denny Ethnic & National book

Father, Son and Holy War-Anand Patwardhan In the politically polarized world, universal ideals are rare. In India, as in many regions, the vacuum is filled by religious zealousness. Minorities are scapegoats of every calamity as nations subdivide into religious and ethnic zones, each seemingly eager to annihilate the other or extinguish itself on the altar of martyrdom. FATHER, SON AND HOLY WAR explores in two parts the possibility that the psychology of violence against "the other" may lie in male insecurity, itself an inevitable product of the very construction of "manhood." Part 2: HERO PHARMACY HERO PHARMACY examines "manhood" in the context of religious strife. The Hindu majority has been raised on stories of marauding Muslim invaders who raped their women, destroyed their temples, and forced religious conversions. Today, some Hindus demand revenge for crimes committed centuries ago. They reject non-violence as impotence and set out to be "real men." In this context, the Muslim minority - despite fears of genocide - will not take things lying down. They too are driven by the imperative to be "real men." The result is carnage. Is violence inherent in the human condition? Historically, people have co-existed for over 50000 years in relative harmony. Wars began less than 5000 years ago. But today the "macho" man rules in every land. Where do we go from here? Awards: * National Award, Best Investigative Documentary,India,1995 * National Award, Best Social Documentary ...