TOI 17/jan 2015 ;saturday Citing interference, censor board chief, 8 members quit The CBFC members who have submitted their resignation, or were in the process of doing so, include academic Ira Bhasker, AICC secretary (Hindi dept) Pankaj Sharma, TV journo Rajeev Masand, film actor Arundhati Nag, filmmaker Shahji Karun, theatre personality M K Raina, TV producer Nikhil Alva and Lora K Prabhu. The term of all the members had expired in May 2014, and they were being given extensions by months from time to time. On top of this the Board was allegedly being starved of funds, and had not met since early 2014. That apart, their efforts to bring our structural changes in the composition and qualification of examining committee members were also thwarted by the ministry. This, many members said, had made their role irrelevant. Bhasker says they were frustrated by the bureaucracy at every step. We are going to resign in support of Leela Samson. But whats happening now is a culmination of a long process. There was no money for meetings. The Board didnt meet since early 2014. We wanted to bring about positive changes. To that end we had also written to the UPA-government in the summer of 2013. As members, we are supposed to put across our views in meetings. Otherwise whats the point in being a member?, she said. Samson said that the problems related to the CBFC started during UPA regime. She says that political workers were chosen as members of panel and that she expected the new government to pick a new board. I had offered to resign six months ago but was asked to continue. Problem started during the UPA govt itself, she said. It is learnt that Raina and film writer Anjum Rajabali had already tendered their resignations some time ago. But it seems it wasnt accepted. Because suddenly a few days back, I received a card extending my tenure, Raina told TOI. Bhasker, who also teaches cinema in JNU, said: Our term ended in May 2014. But we kept getting extension by one or two months. There was no extension after September 2014. Then strangely I received a letter on Thursday night with my new card as a board member extending my tenure till March 2015. Countering Samson, Rathore said that while the chairperson talks about coercion, we as the government would like to see that SMS, or a letter where she or any other member has been coerced. Then we would take appropriate action Referring to the allegation of corruption, the minister hit back saying the CBFC chairperson was herself part of the selection process that selected a particular officer who was later arrested for allegedly accepting a bribe. He has been removed, about six-seven months ago and a new officer has been put in charge. The government is absolutely hands off from all decisions of the Censor Board. They are an independent body and they need to behave like one, he said. In Mumbai, board member Nandini Sardesai, who headed the review panel of MSG, said the film shows him projecting himself as having miraculous powers to cure deadly diseases and eliminate enemies. On Friday a board member in Mumbai said, MSG was twice rejected by the Board, once by an examining committee, another time by a seven-member review panel. Those who saw the film felt it can cause disharmony in society. Sardesai told TOI, As head of the review committee that declined to certify MSG I feel that the credibility of our panel has been undermined by the tribunals decision to clear it. All seven of us who reviewed MSG had denied a certificate based on the provisions of the Cinematograph Act. The Act clearly says a film cannot promote superstition and obscurantism. She said, I am surprised that the tribunal granted a clearance with utmost speed to this film, within 24 hours almost. We referred it to them Wednesday and it was cleared the very next day. Other films even by prominent directors have had to wait one month to get the tribunal to see it. TV producer Nikhil Alva said, We have resigned en masse in solidarity with the chairperson. I think the Board serves no purpose except to take flak on certification. It acts as a buffer between the I&B ministry and the world when there is something wrong and I think given their attitude its best that the ministry take on the work of certification itself. Alva said in a letter to the ministry he and his colleagues had said that since the genuine effort made by the members had been ignored, they felt the need to move on. Alva said the members had warned the ministry that corruption within the Board would continue if the current processes were not overhauled. Film critic Rajeev Masand said that being part of the Board had been a frustrating experience and concerns raised on issues of corruption and interference had fallen on deaf ears. He added the Board was not allowed to function, or meet and several letters sent to the ministry had not been addressed. Sources said that 8-9 members wanted to improve things especially at the examining committee level where the film is reviewed. It is not a clean place. The corruption starts at the lowest level where examining committee members appointed by the ministry without consultation with the Board hold forth. This is the place where power and pelf are misused but the blame falls on the Board that is mainly for policy Absence of meeting and lack of activity is a common grouse among CBFC board members. Both Pankaj Sharma, who is also AICC secretary (Hindi department), and Pankaj Vohra reaffirm that view. There has been no board meeting since February 2014, said Sharma, adding that I wanted to resign today but it seems it will only happen tomorrow. Vohra said, As far as I recall, there was no board meeting after February or March last year. Our term ended in June 2014 and I have not received intimation of any extension. When questioned on the recent fracas, thespian Amal Allana said she was unaware of the recent developments related to the CBFC but strongly felt the need for freedom of expression in the arts. It cant be that ideas change when governments do. There must be some standards that we hold as a secular democratic society. