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.
Divya, of course he knows that. That was sort of the point. Please don’t use this post to grind your axe on an unrelated matter. Throughout this comment thread I have become increasingly annoyed by you as I have found you to be 8 parts troll to 2 parts substance.
Abhi – Well if he knows that then my point about hate speech holds. If you don’t agree with my views that’s too bad. I would have expected better from you though than to simply hurl a label at me instead of offering a reason behind your thinking so. This is the second time you have piped up against me without bothering to clarify what your own counter-position against me is. The unrelated matter as you call it is precisely what all of RS’s post is about (and many others’) and I did not see any intervention on your part. I agree it is an unrelated matter and RS too has no business talking about his film. Anyway, I’m done with this post so you can chill.
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. That’s ridiculous. He can make a film about whatever the heck he pleases. One needn’t be an equal-opportunity reporter of travesties inflicted upon the people of the world. That’s like saying if one documented British colonial malfeasance but ignored Dalit claims that the documenters were somehow sham-artists or racists. Also,the man has a Brahmin surname. Does not that make him Hindu? Or are Hindus by definition supporters of whatever political ideology you happen to think sanguine. Or have you been appointed spokesperson for all Hindus, regardless of ideology, caste or political affiliation?
Rakesh Sharma:
It’s not clear to me whether you realised that getting a metaphor wrong can damn the whole output. Also, I am disturbed by the fact that you have not made any documentary on Punjab terrorism, or have you? Why have you not made any films on Kashmiri pundits who are now refugees in their own homeland or about the daily killings of terrorists, security forces or innocents out there? Or on the whole Naxal movement. What about 1984 killings of Sikhs in Delhi, Rakesh? Why haven’t you said anything on that? Have you even considered the oppressive rule of Mughal emperors and the wreckage they created in preBritish times? Your motives don’t look good to me if you can’t make a movie on Aurangzeb’s oppressive jizya tax. And how can you even forget post-Babri masjid demolition riots all over India? Don’t you think it was Muslim’s who instigated the peace loving karsevaks in the demolition? And let me not get started on the mother of all events, 9-11. Every aspiring independent filmmaker worth his salt has a movie touching it. How can you be missing from that list? Atleast when you sport a beard like a Sikh, you have the duty to make a movie on hate-crimes against Sikhs in US post 9-11. Frankly, I am a bit suspicious by the lack of your output on all these burning issues and that itself qualifies as hate speech.
In my book it’s all intellectual dishonesty on your part unless you make movies and documentaries on all these topics. Unless you give equal footage representing the entire strip of United Colours of Benetton, you are just a bleeding-red commie and hence anything you say or show is a lie. And your appeal to justice is a sham.
Dear Divya
Final Solution or Endlosung is a term that originated in Germany in the late 1930s.
As a precursor to Endlosung, during the mid 1930s, the Nazi party unleashed some campaigns – segregation in schools, economic boycotts, making of voluntary ghettos which were then officially converted into the ghettos you must have seen images of. And of course there were the attacks on intelligentsia and anyone who questioned Nazi policies ( like the attack on Prof bandukwala or Mallika Sarabhai)
I saw all these tendencies in Gujarat – the film documents these in fair detail. Have you seen the film yet? Have you travelled in Gujarat recently, especially through smaller towns and tribal areas? And have you been browsing “Hindu” websites? May I invite you to read the Gujarat piece on my blog?
I grew up to believe Hinduism to be inclusive and imbibed its plural ethos. Which is why I have a problem with political parties cynically exploiting religion to grab power. That in the process they try to shove a monotheistic brand of Hinduism down everyone’s throat – Jo hamarey Raam ka nahin hai, woh hamare kaam ka nahin hai…
Finally, whether Vaishnav or Shaivite, whether you pray to a Mother Goddess or worship a tribal deity, whether you offer namaz five times a day or spend your time in a church, whether you are an agnostic or an atheist, I find it hard to believe that any sane person will even remotely try to defend the horrifying multiple rapes and killings of innocent hindus and muslims for electoral gains in Gujarat. I feel all those complicit in the violence against 59 people on the train and during the subsequent carnage must be punished severely – not just their foot soldiers, but their generals and strategists as well. I hope you will join me in my plea for justice for all the victims.
Kind Regards Rakesh Sharma
It’s your attitude. As a commenter pointed out earlier you keep making blunt and over-simplified statements just to get a rise out of the other commenters. It’s fine to be contrarian, but not okay by me at least, to do so without reason. What was your very first sentence on this thread:
That was pretty deep. And then how did you end your first comment?
