Force

Force raises the vexed issue on human rights. It cinematically dramatises the use of force against the underbelly – particularly drug peddlers. Time and again our cinema glamorizes use of force- political or executive against the bad guys.

          Force deals with the protagonist who is willing to beat up the law breaker.  He is justified (by the script) to take law into his hands.  The group at the Narcotic Cell goes about shooting and killing peddlers – state mayhem.  The audience loves it.  Khaka Khaka, Garshana and now Force. The trilingual vote in favour of state violence as an antidote to criminals in our society is not just  but a reiteration of dramatic justification of state violence but also an anti law response by the law enforcing agency.

          The villain in the film raises the issue and points out to the police to state: we had no personal enmity until you decided to play God. Revisit the dialogue and that could be the crux of the issue. Can a democratic government break the law with populist backing? I am very uncomfortable with the approach: Hang him! Kill him!! Populist shouts against criminals (even those involved in white collar offences) is on the rise and is a poor reflection of our collective tolerance. This in the context of our individual disrespect to law is yet another conflicting signal of the double speak syndrome in our society.

          I find in our functional legal platform is a disturbing streak. The Supreme Court suspended a pronouncement requiring the police to follow the law of the land. What is the message? A five judge bench faulted the police system in the context of fake encounters.  The bench ruled that the Criminal Procedure Code must be strictly followed.  Any takers on that?

          Hero after hero, in our cinema makes a hero of the police who can keep body and soul together only if he kills, kills instantly.

          Ever since the haunted Vijay (Amitabh) of Zanjeer killed with vengeance, the whistles of approval have not died down.  The solution is dramatically convincing, legally unacceptable. An entire team working with the Narcotic Department is killed, family members kidnapped, blackmailed, raped or destroyed. This justifies state action and “Force” by the police.  It is one thing for film makers to within the space of their art (?) deal thematically with a tale of such nature. However the alarmingly increased portrayal of the muscle flexing policemen (Force, Simham, Wanted, Dabang, Budha Hoga Tera Baap, Aan Men at Work, Garv, Gangajal, etc) is a disturbing trend and perhaps a social inoculation against system violations. At a time when the media is building an unhealthy connect between criminals and members of the family of the victims, at a time when they air views on the television saying that the criminal must be hanged to death and the like, this trend could be a fore runner to a dangerous and unhealthy acceptance of police high handedness. Civilised society must act differently. Counter insurgency is an anathema to a civilised society committed to the Rule of Law. Albeit in the world of meaningless entertainment and pulp or pop entertainment, such a consistent indoctrination that the police can employ its self defining force is serious and requires more protest than the ones we have when a Da Vinci Code or an Aarkashan or Me Nathuram Godse Boltey is out for viewing. Alternative Salwa Judums are a no no in a sane society. The Apex Court pronounced such a dictum recently.  If we fail to stall this consistent celebration of violence and defiance of the law we too would echo Joseph Conrad: The Horror . The horror.

L. Ravichander