Screening of Film Arakshan must go on

Amitabh Bacchan - Saif Ali Khan starrer film Arakshan is to be released on Friday August 12. The film has been directed by Prakash Jha. The main theme of the film is commercialisation of education. How the education has been turned intoiving business by education mafia.

All time super star Amitabh Bacchan has acted up to his potential in the film and in a superb fashion as a principal of an institution . It is enough for a film watcher how interesting and important message the film would send to the society in which the greatest film personality of the contemporary era has played the main role.

Arakshan means reservation which is a Constitutional reality and no one can deny it despite whatsoever slogan is launched in a sarcastic way anywhere.

The Mayawati Government of UP has banned the release of the film Arakshan for two months in the state for avowed reason of law and order problem. The UP Government is of the view that screening of the film will create law and order problem in the state as some of the dialogues of the film are objectionable.

Taking cue from the UP Chief Minister Mayawati, Prakash Singh Badal Government of Punjab has also banned the realease of the film Arakshan attributing the reason to triggering of social unrest due to some objectionable dialogues, which hurt the sentiment of a section of society. The National Commission for Scheduled Castes has also forwarded to the Censor Board “some objectionable” dialogues from the Amitabh Bachchan-Saif Ali Khan starrer ‘Aarakshan’, asking it to take a call on their inclusion.

The ban order of the film Arakshan by UP and Punjab is nothing but guided by narrow political benefit in view of the assembly elections in two states next year . P L Punia is the Chairman of National Commission of Schedule Caste and is Congress MP and comes from Uttar Pradesh. He is opposed to some of the dialogues in Arakshan and that is why he also advocates for some cuts in the film. In apprehension that the Congress Party could not score point over her casteist politics among the schedule caste voters, UP Chief Minister Mayawati has taken a politically guided decision to ban Arakshan.

The final authority to decide whether a film deserves U/A certificate to release is the Film Censor Board . It has already given the film Arakshan U/A Certificate without any cut.

The political parties having no will power to resolve the burning problems of the day are indulging only in throttling the right to expression. Every artist’s artistry gives constructive, instructive and positive message to society. The artists also throw light on how to solve if the society is confronted with the problem. The decision of judging the film must be left to movie watchers and Censor Board, which is consisting of eminent personalities in their respective fields.

If any state government apprehends that screening of the film cam create law and order proble, what is it meant for? It is the duty of the state government to tighten the law and order machinery if it has apprehension breaking of it due to release of certain Film. UP and Punjab Govt. must not ban the film Arakshan purely for political reasons.