Insensitive ads in Gujarat

BY VINEETHA MOKKIL| IN Opinion | 09/10/2010

Letter to the Hoot: The `Fragrance of Gujarat’ ads are partisan and favour one community.

The wounds of Godhar are still raw and what the Gujarat government is doing is unconstitutional, says VINEETHA MOKKIL

Is anybody reading between the lines of the new Gujarat Tourism ad starring Amitabh Bachchan? The super star is seen at the Somnath Temple, mouthing dialogues about how invaders marched into India and tried to destroy our culture and identity. But identity, he tells us, is not so easily erased. The Somnath Temple stands tall, mirroring the resilient national identity, he thunders in his trademark baritone.

All very well. The temple is an architectural marvel, a historic landmark and a sacred site for Hindus. Nobody is arguing with that. The rub lies elsewhere. India is a secular republic (of course, the powers that be in Gujarat have an infamous record of honouring this) and the Constitution clearly states that citizens of all faiths and religions are held on an equal footing. Mr Bachchan’s ad, and especially the lines that he so theatrically delivers, violate this basic Constitutional premise.

There are several places of worship scattered over the length and breadth of Gujarat. When a government agency commissions an advertisement for a place of worship considered sacred by people of a particular religion, the choice privileges one section of the community. The ‘Fragrance of Gujarat’ ads, a series of clips starring Amitabh Bachchan have no intention of promoting any other place of worship in the state. There are ads promoting the desert of Kutch and one in praise of the Asiatic Lion, we are told.

The true believer knows where god resides. Those who believe in organized religion are also well aware of the existence of places of worship which their faith venerates. An advertisement for the same, though a lucrative opportunity for those who star in them, are a redundant exercise. Godhra is our collective shame. Let’s not rub salt on barely healed wounds.

Mr Bachchan will endorse anything, as long as he is paid to do so. Broadcasters should pull the plug on this ad and ensure more of its ilk does not pollute the air waves.

Vineetha Mokkil

New Delhi

October, 8, 2010

TAGS

gujarat

Subscribe To The Newsletter

Media Watch Briefs

Amazon resisting voluntary censorship

The new term for self censorship is voluntary censorship, as proposed by companies like Netflix and Hotstar. ET reports that streaming video service Amazon Prime is opposing a move by its peers to adopt a voluntary censorship code in anticipation of the Indian government coming up with its own rules. Amazon is resisting because it fears that it may alienate paying subscribers.

Let the games begin

Clearly, the run to the 2019 elections is on. A journalist received a call from someone saying they were from Aajtak channel and were conducting a survey, asking whom she was going to vote for in 2019. On being told that her vote was secret, the caller assumed she wasn't going to vote for 'Modiji'. The caller, a woman, also didn't identify herself. A month or two earlier the same journalist received a call, this time from a man, asking if she was going to vote for the BSP.