Take control!

CTRL (Hindi, 2024)

Director: Vikramaditya Motwane

A toddler looks at a portrait on the wall and automatically swipes his hand, expecting to see another picture. Every child from every crook and nook of the house burrows out the moment the WiFi router is turned off, blurting, in their weary red eyes, “The WiFi is not working!” Never mind that the house is burning!

We have become digitally addicted. Social media is closely linked to this connectivity. So gratifying has this media interaction become that people would rather communicate via their devices than in person. It simply simplifies things. One can do away with the customary curtsies and communicate when necessary and on the go.

The serotonin infusion given by likes and thumbs up has reached such alarming levels that children have been known to have bitten off the hands that fed them. Mothers have been bludgeoned by their children in tantrums.

Never in human history have people been scrutinised so minutely as in Instagram and Facebook posts. Filters and enhancement techniques have turned people into porcelain mannequins that they are not, appearing unblemished with infantile innocence.

To complicate this unstoppable monster comes deepfakes and artificial intelligence that highlight the natural stupidity of humans. Lured by fame and that one-minute spot under the spotlight, they are willing to lose all decency and privacy. What we need to realise is that it comes with a price. We become open books for devious conglomerates to own us, monetise us, commoditise us and wrap us up around their fingers.

Under the cloak of anonymity, humans, too, become emboldened to blurt out things with no filter that we would not otherwise do in person. We threaten, bully, haunt, and act like a mob would. We clamour in excitement when someone falls from grace. It becomes our next teatime or Twitter conversation. For some, the stress of this fall is too much for their simple minds to handle and find an easy exit.

This movie, a new format for an Indian film, shows the evil that new computer tech companies can and will do to spy on people and manipulate them for their own monetary gains. It is a fresh movie with a fresh face that blends well into the world of influencing and internet stars. It highlights the narcissistic nature of the current generation and how ever ready they are to pose and come out with a picture perfect at the drop of a coin.

The lesson is that we are doomed. We cannot live without digital connectivity, but at the same time, we have signed off on ourselves and our liberty to the big companies who call the shots now. They have infiltrated every fibre of our modern lives. They have become the modern-day imperialists with big gunboats and canons, too mighty for peasant natives to fight with spears and blowpipes.

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Khalistan government in exile?

At the time of writing, two Air India flights had to make emergency landings after receiving bomb threats. Of late, emails have been coming out from the US of threats of bomb blasts in Air India flights. Many geopolitical observers propose that these disturbances are closely related to the killing of two Khalistani supporters/militants in Canada recently. It is alleged that their killings were masterminded by Indian intelligence, orders of which were coming directly from the Modi Government and executed by Indian gangs.

For the uninitiated, there is a significant Sikh diaspora in Canada. After the traumatic tearing up of the State of Punjab during Partition in 1947, Indian Punjab became one of the most prosperous States, becoming one of the biggest contributors to the Indian coffers.

Then came Bhindrawale of the Akali Dal Party, who stored arms in the Golden Temple. Operation Blue Star happened then. The 'desecration' of the temple by the Indian Army snowballed into the assassination of Indian PM Ieeriendra Gandhi and the Sikh extremists demanding an independent state for Sikhs, Khalistan. Many of the extremists who went on an armed offensive escaped to Canada when the long arms of Indian Law caught up with them. They clandestinely continued their subversive activities from Canadian shores, adapting nicely to their newfound landscape of liberty, personal freedom and the strength of the Canadian dollar.

Around the same time, Pakistan began exporting its terrorist activities. A weak Indian Punjab would make easy prey for Pakistan to walk over and spread their dominance, or so they thought. They provided easy access to drugs and moral support for separatism.

Over the years, the radical Sikhs in Canada have started playing a pivotal role in Canadian politics. As Justin Treadeau's party lost support, Jasmeet and his National Democratic Party, which has an enormous Sikh following, were to hold Justin's Liberal Party by the jugular. It just may be vote bank politics.

Trouble has been slowly brewing over the years between India and Canada. On the Indian side, Canada was accused of taking sides on Indian domestic issues, like the Farmers' Protest. India looks at the Khalistani movement as a separatist group that Canada seems to protect, accusing it of harbouring terrorists, just like Pakistan. Canada feels it is just doing what a sovereign country would do: protecting its own citizens. So, as it is, both parties are beginning to call back their respective embassies and refuse the issuance of visas.

