Our tipline has been buzzing (thanks “mg” and others) with news that Rakesh Sharma, director of the award winning “Final Solution” about the Gujarat riots, is suing the City of New York, and that the NYCLU’s got his back. Here is why:
Rakesh Sharma was filming cars emerge from under Manhattan’s Metlife building in 2005 when he was stopped, questioned, allegedly shoved, and then detained by the NYPD for shooting footage of the building. The cops were suspicious of Sharma’s motives but, after four hours, the director was released and told that he would need a permit if he wanted to do any further shooting.
When Sharma applied for a permit, however, his application was denied because he lacked the proper insurance. Now, represented by the New York Civil Liberties Union, the director (who has won multiple awards for his documentaries) has filed suit against the city’s “police restrictions on taking pictures in public.” Among those named in the suit are the city itself and the commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting. [Link]
Why was Sharma filming cars? Well it will make sense when you know what kind of cars he was filming:
Rakesh Sharma was shooting footage for a film on New York taxi drivers in May 2005 when officers stopped him…“It’s a sad day when the police think they can detain and mistreat someone simply for making a film on a public street in New York City,” Mr Sharma said on Tuesday.
“I co-operated with them and answered all their questions, but they treated me like a criminal. It was wrong, and I was scared and humiliated,” he said. [Link]
A blogger at Mediabistro quips:
Honestly, if the cops in New York start arresting Indian guys with cameras, they’re going to have to shut down all of Sixth Avenue. We’re officially scared.
I’m hoping that DNSI’s Valarie Kaur might leave a comment and shed some light on this for us. She has recently been filming in New York City as well. I wonder if she was similarly hassled.
Update: Both Rakesh Sharma and Valarie Kaur were kind enough to respond to this post.
You can sign the petition to protest his arrest here.
Around the same time, South-Indian film star Kamal Hasan was detained at another airport, for no other reason than having a muslim-sounding name. He is also supposed to have told immigration officials he was entering the US (from Canada) for a “shooting” (as in desi speak ‘film shooting’)…
rriiighhhttt….and what rules would those be exactly in this case?
ps: i’ll ignore the rest of your rant.
Not obtaining a permit to film beforehand…? Lacking proper insurance to obtain permit?
M. Nam
oh ok….u meant those legally required rights for what he was doing huh? u forgot not obtaining a permit to fart in that list….
And YES, George Fernandes PROTESTED enough to get OFFICIAL APPOLOGY from US
That is what one gets being DESI in the post 9/11 US. Not even people with dimplomatic immunity are spared.
RC,
George Fernandes did not contact the ACLU and sue the DC Airport authorities for the incident. The only thing he said is: “I would not like to visit the US in future.” It was the Indian embassy that protested and got the apology.
If Rakesh Sharma had said gracefully: “I can’t stay in a country where there is no freedom to shoot without permit or insurance. I’m leaving and I won’t return” I would have commended him. But he is misusing the ACLU (which was created to protect citizens) to sue American citizens while being a foreigner himself.
Using freedom to destroy it – it’s been tried before in history.
M. Nam
I dont think you read my comment’s first bullet. A sitting Defence Minister of a major powers of the world doesnt need to go to ACLU. Just 55 years ago this kind of shit caused 2nd world war.
wow. you need to send a mail to the ACLU pointing out to them how they were “created” to protect citizens. and how they’re being exploited by this disgusting foreigner. you need to gently guide them towards the straight and narrow. thank god there’s someone looking out for the ACLU!!!!
ps: in case you missed it, i was being sarcastic in the previous post too. he did not need permission for what he was doing. have you even read the full account?
But he is misusing the ACLU (which was created to protect citizens) to sue American citizens while being a foreigner himself.
The American Civil Liberties Union cares about, advocates for and fights for the rights of all people in the United States irrespective of their citizenship status. Here is the ACLU link for rights of non citizens:http://www.aclu.org/immigrants/index.html
P.S. For some wise guy who would point out the difference between a tourist (non-immigrant) and immigrants, the ACLU does indeed fight for the rights of non immigrants like students on visas, people on work visas, illegal aliens and others.
