Refugee's Subtle Message
S.Faiyazuddin Ahmad, Leicester, UK

A friend of mine phoned me the other day and insisted that I should see an Indian movie, Refugee, which he praised highly as one dealing with the sad plight of the Biharis in Bangladesh and their endeavors to come to their dreamland, Pakistan. Knowing that I too was a Bihari who had left Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) during the pre-Bangladesh turmoil, he thought I would be naturally inclined to watch the movie.

A few days later, another friend who had seen the film asked me for my opinion of Refugee. He even took it upon himself to make its video available to me. Naturally, I had to oblige my friends and I saw Refugee.

To the dismay of my friends, I couldn't find that this film deals with the plight of the stranded Pakistanis or Biharis in Bangladesh or tries to unravel the reasons behind their tragic circumstances or suggests solutions thereof. The only message that this film tries to convey is that the borders between India and Pakistan are unnatural and the sooner they are removed the better it would be, and that Pakistan as a separate entity is not justified.

This unrealistic theme has become popular among Indian movie makers, and has been played up more vigorously after the BJP came to power in India. Surely, with the anti-Pakistani rhetoric of Advani, Bal Thakray and his like it is but natural that Bollywood would take the necessary cue. The Indian film being the most popular medium of entertainment and enjoying popularity in Pakistani circles at home and abroad as well, is the most suitable vehicle to orchestrate propaganda against the creation of Pakistan. I recall during the 50th anniversary celebrations of the independence of the subcontinent, a popular question asked on the radio and TV was on the possibility of having a rethinking on the partitioning of the subcontinent and the merger of India and Pakistan as one country again, India.

That Pakistan and India came into being as separate states not only under the Indian Independence Act of 1947 but more so by the express will of the Muslims of India, which they vindicated very boldly in the 1946 elections, is ignored quite conveniently.

To preach to live as good neighbors is right but to exhort and suggest the demolition of the boundaries is something very sinister and speaks volumes about the psyche of the present and past rulers of India who still harbor the idea of annulling Pakistan. In other words, the idea of Akhand Bharat is still very much alive.

How can there be friendship between the two neighbors when the neighbor with the bigger chunk does not recognize the other; rather, it is bent upon demolishing and destroying the smaller neighbor.

It is time that the subtle messages of Indian movies camouflaged in ghazals, geets and good Urdu dialogues are understood and a forceful counter effort is made in the field of information.