[Reader-list] Censorship from an (Un)usual Quarter

[Shuddhabrata Sengupta]

Dear All on the List,

we have recently had some amount of discussion on the issue of censorship on 
this and some other neighbouring lists. This has been focused on documentary 
films, and sexually explicit material in the media. In both cases, the censor 
is either  the state, or there is an appeal (whihc is then countered) to the 
state or quasi state bodies to act as a censor.

I think that it is also important for us realize that other kinds of bodies 
can also act as very lethal censorship agencies. Not just the state, not just 
the far right. Not just the usual suspects.

That the VHP and other Hindu far right bodies physically obstruct 
performances and exhibitions (the latest instance being the obstruction of 
performances of Habib Tanvir's play "Ponga Pandit" by the Naya Theatre in MP 
) is common knowledge.They did this with Husain's paintings, they did this 
with Sahmat exhibitions, they did this with Deepa Mehta's "Fire", and of 
course they are doing it with the NCERT history syllabus. We know all that.

What people are not as well aware of is the very lethal censorship carried 
out by other ends of the political spectrum as well (not just the HIndu far 
right) - whether it was the CPI (M) in West Bengal and its campaign against 
what was called "Apa Sanskriti" (Perverted Culture) in the eighties, the 
Catholic church demanding bans on "The Last Temptation of Christ", or 
Gandhians calling for a ban on a play on Nathuram Godse and Gandhi, or 
eminent secularist liberals (and Muslim fundamentalists)calling for bans on 
Salman Rushdie's "Satanic Verses", feminist groups calling for censorship on 
all sorts of films, or Kashmiri or ULFA separatists enforcing bans on 
Bollyewood cinema, or Bollywood stars calling for strict police action 
against 'Piracy", or the Ramakrishan Mission calling for bans on a scholarly 
biography of G.C. Chatterjee written from a queer perespective. No one in the 
entire social, cultural and political spectrum  in India, has had an absolute 
monopoly on the anxiety about free speech. Everyone has been equally hostile 
to the idea of the freedom of expression, its just that people have sought to 
ban different things.

One of the most effective forms of banning is the appropriation and 
destruction of the means of expression. Below is a forward of a posting that 
appeared recently on the Bytes for All list. It documents the sad story of 
the PWG's (Peoples War Group's) forced seizure and destruction of the audio 
video equipment of an NGO working in Cchatisgarh in the area of community 
radio. The PWG is a Maoist insurgent group active in Andhra Pradesh, Madya 
Pradesh, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and lately in Bihar and West Bengal, where 
it teams up with the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC). The killing, detention 
and torture of PWG activists, or of organizations linked to the PWG, by state 
security forces, and the general state terror excercised by government 
agencies has excercised the attention of some civil liberty advocacy groups 
for quite some time. (And rightly so, there can be no justification for any 
form of state terror). 

But does this mean that an explicit and loud silence about the repression 
meted out by the PWG itself is unquestionable? Can one build an ethical 
framework for talking about freedom when we criticize assaults when they come 
from one corner, and become silent when they come from other quarters?

Is such a politics morally consistent? Can a self styled 'radical' 
documentary filmmaker for instance, publicly protest against the 
pre-censorship of documentaries at film festivals, and at the same time, and 
in the same breath demand the censorship of what he considers to be right 
wing or fundamentalist or anti national propaganda, because he thinks that is 
'reasonable'.Can a civil liberties activist protest against enocounters and 
extra judicial killings by the state and at the same time remain silent about 
the assasinations carried out by 'militants'. In my book, you cant do one if 
you also do the other. You cant have your freedom, and enforce repression on 
those you dont like. In some ways, a moth eaten, half truth of freedom is a 
greater lie than the brutal frankness of an out and out totalitarian state. 
Because those complicit in the lie are those who speak in the name of freedom.

Had this (the destruction of the equipment in this case) been carried out by 
a far right group, the news of this act of violence and censorship would have 
spread far and wide by now, letters would have been written to editors, press 
conferences, and even a dharna or two would have been organized by civil 
liberterians. This time, the villain happens to be the Peoples War Group, a 
band of thugs just as ruthless or venal as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, the 
Lashkar e Tayyaba, or the Democratic Youth Federation of Inida, the Vidyarthi 
Sena , the Youth Congress, or the Provincial Armed Constabulary, or the 
National Socialist Council of Nagaland,  ( a few other well organized and 
armed groups that often issue diktats about what may or may not be permitted 
in their areas of influence).

Its just that, because they are not the state, but constitute in effect, a 
shadow state, (with a mirror apparatus of armies, militias, levies, axes and 
administrators) that groups like the PWG seem to fall outside the ambit of 
what might be seen as threats to freedom.

