The Little Terrorist: An Analysis
“You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.” – Mahatma Gandhi. A quote which I keep close to my heart for it reminds me to keep my eyes focused on the good of humanity despite of the terrible things the humans have done and are continuing to do. The quote compares the vastness of the ocean to the entirety of human race. A few drops of dirty water won’t cause enough impact on the cleanliness of the ocean. On the same manner as the terribleness of some humans do not tarnish the entirety of humanity. Humanity is alive and that is what the film, The Little Terrorist, is trying to convey.
The film revolves around a 10-year old Jamal who had accidentally tossed his ball way too far for his liking while in the middle of a cricket game with his friends. Jamal then found himself in a difficult situation, unaware of the trouble he had caused. With all the bravery he had in himself, Jamal decided to fetch his ball back from the other side of the border. Clearly not the wisest idea for the situation, but for a 10-year old kid whose life revolves around toys and friends, risking life was definitely an option for Jamal. This scene clearly depicts Jamal’s innocence as a child and his obliviousness of the madness of the world. Unfortunately, on his way back to his side of the border, two guards who are on the lookout for terrorists in the landmine had spotted him. This is where the conflict had officially begun. His hopes of getting his ball back were soon replaced with the hopes of escaping and getting back home safely when he found himself trapped in a land he had no idea about. Jamal was unable to cross the border back to where he had come from which then lead into a full chasing scenario between him and the guards. While on the process of escaping, Jamal was helped by Brahmans, Bholla and his niece, Rami. They kept Jamal hidden until the guards declared cease on their search and had eventually guided him back to the other side of the border where Pakistan is.
It is a historical fact that there had never been a neat fit between the Hindus and the Muslims. Their belief system is one of the factors that keep both religions from going along together which then results to religious bias and racial discrimination. In the film, racial discrimination is clearly evident for both Indians and Pakistanis consider each other as terrorists or criminals. However, despite of the difference between the religious views of the Hindus and Muslims, the two Brahmans still chose to help the Muslim boy, Jamal, to return back to his land. The conflict in the story was resolved by the observance of love for humanity. That race, religious, and political views should not be a reason for us to build a barrier between someone who doesn’t share the same views as us. There was this scene towards the end of the movie where Rami, the niece of Bholla, cut off the piece of hair left on Jamal’s head. This only shows that our way of life is governed by rules and practices we set in ourselves. That a small piece of hair could separate us so much. That if we choose to set aside these differences that build a barrier between us and the others, we will be able to realize that after all, we all are humans, breathing the same air, touching the same land and earth beneath our feet. And creating a division between others is fully in our own hands and will and that the terribleness of this world should not taint our faith in humanity.