Censorship and the law:India
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Human Rights violations
Jan 13 2015
It's fashionable to focus on human rights violations: SC
Amit Choudhary
The Supreme Court on Monday said it had become fashionable for activists in the country to talk about human rights violations in militancy-hit Jammu & Kashmir and other troubled spots while glossing over the other side of the story. It also asked why filmmakers portrayed only alleged excesses committed by security forces in J&K. “Why is it that only one-sided view is presented? Why is it fashionable to talk about human rights violation and neglect other aspects,” a bench of Justices Vikramajit Sen and C Nagappan said while hearing documentary filmmaker Pankaj Butalia’s petition challenging the Censor Board’s deci sion not to certify his film on Kashmir “The Texture of Losses“ for public screening.
Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for the filmmaker, submitted that the film portrayed the anguish of people who had lost their parents, siblings and children in Kashmir but the Censor Board had unnecessarily asked to cut some scenes.
The bench said such portrayal of the state's situation was one-sided which could at best be only an activist's point of view. “It is an activist's point of view when only one side of the story is highlighted and the other side of the story is neglected. Don't ignore one aspect and exalt the other,“ it said.
“The whole debate is on what basis you portray one side of the story and not portray the other point of view on the issue. You cannot have one-sided approach. That is what has been the approach of activists,“ the court said. Butalia withdrew his petition saying he would approach the Delhi high court to challenge the Censor Board's decision.
