Singapore bans controversial Kashmir film praised by India's Modi

SINGAPORE — Singapore has banned a controversial Indian film about the exodus of Hindus from Muslim-majority Kashmir, citing concerns over its "potential to cause enmity between different communities".

The Kashmir Files has been praised by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his right-wing Hindu nationalist followers, and has proved a box office hit, but critics say it is loose with facts and fans anti-Muslim sentiment.

"The film will be refused classification for its provocative and one-sided portrayal of Muslims and the depictions of Hindus being persecuted in the ongoing conflict in Kashmir," the Singapore government said in a statement on Monday (May 9) in response to media queries.

"These representations have the potential to cause enmity between different communities, and disrupt social cohesion and religious harmony in our multi-racial and multi-religious society," the statement added.

Singapore's 5.5 million population is made up mainly of ethnic Chinese, Malays and Indians. The Southeast Asian city-state has strict laws that punish any attempts to disrupt inter-racial and religious harmony.

ALSO READ: Vietnam blocks Sony's action movie Uncharted over South China Sea map

Hundreds of thousands of people, many of them Hindus, fled from Kashmir after a violent uprising against Indian rule began in 1989.

Supporters of the 170-minute Hindi-language movie say it shines a light on an often overlooked chapter of Kashmir's history while others see it as evidence of the growing religious polarisation Modi's critics say he has fostered since coming to power in 2014.

Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.