'Traffic Signal' raises storm in Himachal Pradesh : Happenings News : ApunKaChoice.Com


ApunKaChoice.Com	IndiaExpress.Com CricketZone.Com
Set as Homepage \| Add to favorites

RSS

HOME | SCOOP!! & NEWS | HAPPENINGS

Madhur Bhandarkar

'Traffic Signal' raises storm in Himachal Pradesh
03rd Feb 2007 10.00 IST
By Agencies

People of Himachal Pradesh Kinnaur district – popularly known as 'kinners' – are up in arms against Madhur Bhandarkar 's latest movie Traffic Signal , which uses the name of the community to refer to eunuchs and have threatened legal action.

"The use of the word 'kinner' for eunuch is totally wrong and insulting for people of Kinnaur," S C Negi, Shimla's Additional Deputy Commissioner and a resident of Kinnaur, said. The reference should be dropped from the film, which was released on Friday, he said.

The use of the word in the film is "derogatory and defied the Constitution, which recognised ‘kinners’ as a Scheduled Tribe living in Kinnaur district of Himachal", Sub-Divisional Magistrate G C Negi said.

Prominent writer S R Harnot, who has written over 10 books on the society, history and culture of ‘kinners’, said an action committee of citizens of Kinnaur was being formed to file a PIL in the Himachal High Court against the wrong use of the word in the film.

Harnot said, when he contacted Bhandarkar on the issue, "His private secretary on his behalf said the word ‘kinner’ is frequently used in writings for eunuchs and there is nothing wrong in the use of the word in the film".

Stopping the use of the word ‘kinner’ for eunuchs was raised in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly in 2001 and members had opined against the wrong usage of the word, Harnot said.

State BJP leader Tejwant Negi threatened he would organise protests outside the theatres in the State, if they screened the movie without dropping the controversial word.

"We are deeply hurt by the use of the word ‘kinner’ for eunuchs in the movie...I request Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh to intervene and also appeal to owners of cinema halls in the State not to show the movie without dropping the word," Negi said on Friday.

"If our sentiments are not respected, we will protest in front of cinema halls showing the movie."

S C Negi claimed the word ‘kinner’ finds mention in Buddhist 'jataka kathas', wherein it is used to refer to tribal people and not to eunuchs.

Parminder Singh Negi, a resident of Kinnaur, said he had to stop publication of his weekly newspaper Kinner Sandesh because of the "insulting" use of the word ‘kinner’.

Bhagat Singh Negi and Satyajit Singh Negi, who head two NGOs in Kinnaur, said they would approach the National SC and ST Commission for banning the use of the word ‘kinner’ to refer to eunuchs.

Related
Madhur Bhandarkar
Traffic Signal