First came the sensational news snippet of "pearls of wisdom" from Nirbhaya rapist, blaming the girl for her brutal rape and murder. I immediately trashed whoever is responsible for the interview, as it was nothing but sensationalism.
Then came the news that it was part of a documentary by Leslee Udwin, of brutal crime against Nirbhaya.
Then came the news that India's Daughter documentary would be shown internationally on Women's Day, and Meryl Streep and Anne Hathway were going to be part of the promotion of the documentary.
Then government stepped in and decided to ban the film for not adhering to clearances.
Then BBC showed its middle finger to Indian government and aired it, despite ban. Fact is BBC did not have adequate clearance to show the movie and the matter was in Court.
Twitter became the debate forum with one side favoring that the documentary should be banned (for promoting criminal's point of view, sensationalizing a sensitive issue, and attempts to show India in a poor light) VS whether documentary should be shown (showing mirror to society, freedom of speech...etc)
I can side with either of the groups. I agree with both point of views. But when I look at the documentary in isolation, there are many pertinent questions to the whole documentary and its promotion.
Why cherrypick a crime?
Nirbhaya's case maybe the most covered crime news story in India, the second may be Noida Double murder. There are many brutal crime cases across India. There are many brutal crime cases across the World.
How can a person just 'pick' a crime and make a documentary out of it and decide that this is the most unique crime documentary that the WORLD has to see? What made Leslee Udwin pick up this story among all brutal stories which need a voice?
December 16th crime was not just among the India's most brutal crime, but it also was most sensationalized one, in India. It was sensationalized by TRP hungry Indian media.
It was picked up by the World because of heavy coverage in India. I am all for covering the story, let the facts out, no matter how uncomfortable. But media enters such a voyeuristic zone, that it's disgusting. Not just in India, content starved, TRP hungry 24X7 media and curious, gossip loving voyeuristic society is a marriage made in hell.
Crime stories are the perfect "candy shop" to the "sweet tooth kid".
It's not hard to see why Leslee Udwin picked up this story for the world to see, is it?
It's not about telling the story of young girl whose life was tragically cut short by brutal psychotic people, it's just about grabbing the eyeballs.
And NDTV's and Leslee Udwin's tweets/retweets and promos about the documentary prove just that. It's less about what the parents felt, about Nirbhaya's life, but more about the "shocking things" that those criminals said. It's this documentary's USP.
It's just sad to see media USE this heinous crime, again and again, for TRPs. It reeks of sensationalism. NDTV has been nothing less than a vulture to milk this, some more.
And unfortunately, this is not the last of it. Because psychopaths are everywhere, in every corner of the world.
The sadistic psychopath's interview -
Much of India's Daughter's promo has come from what the sadistic psychopaths (as seen in promos and retweets) said about that night - that it was her fault, she shouldn't have been out there, etc. I fail to see why you even need to interview such a sadist? Why provide him with a platform to air his disgusting views.
His views are nothing new. That's exactly how psychopaths are. They don't like to take accountability for what they've done. They like to blame others for it. They enjoy
seeing gore. They delight in seeing pain in their victim's eyes. They feel good to see fear in eyes of victims. They have absolutely no empathy for the victim. They don't see their victims as a human but an instrument on which they can carry out their gruesome, gut wrenching, gory acts.
Blaming victim for a crime committed by the criminal is as old as crime itself.
Psychopaths are not like you and me and don't share the same moral values. Their brains cannot process emotions and feelings of others.
What exactly are the makers trying to achieve by interviewing and using their views in this footage.
- To show what kind of monsters they are? Isn't their actions enough to say that?
- To show that they have no remorse? Isn't that obvious? Psychopaths have no remorse because they have no empathy for anyone.
- To use this brutal crime to shame Indian men? That's a very real possibility.
Look at a few of these retweets by Leslee Udwin -
View BBC's own website article.
Jack the Ripper, Zodiac Killer, Ted Bundy, Chris Damler, BTK Killer, Charles Manson...these men....psychopaths feel compelled to carry out violent acts and enjoyed doing them. Can you take such people and call them a reflection of our society? Certainly not.
There are plenty of things wrong with Indian society the way they treat women - aborting fetuses, denying them education (despite Goddess of knowledge being a woman), child marriage, forcing marriage on them, honor killing, saving for her marriage and not education, not allowing her to take decisions regarding her life, dowry, lack of respect for woman of the house, etc. But violent crimes cannot be a reflection of Indian society, it can never be a reflection of ANY society.
