New Delhi: The running feud between the Central Board of Film Certification and producers of video magazines continues to rage. This time the fuel is between the Board and Vision point a new video magazine whose launch has been delayed because the Board has refused to hear the lead story on Punjab.

In a letter dated Jan.28 the board has communicated to I.M.Oberoi producer of Vision point that the members of the Censor Board are willing to issue an “U certificate to the program provided the story on Punjab is elected.

However Oberoi said that he had appealed to the Board on the grounds that the story did not gain anything inflammatory that could be construed as a threat to the security and integrity of the county.

While rejecting the program the Board noted that the story “promotes communal and anti-national attitude jeopardizes the security of the country and endangers public order.

The controversial program as shown masked militants in their hideouts explaining their position on Khalistan.

Among the key militant leaders interviewed by the Visions point team is Sukhwinder Singh Pappy alias “Gora” who was recently killed in a police encounter in Punjab

The Censor Board has clearly taken exception to the Fact that militant leaders have been given a chance to state their case on why they want to secede from India.

In fact this is the second time that Vision point is facing problem with the officials of the Censor Board. The pilot cassette that was used for test marketing last year had also run into trouble over another story on Punjab.

The censor had insisted on censoring an interview with a Sikh leader who had explained why Sikhs could no longer remain within the national framework.

However the censor had allowed the visual to go into the cassette. This time the Censor Board is unlikely adopt a similar strategy at the visual depict the militants with the entire armory.

Oberoi is also charging the Censor Board of practicing double standards. He asks when the controversial News track program on the Mandal agitation could have been passed for universal viewing why couldn’t his program be cleared.

He says that he will take to other producers of video magazines to chalk out a strategy.

All video magazines have had frequent problems with the Censor Board. News-track Eyewitness and the now closed Kal Chakra have all had their share of problems.

The majority of programs that have been refused clearance by the Board dealt with various movement and had exclusive footage on the lifestyle of the militant groups.

The Censor Board has argued that such depiction would romanticize the militants while the video magazines have claimed that they were only recording the truth

The producers have argued they are serving the country by bringing to light hitherto un known faces of militant operations.

Vision point is a monthly magazine and has several other interesting stories in its inaugural issue.

Oberoi says that the trouble with the Censor Board has upset his schedule but adds that he is willing to take it in his stride.

Article extracted from this publication >> February 14, 1992