DIMAPUR, MAY 22 (MExN): The Nagaland cabinet today decided to prohibit Dan Brown’s novel, ‘The Da Vinci Code’ from being sold, distributed and read in the state. On the screening of the movie based on the book and produced by Ron Howard, the Government has decided to issue an ‘Advisory’ (see box) to all cinema theatre owners, owners of public viewing Halls, Video Parlous, Cable Operators etc as the subject matter falls under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Central Government. The Cabinet has decided to appeal to the authorities in the Union Government to ban the film in India or at least in Nagaland through a limited ban order.
The Council of Ministers in the State met under the Chairmanship of the Chief Minister at his residence in Kohima today and took note of the offensive and sacrilegious expressions and narrations contained in Dan Brown’s novel, Secretary to the Nagaland Government V Sakhrie said in a release. “The novel is an affront to the dignity of Christians and a direct assault on the Christian faith as a whole,” he said. The necessary ban order is being issued and until that time, the Government has decided to issue an Advisory to all book sellers, stockists, distributors, etc from buying, selling, stocking, distributing and doing anything else which would lead to the reading of the novel ‘The Da Vinci Code’ by the public.
On the film, the Council of Ministers discussed the fall out of the Central Board of Film Certification’s clearance to the “offensive and blasphemous” movie. The CBFC had earlier cleared the film with an “A” Certificate for adult viewing in India despite severe opposition from the Christian community. The Cabinet expressed its serious resentment and opposition to the UPA government’s failure to ban the film in India, it was informed.
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