Censor Board finally okays film on Maoist movement in Nepal

MUMBAI, Jul 14: After refusing the certificate for public screening to a documentary film on Nepal, 'Flames of the Snow', on the ground that it justifies ideology of the Maoist movement, the Central Board of Film Certification Board (CBFC), headed by famous actress of yesteryears, Sharmila Tagore, has finally given U/A certificate to the film, produced by a Delhi-based journalist, Anand Swaroop Verma.

Mr Verma, who is an acclaimed expert on Nepal affairs and was a member of team of international observers to monitor all elections in the country in recent past, told the news agency over phone from Delhi today that the revising committee members of the Board along with Ms Tagore watched the film last week, talked to him on its content and asked to give a disclaimer to clear the film.

'' They were, however, initially not sure what type of disclaimer they wanted but later suggested a disclamer to which I agrred with some modification and they accepted it yesterday'', he disclosed.

Quoting a letter from Delhi regional office of the CBFC, Mr Verma said the disclaimer now said, '' The substance of the documentary has been compiled from various media publications and views expressed are of the individuals interviewed. It is not the intention of this documentary to offend the sensibilities/sentiments of any country or individual''.

The SBFC had earlier refused to give certification to it by saying '' The 125 minute long , Flames of the Snow, tells about the Maoist movement in Nepal and justifies its ideology and keeping in view the recent Maoist violence in some parts of the country, the permission of its public screening can not be given'.

According to Mr Verma, the film does not have any reference at all to the current Maoist movement in India. ''The film, however, shows an armed movement carried on under the leadership of the Maoists for 10 years and unfolds the story of how the movement mobilised the Nepalese people by first attacking and dismantling the feudal system in the rural areas and subsequently taking the people's movement to the urban areas, he added.