Sir — The resignation of Ms leela Samson as the Chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification is unfortunate. Ms Samson and her colleagues on the panel were on an extension. If the Censor Board was indeed unable to hold meetings for the last nine months, Ms Samson should have come in the open earlier. She cannot blame the Film Certificate Appellate Tribunal straightaway, because the FCAT consists of eminent personalities in their own right.
Ms Samson’s intention may be sanguine, but doubts arise because the Censor Board is not without its share of controversies. If the CBFC feels threatened today, then it is a culmination of a long history of its being susceptible to pressures and pulls.
After all, the Board’s members are Government appointees, and there will be whispers and murmurs over Ms Samson putting in her papers during the NDA rule. The crucial question is: Has the Censor Board outlived its utilityIJ Yes, it has. The NDA Government will do well to have a hard look at the issue.