By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Hyderabad: Even as eyes of the world and media were stuck to Kashmir on renowned musician Zubin Mehta’s Ehsaas-e-Kashmir concert which became test of tolerance for the valley, the ‘broadmindedness’ towards ‘K’ word was shattered in Hyderabad.
While Kashmiris restrained to peaceful protests, activists of Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), youth wing of the BJP attacked, vandalized and ransacked the venue where exhibition on short films based on Kashmir was held.
Right wing goons barge into L.V. Prasads theatre at Banjara Hills on Saturday afternoon, where film festival, “Kashmir, Before Our Eyes” was organized by Kashmiri origin film makers.
The attackers led by a Kashmiri Pandit Rahul Razdan who is working as software engineer in Hyderabad damaged furniture, busted glasses and beaten up the show organizers.
A mob of 40 right wingers first marched into the projector room on the third floor of the theater where screening was about to begin, they cracked the monitor, and coercively stole the laptops of the film makers.
Filmmaker Ajay Raina organizer of the festival and guest Filmmaker Siddartha Gigoo (both Kashmiri Pandits) were assaulted by the violent mob.
As usual objection of the VHP and BJYM goons was those short films scheduled to be screened at the festival were ‘Anti-Indian’ as they were allegedly putting Indian Government and Army in bad light.
Shouting slogans against Kashmir separatist movement, venting their anti-national anger, attackers destroyed everything they found perishable their way. In minutes jubilant venue packed with excited audience, was transformed into combat zone with glasses and broken furniture lying on every step till the exit point.
According to local police, earlier VHP and BJYM activist approached them to stop the screening, but when the police refused to interfere, those activist informed the police there plan to observe a ‘silent protest’ outside the venue, which police didn’t objected.
However, when ‘silent protest’ turned unruly police rushed to the spot and arrested nine of those hoodlums including the lead Rahul Razdan when they were trying to escape after vandalizing and stealing theater equipments. Later they were shifted to Banjara Hills police station where a case under Sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 145 (joining or continuing unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapons) and 353 (deterring a public servant from discharging his duties) of IPC were registered against them.
Still organizers have decided not to bow down before xenophobia, they informed media that film festival which is going to be screened in many parts of India will not be affected by any cowardly attacks and the events will go on as per schedule.
Meanwhile Professional Solidarity Forum condemned the disruption of Kashmiri Film Festival by goons of BJYM.
In there statement PSF said, “We are living in a democratic country; where everyone has the freedom to express their views. The way the organisers were attacked and the kind of vandalism took place has exposed the inability of state Government and Police to provide adequate security after repeated threatening by the right wing groups. The growing intolerance in the country is a matter of concern. The believers of violence are threatening the whole country from North to South. The hypocrisy of Govt. Administration is also visible in this incident as it could deploy thousands of Police and Paramilitary personnel at LB Stadium but ignored the security for Film festival. In the past in same kind of incidents Police didn’t take any serious action against these violence mongers.”
PSF demand Govt. and Police for a stringent action against those who were involved in the vandalism of Film Festival at Prasad labs.