At the end of the day, if I have audio equipment and a low power transmitter, 
and it gets seized and burnt down, it would make little difference to me if 
the people who seized the equipment did it wearing saffron bands or waving 
red flags. All I would see would be the whites of their jubilant censor's 
eyes.

----------  Forwarded Message  ----------
Subject: [bytesforall_readers] Emailing: communityradio2
Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2003 20:54:23 -0700
From: "Sunanda Kumar" <sunanda at aidindia.net>
To: <bytesforall_readers at yahoogroups.com>


COMMUNITY RADIO - THREAT FROM UNEXPECTED CORNER

K.S. Sunanda

Alternative For India Development has established its work in the most remote
 pockets of Jharkhand for nearing two decades. Among its vast network among
 the tribals and dalits in the region, it has been carrying forward various
 concentisation and development works on
 education,health,watershed,microcredit groups,community technical colleges.
 One of its significant achievements have been in airing of the community
 radio program in Palamau region of Jharkhand state.

"Chalo Ho Goan Mein" ( Come lets go to the village) is aired twice in FM
 station of All India Radio - Daltonganj for the past two years. This program
 is aired in local dialect of Maghi and is entirely devised and played by the
 community with full technical support from AID. The cutting across issue in
 all episodes is on the corruption at the various level. The community are
 now boldly expressing their opinions and also giving practical insights to
 corruptions involved and how they are affected. The focus of the entire
 program is on the social issues of dowry, feudalism, bonded labour, child
 labour, alcoholism, non-development in the region, schools non-functioning,
 non-functioning of the health centers. Interviews are also taken from the
 concerned authorities and on the same issue the peoples' voices and concerns
 are focused.

This programme has become very popular and its reach-out is now to the
 neighbouring districts in Jharkahnd and the adjoining states of Chattisgarh
 and UP as well. Thus this programs reach-out is far beyond Jharkhand. As
 this programs hits the nerves of the authorities , AID has long anticipated
 that we would be summoned and asked to stop the program forthwith. We also
 expected that AIR would object to the raw presentations of the people. But
 fortunately we have not got any reprimands from both the ends.

WE have got threatening from unexpected corner. The extremists units Peoples
 War Group (PWG) functioning in the region has threatened the organization to
 stop the program forthwith. They feel that people who are now boldly and
 openly expressing their dissatisfaction with the non-functioning of the
 government programs may soon raise their tide against the armed extremists
 in the region as well.

The area where the community radio operates is one of the most extremist
 prone region and people are crushed on one side with the non-development and
 on the other side by the intimidation tactics of the extremist groups. If
 the police corner any extremists - the extremists consider that the
 community informed the police and they beat them up and sometimes kill them
 as well. On the other hand the police also intimidate the community to tell
 them about the whereabouts of the extremists groups. Thus the people are
 caught in a precarious situation and either way they are affected.

In this background and scenario AID had successfully completed 110 episodes
 of the program Chala Ho gaon Mein in the region. Previously it was aired
 once a week and due to popular demand now two episodes are aired in a week.

While it is popular among the community, it has irked the extremists groups.
 Certain ghastly incidents took place in the region in last week of July
 2003.

On 19th July 2003 a cultural event involving the school students took place
 in Lesliganj in Palamau district of Jharkhand . After the closure of the
 event few school children were escorted back to their village in the AID van
 ( Audio-video campaign van) . After the school children were dropped along
 with the local school teacher the van was returning back to Lesliganj. The
 van was waylaid by group of 20 armed naxalites and all of them got into the
 van. The village leaders pleaded with them to disembark and allow the
 organization vehicle to go back. But the armed naxalites refused to listen.

As the vehicle did not return to the office past the midnight, the members of
 AID went to the village to find out about the whereabouts of the vehicle. It
 was understood from the villagers about the episode and they had hijacked
 the van along with the driver, teacher and watchman of AID to undisclosed
 destination. The AID personnel went in search of them throughout Lesliganj
 and Panki blocks. In Panki jungles they could identify the team and the
 vehicle was parked elsewhere in the jungle. They snatched the two
 motorcycles of the people of AID as well who went in search of them. After
 long deliberations and arguments they finally gave back the two motorcycles
 but refused to release the van. But they released the AID personnel who were
 in the van. They argued that AID can carry on health and education program
 but AID should refrain from organizing the masses and carry on any
 development activities. Further they were threatened that they would burn
 the vehicle if we gave any information to the police on this incident.

