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Date:
Mon, 26 Aug 2002 15:16:54 IST
Press Release
21 cuts
demanded by Censor Board on “War and Peace”
The battle to free
“War and Peace” from the murderous grip of the censors
continues unabated. The film won the best film/video award at the
government run Mumbai International Film Festival in February 2002.
In June the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) ordered 6
major cuts in the film. When we took the film before the Revising
Committee, the cuts increased from 6 to 21. An appeal against the
cuts has been filed before the Apellate Tribunal, New Delhi.
Lack of Transparency
So far the CBFC has shown a completely partisan attitude
towards War and Peace. Even before an official viewing
committee had been constituted, the Regional Officer of the CBFC
intervened personally to stop authorized screenings of the film at a
government run festival in Calcutta. After the CBFC panels saw the
film, contrary to established norms, the filmmaker was repeatedly
prevented from discussing the film with members of these panels on
the flimsy grounds that “there was no consensus.” However consensus
was eventually reached and the consensus is that amongst other
things, even the mildest criticism of the BJP must be deleted !
By not allowing the right to discuss the “cuts” with those demanding
them, the principle of transparency was thrown to the winds. On one
occasion when the filmmaker did have an informal conversation with
members of the Examining Committee, it led to the discovery that two
out of four members were functionaries of the ruling BJP. Indeed
the 21 cuts finally asked for by the CBFC body, now headed by a
former BJP legislator from Gujarat, do not reflect “a lack of
consensus” but seem to be drafted with a single-minded political
agenda.
Sample Cuts (Complete version available on demand)
Cut 1. “Delete the visuals of Gandhiji being shot
by Nathuram Godse”
Even for someone expecting the worst from the CBFC, this cut
comes as a shock. Is it now illegal in India to state that Nathuram
Godse killed Gandhi? The visuals in question (a close up of a
country-made revolver being fired) have been taken from an old
documentary film made by the Gandhi Film Foundation. The Censor
Guideline 2(xii) used to justify the cut is“ visuals or
words contemptuous of racial, religious or other groups are not
presented;” CBFC does not specify exactly whom they wish to
protect from contempt.
Cut 2.“Delete the visuals of hands being cut with a blade
and signing with blood by Hindus.”
This sequence shows people (not necessarily only Hindus) who
celebrated the nuclear tests by signing messages of congratulations
in their own blood. The BJP conducted many such campaigns across the
country. The Guideline 2(iv) referred to is: “pointless
or avoidable scenes of violence, cruelty and horror, scenes or
violence primarily intended to provide entertainment and such scenes
as may have the effect of desensitizing or dehumanizing people are
not shown;” A visit to any Bollywood film will prove how lax
CBFC is about gratuitous violence in the entertainment driven
commercial cinema. In contrast the express purpose of “War and
Peace” is to denounce violence and sensitize people against the kind
of jingoism and machismo depicted by the scene in question.
Cut 5. “Delete the commentary ‘BJP is faced
with growing criticism”
This is the first of a number of cuts which blatantly attempt to
prevent the slightest criticism of the ruling party and is as such,
completely unconstitutional. The scene in question is the
inauguration of a pro-bomb music video by the BJP and the commentary
factually states: “With criticism growing against the bomb, the BJP
invites the press to the launch of a music video.” CBFC sites two
guidelines to justify their cut: 2(xii) “visuals
or words contemptuous of racial, religious or other groups are not
presented;” and 2(xvii) “public order is not
endangered;”
It is impossible to understand how either of these guidelines is
applicable. A political party seeking popular support must face
criticism. It is not the job of the Central Board of Film Censors
to protect the BJP from criticism. Nor is peaceful protest outlawed
in our country.
Cut 7 “Delete the entire sequence, visuals and dialogues
spoken by Dalit leader
including all references to Lord Budha (sic )”
This cut 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, in contrast
with gods in the Hindu pantheon, has always been depicted as
unarmed. Needless to say the self-evident irony of this sequence is
crucial for the argument in the video. If we learn to question the
very concept of Holy War, not only would it help build communal
peace, it could also help to rebuild our fractured nation. The
guideline evoked 2(xvii) “public order is not
endangered;” cannot but cause amusement. In scores of private
and public screenings no violent mood was detected. The truth
whether the CBFC like it or not, is that “War and Peace” works as an
antidote to violence and not as an incentive to
it.
Cut 8. “Delete the reference to BJP uttered by
villager.”
No villager utters anything about the BJP. The utterance is by a
lawyer in Pokaran city who states that he is a long time member of
the BJP. There is no reason to delete this. Once again the CBFC is
revealing its true agenda by wanting this pro-bomb lawyer to hide
his party affiliation.
Cut 9. “Delete the entire sequence and visuals and
dialogues spoken by Dalit leader
commencing from ‘Nathuram Godse high class (sic) brahmin…high
class killed him…”
The fact that a Brahmin killed Gandhi cannot be written out of
history. This Dalit song describes the killing of Mahatma Gandhi by
a Brahmin in contrast with the fact that although Dr. Ambedkar had
serious differences with Gandhi, when the latter had undertaken an
indefinite hunger strike against Dr.Ambedkar’s demand for separate
electorates for Dalits, Ambedkar compromised his stand in order to
save Gandhi’s life. This song is the remembrance of a historic event
by those whom our caste system oppressed for centuries!
