Please remove the veil of ignorance!

Burqa City (Short Film; 2019)
Director: Fabrice Bracq

https://snewz.in/aamir-kirans-laapataa-
ladies-accused-of-copying-arabic-
film-burqa-city/425739/

After France banned the wearing of the burqa and niqab in public in 2010, a satirical 19-minute short film was produced. It is set in an unnamed town in the Middle East where all women are required to wear the full burqa and are not expected to speak. Every woman wears a black burqa.

Every lady is seen walking behind her husband, seen but not heard, simply shadowing quietly, even whispering when asked a question. The city is quite strict, not allowing ladies to wander alone. The moral police will arrest them when they are unaccompanied.

Against this background, a newly married loving couple goes shopping. After returning with their groceries, they head back to their car. Here, the owner of a Mercedes accuses the husband of denting his vehicle. A minor quarrel breaks out. In the confusion, the wives get into the wrong vehicles. 

Souleyman, the husband, to his horror, discovers that he has returned with the accuser's wife. Then, the comedy continues as he goes back to the grocery, reports to the police, and more misadventures follow. In fact, Souleyman's wife misinterpreted his instructions and entered the wrong car, while the other lady deliberately wanted to escape an abusive marriage. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H1EdybDSHc

This clip came to my attention when someone on social media said that replacing the burqa in 'Burqa City' with a ghoongat results in Lapaadaa Ladies (2023). Even before all these, in 1999, there was a feature film on Dordashan TV titled 'Ghoongat Ke Pat Khol', which tells a comedic tale of mixed-up brides. The storyline is eerily similar to 'Lapaadaa Ladies', featuring brides with crimson-hued veils (ghoongat), trains, and all. The film was directed by debutante director Anant Mahadevan. The original film can be viewed on YouTube. It does not require much intelligence to see that the entire storyline of 'Lappadaa Ladies' was lifted from the TV feature film 'Ghoongat Ke Pal Khol'. 

https://www.bollywoodshaadis.com/articles/laapataa-ladies-is-copied-
from-a-spanish-film-62215

The controversy surrounding these three films centred on the oppression of women. On one side, netizens loudly claim that 'Burqa City' is riddled with Islamophobia and opposes women's empowerment because women choose to dress as they do. On the other side, Hindus argue that, despite the progress made by Indian women, especially Hindu women, leftists and Bollywood attempt to depict rural Indian women in a dull and negative light.

The intriguing fact about the wearing of veils by Indians can be dated back to the period when Muslim forces infiltrated India. After conquering a city, the Muslim conquerors would ride on horseback, seizing their due loot, such as money and kafir women. Muslim women were kept out of reach. Non-Muslim women were considered war spoils. The Hindu women soon realised that by covering their heads, the horsemen would simply pass them by, mistaking them for one of their own. Consequently, every Hindu lady began covering her head to avoid the violent advances of the marauding invaders. In regions where their threat was less severe, like the south of the Vindhya Hills, there was no need to adopt a veil. There were no prancing horsemen, and South Indian women did not need to wear purdah or dupatta.

Kabir
https://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/
Poets/K/Kabir/index.html

'Ghoongat Ke Pat Khol' is a verse from India's highly esteemed 15th-century mystic poet, Kabir. He was a contemporary of Guru Nanak and is honoured by Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs alike. Born into a Muslim weaving family in Varanasi, he grew up learning about Hinduism from a Guru. His verses are even mentioned in the Grand Sahib. When he referenced this verse, he was signalling the need to lift one's veil of ignorance. Man must free himself from the five impediments (lust, anger, greed, attachment, and ego) that create the illusory veil obstructing his potential to appreciate the enchanting divine music of Life. 

“Do away with your veil ( illusion )

And you shall meet your beloved ( Divine lord )

The lord resides in every living Creature,

Why speak ill words against anyone?

Flaunt not this wealth and your Youth,

Deceptive is your Drum music that carries five notes.

Shake off not your hope,

Light a lamp within and illuminate

this Palace like vacant space.

In the Colourful Palace within,

You can meet your priceless beloved only

By perfecting the Skill of meditation.

Kabir says by this practice,

You attain supreme bliss

That keeps the inner music Chiming day and night.