You already disliked the guy, and I had a suspicion that it was because you probably didn’t like his politics (yes, he isn’t a Hindu Nationalist). You then used the rest of the comment thread to make other bold and sometimes unsupported, one-sentence statements. In comment 63 you interpret someone else’s comment to simplify this to a “commie” issue, and in the very next comment state that you haven’t even read the complaint. Sure I was annoyed by all this but still not enough to call you out on any of it.
When we finally hear about the issue straight from the horse’s mouth, your first comment is to personally attack him by calling him Hindu-hater because of the title of his previous movie.
No. I’ve read his comment three times and the only time he mentions “Final Soultion” is in one sentence where he is recapping his resume. It is true as you say that others (Moornam and Hammer and Sickle) have also tended to be controversial, but I think both of them have spent enough time on this site to know that if you want to be controversial you better put up or shut up.
I’m not trying to be mean and I look forward to your contrarian views on this website. All I am saying is that you can be contrarian while being reasonable and polite at the same time. Or is that too PC? 😉
Witness the thread-jacking that has occured after just one comment. The axes have now come out and the personal attacks shall fly through the air.
I’ve been dipping into this post. But Divya, Suhail – what are you talking about? If I make a film about Hindus getting persecuted by Muslims, are you going to beat down my door telling me why haven’t I made a film about Muslims getting killed by Hindus in Gujarat? I think not.
Even if you did, it’s an idiotic viewpoint.
Haha! So Spielberg is a bastard because he hasn’t made films about the Jews persecuted Jesus? Mel Gibson is a bastard because he hasn’t made a film about Christians persecuting South Americans? In your book, no one can make ANY critical film unless they make films criticising everything else?!
The Gujarat riots were a stand-alone story. Jesus H Christ, you suggested a film about Aurangzeb! Haha! And 9/11 (which happened in India, right?) What the hell has that got to do with anything? Or are you trying to suggest that killing a few thousand innocent people is justfied because some others who follow the same religion killed people? It has no relevance.
I can guarantee you’re not a filmmaker, or you would realise that each film takes time. One simply can’t make films about ‘everything’. This is the most inane argument I’ve ever heard.
My concern would be that this film portrays what happened in Gujarat accurately. It would be a poor and long movie if it tried to detail all Muslim-Hindu problems in India’s history. Likewise, a biased film would be bad. By biased I mean one that lays all blame at the Hindu or Muslim door. But seeing as though none of us have seen it, we can’t judge that.
And lastly, Divya, don’t judge a film by its name. A film made by a Jewish filmmaker about anti-semitism is called ‘The Protocols of Zion’, which is the name of the most famous anti-Jew propaganda of all time. So a film’s title doesn’t necessarily indicate the angle of the movie.
i think Suhail was being sarcastic. but i could be wrong 🙂
Bugger. Probably he was, reading it again. Man it’s the second time I’ve done this. First time was with something razib wrote. I got all hot and bothered and then looked like a dick. I’m good at that. I’ve always maintained – I’m shite at detecting sarcasm on the Internet.
I’ll get my coat.
Rakesh Sharma,
First of all, I was pleased to see that you responded to readers in a public forum. That alone increases your credibility, at least in my eyes, since most jholawallahs rarely come down from their ivory towers to talk to the proletariat, especially dissenters.
You are leftist in your views, so the terms red/commie are apt. This is not about your film Final Solution – it was your supporters on this forum who were alleging that some of us are against you because of this documentary. We never brought it up. Al-Muhajid/Najeeb were the ones who raked this red herring up. Even if you were a VHP mahant or RSS chief, I’ll say the same thing: You are wrong and NYPD is right.
You have a problem with family values now? Please don’t answer this question – the more you say, the more you seem to incriminate yourself.
Sorry – the law is objective. It does not work with “seems” or “maybes” or “could haves” or “should haves”.
So do we, comrade, so do we. Many of us have faced these remarks. The only issue is that we think you are a liar and you are making it up. You know, just the way Arundhati Roy made up rapes in Gujarat that turned out to be false because the said women were in America at that time!!
We’ll be watching this closely. A petition from desis supporting the NYPD is being considered.
Can’t wish you luck, because I want you to lose.
M. Nam
Rakesh Sharma: The movie is not available at blockbuster or other movie rentals. Can you please suggest a place from where we can get this movie. Thanks!
OMG!! Bongsie..you took all that seriously? I expected more from you. It was heavily loaded sarcasm from me. I thought I had already made it explicit.
