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Author:
Publication: Times Now
Date: December 24, 2006
URL: http://www.timesnow.tv/Sections/News/Taliban-like_diktat_in_West_Bengal_village/articleshow/912391.cms
In Murshidabad's Kanupur village, no music has been played and no television sets switched on in the past nine months. This village, with a population of six thousand, has been deprived after a diktat ordering the local Nabajagaran Club to impose a complete ban on music and television.
"We have circulated it through an open manifesto. It is to check sound pollution, especially in tea stalls where children used skip classes to go to watch TV or films," said Rutful Haq, a resident of Kanupur.
It gets more ridiculous. The diktat also prohibits concerts or dancing in public. In addition, bans have also been imposed on processions for wedding ceremonies and drinking alcohol in public. Violation of any of these bans results in a Rs 1,000-fine.
The worst hit are tea stalls which would show movies to attract customers. "Not only children, even 90-year-olds used to come and watch TV and we used to show only family films," says Jhantu Sheikh, a tea stall owner.
"They listened to us when we threatened them; now they are abiding by the rule. We don't have to use force now," said Lutful Sheikh, Secretary, Nabajagaran Club.
Despite these open threats, those more daring do still watch some movies, but only within the confines of their homes. What's shocking is that the administration claims they are not aware of such a ban, but refused to say it on camera.
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