Shaming India internationally -
Do check out this blog -
https://mariawirthblog.wordpress.com/2014/01/27/why-this-focus-on-rapes-in-india-by-world-media/
Why should a documentary of a brutal crime by psychopaths, one among MANY being shown globally at such a scale...so much so that BBC, against Govt of India's ban, pre-poned it? Why a documentary of a crime that happened in India, being promoted in US, when the country has seen it's share of gory crimes by psychopaths?
Even UN has reacted to it.
Honestly, it doesn't look like telling the story of a brave girl. I have not viewed the documentary and don't plan to. But my gut feeling and the promos say that it rather looks like using a tragedy to promote an anti-India agenda. I have no issues with telling the world what happened. Use facts. Don't abuse it. Show the crime in isolation and not taint about a country. There seems like an attempt by documentary to show "this is how Indian men are" and not about Nirbhaya or the sick psychopaths.
And the World is surely reacting to it -
Western interest in Indian women is coz West likes to play hero, like most nations. A crime against a woman in West won't generate that amount interest because they believe women in West are empowered and can handle their shit. A crime against a woman in a 3rd World country does, because they believe women being abused, tormented by outdated Eastern philosophies and West wants to play hero in rescuing women from this plight. Same reason, there are many American companies looking to alleviate poverty in Africa. But not many people working to help the poor children in America. But how true is it that notion that Western women victims have it easier than women in countries like India.
Do check out this weblink too - here.
Either ways, India's Daughter has created a lot of controversy and that's perhaps what the people behind the documentary were going for. I don't know Leslee Udwin and can't comment on her...but I don't trust DTV one bit. Everytime I look at NDTV, the only proverb that comes to my mind is - Ghar ka bhedi lanka dhaaye.
Amidst all this controversy, my heart goes out to Nirbhaya's family. Politicians and news channels have used their pain, their daughter's/sister's death while they have to relive those painful moments again and again and again, everytime someone wants to show a "mirror to the society", while they sit back, perhaps wondering when the focus on them would stop, so that they can grieve her loss in peace.
Then came the news that it was part of a documentary by Leslee Udwin, of brutal crime against Nirbhaya.
Then came the news that India's Daughter documentary would be shown internationally on Women's Day, and Meryl Streep and Anne Hathway were going to be part of the promotion of the documentary.
Then government stepped in and decided to ban the film for not adhering to clearances.
Then BBC showed its middle finger to Indian government and aired it, despite ban. Fact is BBC did not have adequate clearance to show the movie and the matter was in Court.
Twitter became the debate forum with one side favoring that the documentary should be banned (for promoting criminal's point of view, sensationalizing a sensitive issue, and attempts to show India in a poor light) VS whether documentary should be shown (showing mirror to society, freedom of speech...etc)
I can side with either of the groups. I agree with both point of views. But when I look at the documentary in isolation, there are many pertinent questions to the whole documentary and its promotion.
Why cherrypick a crime?
Nirbhaya's case maybe the most covered crime news story in India, the second may be Noida Double murder. There are many brutal crime cases across India. There are many brutal crime cases across the World.
How can a person just 'pick' a crime and make a documentary out of it and decide that this is the most unique crime documentary that the WORLD has to see? What made Leslee Udwin pick up this story among all brutal stories which need a voice?
December 16th crime was not just among the India's most brutal crime, but it also was most sensationalized one, in India. It was sensationalized by TRP hungry Indian media.
It was picked up by the World because of heavy coverage in India. I am all for covering the story, let the facts out, no matter how uncomfortable. But media enters such a voyeuristic zone, that it's disgusting. Not just in India, content starved, TRP hungry 24X7 media and curious, gossip loving voyeuristic society is a marriage made in hell.
Crime stories are the perfect "candy shop" to the "sweet tooth kid".
It's not hard to see why Leslee Udwin picked up this story for the world to see, is it?
It's not about telling the story of young girl whose life was tragically cut short by brutal psychotic people, it's just about grabbing the eyeballs.
And NDTV's and Leslee Udwin's tweets/retweets and promos about the documentary prove just that. It's less about what the parents felt, about Nirbhaya's life, but more about the "shocking things" that those criminals said. It's this documentary's USP.
If u can please watch @IndiasDaughter by @lesleeudwin on BBC4 Sunday 8 March, 10pm A shocking but direct article http://t.co/drcJ6F6pTC
— Adam Lannon (@adamlannon) March 2, 2015
"She should be silent and allow the rape." Unbelievable comments from Delhi rape convict in @lesleeudwin documentary. http://t.co/Lgn3PfMd3e
— Aditi Malhotra (@A4iti) March 2, 2015
It's just sad to see media USE this heinous crime, again and again, for TRPs. It reeks of sensationalism. NDTV has been nothing less than a vulture to milk this, some more.
And unfortunately, this is not the last of it. Because psychopaths are everywhere, in every corner of the world.
