Class vs. Religion

I think that the film Garam Hawa is biased. It espouses a certain ideology of Indian nationalism, which can be problematic from a critical point of view. One obvious interpretation is that the different religious groups need to coexist as one people under the glory of a secular, united India. I say secular because it is evident that the concerns of the extended Mirza family are, at one level, purely economic in nature, not religious. The characteristic dressing and language is indicative of a class of people associated with a different culture. Religion, for the most part, serves no purpose in their lives. In fact, Salim Mirza’s rhetoric of invoking Allah’s help with folded hands is shown in a negative light: it is a repetitive and irksome symbol of his inability to change things around for his family. In effect, the Muslims of India are transformed from a religious minority suffering at the hands of the Hindus, to a class of people fighting for their economic rights (as the ending of the film suggests). This may or may not be representative of the true state of affairs; however, I contend that it clouds the religious sentiment and portrays it as somehow deceiving in nature. The focus of attention is the material, economic aspect of a religious identity.