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As over one lakh Mumbaikars converged to peacefully protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act as well as the National Register of Citizens at the August Kranti Maidan on 19 December, a group of young theatre practitioners unfolded the history of Kashmir toa packed house, 24 kilometres away.Aksariyat Akliyat, a grippingplatform theatrical from the Delhi-based Alternative Space Project, traces the mythological and contemporary narratives around the formation of Jammu and Kashmir which continue to shape perspectives on the Valley and its people.

We are introduced to the legend of Jalodbhava, the demon who would terrorise the neighbouring mountain folk of ancient Kashmir until Lord Vishnu intervened and put an end to his life. Civilisation flourishes and soon, Kashmir is shownnavigating the 1940s, marked by fear and violence. Certain exchanges between Jawaharlal Nehru and Muhammad Ali Jinnah, and the events leading up to the execution of the Instrument of Accession, signed 1947, are revisited. Before culminating in present-day Kashmir, Aksariyat Akliyat charts the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits in 1989. After a rousing 40-minutes, the writer, director and team of actors take a curtain call.

The team of actors from Alternative Space Project present Aksariyat Akliyat at Mumbai's Prithvi Theatre.

After making his way of out of the black-box theatre minutes after the performance has ended, director Vivek Tyagi mulls over the abrogation of Article 370 and 35 A of the Indian constitution, which fortuitously was announced a fortnight after the first draft of the play had been finalised.It was then that Tyagi and his writer, Karan Chaudhary, decided to make a few changes to their script to factor inthe geopolitical implications of the repeal. "We were in talks with certain artists from Kashmir whom we were consulting to understand Article 370 better. However, on 5 August, we were suddenly cut off from them due to the communication blockade. Therefore, we had to do our own research and tweak the play given the political environment of the nation," recounts Tyagi.

Being performed by an independent theatre collective with young actors lends Aksariyat Akliyat an unusualfervour, almost identical to the unbothered air of a student-led nukkad natak, which remains wildly popular in Indian varsity campuses. However, Tyagi and Chaudhary bring a certain gravity to their treatment of Kashmir's past. Perhaps it is their brush with censorship two in the post-Article 370 India that has brought on this sobriety to their craft. But what threat could a year-old performing arts collectivepose? The question may have baffled those associated with the play, including the six actors. However, certain organisers of two theatre festivals in Gujarat and Lucknow were convinced theplay's rhetoric was incendiary."They asked us for the poster and script of our play.When we sent them the documents, they told us our play was too 'heated', and could be stopped if the script contained anything too contentious. The talks fizzled out soon even though they had imitated contact with us," says Tyagi.

Despite the hiccups, the Alternative Space Projecthas been able to bring the play to three Indian cities Mumbai, Jaipur and Udaipur. However, they acknowledgethe clampdown oncreative expression, which became prominent earlier this weekas organisers of Pune's prestigiousFirodiya Karandak competition, set in motion a new rule barring plays on 'sensitive' political issues for this year's edition. "This 'wave' is restraining the writers and directors of our country. Many are now afraid of speaking against the government; we were too. When we created Aksariyat Akliyat, we were almost apprehensive about showing it publicly, which is why we have not held any outdoor performances," points out Chaudhary.

What bringsmembers of the collective some solace is taking a second look at their purpose as young theatre artists: to speak up. "Dissent is the backbone of theatre. We cannot muzzle artistic voices," warns Tyagi. For Chaudhary, nothing whets an artist's appetite like the present times. "It's a breeding ground for ideas and that serves the purpose of my theatre well," he says.

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Amid censorship fears, Delhi-based theatre group puts Kashmir's history into perspective, post Article 370 - Firstpost

Sean ONeill, Chief Reporter

A multimillionaire at the centre of a police investigation over sexual assault allegations is trying to censor newspaper reports, though he is referred to only as Mr X.

The businessman, protected by court orders and reporting restrictions, claims that reports by The Times in which he is anonymised are a threat to his privacy and a breach of his human rights because they allegedly contain identifying information.

He has enlisted defamation lawyers and a reputation management firm to further restrict coverage by The Times of the police inquiry into allegations made by a former employee.

The articles Mr X wants censored do not identify him, do not say where he lives and do not refer to his type of business.

The campaign group Index on

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Mr X tries to censor reports of sexual assault allegations - The Times

7. Fox News attacks Democratic politicians invoking reproductive justice when talking about climate change

Fox News has a long record of spreading misinformation about climate change and reproductive rights, but in 2019, the network used both issues to attack Democratic politicians as extreme.

During a CNN climate town hall in September, Democratic candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) responded to a question about the role of reproductive rights in climate policy by saying that the United States should eliminate the Mexico City Policy, which prohibits international organizations from receiving U.S. funding if they perform or refer patients for abortions, even though federal money is already prohibited from directly supporting abortion care.

