Last Updated:
As Gujarat chief minister, Modi had to battle unpleasant political realities and overcome them, all because of the Godhra carnage. It is thus hardly surprising that he would tweet about a movie that seeks to unravel the truth
Article 370, The Kashmir Files, and The Kerala Story are some of the recent films that PM Modi has supported. (PTI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi may be out of India touring three nations, but that did not stop him from throwing his weight behind an upcoming movie — ‘The Sabarmati Report’. The film has reportedly landed actor Vikrant Massey in trouble and fetched him and his family, including his infant son, death threats.
This is not the first movie that the prime minister has endorsed. Article 370, The Kashmir Files, and The Kerala Story are some of the recent films that PM Modi supported, prompting many to wonder what could be the driving factor behind his decisions. However, compared to other films, his decision to back ‘The Sabarmati Report’ seems closer to his heart.
While a citizen listed four reasons he feels everyone must watch the movie and tagged the prime minister, PM Modi, in an unusual move, responded: “Well said. It is good that this truth is coming out, and that too in a way common people can see it. A fake narrative can persist only for a limited period of time. Eventually, the facts will always come out!”
Well said. It is good that this truth is coming out, and that too in a way common people can see it.A fake narrative can persist only for a limited period of time. Eventually, the facts will always come out! https://t.co/8XXo5hQe2y
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 17, 2024
WHY BACKING THE MOVIE MATTERS
It was early in Modi’s chief ministerial innings, which he started in 2001, when he faced one of the most crucial humanitarian challenges followed by a political battle.
On the morning of February 27, 2002, barely a year into his oath-taking, a train running from Muzaffarpur in Bihar to Ahmedabad in Gujarat, was carrying a significant number of Karsevaks who were returning from a religious event in Ayodhya.
As the train left Godhra, an eyewitness account suggests that emergency brakes were pulled multiple times while mobs — which could surpass 2,000 in number — attacked the train from outside, setting four compartments with the S6 bogey on fire. A total of 59 people died, including 10 children, in an episode that is often termed the trigger for the 2002 Godhra Riots.
While many movies have been made on the riots, the latest Dheeraj Sarna-directed film appears to be the first mainstream attempt to portray the carnage that led to the riot — something Narendra Modi has been insistent on for years.
Decades have passed and Modi is India’s prime minister now but the Godhra wound is still fresh. He had to battle unpleasant political realities and overcome them, all because of the carnage. It is thus hardly surprising that he would find time even in Nigeria to tweet about a movie that seeks to unravel the truth.
WHY DID MODI BACK OTHER MOVIES?
Narendra Modi has an ideological stamp — Nation first, his stand against Article 370, terrorism, and the prism of Kashmir for All. The movies the prime minister has endorsed in the recent past fit the bill — Article 370, The Kashmir Files, and The Kerala Story.
Last year, while campaigning in Karnataka’s Bellary ahead of the release of The Kerala Story, Modi said: “There is a lot of discussion about The Kerala Story, which discusses ploys to make the country hollow from within. They say The Kerala Story is based on the terrorist plots in just one state. Such a beautiful state, where people are hardworking and talented, The Kerala Story exposes terror conspiracies (there).
From a Jammu rally, PM Modi endorsed the movie Article 370 when he said: “I do not know what the film is all about but yesterday, I heard on TV that a film is coming on Article 370. Good, it will be useful for people to get correct information.” The release of the film came ahead of the parliamentary elections in the country.
Much earlier in 2022, one of Modi’s staunchest and easiest endorsements was Vivek Agnihotri-directed The Kashmir Files. The prime minister even spoke about the movie at BJP’s parliamentary party meetings where he said there was a “conspiracy” and a “campaign to discredit” the film. Following this, many BJP-ruled states made it tax-free, while many chief ministers watched the movie with their cabinet colleagues to make a statement.
This post was originally published on here
