Ban Padmaavat or give us nod to end life, say Rajput women in Chittorgarh
JAIPUR: Rajput groups across the country demanding a ban on Hindi film Padmaavat dug in heels on Sunday, holding rallies and forcing wary state governments to ponder over security measures ahead of the movie’s release on January 25.
In Rajasthan, at least 200 Rajput women marched with swords in Chittorgarh town for a ‘Swabhimaan’ (self-respect) rally and ratcheted up the pressure with memorandums to ban the film or give them permission to end their lives.
Marching under the banners of Jauhar Kshatrani Manch, Shri Rajput Karni Sena and Jauhar Smriti Sansthan, the women gave government officials memorandums addressed to the President, Prime Minister, Rajasthan governor, and chief minister.
“They gave us the memoranda seeking a countrywide ban on the film,” said Suresh Kumar Khatik, sub-divisional officer of Chittorgarh.
Rajasthan government has indicated it would file a review petition on Monday in the Supreme Court against the top court’s order that stayed the decision of some states to ban the film’s screening.
The protesters allege filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s movie hurts the sentiments of the Rajput community as it distorts history of Rajput queen Padmini. Bhansali has denied the charges.
Incidentally, the women’s ‘Swabhimaan’ rally started from Jauhar Sthal in Chittorgarh fort, where queen Padmini and 16,000 other Rajput women are said to have committed jauhar (self-immolation) in the year 1303, preferring to die rather than be captured by Alauddin Khilji, then Muslim king of Delhi.
Bhansali’s Rs150-crore movie is based on Padmavat, a poem written by Sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi about 500 years ago, which gives an account of a Rajput queen of Chittor choosing to kill herself rather than be captured by Khilji.
Historians are divided over whether the queen ever existed. Many Rajputs believe she did exist and accuse Bhansali of portraying her in a bad light.
The Jauhar Smriti Sansthan launched a two-day seminar titled ‘Padmini Ek Vastavikta’ in Chittorgarh to “bring out the historical truth about Queen Padmini”.