‘What About Our Men?’ The Govt. of India needs to answer it.

Dear people, it has been a very difficult journey for me since past three years, striving to make the film happen. It is important for the Sikh community, to stand up against injustice, the way we have been standing up for India. The way we once stood against the oppression of Aurangzeb fighting the battle of truth and identity. The reason I choose to make the film happen is to get our story to the world. This was not riots, this was a genocide. The government needs to accept that. I want the film to stand for each one of us against racial discrimination against religious discrimination. It concerns me when Sikhs are mistaken as Arabs, or when in France turban is banned, this clearly indicates that our identity and our culture is not known to the world. We need to tell more stories around the same. This film aims to bridge these gaps.It took me long to write this to you, but alas it reaches you all!

 

This is an upcoming documentary film on the aftermath of massacre of 1984 that happened after the Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s death in New Delhi.

 

I am glad to say that my contribution is also there in making this documentry, thanks to Teena Pasricha. It couldn’t be possible to shoot and record agony of victims of 1984 without her kind efforts, she went door to door and interviewed, some quarrelled, many demanded money and talked rudely when not paid as she was not there to distribute money or provide any financial aid but she was there to record them and the present it to world which she successfully presented.

it didn’t end here but she asked their present difficulties like she was amused to see that being living below the poverty line, the victims of 1984 were compelled to shell out Rs.2/- for each time they use a toilet means more than Rs. 10/- from each family had to be paid to use these toilets which they are not able to afford?

And i was shocked to know that the family members of President of gurdwara of Sardar colony of sector 23, Rohini, were the king pins to charge this amount with consent of the contractor of toilets.

To hell with him, i remember he quaralled with me on demand of money, when i refused and replied that the girl is here to present your troubles to world and inform them of your hard living, he was not bothered. In a fit of anger, he asked us to leave the colony but somehow he was over powered by me and he left the place. 

It shows their lust of money. 

My hats off to this little girl, i am really proud of her.

 

Ajmer Singh Randhawa

 

The largest democracy of the world still fails to provide justice to the victims of 1984 Sikh riots. One generation was lost to State organized massacre and the other is being lost to drugs!

”On Oct. 31, 1984 the Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was shot dead by her bodyguards who were Sikhs. In the next three days, mobs killed more than 3000 Sikhs in Delhi and rest of India. The unofficial numbers state more than 30,000 Sikhs were killed in different parts of India. This was a State organized massacre as the courts remained closed during the four days of violence. Some questions which still remain unanswered are; Why were the ministers, judges, babus not in public office during those days? How did the killers of innocent men have voters list in their hands? Why did the Indian Army arrive on the third day and not before that? Why are the victims deprived of justice even after decades? How can the accused not just walk scot-free but also come to power?”

Speaking to The South Asian Times about the inspiration behind making the documentary film,  ‘What about our Men?’, Teenaa says, ‘I grew up listening to the angry stories from my mother about 1984, but was not quite sure why and what had happened. The only thing I was certain of was that something was gravely wrong. My uncle was traveling in a train to Patni in Madhya Pradesh, when his hair was cut forcefully but he managed to escape. Though he managed to live but could never come to terms with the loss of his identity. My family could never forget this violence. I grew up hearing this story of pain and helplessness.’

She further adds, ‘This documentary shows young men whose fathers were killed in the massacre of 1984. I chose young men in their late twenties as the principal characters to understand if the massacre has any affect on the people who were barely born at that time.The documentary trails lives of the widows who though illiterate are the sole bread winners of the family as their sons have taken to drugs and do not work. The story unfolds in layers and many subtle things about the identity of Sikhs come to focus. This is the story of one generation lost to massacre and another being lost to drugs!,”

Teenaa Kaur Pasricha was born in Ajmer and is currently involved in working on environment issues for a National TV Show. Amongst her prominent films is the one on the theme of environment-friendly crafts that was broadcast on National Geographic and Fox History channels recently.

Her debut documentary, ‘Hola! The Mighty Colors’ was screened at Sikh International Film Festival, New York.

The documentary film, ‘What about our Men?’ was selected for DOCEDGE, 2012

Teenaa is currently looking for people who can help her screen this film in the US and Canada. She can be reached at teenaakaur@gmail.com. www.whataboutourmen.wordpress.com; www.greenearthpictures.in

Courtesy: Teena Kaur