Cut 11. “ Delete the visual of ‘Hindu rath’ ”
The rath(chariot) in question is not a “Hindu” rath but a BJP
election vehicle dressed up to look like a rath. Why should it be
deleted? If the BJP is allowed to use it during elections, is the
filmmaker not allowed to film it as it passes by? If the very act of
filming it invokes Censor Guideline 2(xii) ( “visuals or
words contemptuous of racial, religious or other groups are not
presented;”) then what about “the contempt of racial, religious
or other groups” that those who ride in raths inflict in real life?
Cut 14 “Delete the RPI speech especially deleting
the dialogue ‘Not poverty but poor are eliminated’ ”
Having already eliminated two important interventions by Dalits
- the Buddha speech and the Gandhi song - the CBFC is obviously on
the look out for more. The singers who sing the words “They said
they would eliminate poverty but instead they eliminated the poor”
are peace marchers singing about politicians who waste precious
money in the arms race. Once again the CBFC is invoking law and
order as if an anti-militarist song can cause a revolution for
peace! What a lovely thought!
Cut 16. “Delete the visuals of Hon’ble President of
India,
Dr. Adul (sic)Kalam.”
Neither
guideline 2(xviii) “visuals or words involving defamation of an
individual or a body of individuals, or contempt of court are not
presented” nor guideline 2(xiv) “the sovereignty and
integrity of India is not called in question” comes to the
defence of this cut as Dr. Kalam is not being defamed. On the first
occasion he is shown receiving a high honour and on the next, he
makes a speech invoking India’s aspiration for greatness and
military preparedness. As such this is a faithful reproduction of
the values Dr. Kalam regularly espouses. If in the context of the
film these values do not seem so attractive, this has more to do
with the evidence amassed in other parts of the film and less to do
with the personage of Dr. Kalam, whose integrity is never
questioned.
Cut 17. “Delete the reference to BJP.”
The cut has been directed under Guideline 2(xii). Here the
journalist Achin Vanaik argues that the BJP and other forces have
used nationalism in the nuclear area but have surrendered
sovereignty to the USA in economic and cultural fields. Such
criticism is perfectly legitimate. The Board is not BJP’s keeper.
Legitimate criticism of a political party and even frontal
opposition to it is absolutely permissible and cannot be curtailed.
This cut is again reflective of the strong bias operating in the
decision making process.
Cut 18. “Delete the entire sequence of Sadhaivi (sic)
Ritambara including reference to Lord Rama.”
If by merely deleting Sadhvi Rithambara’s utterances in the film
one could stop her from spewing venom, the filmmaker would gladly
oblige. But by not accurately reporting the hate speeches of people
like Rithambara, the media has prevented the public from realizing
the extent of the danger they represent. The fact that in the film
her utterances are juxtaposed with those of Islamic jehadists from
Pakistan,
brings home the point that there are holy warriors on both sides of
the border. This realization undermines their damage potential and
encourages peace lovers on both sides to find a solution before it
is too late.
As for the invocation of guideline 2(xii), it
has been remarked in several judgements by the Supreme Court that in
order to effectively combat evil one may first depict it. Just as
almost no one who watches the sequence where Pakistani
fundamentalists burn the Indian flag while demanding the
annihilation of India would sympathize with the flag-burners, so,
few will sympathize with the madness of Rithambara’s words calling
for the annihilation of Pakistan. On the contrary barring the
ideologically pre-determined, all those who watch “War and Peace”
are likely to imbibe some of the peace message that permeates its
every pore.
Cut 20 “Delete the entire sequence of Tehelka 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 seen here are a mere reference to what the public saw at
length on almost every channel. Cutting it would amount to a denial
of history as the film merely quotes from what the mainstream media
has already widely shown. Many of those who appeared in the Tehelka
tapes have confessed their guilt. A fact-finding commission has so
far held the tapes to be authentic. Until such time as the matter
goes to a proper court, there is no issue of its being sub-judice.
The commentary that accompanies the visuals is appropriately
descriptive and factual.
Cut 21. GENERAL CUT “Delete the entire visuals and
dialogues of all political leaders, including President, Prime
Minister& Ministers"
Surely in a list of shockingly undemocratic cuts this must rank
as the worst of all. 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 deems it illegal to
report the speeches of Ministers, President, Prime Ministers and all
Political Leaders. Do we have a new Secrecy Act? Should all
politicians wear a mask from now on, and speak only in code? If a
person’s own utterances are considered defamatory of himself, surely
this can only be done on grounds of insanity and if that is the
case, should such persons be allowed to remain in office ?
While a cursory glance at the cuts demanded by the CBFC exposes a
blatantly pro-ruling party bias, reverse inference should not be
drawn. War and Peace is not a film against any particular
party. If the BJP is criticized in places, so is the Congress Party,
for having tested the first Bomb in 1974. Where the Tehelka armsgate
in which the present ruling coalition seems embroiled is mentioned,
so is the Bofors scam which undid the Congress Party in the past.
War and Peace begins and ends with the ideas of Mahatma
Gandhi. Focusing on the danger of nuclear war in the Indian
subcontinent the film 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.
I trust that the Appelate Tribunal will uphold principles of
democracy and resist attempts to shoot the messenger instead of
allowing people to listen to the message.
Anand Patwardhan
24 August 2002
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