In fact there have been long pending issues in the region between the
 extremists groups and the AID. The main grudge for the groups is that AID is
 able to organize the masses on the issues and they are forced to organize
 the masses at gun point. AID has been active in the region in the formation
 of Gram Sabhas ( Village committees) so that the people can take direct
 responsibility for development work and the issues in their villages. Last
 year through the Gram Sabhas certain irrigation points ( Ahars ) were
 constructed in which the focus was on shramdaan ( voluntary labour). This
 made the naxalites to beat up the Gram pradhan ( Village head) and they
 tried to stop the work but the work went on. The reason being the similar
 work if carried out by the government department or any contractor then they
 would have shelved out lot of money to the naxalites . This has been made
 impossible with the people's direct participation.

For any development work in the region, the contractors have to pay heavy tax
 ( illegally and it the local parlance it is called levy) to the groups to
 enable them to carry on any development work in the region. This levy varies
 between 20 to 30% of the construction cost. For laying of any roads, wells,
 dams and any other construction work, for selling the forest produce the
 middle men , contractors including many NGO's pay levy to the groups. With
 AID they have not directly demanded levy but they want this money. We have
 refused to budge and always talk to them on ideological levels.

Earlier also several times they have beaten up the AID personnel and also
 snatched away a motor cycle as well . They always want AID to dialogue with
 them and explain the sources of funds . In spite of several dialogues they
 are never satisfied as basically they are not interested in dialogue but
 want to use intimidation tactics and overthrow the organization from the
 region.

As several rounds of talks on the days of 20,21 July failed for retrieval of
 vehicle, an FIR was lodged with the local police station. A discussion was
 also held with the SP of Palamau. They assured to take appropriate action .
 It was also discussed to deal with the matter tactfully as we have to work
 in the same villages and any retaliatory action of the police will have lot
 of repercussions on the activities of AID as well.

On 26th July night the PWG armed extremists set the van on fire and it was
 entirely gutted along with the audio video equipments and portable generator
 in the van. The van is now in the custody of the Police station in Panki.
 This van was mainly used for narrow casting of the Chala Ho gaon Mein
 program and as well educative video shows were arranged for the school
 children and the women group members. Incidentally this region is deprived
 of not only roads but there is no electricity in any of the villages and the
 show used to run on batteries or portable generator.

Several rounds of meetings are now taking place at the village level with
 various community representatives on the future course of action to be
 adopted to continue the work in the region.

These retaliatory measures were long expected by AID and now it has happened.
 Though psychologically it has been a blow to us but it is temporary and we
 are sure that we will emerge out victorious from this. But it is true that
 lot of us have to put our lives in peril to work in the region. IT needs
 strong motivation, courage and morale boosting to work in the region.

With the mass peoples support we are confident that we will steer ahead the
 activities. We are also making counter strategies to ensure that the
 programs in the region will address this grave issue of extremism in the
 region.

As it is clear that these groups who vouch for ideology are nothing but bunch
 of criminals who have no ideology and are anti-development and anti-poor. It
 is a blot on ideology as they are never working for the poor. The poor are
 intimidated a lot and are in pincers jaws. On one end there is extreme
 poverty and no development and on the other end the people have to face the
 violent situations and are under constant intimidation from these groups.
 The long term solution would be possible only when the state and district
 administration wakes up to this long pressing issue of non-development,
 takes people into confidence and charts out multi pronged approaches.
 Further there is less political will as most of the influential political
 persons are having closer links with the extremists groups for their
 survival and security.

Now they have threatened us to take away the program of the community radio
 Chalo Ho goan mein from air as it has become one of the popular programs in
 the region. They have also warned the NGO of dire consequences earlier as
 well if we continue with this program. We always felt the threat perception
 from the vested interest groups of middlemen, contractors, government
 authorities and never apprehended that it would hit the unexpected corners
 of the extremists groups.

But we are determined to continue and may be we will one day make their fear
 true - the people who are opposing tooth and nail against non-development
 will also oppose against the extremists in the region. They are surpressed
 under the gun power and thus people are hesitant to openly oppose the
 extremist groups lest they would be singularly targeted and wiped away.

The group has now focused its ire entirely on the NGO and it may build up
 pressure among the community also not to participate in the program and it
 may target AIR Kendra in Daltonganj also for airing the program. The threat
 perception is looming large.

It is most unfortunate that a people's oriented program is targeted in such a
 ghastly manner. The extremist's outfits which vouch for propoor policies are
 actually anit-poor and anti-development. The ideology of propoor is once
 again being used as an excuse to intimidate the poor . Probably they refuse
 to understand that the community is non-supportive to its initiatives but
 forced to listen as they are afraid of its strong arm and life threatening
 tactics. They should not mistake the people's fear to following their
 blotted and blotched ideology. But will the wisdom draw upon them ??