When if ever will this reprehensible and retrograde tendency of "banning" films and other works of draw to a halt.....
Arshad Warsi; Boman Irani and Aditi Rao Hydari starrer "The Legend Of Michael Mishra" has become the latest Hindi film to fall foul with the authorities and self appointed/anointed and adjudicated "defenders of Indian culture and morality".......
One wonders how the Chandigarh and Haryana administration/authorities can arbitrarily and whimsically ban a film that has been duly certified and passed by the Central Board For Film Certification (CBFC) without a single cut (which in itself must be some kind of record considering the sensibilities of Messrs Pahlaj Nihalani and company).........
According to highly placed officials in the Panchkula administration; the decision to "ban" this film that was slated to hit the screens on Friday the 5th of August 2016 was taken at around 11 am or so one day prior to it's release fearing a break down in the law and order situation within the state in view of the ongoing protests by the Valmiki/Balmiki Samaj and such other similarly inclined or then like minded organisations.......
This Manish Jha directed or helmed farcical comedy allegedly fell foul with these self appointed guardians of public morality and ethics as it allegedly "hurt and wounded" their so called religious sentiments by continually referring to Sage Valmiki as a "daaku" (dacoit).........
Those who know their history or should I then say ancient folklore would be more than aware of the fact that Sage Valmiki was indeed a hunter and brigand of sorts before turning over a new leaf and going on to become one of the nation's most revered and widely admired sages and learned men........
I for one am flummoxed and completely flabbergasted by this increasing and alarming tendency of extra constitutional or then blatantly unlawful organisations and so called samaj's deciding the ultimate fate of a film when both the Constitution of India and the law of the land have created an autonomous body and entrusted the job or certifying whether or not a film ought to be released to the same in their infinite wisdom.........
Fellow and conscientious/concerned Indians; our constitutionally guaranteed rights to freedom of expression; free speech and creative freedom are under renewed; constant and seemingly irrevocable threat from the Sangh Parivar and it's affiliated regressive; repugnant; reprehensible and redundant organisations that seem to be emboldened by the deafening and mystifying silence of a government that is supposedly headed by a gent who on numerous occasions has boasted about his 56 inch chest; valour; bravura and courage to do the right thing unerringly.......
It is therefore incumbent upon us to counter and resist this existing threat and ominipotent threat to our constitutionally enshrined and guaranteed freedoms with all our collective might and will as our failure to raise our voice against this deplorable tendency to "ban" all creative works on a collective whim and fancy will only end up pushing our country back into the dark ages and a period of religious persecution and obscurantism..........
Arshad Warsi; Boman Irani and Aditi Rao Hydari starrer "The Legend Of Michael Mishra" has become the latest Hindi film to fall foul with the authorities and self appointed/anointed and adjudicated "defenders of Indian culture and morality".......
One wonders how the Chandigarh and Haryana administration/authorities can arbitrarily and whimsically ban a film that has been duly certified and passed by the Central Board For Film Certification (CBFC) without a single cut (which in itself must be some kind of record considering the sensibilities of Messrs Pahlaj Nihalani and company).........
According to highly placed officials in the Panchkula administration; the decision to "ban" this film that was slated to hit the screens on Friday the 5th of August 2016 was taken at around 11 am or so one day prior to it's release fearing a break down in the law and order situation within the state in view of the ongoing protests by the Valmiki/Balmiki Samaj and such other similarly inclined or then like minded organisations.......
This Manish Jha directed or helmed farcical comedy allegedly fell foul with these self appointed guardians of public morality and ethics as it allegedly "hurt and wounded" their so called religious sentiments by continually referring to Sage Valmiki as a "daaku" (dacoit).........
Those who know their history or should I then say ancient folklore would be more than aware of the fact that Sage Valmiki was indeed a hunter and brigand of sorts before turning over a new leaf and going on to become one of the nation's most revered and widely admired sages and learned men........
I for one am flummoxed and completely flabbergasted by this increasing and alarming tendency of extra constitutional or then blatantly unlawful organisations and so called samaj's deciding the ultimate fate of a film when both the Constitution of India and the law of the land have created an autonomous body and entrusted the job or certifying whether or not a film ought to be released to the same in their infinite wisdom.........
Fellow and conscientious/concerned Indians; our constitutionally guaranteed rights to freedom of expression; free speech and creative freedom are under renewed; constant and seemingly irrevocable threat from the Sangh Parivar and it's affiliated regressive; repugnant; reprehensible and redundant organisations that seem to be emboldened by the deafening and mystifying silence of a government that is supposedly headed by a gent who on numerous occasions has boasted about his 56 inch chest; valour; bravura and courage to do the right thing unerringly.......
It is therefore incumbent upon us to counter and resist this existing threat and ominipotent threat to our constitutionally enshrined and guaranteed freedoms with all our collective might and will as our failure to raise our voice against this deplorable tendency to "ban" all creative works on a collective whim and fancy will only end up pushing our country back into the dark ages and a period of religious persecution and obscurantism..........
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