Stay in your own cave and feel free to rant and rave from there. Don’t come to a foreign country, show callous disregard for rules, and then misuse the venues that those countrymen have created for citizens to sue the country’s citizens while holding the passport of your own country.
Moornam: In THE United States of America, all people irrespective of their citizenship status are for most part equal in the eyes of law. The very reason that courts are allowed to have jurisdiction over cases filed by foreigners is because the Constitution and the law makers want to give the ability to all people to seek redress in a court of law. If the democratically elected legislators wanted to deny non citizens access to courts, they could easily do so.
the law-and-order types would do well to read the actual complaint, which abhi helpfully linked to at the start of the post.
simple question: did rakesh break the law by filming?
answer, per the complaint: the city states that “filming on public property” requires a permit. however, it does not define the boundaries of “filming.” rakesh was using a hand-held video camera. it’s a fact that tourists are not arrested for using camcorders. why would rakesh reasonably expect that his case was any different from an ordinary tourist filming with a hand-held device?
simple question: did rakesh break the law after being accosted by police, or did he in any way fail to cooperate with police or give police any reasonable cause to treat him in a peremptory and disrespectful manner?
answer: no. meanwhile, the police treated him in a manner that strongly suggests ethnic or racial discrimination. (see the text of the conversation as related in the complaint.)
question: well, what about the specifics of the case. he was filming a tunnel and a skyscraper, wasn’t he?
answer: so what? if the city doesn’t want people to take photographs or videotape of tunnels and skyscrapers, let it impose a uniform rule to that effect. many countries (india for example) have laws that prohibit photographing any number of locations. if you impose a clear rule and enforce it uniformly, people can complain about whether the rule is justified in the first place, but they can’t complain about it being enforced.
question: well, shouldn’t rakesh have realized that as a south asian, he was bound to get in trouble of some sort; therefore he should just take his lumps and not file suit?
answer: either you are against discrimination, or you are for it.
That is not true. People are deported every year on legalities. A citizen cannot be kicked out of a country if incarcerated, a “resident” without citizenship can. Basic human rights might be the same but legal rights are not.
Thanks Moornam and HammerSickle for hightlighting that this is basically an airheaded commie issue. These guys have a real talent for capitalizing on righteous indignation for their maximum personal benefit. I’m beginning to be suspicious of Valerie Kaur too. Just checked out her website and (sniff, sniff) she’s upset that desis are typically asked about their country of origin whereas her Aussie roomate is not!! If anyone had the remotest sense of justice they would defer to the Native American opinion on this matter instead of being indignant that this country is regarded as white man’s land where her 3rd generation Sikh identity is not given due recognition.
Siddhart_M – I’ll confess I haven’t read the complaint, but it is not enough to read the plaintiff’s side. The Answer to the complaint may well tell an entirely different story. Let’s not be too hasty in saying this is pure discrimination. Why should the benefit of the doubt go to RS? One cannot randomly rule out the possibility that he could actually have been a terrorist. Besides others on this thread have said that they were filming and were not harrassed.
divya:
i agree with you. but that is precisely what the court system is about. a venue where both sides can air their story, and a judgment can be made. in turn, this will set useful precedent and hopefully reduce the chances of such incidents happening in the future, either by giving clear reasons to would-be videotapers to refrain from filming, or by giving clear reasons for police to allow such filming. dismissing the suit as frivolous amounts to pre-judging the case. and, i do recommend you read the complaint.
i want to ask you what you mean by this. it’s a theme you’ve sounded more than once, i believe. i read it as meaning: “since white people in america killed off the native americans, why should we expect, or ask, them to treat anyone else as well as they treat one another?”
did i get the jist of it right? if not, can you clarify?
peace
Can I have a final word from you whether he violated any law or not? Without that we are pretty much talking past each other.
Read yr comments (esplly, to Amardeep, #22). I hope I didn’t render yr stance incorrectly if that was the basis of your ignoring it.
No, I am saying the search/general enquiry could’ve happened to anyone. And let me clarify, I am not against that too. If a police thinks he is seeing suspicious activity he has the right to question in a decent manner within the guidelines of the law. But the subsequent humiliation was because of his brownism. That I am opposed to. And I am opposed to if the officers later ask me to stop clicking after the questions have been answered to their satisfaction, and I have co-operated with them.
