BJP and RSS Members Dominate New Film Censor Board; Punjab Bans MSG, Curfew in Haryana

NEW DELHI: The Central Board of Film Certification has been reconstituted after the resignation of former chief Leela Samson with at least four actors who are BJP members and a Vice Chancellor of the central Gujarat university. At least one member is a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s Samajik Samarasta Manch.

Samson has been replaced by filmmaker Pahlaj Nihalani who has several Bollywood films--- 'Aankhen', 'Talaash: The Hunt Begins...' and 'Shola Aur Shabnam'---to his credit. He has been appointed in an “honorary capacity for three years or until further orders, whichever is earlier.”

At least four of the nine CBFC members are close to the BJP BJP leader Vani Tripathi Tikoo is on the Censor Board along with actor George Baker who contested the Lok Sabha elections last year from Howrah on a BJP ticket, Tamil playwright S Ve Sekhar who joined the BJP over two years ago, and actor filmmaker Jeevitha who had joined the BJP last year. Vice Chancellor of the central university of Gujarat Professor Syed Abdul Bari is also now a member of the Censor Board.

Ramesh Patange is the member of RSS run Samajik Samarasta Manch nominated to the Board.

Leela Samson had resigned from her citing “interference, coercion and corruption of panel members and officers of the organisation” appointed by the Information & Broadcasting Ministry. Thirteen members put in their papers as well maintaining that it was impossible to work “with even a modicum of efficacy or autonomy” given the “cavalier and dismissive manner” in which the CBFC was being treated by the current government.

Significantly the spate of resignations was triggered by the Censor Boards decision not to give clearance to the controversial film Messenger of God featuring Dera Sacha Sauda sect head Gurmit Rahim Singh. This was overturned through the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal sparking off the protest and leading Samson to resign. The same film has now generated a major controversy in Punjab and Haryana with the Punjab government banning the movie “on an advisory of the Government of India.” Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal said that the movie has been banned because of apprehension of creating a serious law and order problem. He said the government was committed to maintaining peace and amity and had agreed with the advisory to impose a ban on the movie.

Reports of tension in Haryana have also been received, with protests against the film breaking out in different parts of the state. Curfew has been imposed in different parts of Sirsa.

“We want a ban on the movie…we are strongly against the movie, which if released, can cause tension in the society and hurt religious sentiments of many sections,” Jagdish Singh Jhinda, President of Haryana Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (HSGMC), said.

He warned that if the film is screened by any of the theatre or multiplex in Sirsa or elsewhere in Haryana it will be the owners who will be responsible for the consequences.

The Censor Board in denying the clearance had been worried that the film would generate law and order issues. If the decision had not been reversed through the Appellate Tribunal that Samson read as interference from the central government, Messenger of God would have remained out of circulation. Its release now that has threatened to mar the peace in Punjab and Haryana has now led to the never popular move to impose a ban on the film that could have otherwise been avoided.