Opposition MPs urge proper CBFC review for film ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’

A group of opposition Members of Parliament in India has written to the Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, urging that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) examine the film ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’ strictly according to constitutional principles on freedom of expression and grant it certification. The appeal comes after media reports suggested that the CBFC had blocked the film’s theatrical release due to concerns that it might affect diplomatic relations between India and Israel. The film, directed by Kaouther Ben Hania, narrates the tragic real-life story of Hind Rajab, a five-year-old Palestinian girl who died in 2024 during an Israeli attack on Gaza. Opposition MPs from multiple parties, including Congress, Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party, RJD, DMK, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, and the Indian Union Muslim League, stressed that decisions on film certification should not be influenced by perceived geopolitical sensitivities. They highlighted that informal or opaque censorship undermines public confidence in regulatory bodies and compromises India’s democratic values. The MPs argued that allowing diverse narratives to be publicly debated is essential to maintaining institutional credibility and safeguarding creative freedom in the country.