ARTE: Ms Jain, your documentary films focus on Indian society. Your new film “Lakshmi and Me” deals with the century-old class and cultural divides between the people and you take your relationship with your maid Lakshmi as an example. Why did you choose to deal with this topic in such a personal way?

Nishtha Jain: Indian society is still deeply divided along caste and class lines. These divisions manifest themselves not only economically and socially but also psychologically. I wanted to deal with the psyche that allows these differences to exist. Theoretically, we believe in equality and yet when it comes to practice we turn a blind eye. It’s especially so with the people working in our homes. We take servants as part of our entitlement. These are people who are holding up our homes and helping run our lives smoothly, but we don’t treat them as social equals, we are clueless about their needs and continue to pay slave wages. In my film, I wanted to deal with this all-pervasive psyche, so what better way than to start with yourself?

Is the traditional caste-system modified by the ongoing economic and social changes?

Of course the caste-system is breaking down and people no longer have to take up their traditional caste-occupation but the process is quite slow especially in the rural areas. Social practices, however, are still very much governed by caste-psyche.

In your film, Lakshmi is in love with Krishna and decides to marry him despite their caste difference and the wish of her family. Have love marriages become more frequent nowadays?

Lakshmi and Krishna both belong to the ‘low’ caste but even amongst each caste-stratum there are thousands of sub-castes and similar hierarchy prevails. Had either Krishna or Lakshmi belonged to the ‘upper’ caste then things would not have resolved so easily and the upper-caste family would have, in most likelihood, disowned their son or daughter. The fact is that arranged marriage within the same caste/class is still the norm in India. Of course things are changing and Lakshmi’s elopement, though not a very common practice is a sign of resistance.

In “6 yards to Democracy” you describe the problems of the workings of democracy in India as well as the consequences of the economic boom in the city of Lucknow in North India. Who are the winners and the losers of this growth?

In India, literally millions of people are getting displaced from their original habitats either due to development projects like dams, roads, express highways, underground metros, special economic zones or by private builders buying/cheating poor people out of their land to build commercial spaces like malls or high-end apartments. This has become the everyday reality of India. It’s clear who are the losers in this process. Even if people are compensated well economically there’s no accounting for the social and psychological disruption. Increasing crime and violence in the cities and the resultant insecurity are direct results of this phenomenon.

Is there any awareness among politicians in India that all social classes should benefit from the economic growth in order to avoid social tensions?

On paper yes and even in their election speeches, but concerns for the future get drowned by greed for money.

India is the biggest democracy in the world, according to the proportion of the voters worldwide. Do really all citizens in India have the same access to democracy?

Of course not. Everybody has the right to vote and that’s a great thing but people certainly do not have equal opportunity. Nearly half the populace does not have access to good education, housing or medical care. Even people living in slums could save up and buy the one-Lakh car but basic housing, clean drinking water and toilets remain a faraway dream for millions. What kind of a democracy is this?

What is you personal vision of India in the next 20 years?

I hope there’s more resistance of the constructive kind in the future. There’s too little resentment amongst the under-privileged in India. Ironically, if there’s any resentment then it’s amongst the rich people having to pay up increasingly. Cable television and internet have definitely raised the aspirations of the people so there’s resistance but largely destructive. I hope it can take a positive turn.

Interview: Elisabeth Stirnemann and Franziska Schönenberger