'We don’t believe in censorship'

As the CEPT University awarded degrees to its graduating students on Saturday, they got some lessons about the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) - the 'censor board' -- as chairperson of the body and Sangeet Natak Academy, Leela Samson, delivered the keynote address.   

In her lecture, she shared her experience at the CBFC and said that one of the first things that caught her eye was the logo - it was a sliced film and denoted a certain presumptuous and aggressive intent that baffled her.

She said her experience in the last nine months as CBFC chairperson has made her acutely aware of the importance of restraint and tolerance in a democracy such as ours. "Our own morals, our value systems, our particular political orientation, our social class, our religious affiliation - all these we zealously guard, but often forget to do the same for others. The film industry depends on us to let them express freely. As an artist I understand and endorse the sentiment. But society in general expects the board to act as 'moral policemen' and as guardians of societal values. We don't believe in censorship, but it is expected and demanded of us," she stated.

At the convocation, 410 students received degrees, 2 were awarded Doctor of Philosophy degrees, 322 post graduate degrees and 86 students got their bachelor's.