And I’m glad to note that you didn’t ignore them. Peace.
Thanks AMfD for the links and Siddhartha for summing it all up.
he didn’t expect that. he tried to provide proof to the contrary by giving phone numbers and suggesting the simplest possible thing. i.e. a google search on his name. all his requests were denied.
absolutely. but unlike you, at least people have taken the trouble to read what IS available at the moment before passing comments on the issue. the comments have been based on the account provided. people have been talking about an issue here, given a specific set of facts. if those facts are proven to be false, that would change everything.
BongBreaker,
I agree about all the desis in the Canary Wharf area, although despite the fact that I was suited-and-booted, I was also slightly flustered (due to not wanting to be late for my meeting and the fact that I was lost) and told both the shop staff and the police that I couldn’t find the exit to one of the most well-known investment banks in the world — which is also probably one of the prime terrorist targets there — no doubt all this made me look a bit supicious.
I haven’t been to that particular train station recently but have seen the various reports on the news. I’m not sure how practical it will be — considering the impossibility of scanning absolutely everyone, airport-style, especially during the morning & evening rush hours — but it’s a good idea anyway.
Regardless of whether we’re talking about the UK or the US, it would be unwise for the police to focus purely on brown-looking people who they suspect of acting suspiciously, considering the number of white & black Muslim converts around, plus of course the jihadists will amend their strategy and use non-desi people for their purposes (ie. as “mules”) if they see that only Asian-looking individuals are being targetted. We’ve all talked about this on SM previously anyway.
Why? did she violate some laws? or are you just suspicious of anyone who asserts the issue of their civils rights?
“want to ask you what you mean by this. it’s a theme you’ve sounded more than once, i believe. i read it as meaning: “since white people in america killed off the native americans, why should we expect, or ask, them to treat anyone else as well as they treat one another?”
That must have been another Divya since I’m new to this board. But no, that’s not what I meant at all. What I mean is: if anyone is entitled to this land it is the Native Americans. A desi cannot claim entitlement to this land just because the whites claim it. That’s as far as the entitlement argument goes. The other argument is the PC (commie) one. Everyone must be perceived equally. I don’t buy this either. People will always be perceived differently and if a Sikh gets asked where she’s from it’s no biggie. Vive La Difference! I know many Americans who are practicing Hindus who complain about not being accepted (enough) by Indians. But Indians are all minorities and we don’t make this into an issue. Gujjus don’t complain that the Punjabis don’t accept them and Malyalees don’t care that the Marathis are too whatever. The Indian model can serve as a huge example to the world instead of desis incorporating unnatural ideologies like communism and reducing everyone down to the lowest denominator.
That is not true. People are deported every year on legalities. A citizen cannot be kicked out of a country if incarcerated, a “resident” without citizenship can. Basic human rights might be the same but legal rights are not.
That is why I said for the most part and did not use absolute terms. When we speak about actions which are proscribed, for the most part it does not matter whether you are a citizen or not.
The other argument is the PC (commie) one. Everyone must be perceived equally. I don’t buy this either.
Interesting.
A desi cannot claim entitlement to this land just because the whites claim it
Divya: If you are an American citizen, do you believe that you are entitled to the same rights that White Americans enjoy?
I dont like Rakesh Sharma’s politics, but his complain is still valid. He may be seeking attention, but it wouldnt have happened without the police cooperation in this case. Also how the hell is a tourist supposed to know where he can use a camera.
Miss Janet,
Apparently, you have not heard of Bobby Fischer. Some excerpts from his Wikipedia site. At one time, he used to the World Chess Champion from US of A. An All-American Dude.
On July 13, 2004, Fischer was arrested at Narita International Airport in Narita, Japan near Tokyo for allegedly using a revoked U.S. passport while trying to board a Japan Airlines flight to Ninoy Aquino International Airport near Manila, Philippines. Fischer used a genuine passport that the U.S. Embassy in Bern, Switzerland issued to him in 1997, but which was revoked in 2003 after George Bush’s son became president. It has been reported that Fischer traveled frequently between Tokyo and Manila using his U.S. passport in Clinton Presidency years.
