> > Press UPDATE: > > Censor Board's war on "WAR AND PEACE" > > > > > > Our worst fears have come true. We had suspected that the >Censor > > Board's > > delay in appointing an examining committee to officially view >our > > video War > > and Peace and the extraordinary measures taken to ban even > > officially > > sanctioned non-commercial screenings in the interim, were an > > ominous sign. > > We felt that contrary to norms, there was no level playing >field > > and far > > from being in the hands of objective government officials, we >were > > up > > against a very interested party with a strong political >agenda. > > > > War and Peace had won the Best Film/Video of the Festival at >the > > Mumbai > > International Film Festival, and the Films Division of >India > > (which comes > > under the Ministry for Information and Broadcasting) attempted >to > > show it > > along with other award winning films at their festival in >Kolkata. > > The > > Regional Officer of the Censor Board in Mumbai boasted to us >that > > he would > > stop the Kolkata screening. The next day while other films >which > > had no > > censor clearance were shown, the inaugural film War and Peace >was > > withdrawn. The Kolkata press was duly told that the "film had >not > > arrived" > > despite the fact that we had a receipt to prove the >contrary. > > > > The examining committee of the Censor Board finally saw the >film on > > 6 June. > > After the screening though I was present, I was informed >that > > contrary to > > norms, the committee members would not discuss anything with >me as > > they > > could not reach consensus. The following week the final >outcome was > > given > > to me in writing. It makes remarkable reading. The cuts >demanded > > are > > unprecedented and the methodical, single-minded approach is > > inconsistent > > with that of a group that could not reach consensus. > > > > Cut No.1 sounds reasonable. It is: "Delete the visuals of >burning > > Indian > > flag". This scene depicting Pakistani jingoism balances >sequences > > of Indian > > jingoism. But obviously the Censor Board has no objection to >scenes > > showing > > the burning Pakistani flag. "War and Peace" consistently >exposes > > war-mongers and applauds peace lovers on both sides of the >border. > > This is > > clearly not something the Censor appreciates. > > > > Cut No. 2 "Delete the entire sequence with visuals and >dialogues > > spoken by > > the Dalit leader" refers to a sequence in which a Dalit > > neo-Buddhist argues > > that it is a travesty that nuclear tests were carried out on > > Buddha's > > birthday and that the Buddha's name was used as a military >code to > > mark the > > tests despite the fact that the Buddha has always been >unarmed. > > > > Cut No. 3 is a demand to cut a Dalit song which describes >the > > killing of > > Mahatma Gandhi by a Brahmin. So now the Censor feels bold >enough to > > muzzle > > the voices of those whom our caste system oppressed for >centuries, > > even > > when they merely make factual statements ! > > > > Cut No.4 is an order to cut a sentence by a leading scientist >that > > "China > > is our next possible enemy". This common justification for >our > > nuclear > > weapons was endlessly repeated in the media by our >politicians > > including > > most famously, by our Defense Minister. > > > > Cut No.5 is a predictable though thoroughly unjustifiable >demand: > > "Delete > > the visuals and dialogues of entire Tehelka episode wherever >it > > occurs in > > the film." Over 4 hours of these Tehelka tapes showing >hidden > > camera > > footage of corrupt arms deals were broadcast nationally at >prime > > time. The > > tiny extracts I used are a mere reference to what the public >saw at > > length > > on almost every channel. Again, the Censor Board's bias is >clear. > > Tehelka > > is not allowable because it depicts members of the ruling > > coalition, but my > > reference to the Bofors arms scandal is deemed OK as it >indicts the > > > > Opposition ! > > > > Cut No.6 is the clincher. Under the heading GENERAL is the >amazing > > diktat: > > "Delete the entire visuals and dialogues spoken by Political > > Leaders > > including Minister and Prime Minister." The censor board has >deemed > > it > > unnecessary to pinpoint exactly which leader's visuals and > > dialogues they > > disliked so much that the public should be protected by >suitable > > deletions. > > The heading GENERAL applies to all. The Censor Board deems >it > > illegal to > > report the speeches of Ministers, Prime Ministers and all >Political > > > > Leaders. Do we have a new Secrecy Act? Should Messrs Vajpayee, >etc > > wear a > > mask from now on, and speak only in code? Or should only those >who > > elevate > > every word of politicians into gospel and visualize these > > politicians only > > when they are the politician's wearing halos, be allowed to >film ? > > > > War and Peace begins and ends with the ideas of Mahatma >Gandhi. > > (Perhaps > > this too is now illegal as it could come under the Cut No.6 > > dispensation). > > Focusing on the danger of nuclear war in the Indian >subcontinent > > the video > > goes on to describe the problems faced by people living near > > nuclear > > testing and mining sites, the horror of Hiroshima and >Nagasaki, the > > > > culpability of the USA in using Atom bombs on a nation that >was > > about to > > surrender, the globalization of the arms trade, but most of >all it > > derives > > its power and emotional appeal from the growing movement for >peace > > both in > > India and in Pakistan. Unfortunately in both countries there >is an > > invisible force that does not want peace, a force that has >come to > > power > > precisely by spreading divisiveness within the country and >the > > sustained > > threat of war outside it. This force has cynically used >concepts of > > > > religion and patriotism to hide its own hate-corrupted psyche >and > > has > > sought to muzzle the voices of all those who speak out for >health, > > harmony > > and peace. > > > > So it will not be enough to demand merely that films like "War >and > > Peace" > > be passed without cuts. Officials of the Censor Board must be >made > > to > > understand that their brief cannot be to wield their scissors >in > > the > > interests of particular ideologies. We must demand that the >Censor > > Board > > and all the vital institutions in our country be freed from >the > > undemocratic grip of "the invisible force". > > > > > > > > > > Anand Patwardhan 14 June 2002
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