The sadistic psychopath's interview -
Much of India's Daughter's promo has come from what the sadistic psychopaths (as seen in promos and retweets) said about that night - that it was her fault, she shouldn't have been out there, etc. I fail to see why you even need to interview such a sadist? Why provide him with a platform to air his disgusting views.
His views are nothing new. That's exactly how psychopaths are. They don't like to take accountability for what they've done. They like to blame others for it. They enjoy
seeing gore. They delight in seeing pain in their victim's eyes. They feel good to see fear in eyes of victims. They have absolutely no empathy for the victim. They don't see their victims as a human but an instrument on which they can carry out their gruesome, gut wrenching, gory acts.
Blaming victim for a crime committed by the criminal is as old as crime itself.
Psychopaths are not like you and me and don't share the same moral values. Their brains cannot process emotions and feelings of others.
What exactly are the makers trying to achieve by interviewing and using their views in this footage.
- To show what kind of monsters they are? Isn't their actions enough to say that?
- To show that they have no remorse? Isn't that obvious? Psychopaths have no remorse because they have no empathy for anyone.
- To use this brutal crime to shame Indian men? That's a very real possibility.
Look at a few of these retweets by Leslee Udwin -
@lesleeudwin I hosted a debate on my @bbcasiannetwork show today on the asian community's attitude to women and sexual violence.
— Nihal A (@TherealNihal) March 3, 2015
@lesleeudwin "Rape is a disease of lack of respect for gender. It’s not just a few rotten apples, it’s the barrel itself that is rotten."
— Amber Sofia-H (@AmberSofiaH) March 2, 2015
Is rape and body mutilation a result of gender inequality? No. It's a gory, violent crime committed by psychopaths. A large percentage of psychopaths are men. A tiny percentage of psychopaths are women. Women and children are largely the victims of psychopaths, because they are easier targets. It may also stem from the fact that many psychopaths hate women. A very tiny fraction of victims are men. Psychopaths are born that way. Some are made. It's a combination of bad nature and bad nurture.View BBC's own website article.
Jack the Ripper, Zodiac Killer, Ted Bundy, Chris Damler, BTK Killer, Charles Manson...these men....psychopaths feel compelled to carry out violent acts and enjoyed doing them. Can you take such people and call them a reflection of our society? Certainly not.
There are plenty of things wrong with Indian society the way they treat women - aborting fetuses, denying them education (despite Goddess of knowledge being a woman), child marriage, forcing marriage on them, honor killing, saving for her marriage and not education, not allowing her to take decisions regarding her life, dowry, lack of respect for woman of the house, etc. But violent crimes cannot be a reflection of Indian society, it can never be a reflection of ANY society.
Shaming India internationally -
Do check out this blog -
https://mariawirthblog.wordpress.com/2014/01/27/why-this-focus-on-rapes-in-india-by-world-media/
Why should a documentary of a brutal crime by psychopaths, one among MANY being shown globally at such a scale...so much so that BBC, against Govt of India's ban, pre-poned it? Why a documentary of a crime that happened in India, being promoted in US, when the country has seen it's share of gory crimes by psychopaths?
Even UN has reacted to it.
Honestly, it doesn't look like telling the story of a brave girl. I have not viewed the documentary and don't plan to. But my gut feeling and the promos say that it rather looks like using a tragedy to promote an anti-India agenda. I have no issues with telling the world what happened. Use facts. Don't abuse it. Show the crime in isolation and not taint about a country. There seems like an attempt by documentary to show "this is how Indian men are" and not about Nirbhaya or the sick psychopaths.
And the World is surely reacting to it -
Western interest in Indian women is coz West likes to play hero, like most nations. A crime against a woman in West won't generate that amount interest because they believe women in West are empowered and can handle their shit. A crime against a woman in a 3rd World country does, because they believe women being abused, tormented by outdated Eastern philosophies and West wants to play hero in rescuing women from this plight. Same reason, there are many American companies looking to alleviate poverty in Africa. But not many people working to help the poor children in America. But how true is it that notion that Western women victims have it easier than women in countries like India.
Do check out this weblink too - here.
Either ways, India's Daughter has created a lot of controversy and that's perhaps what the people behind the documentary were going for. I don't know Leslee Udwin and can't comment on her...but I don't trust DTV one bit. Everytime I look at NDTV, the only proverb that comes to my mind is - Ghar ka bhedi lanka dhaaye.
Amidst all this controversy, my heart goes out to Nirbhaya's family. Politicians and news channels have used their pain, their daughter's/sister's death while they have to relive those painful moments again and again and again, everytime someone wants to show a "mirror to the society", while they sit back, perhaps wondering when the focus on them would stop, so that they can grieve her loss in peace.