.
Al Mujahid – It’s very very interesting to say the least. Deserves a long, close, hard look. And no, it does not mean some people have the right to trample over others. That’s the system we live in now anyway perhaps because of this equality nonsense and not in spite of it. Anyway, I don’t want to hijack this thread entirely so perhaps we will get another opportunity to discuss it.
I was wondering why the RSS types hate Rakesh Sharma. So I googled him and found the reason for this hatred.
Divya: I was being facetious with my interesting comment. What I meant was ‘ROFLMAO’.
mujahid, don’t you get it? inequality is the result of equality. in other news, war is peace; ignorance is truth; and all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.
see y’all on another thread.
peace
“war is peace; ignorance is truth; and all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.”
This is precisely the world we live in unfortunately. Or haven’t you noticed?
This is precisely the world we live in unfortunately. Or haven’t you noticed?
And you seem to be very content with the way it is.
Most American are generally tolerant. We, as South Asians can thank the Civil Rights movement for that.
Reverse the sitaution, a couple of Caucasians crash a plane deliberately somewhere is South Asia and kill a few hundred people. Do you think a white dude will walk around in Gateway of India taking pictures? the mob will beat him to death before the police can get to him.
4 1/2 years later?
Are you seriously arguing the U.S. should emulate the Indian justice system?
– Are you seriously arguing the U.S. should emulate the Indian justice system?
Absolutely not….My argument is that we cannot take anything for granted.
“Do you think a white dude will walk around in Gateway of India taking pictures? the mob will beat him to death before the police can get to him.”
I will protest that too. Nobody is saying that any other part of the world is better in this regard, but many of us happen to live here and this baseless scrutiny of non-whites is outright racial profiling and is against the constitution of the united states itself. Some of us are not willing to lay down our rights because some nuts who ‘looked’ like us flew a plane into a building.
AM, yes, the rss folks would like to lock RS up for the rest of his life for what he has done through ‘final solution‘.
Bong Breaker, when I said overbearing governments vs the proleteriat, I was being sarcastic- perhaps you missed it? Yes, I am sure he is a “nice guy”- I keep hearing the same no offence intended, about others who constantly rage against “imperialists”, “communalists”, insert ist of your preference, on a personal level, but scratch the surface and all the “rage” against the “system” boils out. And then they tend to get very nasty very fast, and the impression changes. I dont find it surprising it all that RS would have created a stink- I have been around a heck of a lot of leftists and communists, and all they can do is create a mountain out of a molehill. As is being made out of this case.
Najeeb,
I have seen parts of final solution, and while I am no fan of the RSS etc, at times I had to roll my eyes at the “editorial slant” being given- wonder when RS will make a movie on the likes of the LET or Tableegh. As far as the RSS would like to lock up RS, I’d sure assure you a lot of us would like to lock up the Deoband ulema who gave a verdict on the Imrana case. But India is a democracy, so everyone moves along and individual opinions dont matter unless the state deems it absolutely necessary to intervene…
Cheers.
Watch out this space for updates on how Indian communists will cheer RS for sueing the imperialist world.
Akash, i have no problem if he makes a movie on LET or tableegh, though both are two different types of organizations. Tableegis cannot be compared to RSS, as Tableegis are fundamentalists (in the sense that they want to follow islam to the word of prophet and koran with no room for interpretation) who work to spread the word of Islam but they are non-political. they are not known to be part of any communal issues to my knowledge – they could be compared more to christian missionaries. As per LET, nobody thinks that they are a harmless organization, even at the government level there is a recognition that they are a terrorist org and they are dealing with it. But with regards to rss and Gujarat and there is a lot to be learnt and exposed – ‘final solution’ does a good job at that. if you think what happened in Gujarat isn’t a well planned pogrom with eerie similarities to nazism, you need to pay closer attention to the details. I don’t think justice has been served in Gujarat and any attempt to portray the attrocities deserve attention. With respect to your question about why they don’t make any movies against muslim terrorists – my simple answer is that do you need a film to believe that there are muslim extremists? It is like asking Michael Moore to make a movie about al-qaeda.
