The Kashmir Files Controversy: Social Media Divided Over The Film

The Kashmir Files Controversy: A recently released film directed by Vivek Agnihotri has become the subject of debate among netizens as it talks about the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits during the insurgency in the Kashmir valley during 1990. The makers have positioned the film as a story of those who have been silenced for decades, Kashmiri Pandits.

The film has been getting a lot more backing from the Union and state governments compared to other films. The Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi reportedly said that there have been attempts to conceal the truth from the nation for a very long time and films like The Kashmir Files need to be made to bring out the truth before people. Many state governments have also made the film tax-free and several government officials were given leaves so that they can go watch the movie in theatres.

The Kashmir Files Controversy

The unique support given to the film has raised many concerns among people. Yashwant Sinha, member of Trinmool Congress and former Union Minister took a jibe at the central government and tweeted, "It is not enough to make the film The Kashmir Files tax free all over India. Parliament shd pass a law making its viewing compulsory for all Indians. Those who fail to watch it shd go to jail for 2 years and those criticising it for life."

Many user generated videos were also floated on Twitter timelines where audience members at a theatre watching The Kashmir Files were seen raising problematic slogans the Muslim community. In a video tweeted by journalist Alishan Jafri, a group of people in a theatre were heard saying, "Jab Mulle k**te jaenge Ram Ram chilaenge." When Muslims will be cut, we will cheer Ram. Other slogans raised by the audience were "Bharat Mata ki Jai". As per Raj's tweet, the video was shot in a theatre in Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh.

Suggested Reading: Who Is Sharda Pandit's Character In The Kashmir Files Based On?

A video of a woman crying and hugging the director of the film had also gone viral. The woman was claimed to be a Kashmiri Pandit who was touched by the film. Sharing the video, a user wrote how the film is bringing out raw emotions from the public and the people who were affected during the exodus.

A woman named Sidhi Raina, the niece of a woman allegedly gangraped and brutally murdered during the exodus, took to her Instagram account to urge people to watch the film. She wrote that The Kashmir Files "shows the horrifying nights not only my family went through but what every Kashmiri Pandit family went through."

Many contrasting narratives were being shared by social media users. A video by BBC showed a group of Kashmiri Pandits sharing how the film showed one sided story. A man was heard saying that films like The Kashmir Files will create distance between the Hindu and Muslim community. "Since 1990, we are being used a political issue paper and the same is happening right now, " he added.

As per reports, the Deputy Commissioners of Police in Delhi have been issued a letter to increase security in areas with "mixed population". The was issued on March 14 which read, "The movie is based on the lives of Kashmiri Pandits, and reportedly is based on true events. It depicted the barbarism committed against Kashmiri Hindus in its crudest form…"

“It is claimed that the one-sided view of the event could possibly trigger violence between communities, " the letter added.