Mumbai – The recent decision by the Censor Board to remove “Free Tibet” a fleeting reference to Tibetan freedom struggle in the film Rockstar, releasing tomorrow has disheartened many Tibetans & Indian supporters here in India and across the world.
Here in Mumbai, SFT Mumbai activists & Tibetan writer/activist Tenzin Tsundue met Smt. Pankaja Thakur, CEO of the Censor Board of Film Certificate Head Quarters. They met the CEO of CBFC for over an hour long exchange on the details of the decision taken by the Censor Board to blur the “Free Tibet” banner from the film “Rock Star”.
“Tibetans living in India and across the world are disheartened that the “Free Tibet” banner had been deleted from the film which otherwise could have carried the message through this much awaited film of the year,” said Dorjee Tseten, National Director of Students for a Free Tibet-India. “All this is happening at a time when so much brutal oppression is unleashed by China in Tibet, because of which twelve young monks, nuns and young adults have set themselves in a series of self-immolations. And we just heard this morning that there was another case of self-immolation by a Tibetan in Kathmandu.”
Tibetan writer and activist Tenzin Tsundue also addressed the press conference today and said: “This act of self-censorship in India belies the larger reality of India’s support to Tibet and the Indian people’s love and support for His Holiness the Dalai Lama. As much as it denies the Tibetan refugee living in India for the past 52 years, it also denies Indian artists their right to freedom of expression.”
This is the time when internationally people of the world should be standing up with the people of Tibet and support their nonviolent freedom struggle led by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. “Unfortunately this single opportunity to see a “Free Tibet” banner in a mainstream Hindi Film has been banned”, said Dorjee Tseten, SFT National Director.
Students for a Free Tibet – India
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