GoI takes responsibility for security situation
RAQEEB BHATT/ IRSHAD FAYAZ
SRINAGAR, Feb 07: The High Court on Friday dismissed the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that had sought censorship on screening of Shikara movie that was released today.
A division bench of the High Court comprising of Justices D.S Thakur and A.M Magrey dismissed the petition after giving a patient hearing to the parties. The matter was heard consecutively for the second time here on Friday.
The High Court had earlier directed to conduct day-to-day hearing in this matter after issuing notices to the government of India to respond by or before Friday morning.
The court announced that the central government has taken responsibility of maintaining law and order situation and to take steps for prevention of any untoward incident that may arise after screening of the movie.
The movie scheduled for release will go uncensored although petitioners had demanded for censorship of certain scenes from the movie alleging that the movie was depicting a false image of Kashmiri Muslims.
The Court observed that the movie does not violate the Section 5 (B) of Cinematographic Act 1952, as the later had mentioned that the Film board did not follow certain guidelines on issuing the Certificate.
Pertinently, on Thursday the High Court had asked the government of India and the government of Jammu and Kashmir to submit its response this petition.
The counsel for the petitioners—Iftikhar Misgar, Irfan Hafiz, Majid Hyderi, the three social activists had told Kashmir Despatch that the movie was based on a ‘communal, inappropriate, fabricated’, script.
The counsel for the petitioners had further added that his clients had no objection with the movie showing mass migration of Kashmiri Pandits, but regarding its few scenes depicting a ‘false image’ of Kashmiri Muslims.
The petitioners had further sought the directions from the court like: “edit/remove the communal, inflammatory and frivolous content from the movie Shikara; review the certificate issued with regard to the movie and censor and edit the controversial and communal scenes/dialogues from the movie.”
The petitioners believed that if the movie was released with its false content it might lead to the victimization of Kashmiri Muslims especially students outside the Kashmir valley.
