CINTAA urges Centre to honour Chandrashekhar with Phalke award

Mumbai, Apr 26 (UNI) Cine and TV Artistes Association (CINTAA) has urged Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi to honour veteran actor Chandrashekhar with the Dadasaheb Phalke award for the year 2006.

The highest award is given by the Government of India in recognition of the film personalities contribution to cinema, In a letter to Mr Dasmunsi dated April 11, CINTAA vice president Johnny Lever and general secretary Dharmesh Vyas drew the Minister's attention to their previous communication to him, dated August 2006, to highlight their demand.

They said Chandrashekar Gaurishankar Vaidya had grown from a junior artist to a character actor, lead man, director, writer and then a producer in the film industry. He had initiated the trade union movement in the film industry to improve the pathetic plight of cine workers and their living conditions, they added.

He had organised the worker under different associations and worked towards their upliftment, they said adding that results are evident in the Western region, where all 22 crafts of cinema have their own associations to protect the professional interest of their members.

All these 22 crafts are affiliated to the Federation of Western India Cine Employees. All the five regional federations are affiliated to the All India Film Employees Confederation, they explained.

The most important aspect of his trade union movement is that he was the one who formed the joint dispute settlement committee of employees (producer organisations) and employees (federation) resulting in no strike/no lockout/no disturbance for the last 40 years. All the disputed matters between the two parties were settled in the committee.

Even last year, the western, southern and eastern regions of the Cine Workers Associations had recommended his name for the prestigious award, but it was not considered, he said.

''If this year too, his name is not considered, it will be a great injustice not only to Mr Chandrashekhar but the entire film industry,'' they added.

UNI