Fourth Series1R.56 Thursday, May 8, 1969 Vaisakha 18, 1891 (Saka) /2.6$%+$ '(%$7(6 Seventh Session Fourth/RN6DEKD /2.6$%+$6(&5(7$5,$7 New Delhi CONTENTS No. Y>-·Thu,6lIay, May 8, 1969/Va/,akha 18, 1&91 (SAKA). Column Oral Answers to Questions : ·Starred Questions Nos. 1561 to 1564 and 1566 1-35 Short Notice Question No, 22 ... 35 -48 Written Answers to Questions : Starred Questions Nos. 1565 and 1567 to 1590 48-66 Unstarred Questions Nos. 8862 to 8883, and 8885 to 8974 66-170 Papers laid on the Table. 170 71 Committee on Private Members' Bills and Resolutions forty-ninth Report 171 Persono I Explanation by Member (Sh" KanMla, Lal Gupta) 17l Bminess Advisory Commlttee- Thirty-sixth Report 171-~2 Motion Re : Fourth Five Year Plan-Draft. 182- 288 Shrimati Indira Gandhi IS2-,n Shri M. It. Massni 206-19 Shri S. N. Shukla 219-26 Shri Shiva Chandra Jha 226-35 Shri Chandra Jeet Yadav 235-44 Shri Shri Chand GO)'llI 244- 5' Shri Prem Chand Verma 255 63 Shri Murasoli Maran 263-71 Shrl VikTarn Chand Maltajan ... 271-75 Shri Vasudevan Nair 275- 84 Shri Tenneti Viswanatham 284 - 88 R.elease of Memben. 205-206 "The sign + marked above the name of a Member indicates that the question was actually asked on the floor of the House by that Member. L-MSABHA ~ lOK SABHA THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND ThCfJdlly, MCJ)' 8, J9f 9/Vai.,oklw BROADCASTING, AND IN THE DEPART- 18, rlf'JI (S"kt<i MENT OF COMMUNICATIONS (SHRI J. K. GUJRAL).' (a) Government have not received any specific complaint alleging that any particular obscene film has been passed Tile Lok Sabha mel al t./even of Ihe Clock. due to corrupt practices. However, there has been some ·public criticism about censorship [Mr. SptIaker inlhe CI/Uir] being too liberal or too rigid particularly with resard to sex, violence and crime. ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS (b) Does not <11';"'. (c? 'and (d). In response to '8 Resolution in the Rajya Sabha Government hII'Ve alreliily set up an Enquiry Committee on Film Censorship under the Chairmanship of Justice + G. D. KhOsla, wlrich is going into the whole .Hi&l .... ~~ question of censorship including the rules and procedure thereof. "";mlln!l' ~ R -it 111~~~ SHRI B)o'L RAJ MADH0K.' While the Khosla Committee is still 'lookiog iBlo ~ ~ flfatvif : the matter, may I know whether it is'a fact ~~~ that in reply to a queslianthat was raised in the 'R.'lIjya Sabha it was stated that the ~ ~ !flIT qn: ,,;m Government of India is thinking of setting -;jijt '11i:!: ~ 'Ii'! !i''l'1 ~ f<f; : up a small committee to 'So into the whole qoestion? If '0, whether it is the same (if>') ,lIT ~ if>'T ElIT'f ~ om: it Kho.la Committee which was appointed or some other cammittee is going to be appoint- ~ it ~ ~ ij'lIT'q'T\ "'" it ed? Secondly, may I know whetber it is a ~ 'f;TqT\ fi{"ITlIT 'flIT ~ f'f; f'lit'l'f fact that the Government itself 'admitted that it ~ ~ ~ the Board of 'Film Cemors Clln only make m m 'lIT"" cuttings or prunings in the films whereas ~ (f,fil; ~ ~1 ~1 IIIiro!T certllin films are of such a very low moral ~ ifil;it ;;rr ~ ~ ~ and do not keep in mind any of the 'SOCial and moral values Ihat prevail in the (llJ) mi{ iIT, ff) rn ;;rrm mr countty that they 'Should ·not be permitted ,to be exhtbited at all ? In view of this, may I ~ 'l\ <'f'fl'if Ifir mUllT '1ft ~ m know whether government wlll take .teps to '!\'tit if; f<1<; Iin:<f>TI ~ qr'T)'f ~ see that such 'films which fall below a parti- ~ calar moral and 'Social standard are not accepted at all beeause there is no question ('f) 'flIT ~~ fq;rr, 'nff ;iN of cutting or pruning such poor films? ~ ~- ('I'ffr ,";r wt PrIfIl'T if SHRI I. K. GUJRAL.' So far as the ~~~~ first 'question is concerned, it was in response to a Private Member's Resolution in the (II!') ~~ \'l't ~ ffi ~ 'Raj),a SlIbha about film censorship that the MAY 8.19611 Khosla Committee was appointed. This difficulty is that it is a State subject. If_ Committee is expected to submit its report obscene posters appear on the walls of Delhi. at the latest by the end of next month. only the local administration can take Therefore, the question of appointing any necessary action. We have been drawinll the other committee does not arise. Then, I am attention of the local authorities from time to one with my hon. friend that there is every time. We will apin draw their attention. need to raise the general taste of the public, so far as films are