Indu Sarkar: Another nail, an apolitical one, in Congress coffin in Modified India?

Indu Sarkar, the controversial film directed by Madhur Bhandarkar which deals with the subject of Emergency which was proclaimed by the government of late prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1975, got released on Friday, June 28. And given the prevailing circumstances in India's socio-political life at the moment, this film could be yet another nail in the Congress's coffin.

Bhandarkar has asked people to see the film to understand how it was like between June 1975 and January 1977 when the Indira government had turned the democracy into an authoritarian rule, gagging the press, jailing the Opposition, indulging in sterilisation, etc. etc. Four decades after it was done, the Bhandarkar film will certainly expose the Congress more among today's generations and it requires to hard analysis to understand who is going to benefit the most from this politically.

Indians are not known to value history, perhaps because they are made to mug up the subject from childhood days and not enjoy it. Indians are more 'touched' by history when they are spoon-fed by visual entertainment and do not really care to go through the minute details by reading or researching. It's more of an instant exercise which has a bearing on the opinion-making in present days.

We have seen how the likes of Shivaji, Rana Pratap, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel land on the right side of history while people like Tipu Sultan or Jawaharlal Nehru land on its wrong side to suit the tone of the current socio-political mood. We use history to fulfil our political needs.

It's time to make Indira Gandhi, another iconic leader of the Congress, land on the wrong side of the history by taking advantage of the fact that a billions in today's young India do not have any familiarity with the Emergency. For them, it's just something bad and that's enough to dig the grave of the Congress in future electoral battles.

Indira Gandhi's Emergency was a political risk and the iron lady was punished for it in the election that followed it in 1977. But she was never out of the contention and was back to power in 1980 because of other political reasons and continued as the PM till her assassination in 1984.

Politics is thus a continuous process and instead of seeing it as something good or bad, it is more important to understand it from the perspective of causes and effects. The Emergency had several micro aspects to it – like how a section of the media had surrendered before the regime or how the general lifestyle ran smoother under strict vigilance. These are things that old-timers as well as books can describe more vividly and are equally important to take note of while studying the entire episode of Emergency.

But, somehow, our films are made more as safe projects of entertainment. We could never expect an Indu Sarkar when the Congress was still in its heydays just like we cannot expect something on the 2002 riots in Gujarat this very moment. In India, we require a favourable atmosphere to exercise the freedom of speech and even while using it, we try not to enrage those in control and corner those who are already at a disadvantage.

It is no surprise that Indu Sarkar has been made in the times of Modi Sarkar but going by the reactions of youngsters who say "How bad was the Indira Gandhi government as it had used military to keep things under control", one feels history is being projected in an inapt and incomplete way to people who otherwise do not care much for the past. Can we also see a film on the 1971 war, which is perhaps the bravest move ever taken by an Indian premier, to balance it out?

• Indu Sarkar review roundup: This is what Bollywood critics say about Madhur Bhandarkar's film
• SC gives nod to Indu Sarkar's release; Sanjay Gandhi's 'secret daughter' says game not over yet
• Indu Sarkar's promotional event in Pune cancelled after threats from Congress
• Living in the times of Modi Sarkar, it's so very easy lambasting Indu Sarkar
• Emergency in India: 5 Bollywood movies based on the dark phase in Indian politics [VIDEOS]