JAI BHIM COMRADE

Jai bhim comrade is a beautiful, fantastic documentary film by Anand Patwardhan. For a communist ‘jai Bhim’ may be a word of bigotry or for an Ambedkarite ‘communism’ may be a word stinking with failure and betrayal. Anand has synthesized two words and in fact he has articulated two world views having profound effect on the lives of millions of people in the world.

In this film Anand has unearthed a unique element of Dalit movement, an element of force, spirit, optimism and struggle. For me it is priceless, particularly when the world has started learning and equating ‘dalit’ with ‘power’ after rise of Mayavati in UP. The story of Vilas Ghoghre has become story of countless fighters of movement who laid down their lives for the emancipation of dalits and sarvahara.

It takes 14 years to complete this film, Anand says. And it is not just a film. It has the potential to become an epic of pan-Indian appeal, if it interwoven parallel struggles having same intensity and depth. I cried when I watched this unforgettable drama of real life. The murderer of Ramabai colony, inspector Kadam is not punished. And the clarion call of Kabir Kala Manch is inviting state oppression. The film narrates dilemma of a movement.

Let us appreciate painstaking efforts of Anand patwardhan. For this moment, my red salute and jai Bhim to a great artist of India! 

My red salute and jai bhim to a great artist of India
(screening at IIM, Ahmedabad, 2 March, 2012)