Withering Democracy analyses & looks at the values & culture that the founders of the Indian Constitution brought to the Indian Parliament. What was Indian democracy then and what has it become today? The proposed documentary would analyse the contrasts, highlighting the lack of ethics in today’s parliament and other democratic institutions and their deterioration over the years.
Withering Democracy Duration 25 mts.
Withering Democracy Duration 25 mts.
SYNOPSIS:
With over a billion people, the Republic of India is the world's largest parliamentary democracy. India has gone from being a mere British colony to a functioning, independent democracy in more than 60 years.
But is that really the case, what with law makers repeatedly breaking the law within the hallowed precincts of the Indian Parliament & State Assemblies with an alarming frequency? Abusing each other, coming to blows frequently, shouting out the adversary, snatching the microphone from a fellow parliamentarian & even using it as a weapon & hurling it at opponents, storming the well of the house, smashing furniture/fixtures, threatening the Speaker of the house, staging walkouts ad- nauseum & just not letting the normal proceedings of the house continue simply because the opposition does not agree with the governments stand on an issue or a policy or vice versa, these scenes & more are now a daily occurrence & have become the rule more than the exception as is apparent shown live on national television at the expense of the Tax payer, us, we who elected them in the first place end up kicking ourselves helplessly watching this appalling behaviour day in & day out.
When Dr. B.R.Ambedkar and his team comprising the likes of my grandfather M. Ananthasayanam Ayyangar wrote the constitution of India they had envisioned a strong, inclusive, resilient, progressive nation & not one which was corrupt, weak, avaricious & communal. They were truly & genuinely in the business of nation building & not nation bleeding. They would never have imagined Parliament & State Assemblies seeing such repeated acts of hooliganism, corruption & uncouth “unparliamentary” behavior!
The documentary Withering Democracy shall explore & analyse how the strength & promise of India’s democratic institutions & Parliamentary ethics have deteriorated over the years.
BIO:
Aditya Seth has been in the Indian Media, since 1986 & has been involved extensively with Documentary Filmmaking, Television Production & Advertising related Filmmaking. He has been associated with over 500 projects since in the capacity of Producer/ Writer/ Director / Editor/ Voice Over Artist.
TREATMENT:
The film shall open with the camera entering Parliament which shall be used as a mnemonic to lead into each sequence. As we enter an empty Parliament the sound of a Quotation or Speech by Dr. B.R.Ambedkar, Shri.M.Ananthasayanam Ayyangar, Speaker Lok Sabha 1956-1962 shall be heard. Photographs or news footage of Shri.M.Ananthasayanam Ayyangar (available & appropriate) shall then be juxtaposed with his speech. The moment the speech shall end we shall cut into a modern day sequence of mayhem either within Parliament or one of the Legislative Assemblies.
Quotation or Speech by Shri.M.Ananthasayanam Ayyangar: On democracy: A democratic way of life is not only necessary for India but it must spread throughout the world as that is the only solution for avoiding conflicts as far as possible in the world.
Post the speech we cut to a sequence of shots sourced from a News Channel:
Headline: Parliament stood paralysed for twenty two out of twenty three days in its winter session:
The Winter Session of the Indian Parliament which began on November 9 2010 witnessed repeated adjournments over the opposition’s insistence for a JPC probe into the 2G spectrum scam.
From here we shall first go to the constituencies of the MP’s who created the ruckus in the assembly & get the electorate’s opinion on their representatives’ behavior.
We shall then dwell upon the reasons behind electing such people despite their behavior & poor performance & intercut these interviews with the interviews of the MP’s themselves.
This sequence shall be juxtaposed with interviews with Senior Parliamentarians, Social Scientists, Legal luminaries, PR Managers/Spin Doctors, Journalists, Social Psychologists & Modern day politicians who shall help the audience in understanding & lay threadbare the reasons behind such behavior & the overall worsening of Parliamentary & Legislative Ethics.
We shall then go back to the people of India both rural and urban and interview them about how things have changed in their perception over the years & why?
Discipline, Decorum and Dignity of Parliament are of paramount importance for
the efficient functioning and success of parliamentary institutions. All over the world
concerns have been expressed about the decline of discipline, decorum and dignity of
legislative bodies. Seen in the context of the evolution of democracy these problems though understood as aberrations are now becoming more the norm rather than the exception.
The Winter session of Parliament (2002) was a remarkable example of the functioning of Parliament in consonance with its dignity, decorum and discipline in recent times. As this particular session had set a high standard for Parliamentarians this session the reasons behind the success of the session & why can’t such decorum be sustained shall be analysed & discussed.
Finally the downfall of Parliamentary Ethics shall be juxtaposed with the growth of the Sensex, Foreign Direct Investment & the robust economy & be analyzed & debated in a Socio-Economic/ Political Perspective by Economists, Industrialists & the common man.
