24 artists, including filmmaker Kundan Shah, return their national awards over FTII row
But the government hit back saying it is an agenda against them

Palash Biswas

Just before the scheduled March to the Raisina Hills to impeach the President of Democrat Secular Indian Republic for his continuous cry to sustain inherent tolerance and Diversity in this land of one of the oldest civilization always engaged in quest of knowledge where religion always meant humanity and love, the Bharat Tirth as Gurudev Tagore described it, no less than 24 artists including film makers returned the award!

This morning I had said in my daily video talk that we have to stand with Shahrukh Khan who dares to speak human and an intensive hate campaign launched against the evergreen daring artist branding him anti-national!

I used the eternal musicality of Indian Cinema which has always contributed to national integrity and unity and united the humanity worldwide expressing love, fraternity, peace, equality, justice and each value of Indian civilization, its day to day life, aspirations, ambition, struggles, folk, and festivals breaking the barriers of language, identity, caste, religion and race.

Indian Cinema had been the last home of artists who launched Indian People's Theatre like Balraaj Sahani, AK Hangal, Ritwik Ghatak, Salil Chowdhari and others, theatre personalities like Amrish Puri, Shriram Lagu, Nasiruddin Shah and so many of them.

FTTI remained the grooming institute of artists and film makers and it had to be killed as other institutions of Indian democracy have been killed as Pansare, Davolkar and Kalburgi have been killed to make this globe subordinate to Manusmrity discipline of Racist Apartheid brute for which an Arabian Spring has been imported for religious Polarization.

This Morning I used the Ae Malik Tere Bande Hain Hum, earlier I used Kadam Kadam Badhaye Jaa and then the masterpiece, the Charlie Chaplin speech in the Great Dictator explaining musicality, sound design and aesthetics of social realism frame to frame!

Thus, I am very happy after my Professor and close friend Dr. Shekhar Pathak, the historian returned Padmshree as the famous Nain Lake in my home town in Nainital echoed the voice of conscience of light, progress, civilization and humanity.

I had been insisting that each and every one from Indian intelligentsia and Indian Cinema specifically has to speak human and I am happy yet again after my teacher in GIC, Nainital, Tara Chandra Tripathi endorsed our campaign Desh Jodo Dunia Jodo only this morning.

Indian Cinema despite some voices of dissent stand rock solid to defend humanity and civilization, the legacy of inherent diversity and pluralism.

We are not reactionaries and being democrat we respect every note of dissent as we fight for freedom of speech and right to dissent.

It is mandatory to dismiss the self-destructive Mandate that we invested in an inefficient, unworthy dictator as Germany also committed the Himalayan blunder and still suffering. We would not allow repeating the history of Nazi Regime and fascism!

Hastakshep