While RSS would only be content with locking him up. Imagine what his situation would have been if he made a movie about naxalite violence or spread of ISI cells in Hyderabad and other districts of telangana.
And he sure looks like an Arab with his beard….
“And he sure looks like an Arab with his beard….”
it should be okay then. Sikhs look closer to Osama than most muslims, so it should be fine to harass them as well.
The only ‘good job’ there is of spreading lies and mis-informing people. While what happened in Gujarat is undeniably condemable but it is an exaggeration to compare it to genocides in Sudan. This post might help, unless you have already made up your mind. For this reason, it is hard for me to assume he is not lieing/exaggerating on this incident also.
In case you meet RS in person, just ask him about the ‘solution’ his movie proposes – he will fumble like a lier/politican would. I have tried it.
yes, I am willing to analyze the facts in ‘Final Solution’. First of all, you are being deceitful in your post when you name a link ‘indian express’ while the article points to Sulekha.com. Except that article in Sulekha by someone who thinks Modi is harmless, I haven’t seen a single place where the text book issue has been disputed. The book was introduced by modi govt in the beginning of school year and it has been withdrawn since after the protest. This is the information I can gather from everywhere, including Guardian, TOI, and other sources. In terms of the actual number of death, 2000 is independently confirmed by human right report. That has been the unofficial estimate quoted by major newsmedia everywhere. Govt. numbers in riots have always been inaccurate in India. If these were your reasons to dismiss ‘Final Solution’, it is pretty pathetic.
Rakesh Sharma’s account of the incident
I don’t see anything wrong with the cop’s motives. Take a look at this article.
Should Photography be Illegal?
Spanish bombers conducted video surveillance
AlQaeda in singapore conducted video surveillance
A policeman can’t find a solitary man taking a video of a large building and the traffic on the street for over half an hour suspicious.. that too in NY after 9/11? I don’t see a racist motive at all.
Of Course!! He denied it.. oh wait, he denied it firmly and.. he was also shocked; the police should’ve just believed him. Det. Elimeyer (a Jewish racist?) trusted this guy enough to let him keep the bag and camera even though he was being detained and as soon as the Detective stepped away, Sharma tried to tamper with the evidence (in the police officer’s view). Was the cop unreasonable to think so? May be I am being too hard on Sharma, he was just an ignoramus with no appreciation for police procedure. If he hadn’t pulled that stunt, I am sure that more of his time wouldn’t have been wasted.
That’s a picture of a reasonable and likeable cop… and this is coming from the plaintiff.
Najeeb, the link is correct – it opens IE page through sulekha banner and has credible information. The reason HRW-US is questionable is because HRW in India is controlled by a very strong communist lobby. HRW-India feeds information directly to other HRWs abroad. Moreover, HRWs are not civil courts but mere reports. Ones guilt cannot be proven just by HRW reports. I, however, agree that there are some genuine facts in HRW reports. One also has to take into account that Surat (in Gujarat) is a hub for international Islamic fundamentalism (read the comments on my post).
By not taking Govt. information as official for the number of dead, I suppose you wont be using any other Govt. released information either.
Personally, I dont care what happens to Modi. What I am concerned about is that the communists have used riots to their advantage just because there are more non-Hindus dead than Hindus this time around unlike any other time in the past. I have never even heard hissing by commies in the past when the situation was other way around.
Najeeb,
The Tableegh is political- they routinely excoriate hindu customs and beliefs, while asking for Muslims to vote for x,y,z- they know where to push what. Furthermore, the RSS despite its skepticism/ cynicism about Muslims has not asked for RS’s head- you might be confusing them with the VHP/ BD who despite their strong arm tactics, havent either. And heres the thing- these guys were barely a pipsqueak a few years back…what gave them power? The fact that the political community namely the Cong-I and others routinely sidestepped issues about orgs like the Tableegh, fundamental boards like the AIMPLB and the Shah Bano verdict…
I find it amazing that you are giving the Tableeghis the go-by while saying that the Tableeghis cant be compared to the RSS. I have seen Tableeghis, heard their views and seen how much they respect other religions in India. They dont.
