Citing the recent Maoist violence in some parts of the country, the censor board has refused to certify a documentary film which it feels justifies the ideology of the Maoist movement in Nepal.
�It does not have a single word about the Indian Maoist movement. I could have juxtaposed it, but I specifically did not do it,� says Anand Swaroop Verma, the frustrated producer of the film �Flames of the Snow: Revolution in Nepal'. �It is a chronological history of the Nepali people's struggle against autocratic regimes.�
Central Board of Film Certification chairperson Sharmila Tagore says �India does defy definition,� indicating that something which justifies the Nepali movement may also reflect on its Indian counterparts. �Are there similarities in the �-ism'? Can parallels be drawn,� she asks. �I do feel that there sometimes has to be some restriction in view of peace, of law and order � the bigger picture.�
She will personally view the film when the Reviewing Committee considers Mr. Verma's appeal next week.
The board communicated its refusal to certify the film for public screening on June 14, after a four-month period during which consultations were held with the Ministry of External Affairs, a former Ambassador to Nepal who gave his objections in writing, and experts on Maoists and Nepal.