Author: Malhar Gokhale
Publication: Mumbai Tarun Bharat
(Marathi Daily - Edited translation )
Date: September 28, 2002
(This is a free translation from
Marathi text. The wording of the original English quotes therefore,
would not be accurate although the sense will be the same as intended in
the original texts. Therefore E&OE).
It came to Mumbai in around 1980.
It was not a much hyped movie. It did not contain any fights, lewd
scenes, teenage love or anything which is permanent feature of English
movies sure to draw crowds. It did not have glamorous and rich scenes.
The reviewers did not think it worth while beyond a simple mention of it
in their columns.
But the 'word of mouth' did it.
The movie got a wonderful publicity and the movie drew huge crowds.
Men, women and children of all hues went to see it. It was named
'The beautiful people'. It did not contain any leading actors or actresses,
but it was a true to life movie pictured on location about Kalahari Desert
and the dense jungles of South Africa. Later on the movie was banned on
the pretext that apartheid of SA. Somebody did a game of a lovely movie.
It is not known whether the ban has now waved or not.
This means that people like to watch
a good movie but the cinema people do not like to show it. Money can be
earned by behaving ethically, but most of the traders prefer to make money
by dishonest or unethical ways.
Recently, the Archives Department
of London Imperial War Museum came across a true movie. That turned
to be too true. The viewers were shaken. Somebody gave it to the Museum
as a gift in 1990. The tin boxes of the films were lying for the last 12
years. But nobody could spare time to see what were the contents.
During last May, an officer by name K. Gladstone thought of having a look
in it. He mounted the film on the projector and sat down to see it.
And he popped out of his chair.
That movie was on partition of India.
It was nothing as the fake serial 'Tamas' of Bhishma Sahani. It was a live
film shot on the spot. It was a true film of the terrible massacres
of Hindus, looting, arson and atrocities on them in the towns and
villages on the borders of Pakistan. It was a live film of lakhs
of Hindus running towards India with whatever belongings they could lay
their hands on with a moment's notice. Who ordered and did the shooting
of this film?
The shooting was done by various
British Officers at different Military posts (Offices) on the order of
some very highly placed person. Speciality of it is it is coloured. Who
gave the order to do this filming? How the pictures from different places
were pieced together? Who took it to England? Where was it till 1990 and
who gave it to the Museum as a gift? Nobody utters a single syllable about
it.
However, the reactions expressed
by those few people who saw it are extremely important. K. Gladstone
says, "Those scenes of refugees are bizarre. You cannot see them
with detached mind". "Andrew Roberts says, "British administration has
officially admitted that during the transition of power, minimum 1 lakh
people died. But according to my study, minimum seven and half a
lakh people must have been killed. This figure is greater than the massacres
in Rwanda or Bosnia".
Representative of Observer wrote,
"The scenes in this film are so horrible that it is impossible to
believe what was being told about the British Administration in India -
that it was run smoothly and with the co-operation of the native people."
What he further tells is very much important. "We consider Lord Mountbatten
as the elder uncle of Prince Charles and admire as having a large share
in developing him. But after seeing this film, we realise that Mountbatten
was a braggart interfering in other matters unnecessarily."
Using this film, ITV Channel in
Britain is making a serial. Historian Andrew Roberts and Judith Brown
have helped the producer Lucy Carter. Lucy Carter said, "I have never seen
such horrible picture in my life. It was the largest forced migration in
the world. We are going include as many scenes as possible from that
film. Along with the serial we are going to produce a book,
a video cassette and a video-disc also."
55 years after partition Hindu society
will be able to see what a terrible price Hindus had to pay for it.
Such horrible bloodshed took place due to the incapability and avaricious
greed for power of Congress leaders. In a sense, this film is also
a mirror for the Hindu society. Thus a society which is forgetful of self
and without pride comes to grief. It was so 55 years ago. It may
happen tomorrow.
Therefore, Arjuna, wake up and get
on the Chariot.