Furthermore, you are referring to HRW and the Guardian- may I point out that these two, as well as Amnesty are widely discredited in India by “non RSS” types? The National Human Rights Commission is Now you are pointing out that parallels to fascism and the RSS etc- sorry, but that remains hyperbole. I would say that those people who provoked the riots by burning those people inside the train (and lets not even go into the politically motivated judicial enquiry which tiptoed around the whole issue) were equally culpable!
The 2000 figure is bunkum. Please look up the figures tabled in the Indian Parliament. They were in the few hundreds and the numbers of Hindus who died were slightly greater (probably due to police firing towards the end when KPS Gill was brought in).
And that entire bit in the “Final solution” about the Indian nuclear bomb coming from Hindu extremism and the like- does RS even realise the security threat India is under? That is what I find particulary deplorable- that a man in the need for his ideological proof, disingenuously labels an entire nations security threat as a bygone, and proceeds to link it with fascism.
And btw, what has RS done within India- all he is doing is globetrotting, accepting sundry awards and is basking in the plaudits of having exposed the perils of Indian fascists. If anything, the hypocrisy in his actions is palpable.
BTW, the text book issue is pure agit propoganda- I have read the relevant chapters- they should be available online, and nowhere does it praise Hitler. It seems to be the typical ripoff the usual WW2 bit which mentions that the harsh measures of Versailles made Hitlers job easier, and frankly, any historian worth his salt would admit that Hitler, despite his genocidal traits- was a charismatic speaker, and managed to whip Germany’s industry into shape. Just because the textbook came out under the Modi Govt, its being tom tommed.
Frankly, if you or I want him out, we should cite his failure at preventing violence, not come up with such farcical issues because he needs to be portrayed as the Antichrist or somesuch thing.
The statement in the above should read: “The National Human Rights commission’s figures directly contrast with those of HRW for instance over J&K; the HRW takes all accusations and tabulates them, without verifying them to the max instance possible.”
Oh btw, I dont know much about rss/vhp other than whats in the media. I consider most of the news about them to be correct. I’m, however, cautious when it comes from a communist source. I think communism has a clear anti-Hindu stand which bothers me, an average Hindu.
Dear All
Someone forwarded me this link – it has been extremely enlightening to read some of the comments here.
I filed a complaint almost immediately (the first working day)after the incident; NYCLU and I have spent the last few months researching, drafting and exhausting the ‘due process’. There are some on this forum who’d like to defend the actions of the NYPD but I respectfully disagree. There are some who liberally use terms like red/commie etc to question my credibility and then there are the usual insinutations about my film FInal Solution.All I’d say is if you haven’t seen the film, please see it. And if you have seen the film and have some queries, I’d only be too glad to answer those. Someone suggested that he asked me a question and I did not have any clear answers. I plead guilty. The most asked question is : What do you think is the final solution to these problems. I always respond by saying I have none, that I feel it lies inside each one watching the film or reading about the issue or discussing it. All I want to say as a film-maker is that we seem to be living in a world governed by politics of hate and intolerance and we must all intervene or else it will be too late. The nature and degree of the involvement is for you to decide (email campaigns, volunteering your time or money or even speaking to your own family and friends etc), but please do intervene. I believe silence or inaction amounts to complicity. To me the central question is : Can politics of hate and intolerance be the basis for the creation of a harmonious society and a robust democracy? Such politics is no longer confined to South Asia or the Middle East. Europe and USA have seen an upsurge in the last decade or so. Whether it is an anti-immigrant sentiment or an emphasis on “family values” and intelligent design or the fundamentalist upsurge in the Andijan valley in Uzbekistan – we are increasingly looking at a world threatened by such politics. Would I like to bury my head in sand? Would I like to froth and fume while accusing the “other” and hence justifying any barbarism (Gujarat, the invasion of Iraq, Gitmo, Al Qaeda beheadings)? Or should I use my skills as a film-maker to raise some questions, agitate some minds and ‘intervene’, albeit in a very small way? My choice might offend some, leading them to disagree, sometimes hurl invectives or make unsustantiated allegations, but thats the very nature of Democracy! Even if I find it to be in bad taste or misinformed sometimes, I uphold your right to criticise my work. In return, please do not grudge my right to comment on issues that interest or affect me.
