One bad news

Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi: Minister for Information & Broadcasting

Couple of weeks back, the Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Das Munshi decided to view The Da Vinci Code along with a few Christian representatives to decide whether it's fit for Indian public's consumption. Of all, the Censor Board was aghast at this move and the board chairman bitterly remarked it as a 'bad' precedence. Later, with the nod from the minister, the board cleared it with an 'A' certificate and requested an obligatory disclaimer, which Sony said is already present in the movie.

A few of my friends, after this controversy, wondered why should Munshi decide what's good for viewing by the public. I'm not asking this question because knowingly or not, the current government is a democratically elected one and those at the helm are the 'representatives' of the people. This means that the we, the people, have 'decided' that the these gentlemen are going to run our nation's affairs. So there's no point in cribbing about it.

But the contentious point is, there weren't much protests for The Da Vinci Code. Barring a few placards waving and token gatherings, this movie hasn't attracted much attention from the Christian community. Worse, there isn't even a single PIL. But the minister took matters in his hands even before it was warranted. The only place there ever a case filed was in South Korea, where the court overruled it stating, 'those who find the movie offensive can stay away from the theatres and also advise their friends and relatives not to watch it'. The movie is running in Vatican, the very foundation the book attacks.

So why make a fuss in India? I can think of two aspects. The first one is quite far-fetched so I shan't dwell. Second is our government's never satiating desire to prove their secular credentials. Secular, in Indian dictionaries, means appeasing the minorities. Ever since the fall of NDA, the Congress has been bending over backwards to keep the minorities happy. This move by the I&B minister to personally watch the movie could be a message to all the christians that 'don't worry folks. Your welfare is our prime concern'. To me, this theory seems relevant.

Whatever may be the cause, this move has set a very bad precedent. Tomorrow, any organisation can request the government to watch some movie they think may offend them. It is difficult to guess where this will all lead to.

Consequently, the Tamil Nadu government has suspended the screening in the state, promptly followed by Andhra Pradesh. I don't think Christians are much troubled that their religion is in danger because Tom Hands is trying to unleash a conspiracy. But apparently, these governments seem to think so.

Sadly, these moves ended up giving this B-grade conspiracy-novel a classic status. I'm not sure whether these state-based suspension is legally valid given that the Censor has already cleared it. But if they were to ever lift the suspension due to a court order or otherwise, The Da Vinci Code is going to draw huge crowds.

That is certainly not what the Christians would have asked for.