(Kabir )

(Autar Mota 09.04.2014 )

 

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The Iron Man of India

Sardar (1993)

Director: Ketan Mehta

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0240879/

Sardar Vallabhai Patel is said to be the best Prime Minister India never had. Dubbed the Iron Man of India, a title given to him by Mountbatten, some believe he might have led India along a different path if he had been chosen as the first Prime Minister instead of Nehru.

It was 1946. World War II had just ended, leaving England to tend its wounds. It faced a huge bill to pay and had lost its dominance on the world stage. The sun had finally set on the British Empire. The Anglo-Saxon cousins across the Atlantic, the Americans, had come out on top, as shown by the Conference in Yalta. Managing the colonies had become an expensive undertaking. England had to cut its losses and relinquish control over the colonies. 

With that background, India had just formed its interim government. The Congress Party had recently won the elections. They were preparing to select the first Prime Minister of independent India. 

Maulana Azad, at that time, was the President of the Congress Party. He had been its leader since 1940. No elections were held since 1940 after the Party announced the 'Quit India' movement, and as a result, most, if not all, of its senior leaders were behind bars. Gandhi, as the senior member who commands profound respect from his members, expressed his displeasure with a leader seeking reelection. Azad withdrew his nomination for reelection as the President. 

Fifteen regional and state Congress committees were tasked with nominating their candidates. Twelve of these nominated Patel. Nehru got none, and the remaining three committees chose not to nominate anyone. 

Surprisingly, Gandhi vetoed their decision. He requested that Patel withdraw his candidacy and suggested the Cambridge-educated, modern-looking Nehru to become the Party President and Patel to be his Deputy. Being a 'respectful lieutenant' and showing his respect for Gandhi, Patel obliged. 

Gandhi believed the modern, forward-thinking Nehru would be a better choice than the traditional-thinking Patel. However, insiders suggest that it was probably Gandhi's fear that Nehru might cause trouble if he was not selected. The Congress might split, and the British could use that as an excuse to delay self-rule. 

Being the compassionate man Gandhi was towards the Muslim plight, he thought Patel, as the Prime Minister of India, would be harsh against Muslims. 

 

Nehru became the Prime Minister with Patel as his Deputy and Home Minister during the tumultuous times of newly independent India. With Pakistan being the albatross around India's neck and Patel and Nehru disagreeing on everything about the handling of Kashmir, it is a surprise how the Indian machinery remained intact. 

King Hari Singh initially aimed to remain independent, like Nepal and Bhutan. When Pakistani agents infiltrated Kashmir, Hari Singh abdicated to Jammu. He consented to accession to India. Nehru, contrary to Patel's suggestion, called in the United Nations and advocated for a plebiscite. Patel had wanted the Indian Army to march in. The result of this approach led to repeated unrest, two subsequent wars, and the latest confrontation. 

Junagadh, a princely state with a Hindu majority and no shared border with Pakistan, had a Muslim ruler determined to join Pakistan. His subjects revolted against him, and he abdicated in favour of Pakistan. With India's support, Junagadh was integrated into the State of Gujarat. 

Another state, quite distant from Pakistan, that wished to join the dominion was the landlocked state of Hyderabad. It was surrounded by regions under India's control. The Nizam, once the wealthiest man in the world, also ruled over a Hindu majority. Using his immense wealth, he managed to procure arms from Europe through British arms dealers, pre-Partition. The Nizam had deployed a paramilitary group, the Razakars, led by Qasim Razvi, to terrorise Hindu peasants into submission. Meanwhile, the Communists were also attempting to benefit from the situation. Patel, citing Nehru's departure as an excuse, used the nation's machinery to launch police action to forcibly annexe Hyderabad into the union.

Nehru and Patel's differences were challenged by a series of resignation letters, but they were softened by Gandhi's persuasion. Gandhi's assassination compelled these two leaders to collaborate until Patel's death.

 

In recognition of his contributions to India's political integration, the Statue of Unity, the tallest statue in the world, was erected in Gujarat.

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The story behind the assassination!

