BENCY'S WORLD

Chandra Mohan, a gifted art student of the faculty of arts of Sayajirao Giakwad University, Baroda had to be in jail for five days (May 2007) for the 'crime' of painting an assignment for his degree. The problem was that the painting he made was not to the liking of the BJP camp. When the display of the paintings was going on for assessment by the teachers, BJP leader, Neeraj Jain attacked the exhibition with his band of supporters. The police put Chandra Mohan behind the bars, Neeraj Jain, who had violated the law by entering the university came out with a sense of pride for saving, protecting the honor of 'his religion' or a religion, which is the base of his party. As the matters unfolded the students of the University peacefully protested against this breach of their right to learn and against the false implication of one of their fellow students by the barbarians in the garb of religion. The Vice Chancellor of Baroda university, Manoj Soni who is wedded to the poli

Perzania, a film based on a true story in the backdrop of Gujarat violence, sensitively portraying the plight of a Parsi family, whose son goes missing during the carnage, was released all over the country barring Gujarat. Earlier to this, another film, Fanaa starring Amir Khan, who personally sympathized openly with the plight of those displaced due to the Narmada dam project, could also not be screened in Gujarat. What is the social and political scenario as we are just a month away from the fifth anniversary of Godhra train accident and the Gujarat carnage?Gujarat carnage was very different from the communal violence which took place in Independent India so far. Here one could most clearly see the well planned violence unleashed on the pretext of Godhra train accident, duly supported by the state Government under the patronizing eye of the central government. While every possible rule of the law was violated by the authorities, the hapless victims were left to rot in the refugee cam