Maitrey Singh - Week 11

WEEK 11 
Sangharsh and Reasons
Sangharsh, the documentary by, Nicolas Joul, sheds light upon the injustices faced by the Dalit community which are still prevalent in the State of Uttar Dradesh. The documentary talks about the statue of Dr. Ambedkar and discusses its importance in the emancipation of the Dalit community and the message the statue proposes to spread among the people of that region who do not consider themselves as free and acknowledge that they survive at the whims of the upper caste who reinforces caste based labour. To portray this situation the documentary delves into some gruesome narratives of the localities and the people who are actually living in such conditions. 
Reason by Anand Pawardhan portrays how the belief of religion is deeply rooted in our society. It makes the viewers uncomfortable when it shows what length Hindu extremists go to, to suppress the minorities or anyone who brings doubt to their rigid caste system. At the same time it assures the viewers that together they can overcome obstacles. This documentary has eight chapters. It depicts the life and death of prominent Dalit leaders who fought bravely against the caste-ridden society. The Documentary also depicts the assault and brutalities on the Dalits and Muslims. It shows the rise of the Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani and the mass dalit movements across the country. Student led protests, Rohith Vermula’s suicide are some of the hopeful moments of this film. As the name suggests, reasoning is the only exchange that can end these religious beliefs.

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