By Neba-Fuh
Africa came into spotlight in the movie Slumdog Millionaire.
Slumdog Millionaire,
a low budget film acted by little known actors just caught the
attention of the world. It just won eight Oscars during the recent
Oscar Academy Awards, beating possible winners in the Best Picture
category like: The Curious Case of Benjamin Burton, Nixon/Frost, Milk and The Reader.
Slumdog Millionaire is a love story about an Indian boy who grew up in the slums of Mumbai. In a bid to reconnect with his childhood 'sweetheart', whom he 'lost' due to circumstances beyond his control, he participates in a TV game show-'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire'-a program he knew his 'sweetheart' loves watching... The rest is a mélange of romance, wit, betrayal, suspense, coincidence or destiny.
As the World celebrates Slumdog Millionaire's success, India, the main setting for the film is still to join wholeheartedly in the frenzy. India, a nation which prides itself as a nuclear power and moreover, recently launched its first satellite into space, has been humbled by exposure of its slums in the film Slumdog Millionaire.
At a time when the whole of India is suppose to be celebrating, some are protesting as if Slumdog Millionaire's director, Danny Boyle's decision to shoot the film in the slums of Mumbai was a deliberate act to expose the caste society of India where the rich get richer and the poor, poorer. Mumbai, one of the world most populous cities, harbours possibly the world's biggest and most deplorable slums.
For Westerners, they can be taken aback by the situation in Mumbai slums, but we, Africans are not unfamiliar with such mess, where corrupt governments blindfold 'donor countries' with visibly impressive sky scrapers in the capital cities, yet in that same backyard, people are in abject misery. Was it not in Cameroun that all mad people were taken off the streets and detained, just because a Western dignitary was visiting the country, and immediately after that visit, the mad people were flooded again in the streets? Who were they deceiving or pleasing?
More tourists are visiting Mumbai now to have a glimpse of the slums. The slums have become touristic sites. Dear Tourists, we also have slums in Africa. Many indeed! From Mombasa to Douala, there are many slums to visit. The economies will benefit financially from these visits. While India prides itself as the most populous democracy on earth despite its slums, most African countries are still to trace their routes to true democracy. The continent's slums are as a result of failed policies dictated by arm-chair egoistic rulers who have no ambition to improve the living standards of their peoples.
The slums in the Slumdog Millionaire portray the daily lives of many low wage workers in most cities across Africa. Most of them migrate from the rural areas to the cities hoping to lead better lives there, but end up in the slums because the wages they earn cannot allow them to afford basic amenities. They live like slumdogs. A very sad situation indeed!
I have always pondered why countries of the world are divided into underdeveloped/developing and developed nations. What distinguishes a developed nation from an underdeveloped/developing one? Is it technological advancement, sky scrapers, military might, economic boom, or all? Why is it that China, India and newcomer United Arab Emirates and many other South Eastern Asian countries not yet been accepted in the club of developed nations? Is it that the developed nations are bias?
But what I don't doubt is that the human being is the most important entity on Earth as it is now. Therefore, the thin line that separates the developed from the underdeveloped or developing worlds may just be the extent to which governments attach value on human lives, especially those of the vulnerable. If this is not the case, then I really wish it should be.
Anytime, I tell my Chinese friend how developed China is, he looks at me with amazement, and calmly tells me that China is not as developed as I think.
Anytime, I admire the nuclear capability of India and how it recently launched its first satellite into space, I sometimes wonder how many lives are lost daily in the slums because of these choices.
Anytime I visualize the modern sky scrapers in Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta etc, I am saddened by how many immigrant workers toil so hard for so little pay, unable to afford basic social amenities such as habitat and health care. That is why most of them squash in slums in order to build these 'beautiful' cities we tend to admire.
Don't get me wrong! I am not an acute socialist. My point is, anytime human lives are undignified by greedy ambitions and priorities of a few, then humanity as a whole is missing the bigger picture.
I don't imagine a world of absolute equality. That is impossible!
I imagine a world where quality of life of human beings is constantly prioritized in an attempt to bridge that equality divide.
A world where the greatness of a city is not measured by the magnificence of its sky scrapers, but by the standard of living of its lowest income earners and its aging population.
A world where government will venture to space only when government has cleared the slums.
An Africa where mad men are not detained for a day or two because some Western dignitary is visiting a nation, but that which sound social policies are put in place to cater for all vulnerable groups of people.
An Africa where the people's power manifested by their choice through the ballot box is not influenced by food and alcohol rationed to hunger-stricken population on the eve of elections.
An Africa, where dictators do not toy with their nations' constitutions in order to eternalize their reigns.
Slumdog Millionaire is not only an award-winning film, which Indians are reluctant to celebrate because of the portrayal of its backyard, but also it is a big mirror on Africa today.
I watched the film not long ago, till that time only read reviews and watched trailers. Now I can surely say that the film deserves all the Oscares it has got. Great ideas, thoughts - just what we need right now. For interested, that's the lonk for downloading - http://rapid4me.com/?q=Slumdog+Millionaire
Posted by: polly | April 21, 2009 at 03:09 AM