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The term of committee had expired some time & it was continuing on borrowed ttimes.Since the majority of members were nominated by the previous corrupt & communal UPA/Congress government based not on merits,but on vote bank politics there is nothing to feel bad.rather it is an opportunity to nominate people with merit 7 integrity so that the committee discharges its duty impartially Charu Chanana• is it really for the movie or some type of rift in the ministry itself.. All the benefits including tax benefits given to these babas should be withdrawn and then lets see what they do for religion and country It was respecive ministers mistake that these Cangress stoog corrupted officials are not terminated long before, its govt failure. censor need to more responsible now as they were just passing the movies without proper review. due to this many protest were happening on real ground and people were loosing lives. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kept censor boards affairs at arms length: Rathore Himanshi Dhawan,TNN | Jan 17, 2015, 01.41 AM IST NEW DELHI: A day after Censor Board chairperson Leela Samson handed in her resignation citing interference, coercion and corruption by the information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry, junior minister Rajyavardhan Rathore hit back, asking for evidence to back the claim. Samson told TOI that dejection over the pressures being applied to our officials and panel members had prompted her to put in her papers and that political workers were made panel members. The charge of coercion was hotly denied by minister of state Rathore who sought evidence from Samson to prove her claim, adding that the government believed in maintaining an arms length distance from the certification process. Samsons resignation saw at least eight other Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) members following suit in solidarity, blaming bureaucratic resistance from the ministry for their step. Samson, who is on an extension since her term expired in May 2014, said the clearance was a mockery of the CBFC. She said it was tough having to manage an organization whose board had not met for over nine months as the ministry had no funds to permit the meeting of members. Rathore, however, said, We have respected the Censor Board all along. In fact, when the issue of the previous film came up, we respected the decision of the Censor Board. We kept a hands-off distance from its decisions. The minister also emphasized that the board and its members were nominated by the previous government and the current regime had not put in any additional member. Rathore demanded that Samson should back her claims of coercion of CBFC members or officials with evidence and then the government would take action. The chairperson talks about coercion, we as the government would like to see that SMS, or a letter where she or any other member has been coerced. Then we will take appropriate action, he said. Referring to the allegation of corruption, Rathore hit back saying the CBFC chairperson was herself part of the selection process which selected a particular officer who was later arrested for allegedly accepting a bribe. He was removed about six-seven months ago and a new officer has been put in charge. The government is absolutely hands away from all decisions of the Censor Board. They are an independent body and they need to behave like one, he said. Samson said that the appointment was a disappointing one. Asked to react to Samsons charge that the board had not met for over nine months as the ministry had no funds to permit the meeting of members, Rathore said, She is the chairperson of a board. She is free to call for a meeting any time. She has the capacity. I am told by my officers that in the last one year, she has probably attended office only once. Samson said she did not have an office and was not a paid employee of the government. I and my board have written explicit letters to the ministry. That should have been responded to. Mr Rathore knows where I am coming from and what I mean, she said ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Dear Rajyavardhan, I never expected such a stupid statement from a person lime you. Even a fool of the highest degree knows that the politicians and the bureaucrats always give verbal orders to officials to get the things done to suit their will. And the censor board officials are no exception in this case.You are simply tarnishing your image in the public. You were a sportsman but now you are simply a sycophant of your political bosses . What a sad transformation! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Appeal to Anti corruption crusaders All India /RTI Activists ALL India This is a very serious matter /Pls conduct a full enquiry raise RTI and go Legal. We need to get to the truth as this is what has hurt our Nation The movies released had a. violence / b.item numbers. c.dangerous stunts/ and with this totally irresponsible way of functioning. One blaming the other. Let the truth come out let the culprits be exposed and let the money of each and every citizen that has been taken away be put back in the Govtt coffers. Why should Citizens of India buy blame game all the time?
Posted on: Sat, 17 Jan 2015 08:18:35 +0000
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015