What intrigues me is that it took a foreign entertainment channel to dig deep into the deplorable lives of these girls in a country that has hundreds of news channels! The disgust trade of human flesh for what is termed as human pleasure makes me sick to my stomach.
Silguri and Nithari are just additions to a list, which we may never know in our life time.
18 comments:
Heart-wrenching story. No matter who develops and produces the story, no one seems to have a solution other than gaining commercial fame and success.
At least they try to reveal the problem, instead of prentending that a problem exists. The documentary has a solution but it is quite hard to implement in India.
Stating a problem and solving a problem are different. Even without a documentary or investigative journalism, it is known to many educated individuals that things like this happen. I am not trying to denounce what they did. I am just saying I wont appreciate them for identifying a problem alone. They will have my kudos when they identify and solve it.
They identified the problem and they tried to solve it with the help of NGOs and Police.
The raids they conducted will put pressure on such brothels. This is a solution but not a perfect one but they did provide. But it did not work and I doubt it will ever work in India.
I've put it up in my blog too...for what its worth in terms of awareness.
..and the girls ran away in the end huh? What a shame..
>"..and I doubt it will ever work in India"
But, it did work in India right? The documentary did interview a girl who was rescued and back at her home. What say you?
Driver,
Revealing a problem forms a critical part in solving it. It forms opinion and gets people to talk about it. And what does that do? At best, it can put pressure on the govt. or say police.
Why do you think move against File Notings in RTI was put off at parliament. Awareness created by NDTV. Why do you think Jessica Lal murder case ended in conviction? NDTV again. So, there..
Badhri,
Awareness for whom? Who is the audience of this posting on youtube or for a channel in Britain? It is you and I, the educated and the "aware". It is not intended for who is unaware. Dont tell me you didnt know these existed before you watched this great "reveal". Why do people think of issues only when someone points their finger to the issue to look at?
Sriram,
"I doubt it will happen in India" - So why bother watching the video. What good happened before and after the video is made available for "awareness"? As long as there is no solution one can come up with, there is no point showing empathy towards issues that we forget the next day and "move on" with our lives.
On the other hand - my hats are off for the "NGO" guy in that video, who risks and has risked his all to save a few lives. A man of action is worth a thousand kudos.
Badhri,
According to the documentary that particular girl escaped from the group all by herself. I mean she was left alone in a train station.
Driver,
Human tendency is to see/hear a thing, talk about it and forget about it after a while. If we do not forget then we will be living in hell.
Moreover, I still stand firm on my answer to your original question, that the documentary did provide a solution. As Badhri said, talking about it is (more or like spreading awareness) the starting point for providing a solution.
If we don't provide a solution, someday may be someone will.
Badhri,
Regarding RTI, you got it wrong. The debate was initiated by an NGO group headed by Arvind Kejriwal (See my opinion titled "Indian Hypocrisy" under Jan 2007). NDTV roped into it after it was widely discussed in Sahara TV. I guess, as Driver said for name, fame and to be in the game.
"Why do people think of issues only when someone points their finger to the issue to look at?"
Driver,
You are looking at things from an idealistic stand point.
The general public, educated or otherwise, do not ask the questions. Someone like media or the opposition or any entity puts a question, throws it wide open to the public and people simply take sides. This is an undeniable fact. The very foundation of advertisement and marketing is this. Unless you don't show, people won't know.
So, putting the question forms the critical part of forming public opinion about any problem and hence the solution.
"Why do people think of issues only when someone points their finger to the issue to look at?"
Because people have got their own job to do.
I will answer your question with another question, while you and I knew that under-age prostitution is widely spread, did you know before watching this video that about 8 people are cramped up in that small enclosure or hid up above the ceiling and leaving them to suffocate?
While I knew the information as just a rubric, this video *is* revealing in terms of the gravity of the situation. My opinion *has* gotten stronger as I know it as an essay.
They didn't explictly mention it as "Only of educated elites". They are just doing their job.
My humble opinion is you are killing the lesser of the evils.
Badhri,
You are probably right in saying that I am condemning the lesser evil. But my point has always been against the lesser evil because of the non-sense they portray 99% of the time and make up 1% with "real news".
