[Reader-list] protest against ban on gujarat film, mumbai, 2nd Oct

Avishek Ganguly avishek_ganguly at yahoo.co.in
Wed Oct 1 09:24:06 IST 2003 


Subject: urgent press note and invitation


To,
The Editor/ Chief Reporter




Sub: Film certification Appellate Tribunal of  Information and Broadcasting Ministry,  New Delhi, rejects the appeal of producers of “Aakrosh”, a Film on Gujarat 2002 Communal Violence, to grant Censor Certificate.



Dear Sir/Madam, 


“Aakrosh”, a film made by People’s Media Initiative for Manima Creations on victims and survivors of Gujarat 2002 communal carnage, a film which has given voice to their suffering and woes, their plight and anguish who are still to come to terms with the meaninglessness of violence and death thrust on them. The Film was rejected by Censor Board-Mumbai for public screening and exhibition on 04-03-03 giving reasons that it shows the Government and Police in bad light. We appealed to Revising Committee of Censor Board- Mumbai and the Revising Committee too, uphold
earlier decision of the Censor Board Committee by stating similar reasons through its order dated 31st March 2003. We protested the decision of the Censor Board fearing that Government wants to black out shameful Gujarat Communal Carnage – Genocide and wants to cover up the issue, we feared that there is direct attack on freedom of expression and right of information guaranteed under Indian Constitution, we felt that political Censorship has slowly begun in India as our second film “Chords on the Richter Scale” post Kutch Earthquake 2001 situation in Gujarat too got banned by
the Censor Board. We made appeal to Film Certification Appellate Tribunal of I&B Ministry New Delhi to review the decision of Censor Board Mumbai and lift the ban imposed on both the Films.


Appellate Tribunal of Information and Broadcasting Ministry, New Delhi, consisting Hon’ble Justice Shobha Dikshit as Chairperson and N. Thippanna, Dr. Firoza Bano as members heard the matter on 11th August 2003 and gave its verdict and order was communicated to us through Secretary of FCAT through letter dated 24-09-2003. Appeal was made under section 56 of the Cinematographer Act 1952, the main reason in its order to uphold total ban on the film “it shows scenes of violence, sorrow and suffering, men and women mostly of one community have been shown as victims as is
clear from their language, dresses, etc.” 


It was most unfortunate decision and shocking that the Tribunal Committee see religion in the faces of victims and survivors as we had avoided to give names of the victims as we feel that victims are victims and do not belong to any community, religion, race and caste. The Communal forces in India are forcing communal identity and dividing people.

In Gujarat today, justice and rehabilitation of the affected people is still a distant dream. Praveen Togadia of VHP is on hate campaign spreading communal venom throughout the country and instead of Government stopping him, chooses to block Gujarat carnage from
public memory. 

“Aakrosh” has received worldwide appreciation andaccolades, it has got selected for special screening at Locarno Film Festival, Switzerland as Human Right Film, it got selected out of hundreds of entries to the South Asian Film Festival, Indo-British Film
Festival, Milan Film Festival and so on. Even Sardar Vallabhai University in Anand –Gujarat has kept special screening of this film for their students only to tell that how innocents have suffered in the violence in Gujarat and many Universities, Educational
Institutions are considering “Aakrosh” as an ideal film to preach importance of peace and communal harmony and that ultimately it is the common man who suffers in any kind of violence. Violence only serves the purpose of the ruling class to divert main issue from the public mind. 


It is important that people of India and the world must know what happened in Gujarat and must not be repeated elsewhere. We also feel that killing of innocent passengers in buses, trains is an act of mad fundamentalist group and we condemn this barbaric act,
we feel that basic problems of our society is yet to be addressed and resolved i.e. poverty, unemployment, hunger, discrimination, mindless exploitation, etc. Instead of addressing to these basic issues, religious jingoism is imposed on the people so that they remain
divided. The cry and anguish of people will motivate film makers more and more to make such films, writers, poets, artists, will be inspired to write more on it. Government or censor Board cannot block our mind andheart, we will continue to raise our voice and our
endeavor to give voice to the common man will continue.


We will be appealing against the decision of Appellant Tribunal by challenging it in Mumbai High Court soon.



For People’s Media Initiative


Ramesh Pimple 

Geeta Chawda


Producers  
Tel:- 26358302 Mobile 9821109295

002, Gr. Flr., Parasrampuria Tower No. 6,

Lokhandwala, Andheri –W. 

Mumbai – 400 053.





INVITATION – PRESS CONFERENCE



A protest meeting is organized on 2nd October 2003 to protest the political Censorship and decision of Film certification Appellate Tribunal of Information and Broadcasting Ministry, Government of India upholding the ban on “Aakrosh”, a short film on Gujarat Communal Violence 2002 and continuation of ban on Documentary Film “ Chords on the Richter Scale”, a documentary film on post Kutch Earthquake 2001 situation in Gujarat. A small peace film “Chale Chalo” produced by Ramesh Pimple, directed by Shyam Ranjankar will be released to Press and Activists at the occasion.

Subject: Political Censorship

     

Speakers: Vijay Tendulkar, noted progressive Marathi Writer and   Dramatist.

  Narayan Desai, a Gandhian thinker and Social Reformer  from Gujarat.

  Nikhil Wagle, Editor- Mahanagar and Activist.

  Adv. Sebastian, Human Rights Lawyer and Senior   Functionary- Committee for the  

  Protection Democratic  Rights CPDR.


  Suma Jossan, Film Maker.

  Shyam Ranjankar, Film Maker.

  Jatin Desai – Journalist, Activist.

  Anthony Swamy – Lokshai Hakk Sangathana.



Place: Press Club,


 Near Azad Maidan,

Mumbai – 400 001.



Time: 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.


Date: 2nd October 2003 – Thursday

 



There will first be Press Conference at 3:00 p.m. followed by address to the gathering.

All are requested to attend the meet and make protest successful.


For People’s Media Initiative

 

Ramesh Pimple

Chief Co -ordinator




_________________________________________________________________ 

"In civilizations without boats, dreams dry up, espionage takes the place of adventure, and the police take the place of pirates." - Foucault 

Yahoo! India Matrimony: Find your partner online.Post your profile.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20031001/ed90486a/attachment.html

More information about the reader-list mailing list