Anyways, now that you’ve misread it, maybe some other readers will also do so. So let me clarify it. My comment #104 was a straight jab at Divya #100. Read them again. Or for that matter read my other comments on this thread where I’ve engaged Divya. You’ll know my views are diagonally opposite. (ps: You failed to detect it even after Aurangzeb ref’ce? Man you disappoint me or maybe I should really make my jabs more explicit)
mujahid – please drop me a line. will keep all identities in confidence.
Rakesh Sharma
I am not participating in this debate. However, I do have to give you a huge plus marks for participating in a public forum.
My question: Can you please get “Final Solution” movie on netflix. I tried a few minutes ago but could not find in their offerings? It will help your viewership world wide.
So does that mean because you’re right of centre, I can call you fascist? Can I call Condoleezza Rice fascist, she’s ‘rightist in her views’?
Nah, don’t worry – it’s all me. Re-reading it, it’s painfully obvious. I’m just doing 2 things at once and not giving my full attention, which is poor at the best of times. I wish we had the ability to delete our own messages!
The only issue is that we think you are a liar and you are making it up. You know, just the way Arundhati Roy made up rapes in Gujarat that turned out to be false because the said women were in America at that time!!
Moornam: Did Arundhati Roy make this up too,
“Even pregnant women were not spared. In some cases, their bellies were cut open and the fetus was pulled out before the women were killed. A gravedigger at a mass grave site next to the Dariyakhan Ghummat camp in the Shahibaug area told Human Rights Watch: “There were at least three pregnant women and one of the fetuses was partially hanging out. We had to stick it back in before burial. If the fetus was completely removed then we left it out but still buried it with the mother.”
“There are reports everywhere of gang-rape, of young girls and women, often in the presence of members of their families, followed by their murder by burning alive, or by bludgeoning with a hammer and in one case with a screw driver. Women in the Aman Chowk shelter told appalling stories about how armed men disrobed themselves in front of a group of terrified women to cower them down further.”
http://www.hrw.org/reports/2002/india/India0402-03.htm#TopOfPage
“Al-Muhajid/Najeeb were the ones who raked this red herring up. Even if you were a VHP mahant or RSS chief, I’ll say the same thing: You are wrong and NYPD is right.”
Sure. but from the very fact that people started attacking Rakesh Sharma and ‘final solution’ right after that seem to indicate that it wasn’t a wild speculation after all. It is the first time that one of you is saying that your approval to nypd has nothing to do with his politics. Kudos to you!
The only issue is that we think you are a liar and you are making it up
here, you’ve already made up your mind about RS and HIS account of what happened to HIM is a big lie for you. but, then at this point, you lost all your credibility.
I am not participating in this debate.
Why not? You are one of the more thoughtful posters here.
I am more amenable to believing the words of the common man like this grave digger, than the words of Arundhati, Rakesh or HRW.
Bad things happened. Should not have happened.
M. Nam
but, Al-Mujahid, didn’t you know hrw is a leftist/red/commie organization?
I am more amenable to believing the words of the common man like this grave digger, than the words of Arundhati, Rakesh or HRW.
Whats wrong with HRW?
That alone increases your credibility, at least in my eyes, since most jholawallahs rarely come down from their ivory towers to talk to the proletariat, especially dissenters
What the hell is a jholawallahs?
Why not? You are one of the more thoughtful posters here.
Thanks for the compliment. I do not know much about the Gujarat riots except ocasional readings from India Today. Therefore, I have been quiet and listening.
About “soft as well as hard racism” in America – sure, it is very prevalant and should be combatted. Just look around – Rodney King, minorities being pulled over more often, shot without regard for life in law and order situations. We (South Asians/ Indian origin/ whatever moniker) are not innocent either. This said. On prima facie, I have to support Rakesh Sharma even I may (or may not) disagree with him on his politics, art form, temperament, and/ or film-making. In principle, it should not matter whether I like or dislike him. Recently, ACLU defended Rush Limbaugh on his privacy. Our core principles should be color blind, and ideology blind too.
I do agree with Bong that the title of the film does not mean equivalence. Maybe, with exception of Mahatma Gandhi and Bono – people tend to focus on limited issues. Therefore, such expectations are off the mark.
Excellent point.
So Moornam, do you believe HRW or not? Because they got it from a common man.
Rakesh Sharma: Joining others who have said this, I applaud your integrity to come here on a public forum and respond to insinuations. Do let us know where can we watch it.
Al-Muja: jholawallah n. A derogatory reference for leftists. Though in contemporary usage it can be applied to anyone when you want to discredit them. (See also, commie).
