India bans religious riot movie

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
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India bans religious riot movie

Riots broke out in Gujarat after 59 Hindus died in an arson attack
Award-winning documentary Final Solution, which looks at religious rioting between Hindus and Muslims, has been banned in India.
The film follows 2002 clashes in the western state of Gujarat, which left more than 1,000 people dead.

A censor board said the documentary was “highly provocative and may trigger off unrest and communal violence”.

The movie was honoured at the Berlin Film Festival. Director Rakesh Sharma plans to challenge the ruling in court.

‘National integration’

India’s Central Board of Film Certification imposed a comprehensive ban on the film’s public screening, stating: “State security is jeopardised and public order is endangered if this film is shown.”

“The board also says that the film will affect friendly relations with some neighbouring countries and that the film attacked the basic principle of the Indian constitution, which is national integration,” director Sharma told the BBC.

Rakesh Sharma
The director dismissed the censor’s concern as “hogwash”.

“People who make hate speeches should be banned and not the film-maker who records it,” he said.

Final Solution follows the riots which broke out after 59 Hindus were killed in an arson attack on a train in February 2002, blamed on a Muslim mob.

It won the documentary and critics awards at the Hong Kong International Film Festival, and the Wolfgang Staudte and Special Jury awards at the Berlin International Film Festival.

But the film was not permitted a screening at the Singapore film festival in May, after its censor board deemed it “potentially inflammatory”.

source

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Stupidity...WE all ned to learn from the personal anbd collective hatred that was documented in this film.

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Yup movie banned but riots not, nice :D

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final solution? Hitler's last phase regarding Jews was known as the 'final solution' .

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Confusedominator: *
final solution? Hitler's last phase regarding Jews was known as the 'final solution' .
[/QUOTE]

That's why this film was given the name. Rakesh Sharma is trying to illustrate how the hindu right wing is perilously close to being like the Nazis (some would say they are there already).

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Censor board has banned a movie on Gujarat voilence, so we are racist and so and so.

India was the first country to ban the Satanic verses of salman rushdie. What we were at that time?

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Anjjan, censorship such as this is plain stupid. Whether it is under the veil of protecting the limited intellectual assets of hindu decriers or muslim ones in the case of Salman Rushdie.

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by anjjan: *
Censor board has banned a movie on Gujarat voilence, so we are racist and so and so.

India was the first country to ban the Satanic verses of salman rushdie. What we were at that time?
[/QUOTE]

Both instances were stupid.

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I don't want to get into the debate about the movie and the book - I have never seen either the former nor have read the book- but there is a difference between movies and books - a major reason why, in a large number of countries, movies are subjected to censorship (before their release) while newspapers and books aren't. (They are only 'banned', after they are published).

Books, newspapers, etc. are 'consumed' by individuals. Even if a reader finds some content 'objectionable', the only repercussion is probably a shooting up of the reader's blood pressure or a damage to the book. On the other hand, a film is viewed by a group of people. Even a low level police constable will understand the effects of mob psychology and mass behaviour.

I didn't want to get into the debate, but what the heck?... It is not as if there is a blockage of the views of the director on the unforgivable riots. There have been enough news, views, opinions, etc. on them. But a film for mass consumption is a different game altogether. Please also remember that the film certifying body comes under the central government, not under the Gujarat government. Wouldn't the Congress be happy to wield another stick at the BJP?

Was the government right in banning Satanic Verses. I personally don't think it was necessary sheerly because I would like to think of myself as a liberal. How many Indians would have read that thick fat book, and one written in English? A thousand? But then, the scope for trouble was immense. Some years ago, there was arson in Bangalore because an admittedly secular newspaper printed an English translation of a Malayalam short story in its literary section. The problem? The main protoganist in the story was named Mohammed. Please remember that the original Malayalam story was well received in Kerala with a 30% Muslim population.

It may not have been different in SV's case as well. Was a single life worth the rights of Rushdie? No. Does that mean we ban anything that somebody objects to loudly? No again. One should always consider the time and space when an incident occurs, and study its effects. If a Pak-India cricket match could lead to violence, we are better off without that. If the chances of violence is minimal, the benefits override the risks.