CBFC Kolkata New Censor Panel Censored by Priyanka of TOI Kolkata :
The censor report prepared by Priyanka and approved by the departing souls of board with the title verdict, : "Kolkata Censor Panel Turns Saffron".
The detail report says that the "Central Board of Film Certification's Kolkata advisory panel has been packed with BJP sympathizer leaders and staunch RSS men after it was reconstituted in June this year.
The report says that many of the members aren't even linked professionally to the industry in any way, their only qualifications being "I like movies" and having a saffron streak. It could trigger another storm at a time when the controversy over saffronisation of appointments at Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) is still raging.
The 39member board in Kolkata is empowered to seek cuts and decide rating. No wonder Tollywood is dismayed that it cannot recognise most of the new names.The neutral and expert past members (without any political affiliation) has given their inputs in the final verdict as follows :
P 5 Filmmaker Haranath Chakraborty , who was in the earlier board, said: “I cannot recognize any of the new members apart from Nimu Bhowmick, George Baker, Jayjit Banerjee, Indrani Dutta, Arindam Ganguly and Agnimitra Paul. During our term, there were at least 20 theatre or film personalities.“ and concluded his report, "`Saffronites have brute majority".
But the Trinamool-leaning member Mr. Chakraborty accepted reluctantly, “The earlier panels had an equal distribution of Trinamool and Congress members. The new panel has predominantly BJP members, and grudgingly rued, " No one from the earlier panel has been retained,“.
The new selected members have accepted the verdict with gracious explanations, when BJP's state media convener Krishanu Mitra insisted that “cinema literacy is not mandatory“. He has already attended three CBFC meetings on certification, and says members only have to check if a film follows certain guidelines.
Another Panel's new member Asim Mitra confessed ( was it a confession of a guilt ?), “I have no idea who recommended me. I used to hold many posts in RSS, but not any longer. However, once an RSS member always a member. Officially , I didn't even know that I'm a member of the board.“
One more new member Nimu, (who unsuccessfully contested for BJP in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls) boldly choose to fight back and allayed the fears as unfounded and said, “My political beliefs will not impact my decisions on rating movies or suggesting cuts,“ he said. Many of the new members are office bearers of Sanskar Bharati, a cultural outfit affiliated to RSS.Subhas Bhattacharya, founder member of the Bengal chapter, says, “I'm the working advisor of Sanskar Bharati, south Bengal. I've done plays but not films.“
Nimu, who unsuccessfully contested for BJP in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, insists the fears are unfounded. “My political beliefs will not impact my decisions on rating movies or suggesting cuts,.
Others from the organisation are Nilanjana Roy (general secretary), Bharat Kundu (organising secretary) and actor Tapan Ganguly (president of Sanskar Bharati), said Bhattacharya, adding: “I think Arindam Ganguly has Left leanings.“ But Ganguly refuted it: “Politically, I am neutral.“
Designer Agnimitra Paul echoed Ganguly and said: “I like Narendra Modi but I am not a party member.“ Actor Jayjit Banerjee also denies he is a BJP loyalist.“Since I once walked in a rally against the Saradha scam, I've been unfairly branded as a BJP sympathiser. In reality , I'm neutral,“ he said.
India Honest finally goes along with the TOI verdict throwing a pinch of salt for the #Presstitute media with the firm rebuke by another Panelist Kingshuk Pallab Biswas, who didn't mince words and questioned a legitimate question, "What's wrong with saffron" ?
Yes India Honest fully agreed with him in his heart felt conviction, “Saffron is the colour of sacrifice. I've been associated with RSS since childhood".
Yes who can deny the George Baker's hit back in saying political postings have been “going on since independence“.“None of the earlier appointments were neutral,“ he argues.
Finally India Honest has a simple point, when the entire nation is showing trust with "Saffornisation" in their way of life and politics, can the men/women behind the agencies remain red or green ? Oh, than it will be duplicity ?