Bongsie 🙂
OMG – all this hoopla because I expect a person who talks about social justice to look at both sides of an issue! Did I say he needed to make a film? Or write a book? Where did that come from? Perspective is what it was meant to be about. Does that matter to anyone? Did anyone bother to address any of the other points in my post?
Abhi – I had never heard of RS or his film before. This issue (desis being harrassed) has been addressed in other blogs and I had the same exact stance. I had no idea that calling someone a brat or a commie is considered strong language. Moreover, every single one of the responders against my position used worse language and sarcasm. I did not call RS a hindu-hater. I qualified the title of his film as hate speech. In fact, I gave him the benefit of the doubt because I am still befuddled that such an insinuation is considered normal (and even clever) by some. I guess it makes people feel progressive never mind that another community is demonized in the bargain. The only valid point you make is that I’m new to this site and should perhaps have treaded gingerly to start with and I’ll grant you that.
Rakesh – Thank you for your response but you did not address any of the issues I asked about but never mind. I agree nobody has a right to stuff their version of hinduism down anyone’s throat. I have never been to Gujarat although I recently read a report that it is flourishing beyond belief. I would hope that includes all communities and it would be a shame if it didn’t.
jholawallah n. A derogatory reference for leftists.
Thanks, but I kinda inferred that from Moornams tone. I was curious as to what is the literal meaning of a jholawallah.
Perspective is what it was meant to be about. Does that matter to anyone?
Sure, prespective and context is very important. Like little I know, one cannot equate Gujarat riots to genocide or final solution. It maybe have had the stirrings of a bigger problem lurking – maybe – like Night of the Lost Knives to some degree.
Divya, I will not oppose you in your call for prespective or artistic merit. Criticizing artistic merit should not mean = “you are going down, you are history, man”.
Yaar..Al Muj, tu bhi na…
jhola = bag (tote) wallah = carrier
One who is carrying a jhola
ALM,
Traditonally, communists/ unionists/ social workers in India tend to carry a bag with them always. That is why the term.
Sterotype: Khadi kurta, pajama, and a bag – often from West Bengal
Correction: I meant “Night of the Long Knives”
Sure, prespective and context is very important. Like little I know, one cannot equate Gujarat riots to genocide or final solution. It maybe have had the stirrings of a bigger problem lurking
Frankly, what should be called a genocide and what should not? Is it ok to “bring Gujarat riots up to the level of a genocide” (as a friend told me recently) just so that people sit up and pay more attention? I presonally consider it to be an insult to all the real genocides around the world – anybody have problems identifying them??? If this is again moving away from this thread, feel free to ignore.
My position has always been that since 1984 political killings of Sikhs were about 3 times as large as 2002 Gujarat killings, the 1984 killings should have been described with the “G” word (If the “G” word has to be used). But those who have pure political stance in Indian context never say that, because 1984 was done by Congress and they are supposed to be “secular” and not evil like the other party.
I dont know where Mr.Sharma comes down on this issue and neither do I care. Its just that whenever terms such as “Final Solution” are thrown around, the argument loses credibility in my eyes. (Remember the Daily Show when Jon Stewart pointed out how congressmen were using the Hitler reference both ways) In my opinion its mere sensationalism. Kind of like blaming everything on Micheal Brown of FEMA for whatever happened in New Orleans.
All the above have nothing to do with what happened to Mr.Sharma in New York. Someone clearly explained in one of the comments that RS never broke any law, but purely harassed after being racially profiled. I would like to see everything done to give Mr. Sharma justice. I would love to help also in this. RS’s politics is absolutely IRRELEVANT to the unfortunate experience he had to face in NY. Also I would check out the movie “Final Solution”, may be I can learn something.
Well said RC. Nice summary.
My position has always been that since 1984 political killings of Sikhs were about 3 times as large as 2002 Gujarat killings, the 1984 killings should have been described with the “G” word (If the “G” word has to be used)
I think Delhi was worse than Gujarat because Delhi was the capital city and the seat of the federal government of India. Also as I understand, the Muslim majority ghettos were never attacked in Ahmedabad so Muslims had a place to go while in Delhi no place was safe for the Sikhs. From the reports I have read, Gujarat seemed to be better planned for in advance than Delhi. For example, the state officials studied the voter/municipal lists to identify the Muslim houses in Hindu majority areas before the mob invaded them. This obviously involved more planning. In terms of state participation, I would imagine that Delhi riots were worse and the members of parliament who led the blood thirsty mobs had a higher profile.
