Well, it had promised a lot. And Aamir Khan’s Satyamev Jayate on Star Plus delivered. The episode delved deep into the issue of female infanticide. By bringing in cases of women who had been battered and bruised by husbands and in-laws for bearing a girl child, he made us once again take note that an evil that had been brushed under the carpet is still existent and flourishing
Educated women from educated families were showcased as being duped victims of forced abortions by their educated husbands and in-laws. Aamir Khan cautioned that this is not a problem of villages but of cities and towns where the male child is more welcome than the female.
He also sought TV viewers help to force the Rajasthan government to fast track some cases against doctors who have been aborting female fetuses and encouraging female foeticide. Viewers can send an SMS to 5782711 typing SMS – a part of the SMS charges will be donated to an organization which will use it to battle female foeticide.
Aamir connected with a group of Haryanvi bachelor men through a 3G link who were not able to get married as there were not enough women left. One of the men from the 30 year plus bunch requested Aamir to get Bollywood king Salman Khan to lead their group.
He then went on to tell viewers that there is a solution to this alarming situation of the imbalance in the male female sex ration by citing the tale of an official in Nwanashahr who firmly cracked down on sex determination tests and abortions and ensured that the girl child to male child ratio became equal.
Aamir was subdued, pensive, shocked, and he even writhed in pain on camera when women and experts narrated the terrible experiences that they suffered because they chose to become mothers of a girl child, despite opposition from their families. He also lauded them for fighting for their girl children against all odds.
Satyamev Jayate brought a lump to viewers' throats, and one hardly was aware of the passage of time, thanks to the sharp editing and tight scripting. In all, a performance worthy of the man who we have come to know as Aamir Khan.
To be fair, news channels have attempted to tackle the issue, but when a public figure like Aamir Khan puts his weight behind a cause, one can only hope it gets penetrated into the nation’s deep consciousness. And that it works as a catalyst to bring about change.
The show is quite likely to generate record TRPs. It, along with Aamir Khan, DD, female foeticide, Swanand Kirkire are already trending on Twitter. And it is quite likely to generate new TV viewing patterns in India on Sunday morning which augurs well for viewers, broadcasters, and producers.
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