The subject of film : Is it a medium or an art form ?

Meghachandra Kongbam
Contd from previous issue
The next meeting of the Executive Committee held on 18 December 1980 saw the removal of the two members who had put up a fight against the wrong decision and they were supplanted with two new members."
DIPR property on lease to MFDC
The plot of land covering an area of 1.517 acres under Dag No. 4423/4436 of Sheet No. 21- Imphal Municipality at Palace Gate, earlier alloted for Open Air Theatre was leased to the Manipur Film Development Council for 50 years for construction of the theatre complex as per decision taken in the meeting held on 31.01.1986 in the office chamber of the Chief Minister, Manipur. The land was leased out vide Secretariat: Revenue Department Order No. 21/59/79-R (Pt.) dated the 27th May 1986.
MFDC cuts off link with DIPR
When the existing Manipur Film Development Council was converted to the Manipur Film Development Corporation Limited vide Secretariat: Social Welfare, Arts and Culture Department Order No. 11/93/03-SE(SW) dated the 7th February 1987 and  the Corporation was incorporated under the Companies Act 1956 on May 1, 1987; the State Department of Information and Public Relations which connected with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting was not figured in the list of the Board of Directors of the Corporation constituted under Article  92 of the Articles of the Association of the Corporation. The first Board of Directors were 1) RK Jaichandra Singh, Chief Minister of Manipur as Chairman, 2) Y Erabot, Minister of Art & Culture as Vice-Chairman, 3) BS Lamba, Commissioner (Finance), 4) Naved Masood, Secretary (Art & Culture), 5) DV Singh, Secretary (Industries), 6) C Samarendra Singh, Director (Art & Culture), 7) MK Binodini Devi, Yaiskul, 8) SN Chand, Singjamei, 9) LK Shimray, Paona Bazar, 10) Anil Pandit, Manager (TF) NFDC, Bombay and A Syamkrisna Sharma, Managing Director. It was not fair for the MFDC to intentionally disassociate DIPR as a Board of Director.
Non-implementation of Centre’s policies on film
When the advent of Cable TV and Video led to the closure of cinema halls in India in the latter part of 1980s, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting constituted a High Powered Committee on the Problems of Film Industry on February 14, 1989 and 24 recommendations concerning to the State Governments were sent to every State for implementation. The Indian film industry, being the ninth biggest industry in India, the Government of India announced FILM as industry on the 10th of May 1998. The then Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting, Sushma Swaraj also wrote to the Chief Minister of Manipur on May 20, 1998 to grant recognition to films as an industry. The Union Minister said, "I am confident that this would add to a very meaningful economic activity at the State level. While the film making does require investment in infrastructure also, it is not entirely an asset-based activity and has a large component of human talent and creativity. It is also a major provider of employment. In this respect, it is an activity which can be successfully encouraged even in States which, for various reasons, are not able to attract other industries".
Being an irrelevant department, the State Art and Culture Department did not take up the important issue instructed by the Centre for growth of the Film Industry in Manipur.
Failure on handling the subject of Film
Under the Art & Culture Department, the Manipur State Film Development Council was set up in 1980 and later, the Manipur Film Development Corporation was founded under the Company Act in 1987. Due to mismanagement, the Corporation became defunct and dead. In 2015, the existing Manipur State Film Development Society with a very limited scope was established in namesake for development of Manipuri films. The Society does not carry on any business for the film industry.
The State Cabinet approved for setting up a FILM CITY in the State in the year 2015 but it is not yet realised. MANIPUR STATE FILM & TELEVISION INSTITUTE was inaugurated in August 2016 along with the Manipur University of Culture. It has not started its classes till date, even though a Director was appointed since its inception.
The Art and Culture Department had announced a Manipur State Cine Policy 2020 which is unrealistic and has no any financial provision for revival of existing and defunct cinema halls in Manipur as well as the subsidy or any incentive for production of Manipuri films.

(To be contd)