The Hunt (2025)
The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case (Miniseries)S1; E1-E7
Director: Nagesh Kukunoor

https://www.sonyliv.com/shows/the-hunt-the-rajiv-gandhi-
assassination-case-1790006628/episodes

This police procedural drama reconstructs events following the assassination of India's former Prime Minister in 1991, when he was campaigning for his next election. In what is likely the first recorded case of a suicide bomber in human history, a bomber strapped with RDX explosives detonated herself while garlanding her intended victim, the Congress party's candidate for Prime Minister. Aside from kamikaze bombers, this may have been the first time the world encountered the concept of suicide bombing.

Prince Vijaya, expelled from the Vanga Kingdom in present-day Bengal, is believed to be the ancestor of the Sinhalese people. He occupied Lanka to establish the Sinhala kingdom in 543 BCE. The original inhabitants before his arrival were hunter-gatherers, Yakkas, and Nagas. The Tamils began to appear around the 2nd century BCE. South Indian kingdoms such as the Cholas and Pandyas invaded parts of the northern and eastern regions of the island. The British brought a second wave of Tamils to cultivate tea and coffee. Alongside the British, missionaries arrived. The Americans started building churches in the northern Tamil regions, while the British occupied the southern Sinhalese areas. They aimed to introduce 'culture' to the locals through education, but their focus differed. The Americans valued science and technology, whereas the British emphasised arts-related subjects. When it came to establishing their place in the modern world, the Tamils proved to be more marketable and prospered. This disparity in educational and economic status became evident when Sri Lanka gained independence. The newly formed government, dominated by the majority, repeatedly attempted to change the status quo. New affirmative actions were introduced to reduce Tamil dominance. The Sinhala language was emphasised, and a quota system was implemented for university entrance. The Tamils retaliated, eventually leading to a civil war with groups like the LTTE taking up arms to demand their homeland, Tamil Eelam.

Rajiv Gandhi

The ruling government responded with reciprocal actions that led to a mass migration of the Tamil population and employed genocidal tactics that lured fleeing individuals into a supposed safe haven before systematically destroying them. Bodies of tortured dissidents are still being uncovered today and identified to provide closure for families, even as we speak.

By 1991, the Tamil separatist movement, led by Velupillai Prabakaran, was particularly angry with India for deploying a peacekeeping force (the Indian Peacekeeping Force, IPKF) to manage the situation in Sri Lanka. It is claimed that between 1987 and 1990, the IPKF colluded with various groups and was involved in human rights abuses, working closely with the Sri Lankan Army (vis-à-vis the Sinhalese people) to commit atrocities against the Tamil population. As a result, the LTTE developed grievances against the Central Indian Government. Their kin across the Palk Straits, who share ethnic roots, generally supported the LTTE's struggle. They offered a safe haven and even supplied expertise, funding, and moral backing to their cause. The politicians of Tamil Nadu promoted the idea that the conflict in Sri Lanka was akin to a clash between Northern and Southern India, since the ancestors of the Sinhalese were from Bengal (North). This kind of division suited their Dravidian political stance. 

The two years before this were turbulent for Indian politics. After the collapse of previous elected governments, the Congress Party, led by Rajiv Gandhi, believed the next election in 1991 was theirs to win. Filled with hope, he made a last-minute campaign visit to Sriperumbudur to support a local candidate. However, the LTTE network, with its local sympathisers, seized the opportunity to eliminate Rajiv Gandhi.

Tamil Nadu intelligence advised Rajiv Gandhi against coming to Madras (Chennai), as their sources sensed a threat and warned him of potential danger to his life. As if the universe was warning him, his helicopter in Visakhapatnam experienced radio troubles and nearly could not be cleared to fly. Gandhi arrived at the campaign late into the night, past 10 pm, to an excited crowd waiting to welcome him. 

A vigilant policewoman noticed a young lady approaching the VIPs too closely, carrying a garland, and tried to shoo her away. As fate would have it, Gandhi signalled the policewoman and uttered his last words, "Don't worry. Relax." The lady placed the garland over his neck, bowed to touch his feet, and pressed the lever to activate the RDX bomb. 