concerned. Government SHRI HEM BARUA: -When they have is worried about it, worried not only from not defined 'obscenity' how can they speak the point of view that in films only certain about obscenity? cuts could be effected but over the larger ques- tion of the general toninll up of the films and 15ft ~~~ ~~ raising the public taste. For that positive ;nf1fT'f ~ ~ T( lNflf ~ steps are required. if "",,T if;]" ~ ~~ ~ ~ t m ~ w ili SHRI S. KANDAPPAN: Taste of the ~ ~ ~-1 on:, ~ W II\'l" ~ public or taste of the producers ? q,. ~ f':r.ro 'liT iI¥ lNl<f '" -qT t I SHRI I. K. GUJRAL : . Ultimately it ~ ftt;\'IJT ili ~ !fiT if;]"1f ';I;';fi- is the consumer who matters. If a producer qftM ~ ;jf) ~ does not have a good taste, he should not iii if t, w.ft be allowed to play to the taste of the public. ~ ~ ~ '1ifl1A 1~ eTif That is the basic thing. ~ ~ ~ fqr( fuIRf 'liT ~ m SHRIRANGA Would you suggest Uif ~ fu;l{T 'lit ~~ m ~ m '!i"U gherro? ~~ I ~~~ SHRI I. K. GUJRAL: No, I am not ;r\lt ~~ qrnr-fiRrr mr ~ firoiit augesting that. I am suggesting some other fip \VIii; cr:fit ~ ili am mifTU trifr things. Here I want to give one more infor- mation. Last year we came to take note of 11 ~ 1!it I ~ ~ m-om: ~ ~~ t imported films about ni&ht life etc. in various o;rh: 'l"if if 1ft s:W crr't if ~ ~~ countries and we totally banned their circu- lation in this country because we do not want ~ I 1ffI ~~ ~ ~ ~ such films to be exhibited in this country. 'liT ~ ~ ~ ~ ;r;rrt ~~ ~ I ~~ As a result of the Khosla Committee Report, 'l"f.::rifi" 'li"r hOe ~ t, ~ ~ ~ 'Rir as a result of the setting up of the Film Council and as a result of our givinll more ~ ~ o;rh: ~ ~ trifl'ft positive aid to films through 1 he Film Fin- ~ ~ ~ ~ ance Corporation and the streollC thinll of the ~ ~ ~ ~ Films lostitute, thinas could improve. ili 'if\'!ifT lIT if ~1~~~ I SHRI BAL RAJ MADHOK: May I know whether it is a fact that for propapnda fimrl ~ ~ f'li<ri't ~ ~ ~ proposes and for atllactiog a larlle number ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ of customers, those parts of the films which if 'lIT are censored are displayed in posters and ifQ.l 'ifiiT ~ ~ f'!i fcmrT f'1.\'IJl '!iT ~ hoardings? If so, will lIoveroment take \;.,it W-flfT iii f'q'll", ~ ~~ ~~ steps to see that those parts of the films ;tit which have been ceosored are not displayed ~ o;c-'lci1r i[ffl ifQ.l ~~ ~ I "f'A either in posters or in hoardinas? f<mft ~ ~ ~ "" ~~ SHRI I. K. GUJRAL: I 110 one step ~ ~ ~ if it ~ ~ ~ ~~ further. Sometimes hoardings have 00 ~ I 'flfT ~ ~ ~1 ~ fir; elevance to the films whatsoever, either ~ cr'ti mr ~ fiflrq iififTit;mf fir; rensored or uD-censored. But, so far as cpoaters and bol'l"diDfS a'c ~ the GtT f<mil ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ VAlSA1CHA 1'.11191 (SBA) Orol ....."" 6 ~ it; ~ ~ Ificil" f. when we are keen to transform society. Jet us .m always keep one thing in mind, that the trans- ~ ~~~~~ formation always tak e us to the higher level 'mr ~ fiI;!ff ~ w ~ IfiT us ; it should ever to the lower level. So. Government would not he a party to the- ~1~~~~ ~ lowering of society to the lower level. ;;nittiT ? SHRI ANANTRAO PATIL : May I know the qualifications for appointment to '" (0 1 0 2'1'm1: ~ ~ ~ the Board of Film Censors? Is it a fact Ii!; ~ ~~ it it'U ~ iffif ..n that most of the members of the Board do am ~1 ~ I ifit ~ Ifi'lft 1fQT ~ ~ not know anything about the film industry and tbey are appointed because they have to iii; ~ if;m ~ ~~ mm be accommodated somewhere ? ifit ~ ~- ~ ~ ~ ~- ~ it; ~ m if; ~~ fiIrt;it ~ SHRI I K. GUJRAL: I am unable to .nm accept this contention of the hon. Member ~~ I iiITi1l: ~ \lIT mi!t ~ f. ~1 and I hope it is not correct for us to make .a'f ..n ~ ~ ~ m f I qm: such sweeping remarks against tbe leading ~ ~ ~ ~ public men of our society. We take leading 1fTifoftll' if; puhlic men in the Censor Board, keeping ~ ~ ~ 1fTlfJ ~ fiI; f.;;pr amn I!1T in view their social attitudes. They may ~ ~ SIfTiI' mn ~ f. ~ ~ ~ it not he aware of the detailed working of the film industry; but that is not their ~ ~~ ~~~ function. Their function is to judge whether ~ ~ ~~~ ~ ~ full it a film is in conformity with the social me: norms or not. 9' ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ : SHRI HEM BARUA: May I know if "The Committee have ~ to believe that Censors try to perform their government have defined 'obscenity' at all ? onerous duties of interpreting the Code.