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A wake-up call
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Poignant images of the victims of environmental violation and the indifference of the authorities are highlighted in Nina Subramani's film "Miles To Go"
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From the "Miles To Go"
"MILES To Go", a film directed by Nina Subramani and produced by Greenpeace, shows images that linger. For instance, the camera captures the deformities of young victims of uranium radiation in Jadugora, Jharkhand. All through the 60-minute film, the viewer is assailed by such poignant images, accompanied by a realistic narrative. The film was screened recently at the IIT campus. Stating the objective of the film, Ananthapadmanabhan of Greenpeace said, "There are a thousand Bhopals happening in slow motion. We need to put an end to these. The film is meant to be a wake-up call. It has been appropriately titled `Miles To Go' as we have a mammoth task on our hands."
The camera is trained on the Greenpeace activists as they travel by bus to a few toxic spots in Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Jharkhand, West Bengal and the four southern States, and uncover environmental violations (mostly involving rivers), muster the people's force to fight them and try to nail the authorities down to a promise to clean up their act.
In Dodballapur (Karnataka), the Greenpeace activists pit their wits against a dye-making factory that has "poisoned" the groundwater, thanks to "illegal pipelines for effluents being sunk deep into the ground".
In Cuddalore, the chemical factories in the SIPCOT belt discharge toxic wastes into the Uppanar river. As a result, those residing around the river suffer from skin diseases.
At Eloor, Ernakulam district (Kerala), people say the polluted water leads to diseases such as cancer. The carbon industry casts a dark shadow over this town as well as another - Karimugal. There is a scene where these towns are enveloped in the smog spewed out by the carbon factories.
The camera also captures the sorry state of the Bhadravathi river into which "a State Government enterprise, Mysore Papers and Pulp Limited, brazenly releases effluents". The Greenpeace activists meet the tehsildar, and seek an explanation from him. He, however, parries their questions, naming some other authority, which "would look into the matter".
When it comes to shocking images, Jadugora takes the cake. You see new-borns and small children with deformities that make your hair curl with horror.
Nina subramani... focussing on issues.
The scene then shifts to the river Brahmani in Orissa, as also a few localities in the State, where "the only constant seems to be dust. People inhale iron, chromide and coal".
A candlelight vigil on the night of December 3, 2002 at Bhopal to observe the anniversary of the Bhopal gas tragedy is also on reel.
The film ends with these words spoken by one of the narrators: "That night we thought we were praying for the dead. Now we know there are prayers to be made for the living."
Nina Subramani is a filmmaker who focusses on wildlife and environment issues.
Among her other directorial offerings is a 28-minute film "In God's Own Country" which is about the havoc the pesticide Endosulfan has wreaked on the people of Kasargod in Kerala.
P.F.
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