Where Are the Protestors Now?

For anyone who missed the Oscars or who hasn't seen the movie "Slumdog Millionaire" yet, you probably won't recognize the little girl pictured at right. She's Rubina Ali, a child from the Mumbai slums who was cast in the role of Latika (as a child) in the film and since the skyrocketing success of the film (not to mention multiple awards around the world including the Oscar) she has become quite famous. Yet despite this newfound fame, Rubina remains in the slum where she and her family have lived for quite some time. Shortly after the popularity of the film began to take off, there were loads of protests, none louder than those coming from India.

The protestors complained that the filmmakers (read that to mean non-Indian westerners) had exploited the children and had made what amounted to 'poverty porn' in an effort to highlight only the negative parts of India. It's gotten so bad now that backlash against the film and its success has resulted in many of Bollywood's luminaries declaring that the word 'dog' should no longer be used in Indian cinema. Now perhaps it is petty or a bit of jealousy but whatever it is, it's a bit ridiculous. Despite the fact that the filmmakers paid the children in the film and have set up trust funds or set aside money for their education, many in India protested the fact that the filmmakers still hadn't done enough. Time and again the word exploitation was being thrown about and often to deaf ears that didn't want to hear anything to the contrary.

Flash forward a few months and read the latest news. According to reports, the father of Rubina Ali has now been accused of brokering a deal to illegally sell his daughter to a 'buyer' in Dubai for 200,000 British pounds (or over $300,000). Though there is some skepticism as to whether this is just accusation or it's the truth, I find it funny that the reports are coming more from the Western media and not so much from the Indian media. Is this not true exploitation of the highest order? Isn't it exploitation to take a child and bump the price from 50,000 to 200,000 simply because "this is an Oscar child"? Rubina's 13-year-old sister Sana Ali reportedly left the house recently to live with her biological mother because the father apparently didn't want her around the house anymore given the fact that Rubina is worth more.

Now perhaps all this is heresay and sensationalism that is not true. Giving the father, Rafiq Quereshi the benefit of the doubt, perhaps he's not really interested in 'selling' or giving away Rubina, but then besides denying allegations, why isn't anyone else saying anything? Why aren't Indians jumping up in protest and stating that this is wrong and that the child is once again being exploited? Certainly the life of the child has been changed since being exposed to the world in a high profile movie but I think it brings to light the fact that there is a certain amount hypocrisy in people. If it's something seemingly done by an outsider then it is exploitation, if it is something done by an Indian than is it only a shame and something to tsk-tsk at? I don't think so. I certainly hope that there isn't any truth to the accusations against Quereshi but if they are then I would wonder if the vocal majority who shunned Danny Boyle and western filmmakers will shun the actions of Quereshi just as loudly.