Satyamev Jayate

When I began watching the first episode of Aamir Khan’s Satyamev Jayate, my initial thoughts were - well this is old wine in new bottle... don’t we know all this stuff. And haven’t scores of journalists covered this issue – gender bias - female foeticide - over the years now. But as the show progressed, I realised well here is a STAR who has the guts to do something different – to take on social issues and with solid ground realities at hand. The show is too long – one and half hour and may not have viewers dedicating their precious Sundays to such lengthy serious topics but I sincerely hope that this is not the case. Hopefully the masses watch it for Aamir Khan and we have an enlightened India soon. He made a very important statement in the show – that the atrocities of female foeticide speak of the country’s mental framework and that is so bad for us. So bad when we talk of heightened cultural India on one hand and these atrocious way of thinking on the other. We need to tell ourselves that 9%- 10% GDP growth is of no use when we don’t seem to be growing healthily in mind. These are the things that will keep us backward always – as India will keep taking one step forward and 2 steps backward. Oh and don’t we so need this awakening of the mind against the scores of TV contest shows with judges and their emotional antics dulling the senses of masses and keeping us at a stupid, idoitic level of thinking. I applaud this initiative of Aamir and wish it brings in the long needed revolution. I hear of so many of these kinds of issues from the people who come to work at my home and I wonder always where is the progressive India we talk of. My maid’s story of her family’s preference for a girl child led me to do this short photo essay last year . http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/share-your-world-world-what-would-you-change Satyamev Jayate Aamir