Date:29/06/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/06/29/stories/2004062901351005.htm

Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Culture cops

Sir, — The editorial, "Culture cops" (June 26), was well written. The Sangh Parivar behaves like the self-appointed custodian of Indian culture. Anything that does not meet with its approval is anti-culture. Latest in its list is the movie, Girl Friend.

In every other movie, there are scenes depicting crime, sex and gore. Why do the Parivar outfits not object to them? Are they representative of Indian culture?

D.V. Raghavan,
Pondicherry

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Sir, — The campaign against the screening of the Bollywood film, Girl Friend exposes the motives of political activists who use every controversy to impose their will and hog the limelight.

The failure to protect freedom of expression, a constitutionally guaranteed right, reflects on the situation in the country.

Susan K. Joseph,
Ludhiana, Punjab

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Sir, — It is indeed exasperating that fundamentalists are allowed to take the law into their own hands every time a film is ostensibly "against Indian culture."

Films that unreservedly promote and glorify violence and soap operas that stereotype women have a far more corrupting influence on the minds of the audience, especially the youth.

Sairam Sanath Kumar,
Kochi, Kerala

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Sir, — No one disputes that freedom of expression, subject to certain reasonable restrictions, is a fundamental right. This should be so not only in screening films, but also in the distribution and sale of books by authors such as Salman Rushdie and Taslima Nasreen.

R.V. Pathy,
Chennai