Interestingly, the threat to blow up Air India flights did happen once before and led to the biggest aviation mishap before the Twin Towers 9/11 disaster. In 1985, on 23rd June, an Air India plane flight #182, christened Kanishka after a great king of the Kushan Dynasty of ancient India, exploded mid-air off the coast of Ireland as it was flying from Toronto to London en route to New Delhi, killing instantaneously 307 passengers and 23 crew members. There were 268 Canadian citizens, mostly of Indian origin, going home for summer vacation, and 24 were Indians. This plane blast was the biggest Canadian aviation disaster. Murphy's Law was in full force here. A Royal Commission, which was convened, determined that a series of errors happened. The government of Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Canadian Security and Intelligence Services (CSIS) all failed to protect their citizens. Even though the authorities were scrutinising the terrorist group Khalsa Babar and police informants had forewarned them of a planned Air India bomb blast, all that for embroiled in bureaucracy. 

Even though there was heightened alert about the possible bombing on an Air India flight, Toronto's baggage X-ray facilities malfunctioned, and the staff bungled up with manual scrutiny for bombs.

In fact, on the faithful day, two unattended baggage with bomb devices were registered to travel (without their passengers who did not board the vessel for obvious reasons) from Vancouver to Toronto on Canadian Pacific Airlines. From Toronto, one baggage was supposed to leave for Narita and finally to India via Air India plane. Because of confusion in correcting for daylight saving measurement, the bomb exploded prematurely in Narita, killing two baggage handlers. The other bomb exploded before reaching London Heathrow, perhaps the intended target because the flight was delayed by an hour. 

There is an eerie coincidence between the 1985 threat of Air India bombing and the loss of sovereignty over what the radicals perceive as the greater Punjab. If, in 1984, the Golden Temple was allegedly trampled, then would they view Haryana's loss to the BJP in the state elections as a further dent to their ambition to realise the dream of Khalistan?

In 1981, Indira Gandhi requested Pierre Trudeau for the extradition of some Khalistani terrorists wanted for crimes in India, which was turned down. Now, in 2024, history seems to be repeating itself. Many Khalistani gangsters are wanted in India, and they find safe haven in Canada.

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To Be or Not to Be…

A teacher lost all her life savings, around RM 200,000, to spammers. Over 400 children were rescued from orphanages in two states from sexual predators in Malaysia. Stories like these are not ground-breaking anymore but happen on a daily basis. The worrying trend of late is that these are no isolated incidents perpetrated by individual wackos with ill intents. It is, in fact, a well-organised, well-lubricating establishment with vast tentacles lurking all over the globe. 

https://borderlessjournal.com/2024/10/14/to-be-or-not-to-be-3/

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Breaking the yoke of ignorance!

Benzaiten, Japanese equivalent
to the diety Saraswati.

Saraswati Pooja used to be a vital feature in our household in childhood. The highlight of the whole event was placing our textbooks and getting the blessings of Goddess Saraswati. Thinking we would perform better in studies with Her blessings was naive. Amma did not fail to gently remind us that praying would not make us pass exams. We needed to put in the hours and concentration. There was no substitute for education; it was our key to happiness.

Every Saraswati Pooja reminds me of my childhood of respecting books and learned individuals, irrespective of their teaching styles or content. Then I questioned myself: Can smut be given the same recognition if presented in book form? With all the ill effects that come out of the web but nullified by all the good things it spreads, does it still qualify as a learning tool?

I soon realised that the spirit of Saraswati is the zest of reinforcing to immerse oneself into the ocean of knowledge. It is also a reminder that we are the privileged few whose journey through education is a given right. It is a prompt for us to appreciate those who reached greater despite the odds against them to acquire knowledge.

Ruby Bridges, 6, attending Elementary
School in 1960, accompanied by
US Marshals.

Offhand, I remember the people of my mother’s generation whose parents thought a child’s job was to take over the lead of feeding the family as soon as their bodies transitioned into adulthood, which can be as early as 14 for a girl and 16 for a male. My mother’s desire to continue studies and fly high was clipped prematurely after her primary Tamil school studies, and my uncle had to literally stay away from his family to earn to finance his upper secondary school studies.

Salutations also go to the first lady doctor and the first lawyer in countries where education for females was considered dangerous, tilting the patriarchal-matriarchal societal balance. They went against the grain and gripe of their communities to succeed. A family with an educated female will end illiteracy in that family.

Thought also goes to Ruby Bridges, whose parents had the courage and wisdom to enrol her as the first black girl in an all-white elementary school in Louisiana in 1960. In 1964, Norman Rockwell immortalised the scene of Ruby marching boldly ‘like a soldier’ accompanied by US marshals in a painting. It later became an iconic image of the Civil Rights Movement.

Even though specific religious iconographies have been included in celebrating Saraswati Pooja, its essence is secular. Appreciating the power of education on society does not convert students to give up their cultural beliefs. All faiths encourage their congregations to expand their knowledge and minds to the vast expanse of wisdom. Saraswati Pooja is a mere conduit to this realisation. It is also included as an Ayudha Pooja (Weapons' prayer), as books and knowledge constitute our weapons in our daily lives. It used to be swords and farming utensils. As though emphasising the role of the fairer sex in our society, this pooja is part of Navarathri, the nine-day celebration of female divinity.

