Line of Blood aka Line of Control

India -Pakistan relations often appears to sand house under construction in seashore. If a rogue sea wave appears in middle of house construction, entire structure is demolished without traces. Construction had to begin again from square one. After nuclear tests by India and Pakistan, whenever their respective governments reach some progress in their talks, rogue elements inside ISI and some military officials sympathized to Kashmir militants start making inroads into the peace. With Aug first week incident of killing of five Indian soldiers along the LoC, again governments of both countries  start issuing the statements that blame each other.

 India-Pakistan talks often appear to be cycle, ending in a place where it started. After 2001 India-Pakistan standoff, Musharraf and  Vajapayee reached a landmark agreement, through which they agreed to halt 14 years of cross-border gun battles in the disputed Kashmir region. This agreement applied to the 450-mile-long Line of Control, as well as the international border between India and Pakistan and the Siachen Glacier. India benefited sufficiently from this ceasefire agreement. It fortified the line of control with fencing along 550Km.Network of thermal imaging devices, motion sensors, alarms were installed to stop the infiltration attempts by militants across the border. With laying of thousands of mines along this fencing, it made near impossible for the militants who tried to sneak into Indian Kashmir. Indian army proudly said in 2005 that they are able to contain 80% of infiltration after this installation.

Though this ceasefire agreement was in place, there were few ceasefire violations happened every year as it appeared the Pakistan army tried to provide cover for the militants who try to sneak to other side of Loc. These incidents appeared to be very few every year. But year of 2013 happened to be different.

With India – Pakistan friendship series going to be concluded in first week of Jan 2012 ,some odd  news of Indian army unit killed a Pakistan soldier entering into their territory appeared in the Pakistan news lets. After the day cricket series finished, some really disturbing news of killing of 2 Indian soldiers  with bad mutilation started to appear in the Indian media. After that few Indian media went jingoistic, without showing what had actually happened in last few months in LoC, they sparked the  nationalistic passions of people. Facebook, twitter flooded with messages to attack Pakistan. Opposition party leader issuing some war mongering statement happened thereafter. 

A news story written by Praveen swami which appeared  in “The Hindu” magazine in second week of Jan 2012, appeared to show some dirty facts in this secret LoC war. There was a big interesting story behind these entire incidents which started from Sept 2012. Early in September 2012, 70-year old Reshma Bi, left the village of Charonda, near Uri, to live with her sons and grandchildren across the Line of Control covertly without being noticed by the security forces. When the  JK Police  came across this incident they alarmed the security forces indicating this  vulnerable loophole  may assist militants in successful infiltration into Indian side. Security forces understanding the situation started building a bunker at the vulnerable place to monitor the point. Pakistan army enraged and issued condemnation  after seeing the bunker construction as there was a some words in ceasefire agreement that “No” new bunkers will build along the border. With Indian army doesn’t care  about the Pakistan concern, was  in process of  construction of new bunker. With patience lost, Pakistan army started shelling along the Uri border which killed 3 villagers , 25-year-old Mohammad Shafi Khatana, 20-year-old Shaheena Bano, and a ninth-grade school student, Liaqat Ali.

On January 6, 19 Infantry Division commander Gulab Singh Rawat sought  aggressive action as Pakistan troops keep on bombarding their posts. It appears that he got the  permission as Pakistan insists its post, Sawan Patra, was raided by Indian troops next day killing its soldier. Deceided to retialite against Indian forces Pakistan chose one of the few sectors on the Line of Control where its troops have a relative tactical advantage. i.e  Krishna Ghati sector, on the southern end of the Haji Pir pass. In the  Pakistan raid, 2 indian soldiers had been killed apparently 2 bodies found to be mutilated and one body decapitated. With this dirty skirmishes happening along the border, we can understand only half truth appears across the media of respective countries.

With guns along the LoC felling silent from Feb 2013, it was again roaring  from July 2013 with killing of 1  pakistani soldier and critically injuring another. Cross border skirmishes start again with a Indian army porter killed in cross fire in July end. The incident which added further fuel to the fire was killing of 4 civilians in Pakistani side by Indian forces. Pakistan argues that they are innocent herb collectors who strayed into the other side, but Indian army argues that they are porters who help militants to cross the LoC. With this, Pakistan border action team raided across poonch sector with killing of 5 Indian soldiers widening further fissures.

After every terrorist incidents like 2001 Parliament attack, 2006 Mumbai Train attacks, 2008 Mumbai attack, Indian government is confined to option of attacking the neighboring country as it is also armed with nuclear weapons.  Opposition parties and few media in India demand stiff action against the Pakistan, without practically understanding the complex nature of the problem.               So much of blood is spilled in last years for this secret war along LoC. Let the politicians should try pragmatically to resolve the current tension without flaring further passions among the public. Mindless national Jingoism propagated by few media channel will end nowhere destining to collateral damage.Let soldiers too live in peace.Let their families too live in peace without constantly worrying for them.One of the oldest and most complex conflict  lies in the subcontinent, so its hard to expect  time bounded solution for this.

Why Maniratnam and Kamalhassan?

