Caste discrimination is a malice that is deeply entrenched in our society. Living in metropolitan cities, reading about the advent of globalization and being blinded by the prospects of economic growth, we often tend to overlook the severity of caste rigidity. It presents itself as a deeply problematic situation, which is still a gruesome reality, especially in the hamlets of India, where caste comes to dictate every aspect of an individual's life. 'Jai Bhim' provides us with a brutally honest commentary on casteism and throws light on how years of exploitation and marginalization have normalized the exclusion faced by the lower castes. It leaves us with a realization that, despite having constitutional safeguards in place, the problem of caste discrimination is far from over.
The opening sequence of the film depicts the police separating suspects based on their caste. They then go on to slap false cases on the suspects belonging to the Dalit or tribal community, while giving a free hand to those from the higher caste. As the movie progresses, we learn that this is in fact a common, frequently occurring practice carried out by the police to complete their pending cases by turning the innocent tribals into scapegoats. This not only violates the rights of the tribals as individuals on various levels but also exposes the extent of helplessness faced by them as most of them lack the means and resources to fight to prove their innocence. While the movie largely revolves around Rajakannu and his relatives' unlawful arrests, there are several instances in the movie that throw light on the horrific extent of unlawful detentions carried out by the police. A tribal man was jailed for three years under a false case of theft slapped on him by the police only because he greeted them with folded hands, which made the police assume that he is no longer scared of them. This reflects the vicious reality that unravels in villages, where the police assert their unchecked power arbitrarily, taking advantage of the vulnerable. The gross misuse of power and authority carried out by the police is one of the central themes of the movie, which makes one question that if the law-enforcing officers themselves violate the lower castes on such a dehumanizing level, who should the tribals truly turn to, in case of help?
Police brutality and custodial torture are the pivotal themes around which 'Jai Bhim' accurately brings across the horrors associated with casteism. The ghastly and grim treatment meted out by the police to the members of the lower castes by inflicting all kinds of inhuman torture, irrespective of age, and gender without the slightest bit of remorse or sympathy exposes the urgency and immediacy in bringing about reform, to put an end to this. From ruthlessly beating pregnant Senggeni, to illegally and forcibly taking her daughter away to the station, the cruelty displayed by the police in dealing with the tribals goes down as one of the most barbaric instances of malpractices adopted by the authorities. We witness the police put chilli powder in the eyes of the accused to ascertain whether they are alive or dead, from all the beatings and torture endured by them. While this does not even begin to scratch the surface of how deeply problematic this is, it also makes us understand the appalling ramifications of caste discrimination that are borne by the members of the lower castes and tribals on a regular basis. The rise in the number of high-profile police killings in the case of caste discrimination led to a renewal of debates and discussions surrounding the implications of police brutality in India. According to data obtained from India's National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), no police officer has been found guilty for custodial deaths since 2011, despite the fact that over 860 instances were recorded over the same time frame. The fact that police officers are not held responsible for such heinous caste-related crimes is the most significant obstacle in breaking down caste barriers in our country.
Another crucial aspect highlighted through 'Jai Bhim' is the process of forcefully extracting false confessions from the innocent by the police, in order to swiftly close the case. Using torture as their weapon of choice, the police often succeed in falsely implicating members of the lower castes, who are left with no choice and would prefer being wrongly accused in a case rather than being mercilessly beaten to death. This gives rise to a vicious cycle of violence, hate and fueled prejudice against the lower castes, who are always viewed with an eye of unwarranted suspicion. This leads to further fragmentation of society over the generations, as people tend to associate members of the lower castes as unfaithful individuals, subjecting them to inhuman levels of degradation.
'Jai Bhim' further highlights the plight of the scheduled tribes as they are denied voting access since they lack basic documentation such as a valid ration card, an Aadhaar card, or a basic proof of residence. This hampers their ability to procure their scheduled tribe certificate, with which they could make use of the benefits set aside for them. Due to the rampant illiteracy amongst the tribals, most of them are unaware of the rights laid out for them, and this factor is often exploited by those in power to consolidate their hold over these communities. We often witness a halfhearted approach by the authorities to help the tribal communities exercise their rights, as most of those in power are uninterested in changing a world that suits them so well. This brings us to a critical understanding that; simply laying out constitutional measures to safeguard the scheduled tribes does not translate to their upliftment and alleviation in reality. The presence of countless loopholes in the same, an indifferent attitude of the officials and lack of adequate educational awareness among the scheduled tribes goes on to exacerbate the already prevalent marginalization.
'Jai Bhim' brings to light the presence of the all-pervasive casteism that widely exists in our contemporary society. This manifests itself in several interactions, both directly and indirectly. We witness a police inspector pass a degrading comment on the gold pendant worn by Senggeni, which was bought by her husband as a symbol of love. He hints at it being stolen and this reflects the general mindset of the authorities towards the scheduled tribes. They are unable to accept the fact that the disadvantaged castes are fellow human beings too, capable of pursuing their aspirations, and rising above the inflexible roles laid out for them by our society. Senggeni replies to the officer by stating that if they have the strength to earn their living, there is no need for them to resort to theft. This forthright reply captures the essence of the situation and is directed at everyone opposing their mobility in the social hierarchy. Moreover, there are several instances in the movie that uncover the general perception of people towards the depressed castes. While the scheduled tribes try to assert their rights, we witness their efforts being brushed away and being labeled as 'publicity stunts' specifically aimed to tarnish the image of the government. This opinion is largely held by a majority of the population who knowingly or unknowingly are tuned to equate the struggles of the lower castes with an ulterior motive of attaining popularity. This constitutes a grave problem that limits the depressed castes from asserting equality and bringing their struggles out in the public domain, conditioning them to silently suffer in their misery.
While Rajakannu and his relatives' case sought justice by the courts, it leaves us wondering whether the same would have been possible without the unabated presence and persistent spirit of Chandru. This brings us to an important realization that most depressed castes who have been wronged are unable to seek proper legal discourse due to the absence of a humanitarian like Chandru, who devoted all his time and resources to unravel the truth, without seeking any financial compensation. Thus, this helps us understand that a cinematic courtroom drama doesn't necessarily transpire along the same lines in reality. Lack of adequate support, coupled with high levels of illiteracy and financial deprivation has exacerbated their ability to fight for their rights.
'Jai Bhim' also brings to light the rampant corruption that takes place amongst the authorities, exposing the rather dark side of judicial and custodial matters. The gross violations of human rights meted out to the depressed castes, along with the dehumanized and illegal exploitation carried out in judicial custodies opens our eyes to the often overlooked issues faced by people on a regular basis. While we tend to focus on curbing overt acts of casteism, we need to make conscious efforts to eradicate the casteist mentality that is so deeply ingrained in our society, to the point where it has been normalized to a severely problematic extreme. To truly eradicate the horrors of casteism, we cannot, and must not only look at people like Chandru as our beacon of hope, as this would entail that we as a society are helpless in their absence. To bring about any substantial change, it is imperative to let go of the mentality that rests upon the belief that 'someone would come and improve the situation', and start taking the necessary steps yourself.
References:
Rao, M. (2020, December 3). Indian police use violence as a shortcut to justice. It’s
the poorest who bear the scars. CNN.
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/12/02/india/police-brutality-india-dst-intlhnk/
index.html
Sivakumar, S. (Producer), & Gnanavel, T.J. (Director). (2021). Jai Bhim. 2D
Entertainment.
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