Can grassroots and mobile activism achieve an improved democracy in India?
The idea of participatory democracy empowering the marginalized in India gets further explored in "An Insignificant Man." The documentary examines the formation and journey of AAP, a political party resisting against a lack of political accountability and that uses a more grassroots campaign approach. Their kind of door-to-door approach sets them apart by distancing them from corrupt politicians as well as helping them expand their constituents in a diverse Delhi where media literacy varies among its citizens. We see that the media and social media also serve as political tools for curating the politician’s image. However, they can be used to spread false information, through slandering other parties, as seen with the tampered video of an AAP member allegedly taking a bribe, or even allowing individual politicians a platform to announce unrealistic promises. The documentary itself also seems to be anti-status quo in its form, using a non-traditional format with no talking heads. This allows the audience more room to form their own criticisms and shift their opinions through a critical lens, in a way that present-day Indian news media perhaps cannot.
-Michelle