Civil Society and Protest

 "Halla Bol " released last year is an interesting film in many ways because it brings to the fore front the role of civil society in bringing social change. The context in the film of course is a murder case pertaining to an aspiring movie star. A starlet has been murdered in full view of many in a party – the accused are the sons of the rich and powerful and so the establishment moves very quickly to hush things up. As the case comes up eventually for trial, it is found that that eventually all the witnesses have turned hostile and faced with no evidence, the court declared the accused to be innocent. This happens fairly early on in the movie and the rest of the story is all about the attempts of civil society to get involved with the case and bring fresh facts to light so that the case can be retried and the accused eventually is tried.

Civil Society is of course a big thing and has several strands- this film has made attempts to particularly focus on the role of media and the role of the middle class. The role of the media in highlighting issues that would otherwise have got buried and stayed buried has been highlighted in cases like the Jessica Lal murder case and others It is the involvement of the middle class that is worth mentioning – because though a class of people that are educated and articulate; they are often the most apathetic in their involvement and engagement with issues.

In fact, in the street play that Pankaj Kapoor and Ajay Devgun plan to stage in " Halla Bol", this aspect of middle class apathy is particularly addressed. The familiar positions of the middle class are vigorously contested – that certain kinds of involvements are the job and responsibility of governments or that nothing can change because every thing that happens is pre ordained by fate and destiny or that those who pretend to be deaf and dumb at the plight and injustice of others might meet the  same fate in their own hour of need. The war cry of the film indeed is that those who refuse to see or hear or speak up against a neighbor in difficulty or distress and continue to live oblivious to others should know that they could be the next target of the oppressor is a potent message.

I suppose that the more potent question for all of is how to get involved – not every one can act in street plays, not every one works in the media and can walk around a mike highlighting this issue or that. And yet, every one has some gift, some talent that he or she can put to  use- possibly even a gift that few possess in any abundance. The intellectual class may not be the one that goes and lines up in Dharnas and street demonstrations but it may be for them to help shape the opinion of the thinkers and thought leaders, the silent leaven that directs the thinking of a society. Although the role of each individual member of society will never be properly defined or clarified the point is well made and well taken – that each one of us has to find a place for ourselves in the collective “ Halla Bol” of protest against injustice and the evil in society.