[Reader-list] Ban Kashmir docu: Pandit

[Aditya Raj Kaul]

*Ban Kashmir docu: Pandit*


*TIMES NEWS NETWORK*

*Mumbai:* Five days after the Mumbai police seized DVDs of Sanjay Kak's
documentary on Kashmir, Jashn-e-Azadi, the film continued to be shrouded in
uncertainty as no explanation came from the department. There was, though,
no let-up in strong reactions from civil society.
   While most film-makers, art critics and students have criticised the
decision to stall the screening, others like director Ashok Pandit, a
Kashmiri pandit, said showing 'an uncensored film in public' was against the
law. "It was not being screened in someone's house, it was being screened in
a public place,'' said Pandit, adding that he had seen the documentary when
it was screened in Delhi.
   "The film should be banned as it speaks only from the terrorist's point
of view. It shows nothing about the carnage and exodus of Kashmiri pandits.
If the talk is about freedom of expression, then it should be understood
that the country and its security come first,'' Pandit said.
   The private screening organised by Vikalp, a group of independent
film-makers, was disrupted last Friday after a team from the Dadar police
stormed Bhupesh Gupta Bhavan in Prabhadevi and seized the DVDs. Jashn deals
with the experience of Kashmiris during the long period of strife in the
Valley.
   Reacting to the silence of the police, Kak said, "They (police) reacted
with alacrity on the basis of an email and seized the DVDs. But now, five
days have passed and they are yet to make a statement on the matter,'' said
Kak. "The screening was private, like those organised in other cities of the
country.''
   Around 40 people had gathered for the screening, and they waited
patiently for an hour, but had to leave without getting to experience the
film. It was the first screening of Jashn in Mumbai. and was recently shown
in Delhi as part of Osian's Cinefan, the ninth festival of Arab and Asian
cinema.
  TOUGH TALK: The director feels the film has been made from a terrorist's
point of view alone



*--
Aditya Raj Kaul
Blog: www.kauladityaraj.blogspot.com
Website: www.adityarajkaul.tk*