It is important to distance commercial breaks and star presence from Satyamev Jayathe, because regardless of all the numbers and TRPs it generates, it is an important show and one that has to be watched for getting yourself acquainted of the issues if not anything else or more. As the initial euphoria of the first Aamir Khan Television appearance subsides, as the reviews decrease in number in comparison to the first episode, it is essential for every one of us to watch the show for what it really is because Aamir or no Aamir, this show is important and in that essence alienating the star from the show is not such a bad idea, but given the conviction with which he was organizing this makes it difficult.
The second episode of SJ, deals with child sexual abuse and once again the numbers are disturbingly staggering. The stories spoke of the abuse over an extended period of time, 12 years in one instance which is very shocking to know. At some point over the 12 years, any of them must have realized but alas. Equally frightening is one of the parent’s responses (a mother) that she even told her son not to speak about it. I can understand her dilemma and her absolute naiveté in this regard, because such types of incidents were still vastly unheard. As Anuja Gupta, founder director of Raahi rightly puts it, we need to confront this issue and this is where I think SJ plays a successful role through the research and efforts the team has put in to garner the facts and reach out to victims. Though at times dramatized and “directed”, but again I feel, this is something required, because for all we know, the trauma experienced by the victims would definitely be more than what could fit into 7-10 minutes of air time on a national television show.
Another shocking revelation of the show came from Dr Rajat Mishra a psychologist analyzing the abusers and he has to say that they never have any repentance for what they have done; in fact they claim that both the victim and the abuser enjoy it. I have some reservations on this, though I do not claim to be an expert on the subject so to speak. I definitely know of at least one person, who according to what SJ has shown has committed a milder form of child sexual abuse in his adolescence and he definitely repents what he has done. Though repentance is never a solution in itself and the heinous crime can never be supported, it is equally important to counsel the abusers too and I’m certain the issue can be prevented better working the other way around too.
Ironically, I was not surprised when I came to know that there is no law against child sexual abuse in India. There apparently is one which is now under discussion in Rajya Sabha, and if our SMSes and feedback might get the law to be in place, then we know what we should be doing.
I think, for the show to have its intended effect, it is essential for us to not rate it as a 3/5 or a one-time watch or a critique on Aamir’s business acumen and charisma. An hour on a Sunday morning or on any day is something we are at a liberty to spare in our lives and if that is used to be aware of the issues the show has to speak then I definitely feel it will be an hour well spent. Even the most cynical view that no immediate action will be taken is to be considered, it cannot deny the importance of the awareness.