New Delhi: Actress Swara Bhaskar on Wednesday drew widespread criticism for “linking” the women who committed ‘jauhar’ in the film ‘Padmavaat’ to rape survivors of today, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accusing her of being “ignorant” and “lacking historical understanding”.
While revisiting her eight-year-old open letter to Padmaavat maker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Bhaskar, at a recent event, said that the representation of thousands of women committing ‘jauhar’ to protect their “honour” could make rape survivors look like “cowards” today for choosing to live.
In reaction, BJP leader Shazia Ilmi accused the actress of being “ignorant and lacking an understanding of history and its essence”.
“It is clearly evident that Swara Bhasker ji can neither grasp historical context, nor understand how women are viewed or how they view themselves across societies in our country, nor comprehend our country’s constitutional values. I believe Swara Bhasker needs to understand all these. She is linking a medieval historical context—the context of ‘Jauhar’—to that of rape survivors…in a way saying that they should not have performed ‘Jauhar’,” Ilmi told IANS.
“Perhaps she is unaware of how Yazidi women were explicitly used as sex slaves by ISIS…The sacrifice was made by Rajput women so that they wouldn’t be taken captive, subjected to torture, exploitation, or mass rape. It was a matter of pride for them,” Ilmi added.
Criticising Bhaskar, Uttar Pradesh Women Commission President Babita Singh Chauhan said: “We respect Swara Bhaskar’s choice of marrying into another religion, but she should refrain from harbouring grudges against the Sanatan Dharma…historically, it was up to the queens of that time on how to protect their honour in the absence of their husbands and other prominent male figures.”
Chauhan said that she won’t comment on whether the practise of ‘jauhar’ was right or not, while maintaining that it was the personal decision of the queens in that time frame.
“Linking it to rapes is absolutely wrong.”
Congress MP Tariq Anwar said: “At that time, it was a tradition; society accepted it. But today, as people’s understanding has increased, their thinking has evolved, and their horizons have broadened, people have considered this thing wrong.”
Rajasthan Finance Commission Chairman Arun Chaturvedi also told IANS that whatever decisions were taken by the queens back then were according to the historical situation. He echoed that such practises are not supported today.
“Judging a decision based on a certain situation in history would be wrong.”
Meanwhile, Maulana Sajid Rashidi questioned that if someone is committing suicide in fear of rape or murder, “then how can they be Rajputs?”
“Rajputs are considered great warriors…so somewhere this film has conveyed the message that rape survivors are cowards and instead should have died, which I think is very hurtful for the latter and such films should not be allowed by the censor board,” he told IANS.
(IANS)
