Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan and opposition leader V D Satheesan condemn attempts to censor movie Empuraan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Opposition Leader V D Satheesan praised the movie `Empuraan' and strongly condemned the Sangh Parivar's attempts to alter and stifle it.
Vijayan, after watching the Mohanlal starrer on Sunday, wrote in a social media post: "I watched the film 'Empuraan,' which is leading the Malayalam film industry to new heights. I watched it amidst widespread hate campaigns unleashed by the Sangh Parivar and communal forces against the film, its actors, and its crew."
He said that the makers of the movie angered the Sangh Parivar by referencing one of the most brutal genocides the country witnessed.
"The film references one of the most brutal genocides the country has seen, which has infuriated its orchestrators, the Sangh Parivar. Not just the supporters, but even leaders of the BJP and RSS are issuing open threats."
"Reports have emerged that the filmmakers are being forced to re-censor and edit the film under this pressure.
The atmosphere of fear created by the Sangh Parivar is concerning. It is not a tribute to democracy when communalists can destroy a work of art and viciously attack artists for taking a stand against communalism and depicting its horrors."
He further said, "In a democratic society, a citizen's freedom of expression must be protected. Aggressive calls to destroy and ban artistic creations and artists are new manifestations of a fascist mindset. This is a violation of democratic rights. The rights to create, watch, enjoy, critique, agree, and disagree with films must not be lost. For this, the united voice of this nation, rooted in democratic and secular values, must rise."
Opposition Leader V D Satheesan said, "The Sangh Parivar lacks substantial knowledge of history and tends to distort it."
"They believe that freedom of expression means the freedom to create narratives that favour them. Their agenda is to celebrate such distorted creations."
Cinema is the creation of a group of artists, he said, and added, "Altering the content of an artistic work through threats, social media mockery, or insults is not a success. It is a sign of utter failure and cowardice. No matter how much one tries to cover it up, historical truths will always stand clear."