Violence and rampaging in the name of PADMAVAT should be curtailed at all costs

According to the latest reports pouring in it seems there is no rule of law in this country, and anarchy has ultimately prevailed, particularly in the BJP ruled states of Rajasthan, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat.

In a democratic and peace loving country like India if vandals openly come on roads, covering their faces with veils in the name of banning a bollywood movie PADMAVAT rampaging public property, burning vehicles and terrorising people having no terror of law in mind, despite the orders of the higest court of the land and sanction from the authorised constitutional body like Central Board of Film Certification then one can easily come to the conclusion that either these anti social elements are being allegedly patronised politically or they have no respect for the law of the land.

Its almost more than two months that the entire country is witnessing anti Padmavat stance by the Rajput Karni Sena and its rank and file despite the fact that certain objectionable parts and song sequences have been taken out of the film including changing of the name from Padmavati to Padmavat. Now the question arises : should the state governments or the police administration draw a sorry figure in controlling these rampaging mobs openly violating law in the name of aroused public sentiments and allow them executing anti social acts thus sending a message across that these anti socials have the better say than our credible legal authorities or politics of vote of a particular community or sect is more significant than maintaining law and order.

Even the honourable Supreme Court of India has unambiguously made it absolutely transparent that in a democracy like that of ours’, curtailment and stifling of free speech, expression and airing of views through films can’t be allowed at any cost and as such the states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra are in no way or under no circumstances constititionally eligible to ban the telecast or exhibition of Padmavat in the auditoriums of their respective states.

Those journalists who seen the movie especially screened for them contradict the claims of the critics and the hardcore opponents of the movie and outrightly condrmn the violence saying that no twisting of the historicals facts, whatsoever were there in the movie and that the pride, valour and dignity of the Rajputs and the Rajput queen have been opulently exhibited for every viewers healthy consumption. The film is likely to be released on 25th of January in all the states of the country.

We earnestly feel that better sense will prevail and the incidents of vehicle burning, rampaging and killing threats would come to an end at the earliest in the wider interest of the nation’s unity and integrity. What do you say friends?

Sunil Negi, President, Uttarakhand Journalists Forum