New Delhi: Rajya Sabha member Swapan Dasgupta on Tuesday raised the issue of ‘arbitrariness’ in the norms of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in clearing films, alleging that such an issue would affect the Rs 250 billion industry if not addressed.
Speaking during the Zero Hour, Dasgupta said ‘I want to raise an issue which has the potential, if left unattended, to have a very serious effect on a Rs 250 billion industry and I refer to the film industry.
I am referring mainly to some of the controversies which have affected the CBFC.”
He said such instances were adversely impacting India’s image as an “open society’.
Clarifying that he was not raising the issue as an indictment or questioning any individual, he said his objection was on some norms which have affected the CBFC.
“The element of arbitrariness which have crept into policy-making is very very disturbing.
For example, we had only in the past few weeks one film, Udta Punjab. It is not a film which I would personally like to associate with.
“But we have a bizarre situation of the CBFC making 89 cuts and the Bombay High Court releasing the film with only one cut. Now between 89 cuts and one cut, Sir there is a wide difference and its smacks of a degree of arbitrariness that is in (the) norms which govern film certification,” he said.
Speaking on censorship, he said that certification was subjective and it depended on the interpretation of what constituted morality, decency, sovereignty or public law.
“It is subjective. But if the subjectivity extends from one extreme to another, between 89 (cuts) and one, certainly this is a cause of intense alarm,” he said.
Speaking on the laws governing certification of films, Dasgupta said there have been various committees like the Khosla committee in the 1960s, Mudgal committee in 2013 and the recent Shyam Benegal report, which he said “unfortunately has not been made public as yet”.
He further said: “So I think, time has come, especially given the fact many of these have the potential of destroying India’s reputation as an open society, even a small incident can do it. So the issue really is to what extent the government must come, and actually lay down norms.” (PTI)