The core of this police procedural series centres on how a quickly assembled multi-agency Special Investigative Team uncovers the mystery behind the bombing. With no leads except for a camera holding a roll of film, the team embarks on a chaotic chase across the countryside against a non-cooperative local population to find the former Prime Minister's killers. Within 90 days, they succeed in identifying the mastermind behind the attack, but not before leaving a trail of cyanide-swallowing suicidal members of the LTTE.

I believe the miniseries provides a fair and accurate depiction of the facts. It moves at a brisk pace. The conversations alternate between Tamil, Hindi, and English. There are no melodramatic elements. The facts are presented as they are, without any biased undertones. 

P.S. Seven of those involved were ultimately imprisoned for the killing. Two of the masterminds were initially sentenced to death but later had their sentences commuted to life imprisonment. In 2022, after three decades behind bars, the seven were released on good behaviour, though the decision was still controversial. Rajiv's children, Rahul, the Opposition leader, and sister Priyanka, engaged in a one-to-one discussion with Nalini, one of those originally sentenced to death. They said they had forgiven their father's killers. The Tamil Nadu Government also campaigned for their release.

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Talk they do!

The Argumentative Indian
(Writings on Indian History, Culture and Identity)
Author: Amartya Sen (2005)

https://www.amazon.in/
Argumentative-Indian-
Writings-History-Identity
/dp/0141012110

The teachings of my history teacher, LKK, in Form 3 still ring as clear as a bell to this day. Comparing India's fight for independence to the Opium War in China, he pointed out that the primary difference between China and India was the written language. No doubt, each part of China had their unique dialects, and a person from one end of the country may not be able to communicate with another person at the other end; they could thank Emperor Shih Huang Ti for giving a unified script. 

India's predicament was that it was not only divided by language but also by writing. Each region had its own spoken language and its own scripts as well. The British found it very convenient to employ their 'divide-and-rule' tactic. What LKK failed to mention was that Indians were argumentative, even among themselves. 

They have been arguing about everything for a long time. With scant understanding of the events happening around them, they try to make sense of what they see. Unlike a multiple-choice question, its answers are not fixed; the interpretation of weather, space, and beyond is anyone's guess. For ages, Indians have been dedicated to defending their POV, making it a national pastime. 

Adi Shankara, a sage in the 8th century CE, is said to have travelled to the four corners of India, thereby marking the boundaries of the subcontinent. He engaged in numerous debates with renowned scholars from various philosophical schools to explore unanswered questions about Nature, space, life, and the virtues of daily living. Shankara, from the South, of the Advaita Vedanta tradition, believed that our consciousness is an extension of the concept of God. In other words, our Atma is part of the Great Consciousness, Paramathma. He used to participate in month-long, intense discourses across Bharat. His famous debate was with Vardana Misra. Misra was from the Mimamsa school, which studies the Veda and attempts to interpret the Vedic texts and our actions (karma).

The famous debate between Shankara and Misra was presided over by Misra's wife, Ubhay Bharati. She was also a renowned scholar. When Madana Misra was finally cornered, she took her husband's place to continue the discussion. It is said that both the husband and wife later joined Adi Shankara's school. 

Pattimandram
https://www.flickr.com/photos/50956076@N08/4674835676/

This tradition of debating simple topics related to daily life can often be seen on Tamil cable networks. One of the popular shows here is 'Pattimandram', hosted by scholars fluent in Tamil and various local speakers. Some speakers actually earn a living by speaking at different events in various towns throughout the year. Their mastery of the language is impeccable, and their stage presence is electric. The show leaves everyone in stitches and offers mental nourishment. 

Another example of the argumentative Indian is aptly illustrated by India's Republic TV and, more recently, by most Indian YouTube news channels. It is common to see multiple small screens, each with people shouting loudly to prove their points. It often results in the anchor having the final say, while other viewpoints are simply lost in the noise. 

