August 29, 2014

"One would have expected that in 67 years that we would become more democratic, more tolerant — rather than become more intolerant and narrow-minded."

In India, the censorship of a film about the assassination of Indira Gandhi, which took place in 1984. ("67 years" refers to India achieving independence.)

From the censor: "Look at the complexities. You have multiple languages, multiple religions, multiple social strata, multiple advantages, disadvantages. It can be very problematic."
Posted by Ann Althouse at 10:35 AM
Tags: , , , , , ,

7 comments:

Birkel said...

The only people stupid enough to say that, are people who believe history is the story of "progress" in the progressive sense of the word. The mugging caused by reality, happening all 'round us, has to be ACTIVELY ignored to say something so foolish.

Now, those of us who see the world as it is (instead of how we prefer it to be) are unsurprised.

Cue the H.L. Mencken quotes!

8/29/14, 10:57 AM
Hagar said...

In India and Pakistan they still do riots with more casualties than anything that happened in the 150 years that the Brits ran the government.

That is something that the present governments in both countries are well aware of.

8/29/14, 11:08 AM
Michael K said...

In Orange County we used to say that when Indira Ghandi was shot, there were no surgeons available. They were all in Fountain Valley, a suburb of Orange County with a large Indian physician population.

8/29/14, 11:20 AM
pm317 said...

In India and Pakistan they still do riots with more casualties than anything that happened in the 150 years that the Brits ran the government.

Winston Churchill blamed for 1m deaths in India famine
Sir Winston Churchill may be one of Britain's greatest wartime leaders, but in India he has been blamed for allowing more than a million people to die of starvation.

8/29/14, 12:35 PM
Hagar said...

Riots ≠ famine.

And what Sir Winston called Gandhi was "a seditious Middle Temple lawyer, now posing as a half-naked Hindoo fakir ...."
and Gandhi thought it was great publicity.

8/29/14, 1:46 PM
pm317 said...

"riots with more casualties than anything that happened in the 150 years that the Brits ran the government."

8/29/14, 3:53 PM
Hagar said...

I have read that the estimated carnage resulting from the India-Pakistan split was about 4 million deaths, and everybody was relieved that it wasn't worse.
And that was just their first war.

Famines in the Bengal is not a new thing. It may be as you say - in 1943 starving Bengalis would not have been on top of Churchill's priority list - but I would want to check any reporting from that end of the world by other sources.

8/29/14, 7:56 PM

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