‘No Bollywood filth for Kashmir Valley’

The Dukhtarain-e-Millat, headed by the forever veiled Asiya Andrabi, an Islamic women's organization which has much influence in the region, has said that Bollywood films would only bring in 'their filthy culture' without any economic benefits for the Kashmiris, reports Arun Joshi.

Just as a few Bollywood film units had, after many years, ventured into the Kashmir valley to shoot scenes for their films, the Dukhtarain-e-Millat has declared that they are not at all welcome.

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The Dukhtarain-e-Millat (daughter of the faith),headed by the forever veiled Asiya Andrabi, an Islamic women's organization which has much influence in the region, has said that Bollywood films would only bring in 'their filthy culture' without any economic benefits for the Kashmiris.

Kashmir was the most favoured location of Bollywood filmmakers, specially while shooting their romantic song sequences, before the separatists' insurgent movement disrupted normal life so much, they had to look for other locales.

”The filmmakers will spoil our culture with vulgar dances on the streets," said Andrabi. "Bollywood promotes a culture which is not permissible in our religion. In fact I do not think it is permissible in Hinduism either."

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has invited film celebrities like Aamir Khan to the Valley. Tourism Minister Rigzin Jora even went to Mumbai and urged Bollywood to revive its ties with Kashmir.

"The whole exercise is a crude attempt by the government to pretend that everything is normal in Kashmir, particularly after the Assembly elections. Kashmir is not normal,” she said.

"If the government is serious about doing something for our economy, it should get industries and investments. Look at our power projects, we are given only 10 per cent; 90 per cent is grabbed by India," she said.