Assam government employees will get a half-day leave for watching the recently-released movie 'The Kashmir Files', Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced today. Sarma has already made the movie tax free in the state. The employees will have to submit the tickets to their superior officer in order to get the leave.
The Kashmir Files', a Hindi film written and directed by Vivek Agnihotri, is based on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits in 1990.
The chief minister, who watched the film along with his cabinet colleagues at a multiplex here on Tuesday night, said that government employees will be entitled to a half-day special leave to watch it.
"They will have to only inform their superior officers and submit the tickets the next day," he said.
The genocide of Kashmiri Pandits and their exodus from Kashmir are a blot on humanity, Sarma said.
"Moved by the heart-wrenching portrayal of their plight in the film which I watched along with my cabinet colleagues and MLAs of BJP and our allied parties," he tweeted.
He said that as Assam does not have any entertainment tax, there is no point in its waiver for 'The Kashmir Files'.
Several BJP ruled states have made the movie tax free.
Meanwhile, All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) president Badruddin Ajmal said he will request Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sarma to ban the film immediately as it has led to a "Hindu-Muslim divide and is likely to lead to communal tension".
"These incidents (of Kashmir) happened over three decades ago and such a situation does not exist now. If the film is not banned, it will lead to unnecessary violence," the Dhubri MP said.
Thousands of Muslims were killed in the Nellie massacre in 1983 in Assam but nobody has made a film on that incident, he said.
At least 1,800 Muslims (unofficial figure runs higher) were killed in six hours in Assam's Nagaon district on February 18, 1983, by a mob as a fallout of a controversial Assembly election in the state. This is known as the Nellie massacre.
"We must not raise such issues now but must maintain peace at any cost," Ajmal added.
He admitted that he has not watched 'The Kashmir Files' but said, "I have noticed the hype created about the film on social media which reflects the Hindutva agenda of the BJP and RSS".
The movie has earned praise from the prime minister and chief ministers of BJP-ruled states.
Congress criticises The Kashmir Files
Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge has joined the battery of leaders who have slammed the recently released movie 'The Kashmir Files' for allegedl misrepresentation of facts. Kharge termed The Kashmir Files a "one-sided" movie that is misleading the youths of the country and claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is promoting the film.
Speaking to ANI, Kharge said, "The Kashmir is a one-sided movie and misleading youths of the country. Even our Prime Minister himself is promoting this film and is trying to polarise the society."
Further, Kharge accused the film director (Vivek Agnihotri) of making an attempt to spoil the atmosphere of society through this film.
"His (Vivek Agnihotri) intentions are one-sided. He has made an attempt to spoil the atmosphere of society through this film. Efforts are being made to divide the country again on the basis of religion," he added.
The Kashmir Files is getting into controversies these days as many leaders, intellectuals and other groups of the society are giving their feedback on the film.
The Kashmir Files revolves around the genocide of Kashmiri Pandits in 1990 and has been directed by Vivek Agnihotri, known for films like `Tashkent Files`, `Hate Story` and `Buddha in a Traffic Jam`.
The film has been declared tax-free in several states including Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, Goa, Haryana and Uttarakhand and has also entered the Rs 50 crore club after minting Rs 18 crore on day five of its release.
