Amidst the praise of the film ‘The Kashmir Files’ made on the atrocities on Kashmiri Pandits in the country and the world, some people are also raising questions on it. Controversy is arising many times in the midst of such questions and answers running on social media. People are turning to beatings and violence.
Eleven people have been booked in Alwar district for allegedly forcing a 32-year-old Dalit man to rub his nose on a doorway in Rajasthan’s Alwar district. Seven of these people have been arrested. It is alleged that after the comment about the film in Facebook, there was a dispute on the reply. The accused forced the Dalit man to do so on the doorstep of the temple.
Rajesh Kumar Meghwal, 32, said that the incident started after a Facebook post was uploaded on March 18 related to The Kashmir Files. “I had seen the trailer of the film and uploaded a post in which I said that the film depicts atrocities on Kashmiri Pandits and is being made tax free. This is fine, but atrocities happen on Dalits and other communities as well. Why are films like Jai Bhim not made tax free? Meghwal, a resident of Gokalpur village, told The Indian Express.
Meghwal said that some people started raising religious slogans on his Facebook post. Meghwal later said that he had started receiving threats and pressure was being put on him to apologise.
Meghwal alleged, “The villagers and a former sarpanch started pressuring me to apologize at the village temple. He assured me that I would not be harassed, but he started harassing me and forced me to rub my nose on the temple platform against my will.”
On the basis of Meghwal’s complaint after the incident, the Behror police station was booked under sections 143 (punishment for unlawful assembly), 342 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent) An FIR was registered under For inciting breach of peace) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the IPC and relevant sections of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities Act) and 11 people were booked.
“I am under a lot of pressure after the FIR and I am scared for my safety,” Meghwal said. Behror Circle Officer Rao Anand said, “We have arrested seven people out of the 11 named accused. They are Ajay Kumar Sharma, Sanjit Kumar, Hemant Sharma, Parvindra Kumar, Ramotar, Nitin Jangid and Dayaram. Further investigation is being done.”
Meanwhile, Rajasthan Assembly Speaker CP Joshi on Wednesday said that the Kota district administration has clarified and tweeted that Section 144 will not apply to The Kashmir Files or any other film to be screened in cinema halls. Joshi said the “confusion” has been dispelled and there will be no restriction on peaceful celebrations even on festivals.
Earlier on March 21, the Kota district administration, in an order imposing Section 144, said that: “In view of ‘The Kashmir Files’ in the cinema hall and to maintain law and order in the district, crowds, protests, gatherings, etc. And there is a need to stop the gathering of processions.” On Tuesday, there was a ruckus in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly on this issue.