It is also true that our day jobs keep us from "thinking" out of the box. But the same should not restrict us from just commenting, discussing and writing about it is my point.
Also, no one is a winner in this or any argument for that matter until and unless the purpose or solution for the problem is "implemented". And until it is implemented I won't appreciate one "lesser evil" over another "lesser evil".
Ohho i missed 2 come here @ the right time.. :(
Will read 2day! :D
Sriram,
"NDTV roped into it after it was widely discussed in Sahara TV. I guess, as Driver said for name, fame and to be in the game."
So be it! Is the society better off or worse-off because of that? Why blame the media of going behind fame when such a quest is benign or for that matter inconsequential, when there are entities whose quest actually screws people (example, gutka, etc.)?!
I was not able to look into the video in your blog, but reading the comments, I can guess what the video could be about!!
In this post, I get a feeling that without discussing the "SUBJECT" we are probably discussing a subject that is more SUBJECTIVE, like should such documentaries be taken or not and things like that.
Probably a couple of lines here and there had some EMPATHY, but apart from that the discussion was more about some INSIGNIFICANT TV Channels who are for sure mushrooms!
Well, it is unfortunate that India needed to be portrayed like this. I dont know how aware of you of such a situation outside of India!!
Prositution and women forced into it happens almost everywhere, not only in INDIA. It happens in countries like Singapore, Japan and USA as well, and not just in countries like Thailad and Phillipines (of course apart from India).
No doubt it needs to be condemned.
But can we take a look at the mirror and ask a serious question on firstly, should we really think that we can do something about this?
If you answered NO, then why do you want to discuss? How different are you from the TV channels which are trying to "ENTERTAIN" you by proiding you with such news and documentaries?
If you have answered YES, then what step have you taken till now to go and figure out what's happening?
If you say - you haven't done anything then it is probably ok, but if you say that you haven't thought about doing anything then what different does it make by writing pages and pages of blogs and continuing an argument for which we aren't not even sure of what you (we) should be doing?
Most of us DO NOT understand what we need to do. Almost all of us want to see a change but none of us know what it is. Unless we start getting our feet wet, we will never know how deep the river is!!!
There was a movie called "Mahanadhi" which portrayed this. May be exageratted, but never-the-less it has been told. So this is NOT new, just because some one had filmed it and posted it in a blog. Many documentaries keep coming in DD, we just don't watch DD anymore cause they don't have HEATED discussons and MASALA added to it. (Proves the point of Driver)
"Education" is key. Most of us who live in the cities do not understand what forces people to take up such acts, be it the person who runs the business or people who are forced into it or taking it up willingly or unknowingly, whatever be the reason.
Most of us do not understand many things "FIRST HAND" and just go by the things that comes up on TVs and Documentaries.
Most of us do not know that there are so many people who put their lives on the line day in and day out without making any noise anywhere and most of us think that most of the time that such a person is imaginary and is only in the movies.
This thought should change and we should start SEARCHING for such souls, get inspiration from what they are doing, and may be do a bit of what they are doing, and we could start making a difference I'm sure.
Passerby, thank you for being a critique and you had proved your point. See I am a critique myself and my opinion is always to carefully criticize events. And to be honest, finding solution to a problem is not my cup of tea and I believe there are intelligent and intellectual minds out there who will figure that out.
I feel there are two sets of people on this episode, those who try to expose(could be for entertainment or for real enchantment) the issue and those who are trying to exterminate it.
My opinion is to warn people how deep the river is and not to cross it myself. It is left for others to experiment with it.
And I agree that it happens all over the world. You spoke about "Mahanathi" and not the recent Dakota Fanning "Rape" movie. You chose an Indian example so did I.
By offering your thoughts you have proved your point that you also criticize and not provide a solution. And I welcome that.
I searched for meaning of "Critique". Well, there were many, but I think a "Critique" is someone who has thorough and complete understanding of the subject, has displayed mastery on the subject (by doing it or with demonstrable knowledge on the subject) and offering his/her opinion on the subject.
