Introduction
It was a hot summer day, where burning issues such as female foeticide and gender ratio came to the fore. Vibha Bakshi’s Rising Son showcased the unprecedented need for saving the girl child for the future. The screening was co-hosted by UN Women, the Films Division and Sonia Hays, wife of New Zealand Consul General and Vice-Dean of the Consular Corps, Ralph Hays, at the recently opened Museum of Indian Cinema, Peddar Road.
The venue was packed with visitors, and speaking to a packed house of influencers and change makers, Vice-Dean of the Consular Corps and New Zealand Consul General, Ralph Hays, said, “The Consular Corps is proud to come together to pledge our support for the urgent and important need to change the narrative on gender inequality. We are proud of Vibha Bakshi for creating Son Rise, a powerful and positive gender rights film which makes men equal collaborators in the struggle.”
The new dawn
The 50-minute film gave a detailed insight on the youth today, that is ‘basking in the glory’ (pun intended) of fast receding gender ratios, owing to their ancestors’ reckless thought process. It is now becoming exceedingly difficult for a man to find a bride. Vibha Bakshi has extensively researched the subject, and got to the very crux of the matter, incorporating inputs on the numerous societal evils including gender sex determination, sexual harassment of women, and all that deprives a woman of her basic rights. The ‘Khap’ controls the villages of Haryana. The ‘Khap’ is a body that isn’t exactly recognised by the government, but wields tremendous social influence over the villages of the state. The body is patriarchal in origin, giving women no rights whatsoever.
While the above-mentioned issues mark the very root of the matter, Vibha has successfully showcased a ray of hope as they have managed to find an individual in the same village; who has been married to a woman even after she was repeatedly gang-raped by eight men. He supports his wife endlessly, and does everything in his power to fight for their rights and justify her cause in the Indian Court of Law. They have been faced by unending difficulties as they progress with this case, but the family hasn’t lost hope.
Reports also throw light on how these social evils have negatively impacted the state. Change is on its way, but there’s miles to go, as the evils are deep setted. About four decades ago gang rapes, and matrimonial trafficking was unheard of in the state of Haryana. But now it is rampant, with little effort made to put an end to the sowed seeds of dissent. Change is inevitable, but it will be a long while before the evil has been ousted from the roots.
End Note
All in all a fantastic film, however Viba could have added a few more international elements to the film in order to impart a more global flavour. Gender issues plague the world, and need to be arrested now, with immediate effect!