The watchdogs of Indian society, social scientists and politicians, who always keep an eye on India’s rating on Human Development Index, are visibly disturbed on the eight Oscars bestowed upon Slumdog Millionaire, the British film on Mumbai’s slum life. They rightly feel concerned at the negative publicity the Oscars may generate for “India Shining” or its new avatar “India Achieving”. But the film fans, easygoing TV watchers and tinsel world day-dreamers are overwhelmed with joy on the unexpected bonanza from earthly heaven of Hollywood. Many Indians – may be millions and trillions – in the depth of their hearts, would imagine with euphoria, putting themselves in the shoes of those odd slum boys and girls who were feted in a dazzling ceremony at Hollywood.
One English daily, in a front page cartoon, depicted Indian voter, whose big day is near at hand, as a hungry dog, who instead of badly needed food, is being offered Oscars by a leading light of ruling party. Thanks to media hype, sentimental satisfaction gets preference over real needs of life. Food for thought may be neglected, food for body may be in short supply but food for recreation, rich on imagination, is a must and its enduring requirement is abundantly available!
Slumdog Millionaire is not only an interesting story created by tinsel world. It successfully brings in sharp focus the depressing conditions in the ever expanding slums of all our metropolitan and large cities. It opens our eyes to the dark reality of lopsided development, exploitation, unjust distribution of wealth and increasing gap between the haves and the have-nots. In big cities 10 to 40 per cent poor are condemned to live in dirt and squalor of slums. Mumbai, the proverbial queen of cities and the country’s largest city, has the dubious distinction of housing Asia’s largest slum, Dharavi. Around 50 per cent Mumbaites are forced to live in slums. Danny Boyle has successfully depicted the painful and disturbing reality of Mumbai’s poor slumdogs. It is not mere coincidence that he chose Jamal Malick, a Muslim character to stress that in democratic India the Muslims have been relegated to the lowest place, as has been documented earlier in the Rajinder Sachar Committee Report. The film should not serve only as a poignant and heart rending story. It should stir the humane sentiments and spur conscientious citizens to work for uplifting about 30 per cent of Indians who are living* a wretched life. Unless we work for improving their lot, our dreams of promoting liberty, equality and fraternity will remain unfulfilled. Let us ensure for every Indian a life of honour, dignity and self respect, otherwise slum dwellers will not be better than slumdogs.