Response to C.J.S. Wallia Review of "Earth"

After reviewing C.J.S. Wallia's Review of "Earth" I would have to agree with many of the observations. I felt the criticism a bit harsh in that there were many redeeming qualities of the storytelling style. While the characters may have been underdeveloped, Mehta attempted to keep a neutral approach to any commentary on roles of the different religious groups. Wallia provided the following commentary. 

However, Mehta's film viciously distorts the historical role of the Sikhs in the freedom struggle and during the partition of India to convey the strong impression that they initiated the riots. On the contrary, most historians agree that it was Jinnah's and the Muslim League's intransigent demand and their announced and cruelly implemented "Direct Action Day" which started the riots and made the partition inevitable. In the Punjab, Muslim Leaguers began the riots in December 1946 in Rawalpindi and in March 1947 in Lahore. The first victims were Sikhs: "The largest number of victims at the March riots were Sikhs. The murderous game of stealthily creeping up, quickly stabbing the victim, and running away could best be played against the easily identifiable Sikh rather than the Hindu or the Muslim, who, unless attired in his special dress, had to be stripped naked to see whether or not he was circumcised before his fate could be decided. The Sikhs took a terrible beating....The communal bent of the police was an important factor in the killings.

I disagree with the assessment that "Earth" conveyed the impression that the Sikhs were the instigators of many of the riots. Historical references were made that suggested Sikhs were responsible for past violence, but it seemed to create more of an impression that the Muslims were responsible for many of the increasing rioting. 

The film was vague about many of the historical references that would either support or deny some of the details that Wallia defends. I believe his review to be too harsh, but contains in it some relevant observations.