By Nelson Lopes Chinchinim - Goa

Goa, Aug 9: Prakash Jha's film 'Aarakshan', starring Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone, Manoj Bajpai and others, though cleared by the censor board established by law, has been running into controversies.
 
The politicians have prejudged the issue, appointing themselves as 'super censor'. In India the politicians have no respect for established institutions. Where is the scope for the arbitrary decision for the politicians to override the expert opinion of the censor board? There is no talk about division of opinion among the members of the censor board. With their experience and expertise they have passed the film without even suggesting cuts.
 
Prakash Jha has successfully explored new issues sensibly in the past without any uprising and raising of passions.
 
The issue of reservation initially was for a period of 10 years. It is now over six decades but the reservations issue is becoming intense day by day. There is no doubt that certain class of Indians need special measures for upward movement on the social ladder. But extending this idea to ridiculous limits for vote gathering has its repercussions too.

Merit cannot be totally sacrificed at the altar of expediency, without alienating the intelligent group of students left out high dry for want of place to pursue their avowed vocational and professional preferences. Even in higher levels of education, reservation and not merit is playing havoc with mediocracy. What happens by putting square pegs in round holes? Does it not lead to frustration of talent?
 
Indians are leaving the shores for higher studies elsewhere. The issue of reservation and increasing the quota for various castes and section is enlarged without taking into consideration the right of those entitled on merit. The government, while increasing the seats of reservation must separately create intake capacity to accommodate them. The progress and development cannot be achieved by mere reservation alone. Nobody objects that these sections of population, disadvantaged financially, be given financial assistance, hostel facilities and special coaching to come to the desired level of competition. Nowhere in the world mere caste, tribes are favoured for preferential admission without qualifying standards.
 
The film is a bold attempt to highlight the pent up feelings of frustration of a vast majority left out in the cold of general category of the students. The politics of vote bank is dividing the population into two distinct camps and thus compelled to harbour burning anger of being impotent.

The issue can raise a healthy debate of reasonable reservation and give new directions to take reality into consideration. For all we know, the raging controversy about the film can only fuel curiosity. Many films made on terror, sex education, riots, partition and other sensitive issue have been fruitful depictions and the censor board has singularly taken responsibility with care. Hence there is absolutely no need for politicians to undermine the institution constituted for the specific purpose. Let people first view the film and then hear the opinions. Anticipating without basis is assuming too much.