I haven't had the time to blog. Lots has been happening - but this morning has been so overwhelming that I can't seem to remember what else I had to blog about.
So the film "Cry of the Snow Lion" is going to be screened tomorrow evening. I have organized the whole thing by myself, with support of my favorite professor. It was all going smoothly until yesterday when I got an email from a student. That was followed by a couple of phone calls today - all Chinese students studying in my university - telling me to cancel the film screening. They say it is an insult to all the Chinese students because Tibet belongs to China!!! They have been politely asking me to meet them today so they can "educate" me about Tibet because I clearly don't know anything. They in fact went to my department and got my number. Isn't this harassment of some sort? In this the country of free fucking speech??!?!
Anyways, I just met my professor and told her that I do not want to cancel the screening, and that I need her to support my decision. She said that I should go ahead with the screening. I've been going around telling everyone that they should come tomorrow not just to see the film, but also to support the voice of the marginalized. I understand now how the weak are really invisible, and how hard they need to fight in order to be heard - just heard.
I hope the event happens, and happens peacefully.
I need to write something down to speak tomorrow at the event. I'm not a public speaking person - but I do rise to the occasion. I hate it when my voice starts trembling when I talk about something important to me, but I know the importance of putting the film in a personal context. There is no faculty willing to talk at the event, because they say they are not experts on the issue. I have a feeling they are apprehensive about involving themselves with this issue.
Suddenly I'm aware of all these Chinese students in my class, and outside, walking by me. I know now that they are all narrow minded, brainwashed zombies, who are not willing to hear anything but their own beliefs. I'm sure there are other kinds of Chinese people, just that I haven't come across any yet.
I feel suffocated and can't wait to go home. I'm also wary of the fact that Delhi is not as wonderful as it seems from here, and I worry about not wanting to be in either of these places. I want to escape this horrible world. Any suggestions?
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
help!!!
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5 comments:
Yes yes. Come to Boston :-) Hide at our place. We should be all settled in by the time you come back from India.
I hope the screening goes peacefully and that you make a killer speech that would at least get the message across to one other person who is ignorant about this issue. I would say one thing - US (I don't know about other places) is quite scary sometimes because there are a lot of crazy people who do crazy things on impulse - So, be careful, ok?
Boston sounds lovely - but I'm sure it won't be for me - the whole world is screwed up!
I know what you mean by crazy people in America - I've been imagining all sorts of things all day - I could die or go missing - I told my lovely prof that if that happens, she should go ahead with the screening.
I told my friend RH that if I was dying, my last words would be my locker combination - that's where I left the DVD for safekeeping :)
Haha - I can be as over-dramatic as my mom some times!
The strange thing is that when I told my mom a month back about a possible screening of this film, she freaked out and said that I should be careful. For once, she was right! I'll have to take her more seriously now on :P
The Chinese students aren't necessarily brainwashed-- it's like how we believe that Kashmir is an integral part of India. Non?
You keep posting or commenting everyday, ok? If you are missing from the blog world for more than 24 hours, then I'm calling cops babe!
Aditya: By brainwashed I mean that a completely false version of history has been ingrained into their minds, and they are blind to anything that contradicts it.
I may or may not believe that Kashmir is an integral part of India, but I do know that before 1947, Kashmir was an independent princely state. The Chinese claim to have always ruled over Tibet, which is so not true.
AB: Will do :)
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