Stop Demonizing Television; a letter to the editor

A couple of days back, an Indian woman topped herself by throwing herself in the path of an oncoming train with her 4 children. Tragically, she and her 2 kids died on the spot; while another 2 managed to free themselves of their mothers deadly embrace, one unhurt and another in serious condition...

Newly elected Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC, the main Indian political party in Malaysia) deputy president, G. Palanivel visited the grieving family and suggested that suicide scenes in Tamil movies be censored to prevent more incidences of suicides among Indians.

Here are my 2 cents writen to the New Strait Times, whether they publish it or not... I don't know. Enjoy.


Dear editor,
I would like to congratulate Datuk G. Palinavel on his recent political victory and his audacious statement in the NST today calling for the censorship of suicide scenes in tamil movies.

It is atrocious that after having visited Jason Johnson in the hospital, all he can is that suicide scenes in tamil movies are causing people to kill themselves. Will censoring suicide scenes minimize suicides among the Indian community? I doubt it, but one can obviously deduce that the root of this problem lies in the troubles that the Johnsons are facing... one that is of a financial nature.

I believe that after being given the mandate by the Indian community as the party's deputy president, he has to do better than offering such simplistic solutions. May I suggest to the Datuk to look at the crux of the matter, that being the social-economy descrepency among the Indian community of Malaysia. Maybe this descrepency is the reason why people are commiting suicide, as opposed to say... watching tamil movies.

Even if 'watching tamil movies' is a problem among the Indian community, I take it that the Datuk doesn't think very highly of the Indian community. Is the Indian community so easily influenced? I doubt it. I would like to believe that Malaysians are capable of making their own decisions on what's good for themselves.

I myself really enjoy murder, suicide, sex, and violence in my entertainment, but strangely that doesn't make me want to commit suicide, kill, or rape someone else. I think maybe because I am an individual capable of rational thought, or maybe because I am not burdened with the problems of those who are driven to commit such acts. I think the leaders of our country need to address and solve these underlying problems instead of taking the easy way out of banning, legislating, and more religious classes.

Sincerely,
chi too