That’s RS’s side of the story. He has to prove it. The word, “harassment” has to be defined. Some people consider merely checking of backpacks in subways as harassment. Many others don’t.
If, indeed it can be proven that the police officer used racial slurs, I think we should throw the book at NYPD. If not, RS needs to be taken to court on charges of wrongful defamation of police officers. The said police officers should be compensated for pain and suffering in the amount determined by the court(usually in millions of dollars). If RS cannot pay the amount, all his assets should be confiscated and he should be imprisoned as per international criminal law.
True.
You can learn about Yellow Documentaries, for a start.
M. Nam
RS and others, my comments further are not meant to slander (even if they might sound that way). I mean to take out the truth from our conversation.
After the movie screeings, the collected funds go to SINGH foundation – a close affiliate of Proxa, Ghadar, Ekta and other ‘inquillabi’, leftists Indian organizations. Leftist in Indian context is beyond doubt a communist (Congress is considered centerist, fyi). These organizations are hell bent on to protest against US imperialism in Afghanistan!, Cuba etc. More recently, they have found good fodder from American ulta-leftists. SINGH foundation funds Anand Patwardhan (movie-maker), Teeta Setalvad, Angana Chatterji and other other activists with political leanings.
Putting Gujarat and Gujaratis in bad light has many advantages for various reasons while ignoring some of the 1000x worse places in India – west bengal, bihar. (e.g 70% of muslims in WB live in abject poverty and rest of them barely make it above the poverty line – a communist dictated state for 30 years)
I have to, however, give sincere credit to RS for his movie. It did show some of the nasty things that go on freely in Indian politics (communal speeces etc.). But there are concerns that should have been addressed for a more balanced perspective. Some of the comments I’ve read on other blogs were “The movie shows mere 1 or 2 minutes (out of 180) of Godhra train carnage and in defence of those victims”; “since these types of riots go back in time, why not assess last 50 years”; “rabid Islamic fundamentalism is present throughout India, while in past 15 yrs none of the SINGH foundation/otherwise funded movies address that”;
Other general comments I gathered from other blogs (I think ToI): “why dont you consider Naxalites as terrorits/militants (one reason I have been calling you a communist)“; “why dont you make a movie putting India in good light? You dont go screaming out in the world if you have problems in your personal life, do you?”;
I know these are rhetorics but they do seem to carry some weight in broader context.
For most part, yes. except read comment #48.
You should be able to bribe and get the list in less than half an hour – anywhere in India, even today.
“Anybody who criticizes the president should be sued for pain and suffering! If they can’t pay, they should have hot pokers inserted up their urethra!”
You clearly don’t believe in fundamental American freedoms. There’s a little island below and to the right which would be happy to accommodate your taste for totalitarianism.
I may have missed the chapter of the Constitution that talks about the freedom to slander and defame.
Come on Manish, you can do better than that.
M. Nam
Moornam, I am wondering how much of proof is required to satisfy you, when you’ve already passed the verdict :
NYC has seen a whole slew of weird laws being imposed on its residents in recent years:
People have been ticketed for feeding pigeons, taking up two seats in an empty subway car, a pregnant woman was ticketed for sitting on the subway steps. Another person was ticketed for sitting on a milk carton. More here here…
I’m sure NYPD will produce some obscure law to defeat Mr. Sharma’s lawsuit, to prove that their finest were following the law.
“NYC has seen a whole slew of weird laws being imposed on its residents in recent years:”
Have we already forgotten the Giuliani years? Remember his Nuisance Laws where you had to play your music all soft, and the squeegie guys that he wiped right off the streets, and someone (white, btw) spent an entire night in jail for no reason at all except that she was teetering tottering on her way home, and the red light district that he converted into Disneyland and the 1:00 a.m curfew in all the parks? I’m forgetting many things but pre-911 NYC was already a whole other City from the 80’s where you could hop over to Bryant Park to get your drugs and hang out nude at the Piers.
I don’t know about MoorNam but I am sure RS, given his political leanings, would be in heaven if he ever gets there.
Buddy, you missed the entire Constitution.
After looking at Rakesh’s picture I think the NYPD may have mistaken him to be the Iranian President, scoping out the city for a suitcase nuke 😉
M. Nam Uvacha…
So… is there a link or something or a draft for the petition letter.
M.Nam, who is this “we”? what organization do you represent?
If RS cannot pay the amount, all his assets should be confiscated and he should be imprisoned as per international criminal law.
Geez! I must be playing online pool during the discussion about this interpretation of International (Tort?) Law in Law School. I cant remember any of it.