A debate between a charioteer and a warrior who developed cold feet on the eve of the war, which would pit cousins and uncles against each other, evolved into a lengthy holy scripture on virtue and worldly obligations. It is the Bhagavad Gita. Imagine a single counselling session extending to 700 verses, divided into 18 chapters. Not only that. The Bhagavad Gita is actually part of a larger epic, the Mahabharata, which is seven times longer than the Iliad and the Odyssey put together. It is filled with dialogues, dilemmas, and alternative perspectives. The incessant arguments and counter-arguments spread over volumes of debates and disputes make readers convinced that truth is not a singular concept, but is a spectrum. Arjuna's hesitation about going to war may actually carry some weight, as the post-Kurukshetra era reveals carnage and tragedy that will be remembered by generations to come. The Pandavas and Kauravas were never the same. Even Krishna's descendants became decadent and wayward. There is a case against just 'just doing it' and 'hesitating'.

The humiliation of Draupadi
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Draupadi_
Vastraharan,_Raja_Ravi_Varma.jpg

When the world discusses India, the favourite bashing is on its perceived injustice based on gender, caste and treatment of its minorities.

When it comes to gender equality, at a time when women in other parts of the world were seen but not heard, Indian women played pivotal roles in their societies. An essential character in the Mahabharata, Draupadi, is not just a pretty figure but a wife to five husbands. The Upanishads tell the story of a sharp, intellectual female interrogator named Gargi. Jhansi Rani and many female warriors fought valiantly against the tyranny of the invaders. In 1925 and 1933, the Indian National Congress Party appointed a female President. For the record, the British had their first woman leader of a major British political party in 1975 with Margaret Thatcher.

India had its own complicated system of labour distribution. It ensured the proper functioning of society. The changes in the world economy and the intrusion of foreign powers, who attempted to simplify the system using their own yardstick, created a cruel caste system. It started a hierarchical system based on one's birth. 

India's internal societal reforms had started addressing the issue. Various offshoots of Hinduism, like Buddhism and Jainism, were reactionary movements against Brahminical orthodoxy. The Hindu Bhakti movement and Sufis tried to break social barriers. Many philosophers, poets, and thinkers were from non-Brahmanical groups. Vyasa was a fisherwoman's son. Vyasa was a reformed thief.

Prolixity is not something alien to Indians, it seems. They love to talk. In one interview, Sadhguru, the new-age guru, was complaining. He was saying that all the chaiwallas (tea sellers) knew about everything. I suppose that applies to all professions too, such as barbers, taxi drivers, and milk sellers. Sadhguru went on to say that they are well-versed in politics, governance, scandals, cricket, Bollywood gossip, and inside information about the world's best-kept secrets. The only thing he did not know too well was how to make good tea!

VK KrishnaMenon
https://images.app.goo.gl/joZkADWkx3dtHUJK6

Another glaring example is how VK Krishna Menon of India delivered the longest speech ever given before the UN Security Council. In 1957, over the course of two days, he delivered two speeches, totalling approximately eight hours, on India's position regarding Kashmir. Even he could not stand his own talk. He soon collapsed after the speech.

Free speech and the freedom to express oneself are not exclusive to the West. It had been part and parcel of Indian and Eastern tradition. The richness of the tradition of argument makes a significant difference to subcontinental lives today. Persistent arguments form an essential part of the people here. Democracy is closely tied to public discussion and interactive reasoning.

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What is great anyway?

It all started with a Facebook post which quoted Churchill and read, “If you are twenty and not a Communist, you don’t have a heart. But if you are forty and still a leftist, you do not have a brain.” That snowballed into a literary discourse on the word great and what constitutes greatness. The funny thing is that Churchill never said anything to that effect.

https://borderlessjournal.com/2025/07/14/what-is-great-anyway/

https://winstonchurchill.org/the-life-of-churchill/senior-statesman/

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Watch this space...

Something is brewing in a small village called Keezhadi in the Sivagangai district near Madurai. As early as 2015, the Archaeological Society of India has been excavating ancient artefacts just about 15 metres below the surface. The team leader, Amarnath Ramakrishna, had prepared a 279-page report on his findings. He reported that his team's discoveries could alter the civilisational history of India. Amarnath was instructed to modify his report, and he was subsequently transferred abruptly within a short period. The State Archaeological Department then took over further exploration of the area.

Since the State took over the management of this area, the surrounding regions have experienced a remarkable transformation. An impressive museum has been built to showcase the finds, which include terracotta figurines, pots, and coins. The interesting aspect of the pots is that they are inscribed with Tamil-Brahmi lettering. Carbon dating has determined that the inscriptions on the vessels could be as old as 580 BCE.

