[Reader-list] Fwd: Condemn the suspension of Panorama Screening at Nandan, West Bengal

[ranu ghosh]

pl spread this news
ranu ghosh


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Nilanjan Bhattacharya <nilanjanbhatta at yahoo.co.in>
Date: Thu, May 1, 2008 at 6:40 PM
Subject: Condemn the suspension of Panorama Screening at Nandan, West Bengal
To: Ranu Ghosh <ghosh.ranu at gmail.com>, Ranu Ghosh
<ranughosh at vsnl.net>, Raju Raman <svraman1 at vsnl.com>, Subramanian
Raman <raman at kolkata.goethe.org>, dasguptardg at gmail.com,
chakanjan at hotmail.com, Sarabajit Sen <cartoonesque at yahoo.com>,
olik_das at yahoo.co.in, souravsarangi at gmail.com



Subject:  Press statement condemning the unprecedented cancellation of
Indian Panorama screenings in Nandan.

Press Conference on 2nd May, 2008 at 5pm at the Press Club, Kolkata
by Media Solidarity, an open platform of cineaste and filmmaking community
Supported by Shilpi, Sanskritikkarmi, buddhijibi Mancha


Dear Friends,
                             29.04.2008

The CPI (M) led West Bengal Government has now taken it upon itself to
play the role of the Film Censor Board of India. Its autocratic act of
stopping Indian Panorama screenings (programmed by The Directorate of
Film Festivals) at Nandan in response to the screening of Ladly
Mukhopadhaya's film, "Who's Land Is It Anyway" (the film is a critique
of the role of government as well as the CPI(M) in the Singur- Tata
Motors issue) is a reminder of the undemocratic environment that
prevails in the state.

This issue has been reported by Ms. Anjali Puri in The Outlook
(22-28th April) … "A West Bengal government famously intolerant of
'discordant' voices—from protesters in Nandigram to Taslima Nasreen
and Tibetan freedom fighters—has subjected a central government
department to an extraordinary tantrum over the inclusion of a
documentary film on the Singur agitation in a festival of Indian
Panorama films.


"It was only after the screening on March 26 that hell broke loose.
Nandan took the extraordinary step of "suspending" the rest of the
festival. And its CEO Nilanjan Chatterjee followed up that very
afternoon with an officious fax demanding explanations from a startled
DFF. In his fax, Nilanjan took the DFF to task for "the content of a
film (that) directly violates the ethical principles of centre-state
relationship". "I am directed to state that it is highly objectionable
to include such a controversial film in the Indian Panorama
package,"…..
And then came the clincher: "I am further directed to inform you that
all the screenings earmarked on 27 March, 2008, will remain suspended
till a satisfactory reply is received from your office."

Stopping a screening or arbitrarily withdrawing a film from Nandan is
nothing new. In the recent past Nandan authorities have stopped the
screening of Josy Josef's film on the hangman Nata Mullick (A Day In
The Life Of a Hangman) and Suman Mukhopadhyay's Herbert, without any
prior notice or showing any valid reason.
The State Govt has not just restricted itself in stopping 'discordant'
films from being screened in Nandan. Theatre groups and theatre
workers, whosoever has criticized and condemned the government's and
the ruling party's recent atrocities in Singur and Nandigram are
facing the outrage too, encountering direct as well as indirect
hindrances in staging their plays in different parts of the state.

Since one year, Media Solidarity, an open platform of cineastes and
the filmmaking community, has been actively involved in criticizing
and condemning the draconian measures of the Govt. of West Bengal. In
the past one year we have organized several film screenings and
discussions under the theme, "Development and Discontent". We have
also organized protest rallies and debates. We boycotted The Kolkata
Film Festival 2007 and ran parallel film screenings in protest.

We feel that the Nandan authority's decision to cancel the Panorama
screenings is a direct attack on our freedom of expression, and a
blatant transgression of basic democratic norms. It is thoroughly
autocratic and dictatorial in nature. We strongly condemn this action
and appeal to all of you to join us in protest.

On Behalf of Media Solidarity,

Sumita Samanta
Supriyo Sen
Sunetra Ghatak
Ashim Chowdhury
Pramod Gupta
Ananya Chatterjee Chakraborty
Nilanjan Bhattacharya
Indranil Roy Chowdhury
Nilotpal Majumdar
Ranu Ghosh
Rajesh Das
Rajasri Mukhopadhyay
Goutam Chakraborty
Chitralekha Ghosh
Sreyasi
Indrajit Das


Contact:       Sumita Samanta: 9830651623
                   Nilanjan Bhattacharya: 98305 87715

Email:          media.solidarity at gmail.com


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