Why They Don’t Want You to See This 16 Minute Kashmir Film

Srinagar:- The decision not to permit the screening of ‘In the Shade of Fallen Chinar’ and two other films by the Centre at the International Documentary and Short Film Festival in Kerala has sparked a debate with many expressing fears that the line between jingoism and patriotism in India was getting blurred.

16 minute documentary In The Shade of Fallen Chinar revolves around the life of young artists in the conflict ridden state of Kashmir. The other two films that were denied censorship exemption from the board revolve around Dalit student Rohit Vemula, who committed suicide and protests at Jawaharlal Nehru University that took place on February 9th 2016 and its aftermath.

Beena Paul, Vice Chairperson of the Chalachitra Academy, the organisers of the festival, said that around 150 films in the festival did not have a censor certificate and since this was a public screening the films needed to be cleared by the I&B Board. Of the 150 films, only these 3 films did not receive clearance. “I’m extremely surprised. This is the first time this is happening. Our committee has seen all the 3 films and we see absolutely no problem with it,” Paul told Kashmir Observer. Paul disclosed that the Academy has urged Centre to reconsider the decision.

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Deedi Dhamodaran a screenwriter who is also part of the Academy said that banning any film is wrong. “Where do you draw the line between jingoism and patriotism?”

Mu’Azzam Bhat, a rapper who was featured in the film, claims that it isn’t the film that is sensitive, it is the situation in Kashmir. “Conflict is not the focus of the film but of course it doesn’t escape it. That doesn’t mean you ban it.”

Ali Saiffudin, another singer featuring in the film says “Thank you! Maybe it is a good thing. We’ve now got more views. More people are watching it, talking about it and thinking”. Ali also claims that this is nothing new from the side of the Indian State.

Watch  In The Shade Of The Fallen Chinar Here

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Fazil NC, the filmmaker of In The Shade Of The Fallen Chinar believes that a piece of work often gains power when banned. He also said that the film has previously been screened at many festivals and even got the special jury award at the ‘Kochi Muziris Biennale’.

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While on the one hand the makers and the students in the film are rejoicing that the film is getting more traction due to ban, especially because multiple protest screenings have been organised; they also understand that the film not being exempted by the government also has a larger implicit meaning to it.

On 11th July 2017, 65 retired officers of central and All India Services (IAS) endorsed an open letter as an appeal to highlight their concern about the growing levels of intolerance and vigilance toward student groups and universities.

Wajahat Habibullah, former Chief Information Commissioner and a co-author of the letter, believes that the banning of these films falls into the narrative of hyper nationalism that their open letter addresses. “Even critiquing a Government is participation, which is the basis of democracy. Critiquing the Government has now become synonymous with sedition. Today there is an increasing decline in this participation. This is not the India we have all worked towards creating. What Kashmir especially needs now is more freedom to express itself.”

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Jawahar Sircar who served as Secretary to the Ministry of Culture from late 2008 to 2012 feels that there is a growing, creeping, intolerance in the country. “Let’s not beat around the bush. This is a choking of freedom of speech. We as a country have come together on the basis of consent. We shouldn’t be taking that consent for granted.” He also added that such decisions are coming from a Government which has a long history of condemning all previous discussions on nationalism. “We have enough evidence on that. And now suddenly the same people are dictating the terms of nationalism and national integrity to us? This is just absurd!”

Sanjay Kak, noted author and film maker believes the only way of fighting censorship is by speaking up: and speaking up for the rights of everyone whose voice is sought to be choked, whether that voice belongs to Rohith Vemula, the students of JNU, or in this case, a film about young Kashmiris. “In India we’re at a point where we can hardly decide what we can or cannot eat, or what food we can or cannot keep in our homes, without running the risk of being punished for it, attacked, even lynched for it. So whether we have the right to watch something that the Ministry deems to be threatening ‘National Integrity’, well that seems an even more ambitious, even outlandish idea right now.“

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Heeba Din is a research student at Kashmir University which is the same University in which the students in the film are studying and were filmed at. She believes that such films make the Government scared and uncomfortable. “The film shows young, bright, educated Kashmiris responding to the conflict in their own resilient ways. When educated, English speaking Kashmiri students identify the Indian State as an occupying force, it scares the Government. So this doesn’t come as a surprise to me. The State will do anything to clamp down these voices.”

International Documentary and Short Film Festival committee is now waiting for the Centre to respond to their appeal and are hoping that the films can be screened at the festival.

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