103 filmmakers come together and calls for uprooting BJP to "protect democracy"
Mumbai, Mar 29: Celebrated indie filmmakers such as Anand Patwardhan, Sanal Kumar Sasidharan and Devashish Makhija have come together to issue an appeal to defeat fascism in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, saying the country is going its most "testing times ever".
In a joint statement issued on the website www.artistuniteindia.com, the group of 103 filmmakers have called people "to protect the democracy of the country" and claimed that the "BJP has made the country the boardroom property of a handful of businessmen".
The unity of the nation - despite being culturally vivid and geographically diverse-"is at stake now'', they said.
"Fascism threatens to strike us hard with all its might if we don't choose wisely in the coming Lok Sabha election. Period. As we all know, ever since the BJP came to power in 2014, things have changed. And only for the worse," the statement read.
It has been signed by 103 filmmakers, including Vetri Maaran, Q, Deepa Dhanraj, Kabir Singh Chowdhry.
According to the statement, a country polarised along religious lines is "not the India we have known".
"Besides, the BJP and its allies have failed miserably in keeping their election promises. They are now using mob lynching and cow vigilantism to split the country communally. Marginalizing Dalits and Muslims is the name of the game. They are spreading their hate campaigns with the help of the internet and social media."
The filmmakers said patriotism is the BJP's trump card and any individual or institution that raises the slightest dissent is labelled "anti-national".
"'Let us not forget that some of our eminent writers and media persons lost their lives because they dared to dissent."
According to the directors, "romanticizing and exploiting the armed forces" is one of BJP's strategies, "even at the risk of engaging the nation in an unnecessary war."
The filmmakers said there is unrelenting onslaught on the cultural and scientific institutions in the country.
"Flawed economic policies that ended up as extreme disasters are covered up and made to look like successes. All with the help of false propaganda and marketing blitz. This has helped them to create a false optimism in the country. Manipulation of statistics and history is another one of their fond projects," the statement alleged.
The filmmakers said giving the BJP one more term in power will be a "grave blunder" and it could well be the "last nail in the coffin for the biggest democracy in the world".
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
