. They don't complain that the work interferes with their studies. They score well in their exams too, they tell me. Most of them only study after school at Hamari Kaksha.

There were many surprising and wonderful things that we discovered. Firstly, there were at least three children from a different class each who came to each one of us and requested that we teach their class today. I mean, they barely knew us, let alone how we would be as teachers! And let's face it, we have been exposed to a very different style of teaching than what them and what they require. Yet, they were so keen to have us - without prejudice and without hesitation.

Morover, they were so eager to study. I remember going around the back to drink water after finishing one chapter with the class 7 students when these two little boys came to me and said, "didi aap humein padha do!" This was towards the last half an hour too. While going back, Ankita from class 4 came running towards me for the third time and told me, "didi aap kal humein pakka padhaana!" THEN, Tanisha from class 7 came and grabbed my hand, "didi main aapko dhoond rahi thi! Chalo chapter khatam karna hai!"

My other teammates saw the same enthusiasm and interest from the kids. Karan, Prateek and Anoop helped Preeti write a poem on 'corruption' which was due in her day school today. What she came up with was a simple reflection of her own hope and potential. It was heartening.

We taught them for the first time. Their willingness to learn is stunning, as if they want to absorb as much as they can and showcase what they know without the fear of embarrassment and mistakes. Where one might say they lack in pronunciation, they more than make up with their efforts. Besides, who is to say that they must all have impeccable diction?

We realized that there is a lot more to learn from the children and this humble, diligent organization than we had anticipated. My teammates and I agreed on the fact that some of them spoke better than how many of us did at their age. They worked harder than we did. They were more willing to learn than we were. Why? Maybe because they understood the value of what they had better than we did because it was scarce; and we didn't, because we never felt the scarcity.