The intriguing aspect is that artefacts discovered in Harappa, which also featured the Brahmi script, were dated to around 500 BCE only. This creates significant confusion in the timeline of Indian civilisation. The puzzling thing about the layout of the buildings found in Keezhadi is that it resembles that of Harappa. Similarly, there is a conspicuous absence of structures that could indicate places of worship or royalty.

In our history lessons, we learned that the first urban settlements with advanced townships, organised housing, irrigation, sanitation, and urban living began in Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa. Afterwards, the people migrated, and the Aryan Migration theory was proposed.

In the 21st century, the Aryan Migration theory was challenged. Later, mitochondrial DNA studies of populations around that region suggest the 'Out of India' migration pattern. With this new idea, are historians suggesting that urban living actually started in the southern part of the continent? Or were there many pockets of civilisation across the land called Bharat? What is the significance of both the Indus civilisation and the Keezhadi findings, both of which contain Brahmi script? The Harappan scripts were previously reported as undecipherable.

The whole subject is highly politicised. The State government, whose entire existence is carved under the ideology that the southern part of the Indian subcontinent is culturally and ethnically different from the rest of India, has a vested interest in that whole exercise. The Central government, from the North, on the other hand, is contended to be at the heart of the cradle of Indian civilisation.

Historians largely agree that further studies are needed before any definitive conclusions can be drawn from their latest findings in Keezhadi.

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https://www.profitableratecpm.com/eavw6i1vus?key=563e27a9bff24095551c69d633759b79

When two tribes go to war...

Tehran University students, 1971.
https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/comments/xmjn15/
tehran_university_students_iran_1971/

Persia's love affair with the Jews dates back to 593 BCE, when Nebuchadnezzar plundered Jerusalem and took the Jews as slaves to Baghdad. He attacked Jerusalem again ten years later, destroying the First Temple and completing their captivity. After spending seventy years in exile in Baghdad, Cyrus liberated them, allowing their return to their homeland. In gratitude for helping the Babylonians, Cyrus enabled the construction of their Second Temple.

Throughout the generations, as Persia was overrun by various empires, including the Abbasid Islamic Dynasty, the Jews remained part of the Persian diaspora during the glorious days of Islam. The Islamic invasion did cause some Jews and Parsees to flee their homeland to various places, including India. Nevertheless, the Persian-Jewish relationship persisted into modern times. The Islamic Empire would claim that the Jews were very content living under the Empire. However, in reality, it is anybody's guess if the present-day opinion of Muslims about Jews is anything to go by.

Iran opposed the Palestine Mandate that aimed to establish the Jewish state of Israel in 1948. Many Persian Jews migrated to the newly formed country of Israel. Interactions between Iran and Israel remained cordial, though they were mainly transactional. Iran was among the first countries in the world to recognise Israel as a sovereign nation. Israel secured oil and finances from Iran, as maintaining a friendly relationship with Iran made considerable sense. It is important to note that the Israelis' neighbours, all of whom were Arabs, were quite hostile. The Persians have always held a sense of superiority, believing themselves to be one step above the Arabs. Therefore, maintaining a good relationship with a major non-Arab, non-Sunni country was crucial.

In the early 1950s, Iranian Islamists criticised Iran's diplomatic relations with Israel and actively collected donations for the Palestinians. They were unhappy with the Shah's close connections to Israel. The Iranian defence system used Israeli arms and was involved in their wars with Iraq. Both countries were also deeply engaged in developing each other's nuclear facilities. All of this changed after the Islamic Revolution in 1979. 

Suddenly, Israel became a 'cancerous tumour' as mentioned by Ayatollah Ali Khameini in 2000 and should be wiped off the surface of the Earth, according to President Ahmadinejad in 2005. Iranian hostility towards Israel grew over the years, mainly via proxies, in Hezbollah, Hamas and Houthis. The climax of all these must surely be Hamas's kidnapping of Israelis at a music festival on October 7, 2023. Finally, a full-scale war between Iran and Israel broke out on June 13, 2025, when Israel conducted strikes against Iranian nuclear and military targets. The world is once again at risk of a nuclear meltdown.

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