Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai   

SHRC notice to Boys director, producer

By K.T. Sangameswaran

CHENNAI SEPT. 20. Taking a serious view of sentiments expressed by heads of schools about Boys, the Tamil Nadu Human Rights Commission has sent notices to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry and the Central Board of Film Certification, directing them to file their replies by September 29. Similar notices were sent to A. M. Rathinam, producer, and Shankar, director of the Tamil film.

The panel was stirred into action by views expressed by the principals at a consultation meeting here a week ago on ways to eliminate corporal punishment.

In the notices to the Secretary, Information and Broadcasting and the Chairman, CBFC, and its regional offices in Chennai and Hyderabad, the Commission member, S. Sambandham, said the principals were anguished at the way youth were portrayed in the film. The dialogues were full of double entendres. The younger generation and women were depicted in bad taste.

The letter said the film had been censored in Hyderabad and it was not known whether CBFC members were conversant with Tamil, particularly the colloquial version. The film "hurt viewer sensibilities.

Mr. Sambandham said violation of Section 2 (d) of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, would attract punishment. (As per the provision, "human rights" means the rights to life, liberty, equality and dignity of the individual guaranteed by the Constitution or embodied in International Covenants and enforceable by courts in India). He cautioned the authorities that even negligence by a public servant in preventing the violation of human rights fell within the purview of Section 12 (functions of the Commission).

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