Withering Democracy shall dissect and depict the Spirit of Democracy, Role of the Opposition, Corruption in Politics, The Total disregard of discipline in the House/ Disrespect of the Speaker’s Chair, Shouting out the opposition in a debate & walking out, Disrupting proceedings especially when a vote has to be taken or a bill has to be passed etc.
Trailer for Withering Democracy
EXCERPTS FROM PREVIOUS WORK
This is the first trailer of Bahadur (The Accidental Brave) a documentary on Nepali Labour migration to India;
A clip from a documentary entitled Learning to Live on Life Skills Education made for Unicef.
FILMOGRAPHY:
Aditya Seth’s work includes the documentaries YOUTH AND FUTURE: THE INDIAN SPECTRUM, a comprehensive attempt to project the problems, dilemmas and prospects facing our youth. EK PARISTHITI, a scathing indictment of the child labour problem, produced for Doordarshan. AN EXPERIENCE OF A HINDU TEMPLE, a documentary film on the festival of ‘Shivaratri’ for The Asia Society, New York, screened at The International Documentary and Short Film Festival, Bombay, 1994. PARITAP, a 30 minute documentary on the sexual abuse of children, for the Department of Women and Child Development, Government of India. This film was screened at The International Documentary and Short Film Festival, Mumbai – 1998, SADHARAN INSAAN KA ASADHARAN HINDUSTAN, a cultural round up of the millennium, produced by Cinema Vision India, PEHLI KIRAN, a daily morning breakfast show, “live magazine format” for Sahara TV. The Science Programme Turning Point for Times TV. A lifestyle show, HAR GHAR KUCH KEHTA HAI for Star One. He has Produced an animated Public Service Announcement entitled THE BUZZ OF BETRAYAL (www.pixels3.com/buzz) on the Sexual Abuse of Children, which was screened at PLATFORMA_03, Athens, Greece, World Social Forum ‘04, Mumbai, Vikalp: Films for Freedom, Mumbai ’04 & Abhivyakti: The 6th All Bihar Low cost Videofest & the Vikalp festivals at Antwerp, Brussels & OBLO. Learning to Live, a documentary on Life Skills Education for Unicef. A Silent Revolution a documentary for the SAARC Confrenece on Rural Sanitation (SACOSAN) for Unicef. Energising India an Industrial documentary on the Indian Corporate Sectors move towards effective ENCON & sustainable development. Two films on Water Conservation for the Ministry of Rural Development. Sanitising India a film on the Total Sanitation Campaign a MDG for Unicef. Has produced a Radio Series Desh Paradesh on the Nepali migrant Community in India & HIV awareness.
Is currently producing a documentary on the Nepali migrant in Mumbai & HIV entitled Bahadur : The Accidental Brave.
Is currently Directing a Food Show entitled “Sanjeev Kapoor’s Kitchen” for Food Food TV Channel.
He has Written, Produced, Directed & Edited Television commercials, AVs, Promos & Corporate Films & Documentaries for Agencies such as Lowe Lintas, Mudra & Contract Advertising & for clients such as Maruti Udyog Ltd, CII, UPFC, Modi Entertainment Network, HLL, P&G, Sriram Honda, Pearl Polymers Ltd., Asian Sky Shop, TSN, Eureka Forbes, Jaipan, Sumeet, Indiantelevision.com, GTZ, INDAL, Raymond, Reliance, Beil, LIC, Pogo, Bayer group, NCR, Zentrend & Aditya Birla Retail, Rich Foods, Teach For India.
His fiction work includes Writing, Direction & Editing of Tele-serials & Soap-operas such as Koi Aur Indradhanush for Eagle Video Films, Kaamyabi for Adakar, Kya yehi pyar hai for Bitv, Kabhi Sautan Kabhi Saheli for Balaji Telefilms, Mime a Rhyme (a children’s show) for Srishti Videotec, the thrillers Raaz & Kagaar for Sahara Manoranjan & Crime Patrol for Sony Entertainment Television.
He has also worked as Technical & Online Director for Events such as NIFT Fashion Showcase, Australian Fashion Framework, Red & White Bravery Awards, Anu Malik Nite, Chattisgarh Folk Festival, Army Band in Concert & Shows such as Fads, Jesus Christ Superstar, Rajasthani Lok Kathayein, Cricket in India, Centenary celebrations of Rakab Ganj Gurdwara, Talking Shares, Vision Point, the UTN Channel launch, the Live Telecast of the Anti-Bush rally @ Azad Maidan, Mumbai for JAIN TV & the launch of Bay systems India @ Noida UP amongst others.
Is also a Voice over Artist in both English & Hindi & is empanelled with the Films Division of India.
He is also an academic & teaches Film making & related Media Studies both at the graduate & post graduate levels at prestigious institution in Mumbai.
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