This movie used the “K” word
K for kinner. What is a kinner?
The people of Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh have traditionally been referred to as Kinners. The term Kinnauras is also widely used.
Unlike most ethnic groups which follow one religion, the kinners are a multi-religion people.
The Kinnauras consist of the Rajputs or Khosias and the Berus. The Khosias include Hindus and Buddhists. The former are dominant in Nichar, Sangla and Kalpa areas while the latter dominate the tracts adjoining Tibet and Spiti.
And, more importantly, kinner women are hot.
The women of Kinnaur are famous for their beauty and there are many references to it in books of olden times. According to the old scriptures, the Kinner Kanyas (girls) were famous for their beauty and were used as Vish Kanyas (poison girls) by the kings and royal families to overcome their enemies through their seductive “talents”.
So why is kinner the “K†word? In yet another blatant example of state government’s interference in media, Madhur Bhandarkar’s recently released movie, Traffic Signal, was banned by the Himachal Pradesh state government for the use of the “K†word.
Himachal Pradesh has banned Madhur Bhandarkar’s just-released film ‘Traffic Signal’ for using the word ‘kinner’ to denote eunuchs.
Tribals from the state’s Kinnaur district are upset over the use of the term in the film, which takes a peek into the lives of people living near traffic signals in metros.
The people of the district maintain that under the constitution only they have the privilege of being called ‘kinners’. They have demanded that the film be banned across the country.
This is not the first time the Himachal Pradesh state government has decided to get cute with movies.
In 2001, the government banned a film titled ‘Kohram’ as it had a villain called Virbhadra Singh, the name of the chief minister. The ban still continues.
What is not clear to me is that in a country where political correctness is a phoren term, is there a provision in the Constitution reserving the “K†word to these folks? Lets take the “M†word – Madrasi. This should mean someone from Madras(Chennai). But across the nation any dark skinned South Indian is called a “Madrasi†– irrespective of whether they are from Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad or Cochin. So why would these folks get so offended is someone else was called the “K†word? The reason is simple – since it was used to denote “eunuchs†and somehow perceived as “inferior†in the Indian society. Just more example of the double standards among our people when it comes to racism and discrimination.
Do they ever remove the blindfolds?
(image: via http://library.advanced.org)
Three questions arise from this story: Do the Himachal Pradesh resident kinners have a copyright on the “K†word? Should the state government ban a movie because it used the “K†word to denote some other group? (hint: the answer has two letters, starts with a “N†and ends with an “Oâ€). Why would Madhur Bhandarkar use the “K†word to denote eunuchs when they are commonly known as hijras?
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