The Hindu : NCW for amending Indecent Representation Act

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Sep 07, 2002

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National

NCW for amending Indecent Representation Act

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI SEPT. 6. A day-and-a-half after it picked up the cudgels on behalf of actress Manisha Koirala, the National Commission for Women today decided to use her case vis-a-vis `Ek Chhoti Si Love Story' to press for amendments to the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986.

With Ms. Koirala — who obtained a stay from a Division Bench of the Bombay High Court on Thursday on the film's screening — not turning up for the meeting that the NCW arranged here for her to present her case before other women's organisations, the Commission decided to widen the scope of the session to make out a case for amending the Act.

The NCW chairperson, Poornima Advani, said she had not heard from Ms. Koirala since Wednesday afternoon when today's meeting was planned. On Wednesday, the actress — after failing to get relief from the Bombay High Court — had sought the intervention of the Commission to stop the exhibition of the film, which she alleged had used a body double to depict her in an "obscene and indecent manner."

The NCW had taken a sympathetic view of Ms. Koirala's case and maintained that the dignity of women should not be compromised, and deferred a final decision on the film. Also, given the fact that Ms. Koirala had not yet filed her second appeal, the Commission suggested a meeting with other women's organisations to chalk out a course of action.

Among the organisations, which participated in the meeting today were the All-India Women's Conference, the All-India Democratic Women's Association, Mahila Dakshata Samiti, the Press Institute of India and the Joint Women's Programme. Though those present sympathised with Ms. Koirala, some participants took the stand that hers was more a case of breach of trust than indecent representation.

Also, the Commission came in for some flak from the AIDWA representatives when Ms. Advani called for united action on the issue. Of the view that the Commission ought to test the Act by monitoring advertisements before going in for sweeping changes, the AIDWA general secretary, Brinda Karat, said it had become difficult for women's organisations to join hands with the NCW; given the way it had allowed its agenda to be hijacked by narrow political interests.

Another point of difference arose over the manner in which some participants sought to club the controversy over the film `Fire' with that of `Ek Chhoti...' `Fire' was not a case that came within the ambit of the Act, as the debate then was on the question of freedom of expression.

`Actresses to blame'

PTI reports from Bhubaneswar:

Reacting to the controversy over the use of certain objectionable scenes involving Ms. Koirala in `Ek Chhoti Si Love Story,' the film actress and chairperson of the National Film Development Corporation, Hema Malini, blamed the actresses more than film-makers for controversies relating to their alleged exploitation. ``It is the actress who allows herself to get into such trouble and, therefore, should not complain about being exploited,'' she said.

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