Saffron Kingdom: India Blocks Release, Sparks Debate on Agenda vs. Free Expression

• 'Saffron Kingdom', a US-produced film by Arfat Sheikh, is seen as a counter-narrative to 'The Kashmir Files', focusing on alleged abuse of Kashmiri Muslims by the Indian state.
• Inspired by the 2003 disappearance of Arfat Sheikh's father, Ghulam Nabi Sheikh, the film explores themes of exile, identity, and trauma, including incidents like the Gawkadal Bridge massacre and Article 370 revocation.
• Filmed in Atlanta and Georgia with non-Kashmiri actors, it has been screened internationally but faces an uncertain theatrical release in India due to its provocative content.
• The Narendra Modi-led government is unlikely to permit its screening, fearing law and order issues and its potential to advance Pakistan's agenda of inciting communal disharmony.
• The article argues that while some may cite freedom of expression, the film's release could jeopardize the current peace and stability in Kashmir, where people are moving past decades of conflict.

Why It Matters: India blocks 'Saffron Kingdom' release, citing communal disharmony and Pakistan's agenda, sparking debate.