R.K. Sinha, MP (Rajya Sabha)
Is it fair and justified to create a positive and nice image of dreaded and rank-anti Indian Pakistani ISI in the name of creative freedom? Take the example of ‘Tiger Zinda hai (TZH)’.
While the Salman Khan starrer is doing well at the box-office, what is intriguing rather shocking is that the film director Ali Abbas Zafar is creating an image of ISI as a friend of India in a very subtle manner. The theme of the film is related to a real incident of the rescue of trapped Indian nurses who were taken hostage by IS terrorists in Iraq. The film shows that Pakistani Intelligence agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) helps a RAW agent in the rescue operation which raises several questions. What is the need of making a film that is projecting ISI in good light considering the fact that ISI was responsible for pushing anti-national activities in Kashmir and Punjab? It appears, the only agenda of the maker of the film is to create problems for India. Perhaps a naive person would miss the fact that it was ISI which was responsible for spreading Khalistani movement in India and has been behind most of the terrorist attack in India. Does the film director want to show that India is incompetent to rescue its trapped people? Is it that the censor board members were sleeping while watching Tiger Zinda Hai? One can only laugh at the stupid imagination which apparently tries to convince us that ISI whose only aim is to destroy India, will help India. Can the ISI and its supporters harbouring terrorism help us?
ISI as saviour of India
What purpose would it serve to project ISI in a positive manner whereas the facts are just the opposite in “Reel” and in “Real” situation? Is it a creative freedom or something else ? It is no secret that (ISI) remains active all the time to create trouble for India. Recently a spy of ISI was taken away and arrested in Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh. One may ask: Why ISI would have their spy in Jhansi? While this is a fair query, fact of the matter is that close to Jhansi, huge Babina army cantonment is there. It is the main centre of the Indian Army’s XX1 Corps, 31 Armoured Division and the 94 Armoured Brigade. Naturally ISI would be more than interested to get information about Babina based Army’s centre.
Pumping fake currency
While we are so generous with ISI, it is no secret that ISI has been instrumental in pumping counterfeit Indian currency notes into India through several countries. India’s Ministry of External Affairs for the last decade has consistently shown concern over ISI and its involvement in printing and distributing fake currency. Media reports from Bangladesh claim that the fake notes are printed at government presses in Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, and Quetta with the support of ISI. And we are projecting ISI as a saviour. For such a deadly organisation, our Bollywood is showing soft corner. While people to people contact between two countries must be restored and authors of track-two diplomacy should not give up their efforts to normalise the ties between the two sworn enemies, TZH cannot be considered as fantasy of a film maker.
Stop making anti-Pak film
Agreed, we have seen rank anti-Pakistani films like Border, Gadar-Ek Prem Katha, LOC and Agent Vinod. These movies had shown Pakistan in a very poor light. There were verbal abuses against Pakistan. In Gadar-Ek Prem Katha Pakistani politicians are shown cruel and malicious towards Indians. Agent Vinod and LOC too had anti-Pakistani theme. LOC was based on the Kargil war 1999. The film is full of anti-Pakistan sentiments. The point is what is the big idea of producing anti-Pakistani films? No sane person can justify the making of films like Gadar, Agent Vinod and LOC. There is no dearth of good subjects available for film makers to produce films rather than making Pakistan bashing films.
Meanwhile, the recently deceased head of ISI Hamid Gul was responsible for nurturing Khalistani and Kashmiri militants. A favourite of General Zia Ul Haq, Gul was considered the brain behind Pakistan’s proxy wars with India. As a chief of the ISI Gul also gave all possible help to terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba. It was Lashkar which carried out 26/11 Mumbai attack and numerous other terror strikes in India. India has also accused the ISI of funding pro-Khalistan militant group International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), in order to take revenge against India for its help in the liberation of Bangladesh as well as to destabilize the Indian State. And ISI is currently trying hard to revive Khalistani movement in India.
Honouring Pak hero in Delhi
TZH apart, India has time and again proved that it is a soft power. Imagine there is no protest against the TZH even though it shows ISI as saviour of Indians. Take another example. It has given nationality to Adnan Sami, whose father was one of the heroes of Pakistani Air-Force. Flight Lt. Arshad Sami Khan, father of Adnan, took active part in both 1965 and 1971 wars. He was highly decorated Pakistan Air Force officer. His autobiography was released in Delhi in the presence of Late I.K.Gujral and Capt. Amrinder Singh in 2008. Will Pakistan allow a film projecting Indian army as a friend of Pakistan? Will Pakistan give citizenship to kids of Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Sekhon or Second Lieutenant Arun Khetrpal, both heroes of 1971 war?
(Author is a Rajya Sabha MP)