National award for 'The Kerala Story' is disappointing, dangerous: FTII students body
Pune (PTI): A students' outfit at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) has strongly condemned the decision to confer a national award to "The Kerala Story", citing that the government-backed recognition for the film is "not simply disappointing, but dangerous".
Filmmaker Sudipto Sen won the Best Director award for "The Kerala Story", which also received the award for Best Cinematography at the 71st National Film Awards.
The 2023 film had courted controversy for its portrayal of women in Kerala being forcefully converted and recruited by the terror group Islamic State.
The Students' Association of the FTII, in a statement on August 2, said 'The Kerala Story' was not a film, but a weapon.
"The state has once again made its position clear: it will reward propaganda disguised as cinema if it aligns with its majoritarian, hate-filled agenda. 'The Kerala Story' is not a film; it is a weapon. A falsified narrative aimed at vilifying the Muslim community and demonising an entire state that has historically stood for communal harmony, education, and resistance," it said.
Cinema is not neutral, it is a powerful instrument of influence, it said, adding that the decision to award the film is "simply not disappointing, but dangerous".
"When a government-endorsed body elevates a film that spreads misinformation and paranoia against minorities, it is not merely 'recognising art', it is legitimising violence. It is scripting future lynchings, social exclusion, and political othering," the statement read.
The students' outfit further condemned the fact that cinema is being reduced to a tool of state-sponsored communalism.
"We refuse to accept that Islamophobia is now award-worthy. And we refuse to be silent as the industry we hope to enter is being reshaped to reward lies, bigotry, and fascist ideology. The state must understand: giving awards to propaganda does not make it true. And we, as students and citizens, will not stop calling it what it is-incitement. Violence," it added.
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Karnataka govt directs municipal corps to regulate, prohibit pigeon feeding
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government has issued directions to municipal corporations across the state to regulate and prohibit feeding pigeons in public places, citing serious public health concerns.
Deputy Secretary to Government V Lakshmikanth has written to the Urban Development Department requesting it to issue directions to the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and all municipal corporations to take immediate steps to implement the measures.
In an official note dated December 16 issued by the Health and Family Welfare Department and released to the media on Wednesday, the department said uncontrolled feeding of pigeons in public places has resulted in large congregations of birds, excessive droppings and serious health concerns, particularly respiratory illnesses linked to prolonged exposure to pigeon droppings and feathers such as hypersensitivity pneumonitis and other lung diseases.
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"The commissioner, the Greater Bengaluru Authority and the Commissioners and chief officers of other municipal corporations shall take necessary action to mitigate the causes of dangerous disease spread by pigeon and enforce specified guidelines in their respective jurisdiction," the note said.
According to the department, these include a prohibition on feeding pigeons or causing pigeons to be fed in areas where it may cause nuisance or pose a health hazard to the public. Pigeon feeding shall be permitted only in designated areas in a controlled manner, subject to certain conditions.
"The designated areas may be selected in consultation with stakeholders. The responsibility for upkeep of the designated areas and compliance to the directions shall be taken up by some charitable organisation or an NGO. The feeding in designated areas shall be permitted only for some limited hours in the day," it said.
The note further stated that authorised officers of local authorities shall issue on-the-spot warnings and may impose fines for violation of the order, or lodge complaints to prosecute offenders under Sections 271 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 272 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
It also directed local authorities to conduct public awareness campaigns, including the display of signboards, banners and digital messages, explaining the health hazards associated with pigeon droppings and feathers, the content of the regulatory directions and penalties for violations, and alternative humane methods of bird conservation that do not endanger public health.