Fox News host Jedediah Bila said on The Five that she found Sanders comments troubling because they were an indication that the Democratic Party has an audience for expanding abortion rights, which she repeatedly called extreme. On Special Report, Fox News contributor Mollie Hemingway quipped that there is something to be appreciated about the candor with which he displayed his eugenics and his support for eugenics. Hannity similarly asked during a segment on his show if Sanders sick, ugly, repulsive support for worldwide abortions to control populations in poor countries reflects the new Democratic Party.

Similarly, in November on The Ingraham Angle, The Federalists John Daniel Davidson attacked climate activists and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) for acknowledging peoples fears about having more children in response to the dangers of climate change. Davidson alleged such ideas were the same as supporting eugenics and claimed that progressives have always been having this conversation about how to control the population.

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Seven of the worst Fox News freakouts about abortion this year - Media Matters for America

With out shyness! Yuliett Torres wore a brief so quick that she challenged censorship It leaves you breathless! Yuliett Torres is targeted on her private model as an teacher.

Yuliett Torres has been in comparison with Kim Kardashian herself for the very tight outfits she makes use of and the rearguard that simulates that of the socialite.

Though the Mexican mannequin doesnt have a lot qualification when making her publications, with clothes that train every part and trigger sensation.

Yuliett shocked her greater than 4.eight million followers just a few days in the past with a postcard the place she poses in a blue gown that appears a measurement much less and boasts a neckline that stands out with a gap and the shirt that has been unbuttoned.

However Torres drove netizens loopy with a summer time outfit the place she wears a brief so quick that it solely covers half of her rear. She accomplished the look with a sleeveless shirt.

The publication already exceeds 149 thousand likes and in it the health teacher wrote: these sunny days that by no means finish and their followers agree.

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Yuliett Torres Wore A Shorts That She Challenged Censorship - Sunriseread

A government-appointed review board has harshly criticized the organizers of the 2019 Aichi Triennale, which made headlines around the world for temporarily closing an exhibition that was itself themed around the issue of censorship. The closure came after an outcry regarding a sculpture in the show by Kim Seo-kyung and Kim Eun-sung that spotlighted the history of comfort women in Japan during WWII.

A six-person review panel, led by Toshio Yamanashi, director of the National Museum of Art, in Osaka, found that while the removal of the sculpture was the right way to deal with threats over the artwork, there were numerous faults with the way the exhibition was organized, reports the Japan Times. The exhibition was ultimately reopened after a legal challenge and a pledge by some artists to remove or alter their works in protest. The Triennale took place August 1 to October 14 in Nagoya and nearby cities.

The authors of the report have called for a thorough examination and revision of procedures for organizing the Triennale. Aichis governor, Hideaki Omura, who headed the Triennales steering committee, said, as quoted in the Japan Times, that we will sincerely accept the proposals, and work toward the next triennale by gaining local residents understanding. The panel also found fault in the curation of the censorship-themed exhibition, pointing out that while the concept initially was to show works that had been censored in public museums, it also included new works that had never fallen victim to suppression.

Artistic director and journalist Daisuke Tsuda, says the report, was given considerable power, but, the authors maintain, there was no system of checks and balances in place. The report also saw insufficient communication between Tsuda and the curators and other administrators.

The report did not, on the other hand, find fault with the handling of the highly controversial artwork.

Kim Seo-kyung and Kim Eun-sungs Statue of Peace (2011), a life-size sculpture of a seated woman, depicts the so-called comfort women, who were in fact forced into sexual slavery to the occupying Japanese military before and during World War II. The curators said in a statement at the time that the works removal would constitute the worst censorship incident in Japans postwar period.

The sculpture was included in the show After Freedom of Expression? which was part of the Triennale and took place at the Aichi Prefecture Museum of Art in the city of Nagoya. The exhibition was closed in the wake of menacing messages, including one that promised to burn the museum down. The review panel deemed the closure of the show unavoidable. In the panels view, this did not comprise an unwarranted restriction on freedom of expression.

Artnet reached out to Toshio Yamanashi and Daisuke Tsuda but did not receive an immediate reply.

The issue of sexual slavery has been a flash point for years. The government has in the past issued apologies, but in 2007, prime minister Shinzo Abe denied that there was any evidence that the Japanese had enslaved women, only to later say he would not reconsider previous apologies by previous officials. Nagoya Mayor Takashi Kawamura has objected to the presence of the artwork in the Triennale, since it constitutes an ackowledgement that Japan had indeed forced the women into sexual slavery.

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Censorship Was Just One of the Aichi Triennales Problems. Now, a Candid Government Report Reflects on What Went Wrong - artnet News