Citizens urge NFDC to cancel Israel Film Festival in Mumbai
calling it immoral amid Palestinian conflict
Mumbai: On Monday, a group of citizens called on the National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC) to cancel an upcoming festival showcasing Israeli films. The festival is scheduled to take place in Mumbai at the National Museum of Indian Cinema on Wednesday and Thursday.
In a statement, the group expressed outrage at the festival, stating, “This screening by the NFDC [National Film Development Corporation] is shamefully being held at a time, when the entire world is witness to Israeli war crimes, the ongoing Holocaust and the genocide in Gaza, and across all of Palestine. The genocide is occurring live, in real time, and the entire world is witness to this inhuman criminal monstrosity, as we watch aghast on our mobiles and TV screens.”
The statement’s signatories include prominent figures including actors Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak, freedom fighter GG Parikh, documentary filmmaker Anand Patwardhan, and Tushar Gandhi, the great grandson of Mahatma Gandhi.
The group condemned the Israeli government's actions, including killing journalists, artists, doctors, and other civilians as part of a deliberate genocide against Palestinian society. The group also accused Israel of using starvation as a weapon by denying food, water, and medical supplies.
The group noted that the Indian government officially recognizes the state of Palestine and argued that the NFDC and the National Museum of Indian Cinema should acknowledge this stance. They described the screening of Israeli films as “immoral, unethical, unconscionable, and a travesty of justice,” urging the NFDC to cancel the festival in light of the “damning evidence” they presented.
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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.
