Security has been tightened in several Indian states
after protests against a Bollywood film turned violent. Demonstrators
said the movie shows a romance between a legendary Hindu queen and a
Muslim invader.
Schools in one New Delhi suburb were
closed after a school bus was attacked. CGTN’s Shweta Bajaj reports that
the unrest comes as the country is marking an important national
holiday.
Tight security is normal in India ahead of Republic Day,
but this year, there’s an extra reason to be on alert. Security has
been tightened after radical Hindu groups began protesting a Bollywood
Film called "Padmawat".
They said the film is
disrespectful to their culture by showing a Hindu queen romancing a
Muslim king. People who have watched the film dispute that claim, but
that hasn’t stopped the protests.
Protesters even attacked a school bus on Wednesday, prompting officials to close many schools in the area.
The
demonstrations have already delayed the film's premiere by two months.
One newspaper editor worries about the effect of censorship on India’s
society.
“We need a culture of openness, of
intellectual freedom, of social freedom,” said Madhav Nalapat, editorial
director of The Sunday Guardian. “We have all these debates going on
about what kind of food to eat, what kind of clothes to wear. Every day
there’s a flurry of false reports, and films are being banned, books are
being attacked. This is not a culture in which a service economy can
grow. It’s not a culture in which a knowledge economy can grow.”
Many
cinemas have decided not to screen the film even though India’s highest
court has rejected a request to ban the film. The courts instead
directed individual states to maintain law and order.
Some
religious groups have accused the director of the film of distorting
history. The filmmaker denies the allegations, but the debate continues.
Courtesy: CGTN America
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