Jodhabai's Palace — Archived from March 2008
The controversy surrounding Ashutosh Gowarikar's Jodhaa Akbar was quite unexpected. In fact, I still don't understand what the furore was all about. Every school textbook portrays the two as a couple, in a strategic marriage that Akbar and the Rajput's architected in order to bring peace between their empires. And ironically, this same story is now being wielded by Rajput's to hold the administration at hostage by claiming that screening this film will provoke communal flare-ups.
Having witnessed a similar debacle in Modi's Gujarat some years earlier, I am beginning to imagine this to be a new trend. If a group of people don't agree with the political views of another person, all they need to do is threaten communal backlash in the form of riots. Not only does this guarantee plenty of media coverage, but they also rout their adversaries by not letting their side of the story be heard.
I don't believe that the chief ministers, judiciaries and police officials who impose this ban are unaware that this is against the basic tenet of freedom of speech guaranteed in the Constitution. But when asked to comment, all they have to say is that it's all been done to avoid a law and order situation and to avoid the minorities from feeling persecuted.
I visited Jodhabai's palace during a recent trip to Fatehpur Sikri. The empty chambers and the peaceful aura surrounding the entire complex were in sharp contrast to the present controversy surrounding her tale. And for those few moments, I forgot everything, and relived an era of an emperor who promoted peace and harmony and thought of nothing but the best for his people.