Recently I watched a Biographical Hindi movie namely bhaag Milkha bhaag. As I have more love for the films based on real events and biographical films, I watched this film with more zeal and passion. Film showed painful days of subcontinent partition and milkha’s determination towards the goal, though he faces many hurdles in his life. Taking a biographical or real event film involves lot of research on the topic. If any inaccuracy depicting event or person happens in the film, it will lead to big chaos and heavy criticism.Worldwide, films based on biographies or real event had increased from the last decade. In India there are very few film makers who have guts to take a historical or biographical films.

In Tamil cinema, there are 2 men whose film subjects differ from traditional subjects like Love, Action, Masala, Comedy. These 2 persons had acted as pioneers in taking the films into real time events and biographies.  One person directed a film which was listed in Time’s All-Time 100 Greatest Movies  compiled between 1923 and 2005.Another person, known for having acted in the most number of films submitted by India in contest for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. He also acted in the above movie mentioned. Yes, the 2 personalities are Mr.ManiRatnam and Mr.Kamalhassan.                    Almost like everyone, these are the 2 persons I admire most in film making in tamil cinema. These are the reasons why these people attract me 

Maniratnam started his career with films based on love initially. Though “Mouna Raagam”,another critically acclaimed love film brought his prominence to Tamil cinema, I believe It is godfathersque  “Nayagan”, which made this talented film director foray into world cinema. Nayagan is based on life of bombay underworld  don namely “Varadaraja Mudaliyar” depicting him as savior for poor south Indian  people struggling in Mumbai dharawi slums. Film was rated by Time’s All-Time 100 Greatest Movies  compiled between 1923 and 2005.

When the Kashmir was in flames in late 80’s, he is earliest person to take celluloid to the valley depicting the blood flowing in the beautiful snowy mountains. With hindu mythology of sathiyavan and savithri embedded in the story, film “Roja” one of the first conflict based film in india, showed the brilliance of Indian films in par with international conflict stories. His film named “Bombay”, showed the non sense emotions of the subcontinent people which often fells as prey to religious zealots and end in macabre killings and loss of property. I believe it is one of the bravest attempt by any Indian director at that time. Story of this film is centered around “Babri masjid” demolition happened in 1992 and riots which happened thereafter.Dil se another conflict based story happening in heartland of Northeastern corridor of india.It depicted  a female militant’s love with a reporter. Though film bombed at the box office, film garnered wide positive response abroad.

After these conflict trilogy,I think he suddenly felt that he forget some important human conflict happening nearby his birth place ie srilankan conflict. His film namely “Kannathil muthamittal” is made at the time when Srilankan tamil rebels(LTTE) were controlling one third of vast swathe of srilankan territory. In the film, he slammed the rebels at one point saying the violence is not solution for any  vexed conflict. Few months after the film was released, rebel leader “Prabhakaran” lamented that maniratnam should not have hurted our struggle as he don’t know the happenings here. But ultimately the rebels faced complete annihilation under the srilankan forces in 2009 ending the 26 year old insurgency.The violence in the end killed nearly 70,000 innocent lives.

Another most inspiring film based upon real time event is “Guru”. This film is a biographical one loosely based on Indian industrialist Dhirubai Ambani. Though this film controversially encouraged the capitalism frauds, film’s stiffen message of lion hearted individual with confidence and hardwork can’t be stopped by anyone for reaching the top of the ladder.

                                   

Iruvar, another real event film, showing the relationship between 2 political leaders of tamilnadu. Film is still a cult status film in Tamil Cinema. Other films like thalapathi, anjali appears as zenith of his crown.

Another film maker who has proven his prowess in film making is Kamalhassan.He is India’s best method actor, but  I will say he is a best film maker.One of my favourite film is “Hey Ram”. The film was critically acclaimed worldwide of its portrayal of angry young man whose family destroyed in Naohkali riots, planning to kill Gandhi feeling he is responsible for the carnage. Finally understanding the good nature of Gandhi ,plans to meet him.. But fate makes him to see the killing of gandhi in his own eyes. One of the best dialogues of the film coming in the last ie when Hindu and muslim riots happening in a city because of Babri Masjid demolition, hearing on the bullet sounds while travelling in ambulance asks to his neighbor “Innuma” is really heart touching moment in the film.

Another interesting  film is “Kuruthipunal” which is taken way back in 1995, Though the film is based on agenda that Spies becoming double agents because of uncertain circumstances. In real time, we had seen many double agents in CIA,RAW, destroying their own masters because of compulsions.

His recent work “Viswaroopam” based on Afghan insurgency, made him to face enormous hardships. Though there were critics that the film in some parts targeted a particular community, showing their worship place as den of terrorism, film is definitely brave attempt. Personally my expectations were not satisfied with this film after the hype they gave for this film. His stalled project “Maruthanayagam” is a story about a muslim freedom fighter namely “Yousuf khan” from tamilnadu. Lets Hope that he will reboot this project in near future.

Tamil cinemas had very few biographical films like “Veerapandiya kattabomman, kappalottiya tamilan, Bharathi, Periyar” . Film makers who plan to do biographical films should be encouraged, as seeing the great leaders in silver screen will impress many youth to take their path of goodwill.

There are still many good films from many tamil directors in various topics nowadays. But here i tried to analyse about the biographical and real event stories.