You Lose, Karni Sena: SC Scraps Padmaavat Ban in 4 BJP-Led States

Dear Karni Sena, we’ve had enough of your nonsense.

You’ve risen to political prominence by making murder threats, attempting to incite violence and now, you want Rajput women to commit suicide if a film releases in theatres.

You’re beyond ridiculous. But we’re not here to ridicule you. We’re here to remind you, and the Rajasthan Police which seems to take no action against you, about the law.

If you are urging women to take their lives, you’re breaking the law.

But your respect for the law is as much of a fictional entity as Padmavati herself, right?

Nonetheless, just hear me out. And try answering the following questions before you go on another one of your “naak kaat denge, sar kalam kar denge” sprees.

• Why is a meeting of mostly men and a group headed by men boasting that women will come out and take their lives?
• Did you ask the women concerned before making this kind announcement on their behalf?
• Or do you consider women pawns in your political exercises and muscle-flexing?
• Why should the lives of real women be pledged as a sacrifice to protect the honour of any entity, whether fictional or historical?

Just so we’re on the same page – you think it is all right for living, breathing women to die in order to protest against a fictitious insult to a fictional character in a movie.

And you think we believe that you are making these threats because your sentiments are hurt?

No, Karni Sena, we’re not that stupid.

You’re doing this to raise your political profile – you were irrelevant political nobodies before you caught on to this film and manufactured a controversy that you have milked and milked… grabbing headlines and hours of TV channel airtime.

You deserve to see the inside of a jail for any one of the many criminal activities that I’ve already mentioned – but thanks to a state government in Rajasthan that is almost taking your side by banning the film, forget jail, you’ve not even been reprimanded for violating the law.

Just Helping You Out, Cops

Dear Rajasthan Police, how about you do your job and act against this group of goons?

Want some help? Here, we found the sections of the Indian Penal Code under which you could file an FIR against the leaders of the Karni Sena.

• When they threatened Deepika that they’ll chop her nose off, they should have gone to jail under Section 506 – for criminal intimidation and threatening grievous hurt.
• When BJP leader Surajpal Amu offered a bounty of Rs 10 crore on Deepika’s head, and that of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s, he deserved to be locked up for inciting violence and making a threat to their lives – also under Section 506.
• And when the Karni Sena threatens that women will commit suicide if Padmaavat is released, their leaders should be booked under Section 306 – abetment of suicide.

So Karni Sena, the laws are there and you’ve violated them all right – you’re just lucky that the cops, and the government, want to look away.

But you know what, it’s time we called you out for the group of lawless hoodlums you are.

The Real Issues (That You Don’t Care About)

You want to protect the honour of Rajput women? How about you not want them dead to serve your political cause?

You want to protect the honour of women in general? How about you stop wanting their noses to be chopped off?

You want to save some of your own dwindling honour and self-respect? Try not making murder threats and suicide calls the only visiting card you have.

And hey, if you really care about the status of women in Rajasthan, why don’t you focus on some real issues instead?

Rajasthan ranks last in female literacy out of all the states and Union Territories in India.

As per the 2011 census, Rajasthan’s female literacy stood at 52.7%. But male literacy – 80.5%. In the same year, Rajasthan also had the highest number of child brides in the country.

So dear Karni Sena, how about you stop fantasising about ways in which you can protect the honour of Rajasthani women, and focus on getting the young Rajasthani girl child educated instead of marrying her off when she is an infant?

Not enough? In 2014, the NCRB data ranked Rajasthan among the top three states with the maximum crimes against women.

Real issues, Karni Sena, real issues.

The Battle You Will Lose, Karni Sena

You’ve won many battles this controversy season. You got the censor board to demand cuts in the film. You got the filmmakers to drop the ‘I’ from the movie title. You’ve got them worried about whether a song should be edited and Deepika’s midriff concealed. You’ve even driven them crazy enough to print full page ads with fact sheets about the movie.

But you know what?

Come 25 January, this movie’s going to hit the screens. You think you’ll be able to stop that?

It’s Karni Sena versus common sense. The loony violent few versus the rest of us all. Who do you think is gonna win?

Cameraperson: Athar Rather
Video Editors: Mohd Irshad Alam and Purnendu Preetam

(We Indians have much to talk about these days. But what would you tell India if you had the chance? Pick up the phone and write or record your Letter To India. Don’t be silent, tell her how you feel. Mail us your letter at [e-mail]. We’ll make sure India gets your message.)