The Israeli film-maker, Nadav Lapid, in the eye of the storm for his justified criticism of the film, The Kashmir Files, has stated that it was his responsibility to speak up on matters that Indians have a “harder time” speaking up against. Indeed, those who believe in criticism and dissent, the hallmarks of democracy, have been thoroughly vilified by India’s ruling regime and its supportive ecosystem. A section of Kashmir’s Pandit community, the supposed protagonists of The Kashmir Files, have now spoken up against the ethics of this particular cinematic project. But something else is quite apparent: there is an urgent need for the besieged community to reclaim ownership of its own voice. Denying Pandits — or, for that matter, other minorities — the right to voice unvarnished opinion goes against the democratic ethos.

Source: The Telegraph December 02, 2022 00:06 UTC