So, I do not understand why a non-governmental organisation in Malaysia, Thiravidar Humanitarian Organisation, vehemently opposes the Saraswati Pooja celebrations in Tamil schools. They claim it is a religious activity; as such, it should not be held during teaching hours but to maintain the focus on education. That is precisely the point; celebrations like Saraswati Pooja would ignite true wisdom to separate the wheat from the chaff. This Malaysian NGO is an extension of Tamil Nadu’s Dravidian politics, primarily anti-Hindu. Their current aim in life is to eradicate Sanathana Dharma, just like humanity is trying to crush COVID and Dengue. The Malaysian NGO is parroting their masters across the seas, the same land their ancestors fled for a better life.

Dr Joshi graduated in 1886 from the Women's
Medical College in Pennsylvania.

Why were girls in the 19th and 20th centuries prevented from attending school? It could not be something engrained in the Indian society. Many crucial human activity departments are represented by goddesses, not male demigods. If Indian society was indeed patriarchal, why would Goddess Durga represent courage, Laxmi to wealth and Saraswati to be linked to knowledge? As though emphasising the role of the fairer sex in our society, Saraswati Pooja is part of Navarathri, the nine-day celebration of female divinity. Something must have happened in between. Could it be that the rapacious hunting of invading barbarians into India forced families to tuck their daughters far away from their invaders's lustful eyes? Over generations, they became better at being unseen and unheard, soon occupying second-class status in society. Just a thought!

 © Norman Rockwell

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Who amongst us is disposable?

Boat(Tamil; 2024)
Director: Chimbudeven

This film drew little attention as a movie. Although the build-up initially seemed promising, it could have been more exciting.

It is said to be based on Ernest Hemingway's 'The Old Man and the Sea', his Nobel Prize and Pulitzer-winning novel, and 'Ten Angry Men', a play written by Reginald Rose, which was later made into an Academy Award-winning movie. 

The storyline follows 'The Old Man and the Sea' because much of it occurs within the confines of a boat. Just as in 'Twelve Angry Men', the occupants of the boat (ten of them) have to make the dreaded decision of who two of them should be sacrificed so that the boat does not capsize.

Set in 1943 to coincide with the time Japanese fighter plans bombed areas around Madras, it tells a political story about India, its independence, British colonial rule, divisions among fellow Indians and many more. 

As they see planes flying over the Madras skies and upon hearing rumours of imminent Japanese bombing, Kumaran, a fisherman who owns the boat, dashes to the sea with his grandmother. Seven others followed them and got on to the boat - a Brahmin man with his daughter, a writer from the Kerala border who actually is a Muslim and probably a communist and a Jinnah sympathiser, a pregnant Telegu lady with her son, a Tamil librarian who is actually an INA operative and Rajasthani moneylender. 

Along the way, they pick up a soldier from a destroyed British patrol boat. 

As they hover away from the coast to escape police, they discover that the boat is overloaded and has a leak. The boatman, Kumaran, an expert here, calls the shots. He suggests that two people have to be offloaded to make it back safely. Who amongst the ten should be thrown off the boat?

The real essence of the film starts after this. The British soldier, with a gun, is cocksure that he cannot be the one to be offloaded. He has to carry the white man's burden to civilise the natives. They have a secret voting. Unanimously, Kumaran and his grandmother, being lower on the caste system, being of the marginal caste, should be disposed of. It is immaterial that they are the experts on getting them to shore. 

The discussion goes on to Brahminical supremacy, the North-South divide, Partition, Gandhism and Bose's INA and even the subdivision of Brahmins between Iyers and Iyengars. Much philosophy is also discussed about allowing all life forms to live. Interspersed in the background through a rickety radio are the philosophical songs belted out by the maestro of the yesteryears, Thiagarajah Bhaghvatar. His song questions human values and things about freedom. Symbolically, the British can be seen instigating the rest to fight against each other. Outside danger lurks in the form of a shark circling the boat.

I found this movie quite entertaining despite giving the feel more of a play instead of a feature film.

A playful photograph is inserted into this film.
Shown photographed with Subash Chandra Bose (front)
are L-R: Rajan (Sivaji in 1946 Andha Naal; Senupathy (Kamalhasan
in Indian 1 & 2 ,1996 & 2024); Muthaya (MS Bhaskar in this movie)
All three of INA conspired with the Japanese to bomb Madras.

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Like a 'turn-turtled' tortoise?

