India’s Daughter screened by activists

Just last week an independent filmmaker was arrested after he allegedly screened the banned BBC documentary ‘India’s Daughter’ in New Delhi. Unfazed by the arrest, the hour-long documentary, narrating the Delhi rape incident, was screened by activists of the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) at Sundarayya Vignana Kendra, Baghlingampally, recently. Further a round table conference on the meeting on the topic would be held on Tuesday.

About 50 AIDWA members were present at the screening of the short documentary in the association office at Bagh Lingampally on Saturday evening. The documentary screening was held only for the members of the AIDWA team and not for the public. AIDWA’s Telangana State secretary B Himavathi, confirming the screening, contested the ban on the film. “We did screen the documentary, but only for our members. It was not open to public,” she said, and wondered why the documentary should not be viewed since “it rightly narrates what a certain section of Indian men think of women.”

After the Delhi Police had registered an FIR and moved the court seeking restraint, a trial court restrained the media from broadcasting or publishing the interview of Mukesh Singh, the accused in the case. The members expressed their shock over the defence lawyer’s statement in the documentary on women not being allowed to venture during the night.

Observing that the defence lawyer’s statement in the documentary was appalling, the activist said, “Why should women not venture out in the night? If the society does not accept women venturing out at nights, how can women professionals survive?”While no action has been initiated against the association by the police for screening the banned documentary, Himavati said they were ready to face any challenge. Police officials said that they had not taken any action since no complaint had been registered against the Aidwa for screening of the documentary.