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OpiniOn
DiasPura is a comment
on Indian diaspora in US
Raina’s documentary raises several pertinent questions such as the
dilemmas race relations between Indians, blacks and whites; the ‘otherness of
Indians in US and of certain Indians in relation to other Indians
HumrA
QurAISHI
f you were under the impres- to Narendra Modi and also to Donald
sion that the RSS and the other Trump! Trumpeting his connections with
The Delhi-based writer connected Right-Wing outfits are the Right- Wing, he seemed to be getting
and columnist’s books making steady intrusions only away with all his utterances!
include Kashmir: The within the confines of our country ♦ ♦ ♦
Untold Story. She co- I then be prepared for a shocker of One didn’t quite realise the extent and
authored a series of sorts; though let me be quick to add that depth of the Right-Wing penetration
writings with the late nothing really shocks in these fascist- amongst the Indian community, till one
Khushwant Singh and ridden times! After all, every single day viewed this latest documentary film of
her short stories are news reports are laced with violence and Ajay Raina. Titled — DiasPura, it is shot
part of anthologies. counter-violence erupting because the in the United States of America, where
The views expressed onslaughts are getting far too compli- this well-known, award-winning film
are her own cated and complex; what, with Hindutva maker takes the viewer through an entire
brigades controlling lives and livelihoods. array of shots and with that a full range of
And in this context, no great news commentators.
coming from the United States of And together with the immediate
America. In the recent years there have focus, Raina also raises several pertinent
been more than indications that a large questions — “In thinking of the Indian di-
number of Indians settled out there, are aspora, other questions that come to the
turning Right-Wing. Yes, blatant about fore include the race relations between
their biases and approach. Indians, blacks and whites, the question
One can’t forget the tweets of the of ‘otherness’: ‘of Indians in relation to
America based academic, Rajiv Malhotra. ‘Americans’, and of certain Indians in
Imagine, amid the Kerala floods soliciting relation to other Indians, as they replicate
donations “for Hindus”. “Christians and the age-old ethnic / regional and reli-
Muslims worldwide raising lots of money gious relationships and caste hierarchies
to help mainly their own ppl & agendas”. with each other in the new land.”
Not to overlook the fact that each time It’s a rather offbeat film, which intro-
the America based businessman, Shalabh duces to the viewer the prevailing psyche
Kumar, who set up the Republican Hindu of many an Indian settled in the Trump
Coalition in America, came on the small –land! And it’s from there that he or she
screen he did not bother to add the vital is trying to justify Hindutva, either rather
‘Indian’ prefix to his name. In fact, all his too emphatically or else through those
utterances gave the impression that only subtle relays. In fact, after I viewed this
‘Hindus’ live in Hindustan. With that, film last evening, I have been sitting in a
he was misguiding-cum-misleading rather introspective mood, wondering
not just the West but even the people of where we heading! What, with divisive-
this subcontinent. He was quite obvi- ness overtaking sense and sensitivities.
ously trampling upon the basic fact of Yes, this film could be termed an eye
our co- existence, as don’t Sikhs, Parsis, –opener to the changing political pat-
Muslims, Dalits, Christians, Atheists also terns and the long term affects that they
live in Hindustan but he couldn’t give a could drag along. The aftermath could be
damn. After all, he proclaimed to be close unpleasant as hardened views stand out,
Tehelka / 30 april 2019 60 www.Tehelka.com
