National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) on Wednesday wrote to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) seeking details of 8 short films on same-sex relations scheduled to be screened at schools in West Bengal. The child rights body also wrote to UNICEF India regarding the matter, as the films are being screened in collaboration with UNICEF.
NCPCR wrote to the two organisations on the basis of a complaint submitted with it, based on a Times of India report published on November 9 which said that 8 short films based on same-sex relationships will be screened in schools of Kolkata to promote ‘inclusive education’. The films are to be screened after the schools are reopened.
. @NCPCR_ seeks explanation from Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and UNICEF over screening of short films on same sex relationaships at schools in West Bengal.@PTI_News pic.twitter.com/yuCjNzAIw4
— Uzmi Athar (@UzmiAthar1) November 10, 2021
In its letter to CBFC Chairperson Prasoon Joshi, NCPCR has sought comments on the eight selected short films on same-sex relations, asking whether the films have obtained certification for screening in the state or not. NCPCR also wants to know what category of certification has been provided to the selected movies, if they obtained certification.
In the letter sent to UNICEF India representative Yasumara Kimura, NCPCR has asked under which mandate the movies have been selected to be screened for minor children in West Bengal in collaboration with UNICEF, and what factors were taken into consideration for screening the films on same-sex relationships. UNICEF India has been asked to provide this information within 10 days of receiving the letter signed by NCPCR chairperson Priyank Kanungo.
Further, the NCPCR has asked UNICEF India to provide a copy of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed with the Ministry of Education and a copy of MOU signed with state governments.
The eight short films scheduled to be screened before minors in schools in Kolkata are made by young filmmakers and have been shortlisted for the Bad and Beautiful World Film Festival organised by Prayasam, a Kolkata based NGO. Prayasam is a UNICEF partner organisation, and the filmmakers are students of Prasayam Visual Basics, a grassroot film studio supported by Adobe.
The eight films are made by four filmmakers, ‘Dwitiyo Purush’, ‘Dekha’ and ‘Dakkhina’ by Salim Shekh; ‘Dhora Pore Gechi Aami‘, ‘Dutto‘ and ‘Deya Neya‘ by Manish Chowdhury; ‘Durbin‘ by Saptarshi Ray and ‘DumbBell’ by Avijit Marjit. The films deal with subjects like homosexuality, live-in same-sex relationship, male escort etc. There are concerns that the movies may not be appropriate for children, due to which a complaint was filed with NCPCR and it prompted NCPCR to take cognizance of the same.
