No, why don’t you speak up?

My favourite moment in the dystopianfuturistic show Ok Computer DisneyHotstar set only in 2031 with Artificial Intelligence at loggerheads with humans is when a robot speaking of its tribersquos diminishing rights confesses ldquoHamara morale itna gir gaya hai ki hamara motto lsquoSatyamev Jayatersquo se lsquoSatya nahin bhi jeetega toh chalegarsquo ho gaya hai Our motto has transformed from lsquotruth alone triumphsrsquo to lsquoeven if truth doesnrsquot triumph itrsquos okayrdquo Talk of shifting goalpostsWhen does a society reach such a stage When the majority but chiefly the socioeconomic elite with the privilege to effectively push back marinate in guiltlesspragmatic apathy instead ldquoWhat goes my daddyrsquosrdquoRather than collectively express even gentle disagreement let alone strong public dissent on stuff they donrsquot approve of mdash such as lack of basicuniversal values of free speech equality human rights and the likeOr so angry activists will tell you mdash remaining in their heads the sole repositories of noble intentions Everybody else being either an opportunistwuss or a blatantselfish aholeOthers also repeatedly bemoan the fact that Indian celebrities from cinema and cricket in particular with highest reachinfluenceaccess clamp up on important issues that concern a society that in turn rewards them so heavily for their arttalent Whyrsquos thatIf yoursquore getting a drink with the said angry activist still very soon from why donrsquot they take a stand itrsquoll turn to ldquoWhy donrsquot yourdquo Itrsquos the equivalent to lsquowhatabouteryrsquo from the other end when you do speak up on issues that irk you more than others ldquoBut where were you whenhelliprdquo Therersquos simply no end to thisRegardless of the setting even family or workplace both of which can be quasi autocracies by the way we do express dissent to the extent one can get away with it mdash eventually guided by the notion that the world is what it is All we can seek from it therefore is perhaps mental peace and material happiness for ourselves mdash adjustment and acceptance being the consequent outcomesSatyajit Ray was once asked why he never participated in placardprotest marches He said ldquoI find activism unaestheticrdquo Could see his point mdash maybe activationrsquos best left to professional activists and commentaryrsquos up a commentatorrsquos alleyLetrsquos also agree with all the above given artfilm was Rayrsquos primary field of expression But what if that very art is at risk as decreed by powers that be who will then decide if itrsquos okay to createproduce itThat there is a government censorship in place for OTT platforms which in effect is the film industry itself Or that a tribunal headed by a retired judge mdash serving as a minimal outlet from the Censor Board mdash has also been yanked off so a film industry is left at the sole mercy of the government stillIf not the overburdened high court that you must plead to in the last minute before a picturersquos release mdash bleeding cash each time for the lawyerslitigation involved Exactly what problem was being sought to be solved this waySimilar tribunals in specialised fields from pharma aviation to farming have also been repealed That too under extraordinary circumstances without consultation with stakeholders mdash befitting an ordinance with the parliament not in session and the pandemic at its peakSpecifically why would an already supersensitive state be so paranoid about movies Unsure Maybe because unlike before anybody can make one and speak their own truth The enabling technology has rendered it relatively easyWhat happens when a film industry goes quiet when its own profession is possibly being gagged Rare ones who do express displeasure merely on social media forget a protest march are perceived as activists insteadI see why political parties in opposition hardly come to a collective defence either Nobody rules forever Assuming itrsquos a democracy The powers vested in one government passes on to another Not true for movie censorship aloneHow else despite multiple regimes since independence do we still live with draconian vestigeslaws of the colonial empire such as say lsquoseditionrsquo Controlling impulse of the political class is inclusivecompleteThis leaves you by yourself hopelesslyhelplessly wondering say what and why Whatrsquos in it for me How does a solitary registering of sulking disagreement over one thing or another affect anything anyway Why be angry or attract those from the opposite end who perennially areCanrsquot speak for every issue since each holds complexities of their own But some things are just black and white You know it when you see one May not seem so on the face of it but state censorship is one of those and therefore bears repetitionWhat you canrsquot eat and drink is not an FampB industry issue Just as the government that you elected ulmately deciding what you canrsquot watch isnrsquot a film industry problemThat the latter goes comatose is selfcensorship Which is the endgoal of all censorship mdash whether intendedimplemented or not Deedrsquos done on a free pass Fight another day for whateverrsquos left I guess Ab ardhsatyamev jayate bhi chalegaMayank Shekhar attempts to make sense of mass culture He tweets mayankw14Send your feedback to mailbagmiddaycomThe views expressed in this column are the individualrsquos and donrsquot represent those of the paper