PANJIM: Due to alleged orchestrations against Pramod Muthalik in the Konkani tiatr ‘Akantvadi Goent Naka’, the right wing Hindu organization has urged Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to establish a censor board for plays and tiatrs to preserve communal harmony and maintain peace in the State.
In a memorandum submitted to him, the Hindu Janajgruti Samiti (HJS) has stated that there is a trend of depicting obscene, vulgar and controversial things just to get publicity and earn money through plays and tiatrs.
“In public interest, it is the duty of the government to ensure that the freedom of expression is not violated by unscrupulous elements in society, bent upon misusing the liberty given to them by the State and the Constitution,” HJS state coordinator Dr Manoj Solanki said in the memorandum.
Solanki has said that there must be control of State Government on plays/dramas because of the effect the audio-visual medium can have on people which can be far stronger than the influence of the printed word.
HJS has demanded setting up of a censor board in line with the one in Maharashtra, which is known as ‘Rajya Rangbhumi Parinirikshan Mandal’ which censors and certifies every play that is to be staged. “The present instances have started to disturb communal harmony and create law and order situation and this is an indication that Goa too needs a censor board at the earliest,” Solanki said pointing to the ongoing controversy and public unrest about the Konkani play ‘Akantvadi Goent Naka’.
The play was strongly objected to by HJS, Sanatan Sanstha and Sri Ram Sena claiming that it has allegedly projected SRS chief Pramod Muthalik as a terrorist.
The right wing organizations had filed police complaints against the tiatr. The play director Tousif de Navelim had complained about threats to him allegedly from some of these organization members.