I live in India. Terrorism is no stranger to us. I have filmed in Punjab during 1990-91, on the Indo-Pak border several times, in Orissa/Bihar/ Jahrkhand etc. I’ve also been filming in UK and Paris recently (after the riots). Never in the course of my filming have I ever been harassed in this manner. Like all of you here I had two choices – grin and bear it or protest.
The “law” in NY is that if a film crew is likely to disturb motor or pedestrian traffic or endanger someone in the process of shooting, he/she must apply for a filming permit. I work alone, with a tiny, hand-held tourist grade camera. It’d seem I did not need a permit. Univ of Columbia and New School, NY had invited me to screen Final Solution the evening before. They were my hosts in the city. Upon being approached by the detective, I handed over my ID, offered to put him in touch with my hosts who could allay any apprehensions about my credentials etc. I believe I was more than reasonable and co-operative. I consider his remark – “we know how to deal with you guys, asshole” to be racist in nature. While some of you think I should not protest against such racism, I once again differ.
I had and have no interest whatsoever in the Metlife building; I was filming yellow cabs in the traffic, and that too, several blocks away. There were no signs restricting photography and I saw several non-Asians walking around with cameras in Manhattan; I did not see anyone being accosted by NYPD.
Since I was returning to NY in Nov and wanted to resume shooting, this time, as advised by the legal team, I applied for a permit, which was denied. I was asked to get an insurance package of the kind big Hollywood productions, TV dramas etc need to get (as they have a huge cast/crew and disrupt traffic and could possibly endanger people). The premium alone on the insurance package is approx $100,000. This to me and to NYCLU is an infringement of the right to free speech. For them, it is an issue of constitutional import. Such prohibitive costs deter independent film-making and journalism. Add to it the fact that no city agency actually is clear about the film permit policy – NYCLU would like the city to clarify and amend the policy, if necessary. For me, it is an issue I am deeply involved with, as one of the founder-members of the Campaign against censorship in India and as a signatory against any form of censorship in media worldwide. Last year, the UK-based global Index on Censorship invited me to share my experiences and to felicitate the Final Solution campaign against censorship. (http://www.indexonline.org/en/awards/2005/awardslist.shtml).
For the record, I am a self-financed independent film-maker. I am yet to join a political party or an activist group. If I ever do so, I’ll definitely let members of this forum know. I’m fairly liberal with copyright – since I did not take anyone’s funding, all rights belong to me. I actively encourage anyone – red, pink, yellow or green to screen my work and hold discussions. Final Solution is currently being dubbed in Kannada and Gujarati. According to rough estimates, there are over 100,000 copies in circulation, most of it spurred by my campaign within India in 2004: Pirate-and-Circulate (get a free copy if you promise to make at least 5 copies and circulate them further to people who’ll make more copies). The kannada and gujarati versions will have 5K and 10K copies respectively – to be distributed free of cost as a part of this campaign in 2006. All this is funded by my award money, contributions from friends and DVD and institutional sales etc.
Thank you for your patience in reading this post and for your impassioned responses that I read here.
Rakesh Sharma
ps – Those who want to read more about my analysis of the events in Gujarat can read the piece I wrote for India Today’s special issue in end-December 2005. rakeshindia.blogspot.com has this piece as well as another arguing a case against CBFC (the Indian censor board).
thank you for this, rakesh. good luck with the complaint.
Rakesh Sharma:
It’s not clear to me after reading your post if you are aware that “Final Solution” is a term commonly used to refer to the complete elimination of the Jewish race from the planet. This is how the term is generally understood anyway. This was a large-scale, state sponsored well-planned scheme undertaken by the Nazis spanning several years. By using such a title for your film you are insinuating that Hindus are busy planning the extermination of Muslims. Was this your intention? Do you this it is an accurate depiction of Hindu mentality – even Hindutva mentality? What is your response to the claim that Hindu militancy is a response to Muslim aggression against Hindus?
In my book your choice of the title for your film alone qualifies as a form of hate speech against Hindus. All the worse because it is an outright, manipulative lie So what’s in it for you? Are you seeking justice in the world? If that’s the case, have you made any effort towards highlighting the problems suffered by Hindus at the hands of Muslims? If not, then your appeal to justice is a sham.