So I dont think I'm a critique. I'm just a - er - PasserBy.
Like I had written, we lose track of what we are discussing and suddenly become "Subjective" and "Personal". That's typical problem for most of Indians. We "Personalize" things. We find 1001 ways of why things won't work (of course without even trying it once) and not 1 way of why things should work.
It is ABSOLUTELY OK if we are have to say, yes I have not done anything about it, but someday, sometime, I'll sure do something about it. That's all is expected.
May be all the television channels that are out there are just "Critiques". They can easily claim that they are there to "SPOT" the problems and leave it to INTELECTUALS to give a solution.
Where is the RESPONSIBILITY? "WITH POWER COMES RESPONSIBILITY!!!" And isn't access to MASS a POWER?!!!!!
To see if I can dig a bit deep into the word "CRITIQUE": Let's say, I go and tell Glenn McGrath (The australian pace bowler) that his bowling action is not right!!!! Will that be given any bit of seriousness by Glenn McGrath?! (or for that matter by anybody or you at the least?!)
On the other hand if either Dennis Lillee or may be Andy Roberts tells Glenn McGrath that his action is not right then I'm sure Glenn McGrath will give it a thought or two to see if he needs to correct it or not.
I've given this anology to just say that unless we have PROVEN CREDIBILITY on the field of discussion, our thoughts be it POSITIVE or NEGATIVE is of NO USE.
By just WARNING people that the river is deep you are possibly preventing those who are actualy ready to "CROSS" the river, which may possibly result in a solution. May be it is just that you are WRONG?!!! (As you have NOT seen the reality and live in an hearsay world).
It does MORE BAD than good. May be a few have the COURAGE and WISDOM to NOT hear to what you say, but today's India is lacking of such. They rather take "LITTLE" risk and be on the "SAFER" side, as probably you are.
The first solution that I propose is to start something. It need not be the problem of MINOR PROSTITUTION in India. It could well be something that is well within the control of yourself. For example, when you return to India with some "Gadget" which attracts DUTY, try DECLARING it and pay the duty. Or possibly you can STOP at a redlight when ALMOST ALL other's speed through it. You may HELP someone who has been KNOCKED down by a speeding motorist. You may not BRIBE the TTE for a seat when you travel on the train next time without reservation. You may SWITCH OFF your cellphone when you visit the TEMPLE. You may not throw garbage on the street when you return to India.
(Of course these are just a few of many a things that one can do) That will probably be a "STARTING POINT". By this we can INFLUENCE other's who are around us, and talk to them of those rivers that we crossed and warn them accordingly. You may even suggest a way or two (solution), to help them cross the river. That will have more of weightage and we will sure be a "Critique" in everyone's eyes.
You can CREATE A BASE where people will START HEARING, and NOT JUST READ ABOUT THINGS FOR FORGETTING, saying if we dont forget we will live in a hell.
நன்றல்லது அன்றே மறப்பது நன்று. Only bad things need to be forgotten.
To sum it up, (also)pick up problems that are well within your ability. Know what results that you will want. Increase the "Complexity" slowly and steadily. Look for inspiration and try to emulate them. After all we want to be SAFE but also VENTURE isnt it.
Then WE CAN INFLUENCE CHANGE. Si se puede.
I respect your criticism, have no hard feelings about it, observed it for a while but with due respect reject it for the following reasons:-
1) Don't you dare generalize Indians,everyone takes things personally and so have you. I may be wrong but your inner self will surely know.
2) You haven't seen the video so you can not provide your thoughts on it, which is "hearsay". I have seen the video and provided my opinion which need not be agreed by everyone. So I wouldn't say it is hearsay. No one needs to experiment with cyanide because everyone knows for a fact that it kills. So is your discussion about the river's depth.
3) You are stereotyping the discussion by emulating your thoughts(which is totally your opinion and I respect that but don't agree).
4) My opinion is not to influence change, because I can not change someone and force my thoughts on them. And so are you.
5) There is a difference between being a Critique and providing "Constructive Criticism", which by the way is not my highway.
6) Finally, "Yettu Suraikkai Karikku Udhavaadhu" and that includes my opinion.
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