Sri Lanka filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage criticizes Donald Trump’s border policies at Guwahati Asian Film Festival Archives - Chandigarh City News

Wednesday, November 4, 2026

Home Tags Sri Lanka filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage criticizes Donald Trump’s border policies at Guwahati Asian Film Festival

Sri Lanka filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage has slammed US President Donald Trump for his border policies. Addressing an audience of filmmakers and cinephiles in Guwahati, Vithanage spoke against the growing trend of isolationism, emphasizing the need for artistic and cultural connections in an increasingly divided world. “The tagline of the Guwahati Asian Film Festival is Cinema Beyond Borders. It means a lot for all of us. At a time when US President Donald Trump is building borders, it is our duty to connect people through cinema,” Vithanage said at the inauguration of the first edition of Guwahati Asian Film Festival (GAFF) on Friday. He argued that cinema has the power to bridge differences and bring people together, countering political efforts to build barriers. Speaking at the event, Vithanage emphasized the power of film as a unifying force and highlighted the importance of fostering artistic connections across borders. Marking his fourth visit to the Northeast state, Vithanage expressed a sense of “duty towards Assam”, having been honored with the prestigious Biswaratna Dr Bhupen Hazarika International Solidarity Award in 2017, conferred by the Asam Sahitya Sabha. “I am proud to have received an award in the name of Bhupen Hazarika. It makes me feel a special responsibility towards Assam,” he said. Vithanage spoke highly of Assam’s cinematic talent, sharing his encounters with prominent Assamese filmmakers across the globe. “I have met Assamese filmmakers everywhere – Rima Das in Busan, Shiladitya Bora – and I continue to be inspired by the works of legends like Jahnu Barua,” he remarked. He specifically praised Barua’s critically acclaimed film ‘Halodhia Choraye Baodhan Khai’, which won multiple awards at the Locarno International Film Festival in 1988, calling it a work of immense artistic depth. Further acknowledging Assamese cinema, Vithanage described Manju Borah as both a talented filmmaker and a great human being. He also lauded Monita Borgohain, IAS, the Honorary Festival Director of GAFF 2025, for her unwavering passion in organizing the festival. “Let’s say you need 98% passion and 2% madness to put together an event like this,” he said, highlighting the challenges of hosting a film festival without direct government support. Vithanage then officially inaugurated the festival, setting the stage for a celebration of Asian cinema that promises to bring together filmmakers and audiences from diverse backgrounds. The Guwahati Asian Film Festival, with its commitment to fostering artistic dialogue and global storytelling, has begun its journey as a vital platform for independent cinema, with Vithanage’s presence adding gravitas to its mission.

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Haryana’s Energy, Transport and Labour Minister, Sh. Anil Vij said that Union Home Minister Mr. Amit Shah is coming on November 5 to inaugurate the "Aazadi ki Pehli Ladai ka Shaheed Smarak" built in Ambala Cantonment. The memorial will be inaugurated first, followed by a large workers’ rally at Gandhi Ground. He said that it is significant for people to attend the rally because they will be participating in an event honouring a martyrs’ memorial. After the inauguration on November 5, the Martyrs’ Memorial will be opened to the public from November 6. He said the government has also issued instructions for students from various schools and educational institutions in Haryana to be shown the memorial, so that young people learn that the freedom struggle began in Ambala before Meerut in 1857. He urged people to attend the rally at Gandhi Ground, Ambala Cantonment, in large numbers on November 5, as it will mark the inauguration of a national-level memorial. Sh. Vij was addressing BJP office-bearers today at Ambala Club in Ambala, at a meeting chaired by BJP State President Dr. Archana Gupta, to review preparations for the Martyrs’ Memorial programme scheduled for November 5. Earlier, welcoming BJP State President Dr. Archana Gupta, Energy Minister Anil Vij said that within a short time of assuming office, Dr. Gupta had filled party workers with electric enthusiasm. Based on his experience, he said, the BJP will make great progress under Dr. Archana Gupta’s leadership, and the government will fully meet people’s expectations. *“Books have taught that the Congress fought the struggle for independence, but in 1857, an armed struggle was fought across India even before the Congress was born” — Anil Vij* Energy Minister Anil Vij said he had been working for the construction of the Martyrs’ Memorial for the past 25–30 years. He said that books taught that the Congress fought the independence struggle, but when he read further, he found that in 1857—before the Congress was even founded—an armed struggle for independence was fought across India, and it began in Ambala. He said documents show that in 1857, at 9 a.m., ten hours before the uprising in Meerut, the 60th and 5th Native Infantry regiments sounded the bugle of the freedom struggle at Ambala Cantonment. Yet history never remembered those heroes who were tied to trees and shot, or those upon whom oil mills were operated; the nation never paid tribute to those martyrs, which is painful. The martyrs of 1857 were also sons of the motherland who joined the struggle for independence. He said that anyone who took even one step out of their home for independence deserves homage, whether they were a Congress member or not. *“I raised the demand for the construction of the Martyrs’ Memorial several times in the Assembly; approval was granted when our government came to power” — Anil Vij* Energy Minister Anil Vij said that the First War of Independence took place across the country in 1857, but no one remembered it, and no memorial existed anywhere to showcase that struggle. He said he stood in the Assembly several times to demand the memorial’s construction and that there is an official record of this. At one point, he said, he even compelled the Congress government, but it did not build the memorial. However, when the BJP government came to power in 2014, it approved the construction of a national-level memorial. *The memorial was built at a cost of ₹800 crore; history will be showcased through modern technology: Vij* Energy Minister Anil Vij said that the complete history of the Martyrs’ Memorial dedicated to the First War of Independence of 1857 will be displayed there. The places where battles were fought in 1857—in Haryana, Bihar, Punjab, and elsewhere—will be presented through modern technology showing the history of the war. The Martyrs’ Memorial has been built at a cost of approximately ₹800 crore, and he is confident that people from across India will come to see it. He believes that when foreign guests visit, they will come to see the Martyrs’ Memorial along with the Taj Mahal; for this reason, a helipad facility has also been provided. Energy Minister Anil Vij said that it will take about six hours to see the vast Martyrs’ Memorial. Guides will provide visitors with complete information. There will be an open-air theatre with a capacity of about 2,500 people, where an evening light, laser and sound show will be projected on a large lotus-shaped structure. *The lotus-shaped memorial tower in the memorial will be the centre of attraction: Vij* Energy Minister Anil Vij said that once, the son of former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda questioned whether Anil Vij had made his party’s election symbol into the memorial. Vij responded that while the lotus is indeed the party’s election symbol, the lotus flower and roti were symbolically sent from one regiment to another during the 1857 struggle; if a regiment accepted the roti, it was understood that the regiment was ready. Roti and lotus flowers were sent across the country. He said that when he told Deepender Hooda to read history, he understood and did not speak on the matter again. Energy Minister Anil Vij said that the Martyrs’ Memorial includes a 68-metre-high lotus-shaped memorial tower with two high-speed lifts. A museum has also been built inside the lotus flower, which will be a major attraction. He said a gallery has also been created in the memorial for paying tribute to the martyrs, and everyone entering it will be digitally recorded. Meanwhile, several BJP leaders and office-bearers were present at the program.

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