Bhojpuri films - theatre tax = vote bank
Shiv Sena may hate them, but cannot ignore them. After bashing North Indians — both verbally and physically — the Shiv Sena obviously believes that the ticket to the heart of this vote bank passes through the box office.
Raj Thackeray’s MNS was the only party to object, saying it will set a bad precedent
Shiv Sena may hate them, but cannot ignore them. After bashing North Indians — both verbally and physically — the Shiv Sena obviously believes that the ticket to the heart of this vote bank passes through the box office.
The Sena on Tuesday wholeheartedly supported an amendment, put forward by Congress in the standing committee meeting of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), that Bhojpuri films be exempted from theatre tax levied by the civic body.
The obvious reason is that 25 per cent of the city’s electorate are North Indians. So, ballots from them will compensate the loss in BMC earnings.
Leader of the opposition in the BMC, Rajhans Singh of the Congress, moved the amendment that no tax be levied on Bhojpuri films. Singh reasoned that films made in Bhojpuri language were the opium of the “lower rungs of the society like the paanwallahs and the doodhwallas” and BMC must do all it could to promote them. The not-so-gullible Sena bought the argument.
After moving the amendment, Singh tossed the ball in the court of the ruling Sena-BJP alliance, asking them to either pass or oppose the amendment, knowing well that it will be difficult for the saffron alliance to ignore it. For BJP, there was no moral dilemma, but for the Sena, which has time and again attacked the “migrants” for “poaching on jobs of the sons-of-the-soil”, did not any such dilemma play on its mind and gave it sanction.
Sena leader Sunil Prabhu and BJP leader Bhalchandra Shirsat justified their support stating that non-Hindi films are neglected and need to be encouraged.
It was only the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena which opposed the move. Raj incidentally was the chief of Shiv Sena’s student wing a few years back when Biharis, and aspirants to railway jobs, were attacked allegedly by his men at the Kalyan station.
MNS leader in the BMC Rajendra Lad said, “While my party has nothing against the language, we feel this will set a wrong precedent.”
a_sandeep@dnaindia.net
Shiv Sena may hate them, but cannot ignore them. After bashing North Indians — both verbally and physically — the Shiv Sena obviously believes that the ticket to the heart of this vote bank passes through the box office.
The Sena on Tuesday wholeheartedly supported an amendment, put forward by Congress in the standing committee meeting of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), that Bhojpuri films be exempted from theatre tax levied by the civic body.
The obvious reason is that 25 per cent of the city’s electorate are North Indians. So, ballots from them will compensate the loss in BMC earnings.
Leader of the opposition in the BMC, Rajhans Singh of the Congress, moved the amendment that no tax be levied on Bhojpuri films. Singh reasoned that films made in Bhojpuri language were the opium of the “lower rungs of the society like the paanwallahs and the doodhwallas” and BMC must do all it could to promote them. The not-so-gullible Sena bought the argument.
After moving the amendment, Singh tossed the ball in the court of the ruling Sena-BJP alliance, asking them to either pass or oppose the amendment, knowing well that it will be difficult for the saffron alliance to ignore it. For BJP, there was no moral dilemma, but for the Sena, which has time and again attacked the “migrants” for “poaching on jobs of the sons-of-the-soil”, did not any such dilemma play on its mind and gave it sanction.
Sena leader Sunil Prabhu and BJP leader Bhalchandra Shirsat justified their support stating that non-Hindi films are neglected and need to be encouraged.
It was only the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena which opposed the move. Raj incidentally was the chief of Shiv Sena’s student wing a few years back when Biharis, and aspirants to railway jobs, were attacked allegedly by his men at the Kalyan station.
MNS leader in the BMC Rajendra Lad said, “While my party has nothing against the language, we feel this will set a wrong precedent.”
a_sandeep@dnaindia.net