Sir — Narendra Modi has said that those mocking the Vande Bharat Express should be “punished”. India’s first semi-high-speed train developed technical problems during its return journey from Varanasi, forcing dignitaries and journalists to complete the trip on another train. The train arrived at its destination hours late, apparently travelling at a much slower speed. Several citizens have poked fun at the glitches; some have even said that the hiccups suffered by the Vande Bharat Express are symbolic of India’s stuttering economy. Now that must have got Modi’s goat.
Tarit Mukhopadhyay,
Calcutta
Spooky tale
Sir — The decision to stop the screening of the Bengali film, Bhobishyoter Bhoot, is undemocratic. West Bengal is considered to be the cultural capital of India. Artists have usually been given the freedom to express themselves here. The tradition was first broken when the Left Front was in power in Bengal. Several theatre productions and films were banned during its reign. The Trinamul Congress is now continuing that legacy.
Film-makers have every right to highlight the corruptions crippling society. But politicians do not have the right to stop the screening of satirical films. This amounts to a gag on the freedom of expression. Moreover, Bhobishyoter Bhoot had been cleared by the censor board. The screening of a film cannot be stopped after it has received such a clearance.
The Trinamul Congress chief is supposedly a crusader for democracy. When Padmaavat had been banned in some states, Mamata Banerjee had spoken up for the cause of creative freedom. But this time around, she has not said anything. Such double standards are unacceptable. Efforts to throttle critical voices belie her claim of respecting democratic values. Incidentally, ‘loyal’ artists have chosen not to speak up against such authoritarianism. Is that because they fear being deprived of special favours?
Tapash Chatterjee,
Calcutta
Sir — Anik Dutta, the director of Bhobishyoter Bhoot, seems to be paying for the comments he had made during the film festival in Calcutta. Bhobishyoter Bhoot has been stalled for ‘unknown’ reasons. The film, it is believed, lampoons political parties, including the Trinamul Congress. This kind of censorship is the order of the day. Democracy exists only on paper. The Orwellian State is upon us.
Tollywood is a highly politicised space. It is said that some members of the ruling party decide whether a film can be made or screened. There are a number of directors who seek to nurture the legacy left behind by Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak and Mrinal Sen.
Unfortunately, they lack platforms to show their work. The film fraternity should come together and protest against Dutta’s film ‘vanishing’.
Shovanlal Chakraborty,
Calcutta
Sir — It is hard to believe that Bhobishyoter Bhoot, a political satire, has been taken off theatres in West Bengal. The police were apparently worried that the film would hurt ‘popular sentiments’ (“Plexes pull out ‘satire’”, Feb 17). The chief minister, who champions the cause of democracy, is yet to respond to this transgression. Barring a few intellectuals, celebrities have kept mum. This is an ominous sign and undermines Bengal’s position as a harbinger of freedom in the rest of the country.
Jahar Saha,
Calcutta
The Waste Land
Sir — The problem of industrial waste is assuming critical proportions. People seem to have become wise to the irresponsible ways in which corporations across the world dispose of waste, including dumping plastic in the sea, pumping untreated industrial sewage into the environment and failing to clear oil spills in oceans. However, the systemic nature of the problem is rarely discussed. There is little public knowledge of the international contracts that have created a massive industry for industrial waste.
The conventional practice in developed nations is to allow corporations to ship their waste to underdeveloped economies where partial recycling or disposal is less expensive and, often, circumvents safety norms. A recent piece in The Guardian discussed the deleterious effects of the export of used tyres from the United Kingdom to India where they are reduced to a dirty fuel in pyrolysis plants, releasing highly toxic gases into the atmosphere in the process. However, the agencies responsible for enforcing environmental standards in both countries ignore the violations because of the economic value of the trade.
As suggested by the report, it is important to recognise waste as a symptom of ‘waste colonialism’. In the post-imperial order, globalisation has come to be emblematic of neocolonialism, with annexation of market taking precedence over annexation of territory. Bolstered by industrial surplus, economic powerhouses take advantage of the markets of underdeveloped nations and use them as subsidiaries.
The market for industrial waste is no different. We must acknowledge that most environmental problems are linked to the capitalist configuration of the global economy. Until adequate trade laws, restrictions on free trade and restrainment of the international market can be made effective, environmental degradation will continue.
Jishnu Hore,
Calcutta