Kasaba (The Small Town, Turkish; 1997)

Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan

 When we were young, we were told this and that. We were given the impression that if we followed that prescribed path, everything would be okay. Do not stray away from that, and all will be alright. Nobody told us about the shifting goalposts and the unforeseen variables. Our parents wanted us to be a level better than them. That kind of reinforced upon us that they were an embarrassment. We did not want to be anything else but a mould of them. We strive and strive. Still, in the end, like it or not, we would end up thinking of them, thinking like them and repeating all the things they once told and found nonsensical.

Nature has other plans. A mishap here and a liaison with the wrong company there. It is mindboggling what disastrous effect a dead parent or a disappearing parent has on the children. Even political turmoil or a natural catastrophe may upset the children's path to adulthood. Little things like the company we keep may alter the trajectory of our lives. Little decisions made at the spur of the moment or even much deliberation can have unexpected outcomes. It is what it is, and it is not in the best interest to brood about life that could have been. Instead, we should try to maximise the rut that we are in. 

This slow-moving story lays down just that. It is centred around a family sitting around a fire roasting corn and opening up about their respective lives. They have a problem with the lack of opportunities in the small village. What starts with the children wanting to hear stories snowballs into something big. The elders bemoan the hardship endured in their lives. One of the younger men feels slighted. He is probably having PTSD after serving in the Army. He just cannot get himself back on his feet again. In his youth, he just wanted to get the hell out of his village. Now, it seems he cannot get himself out. Another, despite his high overseas academic qualifications, wastes his time in the village. 

Ironically, everyone wants to go out far and wide to explore the world, but in their silver years, they return to their hometown to spend their remaining and die to be buried among their loved ones.

Even though we fantasise about our childhood as innocent, carefree and stress-free, the reality is far from it. Children can be pretty nasty. The vile that comes out from their mouth can be quite caustic. Not all of their actions can be viewed as adorable and cute. Many are bullies and can be physical with no remorse. To top it up, he will eventually not be punished for their actions. The people receiving their maleficence will just have to pick themselves up and grow some fortitude.

The presentation also includes many eye-catching black-and-white photographs of the Turkish countryside and many interesting still shots. 

Many of us turn out alright, escaping the hardship that befell our parents and the ones before them. Some are not so lucky. They are like the upturned tortoise in the movie. The 'turn turtle' tortoise in this arrested state is a metaphor for being stuck in a situation, struggling but just unable to rescue himself from his predicament.

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Yet we talk about the film!

Kasaba (Circle, കസബ, 2016, Malayalam)
Screenplay, Director: Nithin Renji Panicker

It was probably after the release of this movie that many ardent Malayalam viewers and actors started voicing their concerns about the presence of misogyny in Mollywood. Despite the loud opposition and charges filed against the moviemakers, with the Malayalam Movie Association getting involved, it broke the record for the most widely viewed Malayalam movie teaser. Talk about the Streisand effect!

The seed of dissatisfaction was sowed against the senior actor Mammotty by many actors, especially Parvathy Thiruvadu, who was cyberbullied by trolls and Mammotty fans. Police reports flew, but she stood her ground. She went on to be the voice against misogyny in the Kerala film industry. A collective known as Women in Cinema Collective came to the forefront, opposing misogynistic dialogues for the betterment of society. They questioned why a highly respected actor like Mammotty should be so low as to partake in movies that denigrate women and their presence in society. 

This is a masala movie, much like a spaghetti western, and does not need many grey cells to follow. Rajan Zachariah is a police officer handpicked by the IGP to investigate the death of an inspector, the IGP's son and his fiancée. Even though the deaths were reported as Maoist killings, the IGP suspects foul play. 

Rajan can be labelled as a rogue cop. He walks around with a chip on his shoulder and cares two hoots about following rules. He makes his own rules and thinks he is an honest cop because he brings in the bad guys. His flirting and sexist jokes are part of his remuneration for getting his job well done.

One scene of this nature sparked controversy. As Rajan is walking haughtily, puffing his cigarette without a care in the world across a non-smoking corridor, he is rebuked by a more senior female officer. Rajan is told off for not saluting her and for lighting up in a non-smoking area. What he did afterwards was utterly out of order! He apologised unconditionally for not saluting a higher officer, extinguished his cigarette, and placed the cigarette bud in her hand, asking her to dispose of it. She retaliated by uttering, "f@#k you!" to which Rajan lifted up by her belt at her hip, saying, "Sure, and you'll be running around me for a week!" (paraphrasing from subtitles).

Soon after that film, a case appeared of an actress sexually assaulted. The rebel yell reached a disturbing pitch that compelled the government the other day to set up the Hema Commission to look into this issue. After many delays, with Covid and other political pressures, its report is out, and it is pretty damning, at least to the doyens of the industry.

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