MUMBAI, April 8 -- A group of prominent Indian and international artists, academics and activists has condemned the banning of The Voice of Hind Rajab, calling it a threat to freedom of expression and democratic values in both India and Israel. The film is about volunteers at the Palestine Red Crescent Society who are on a call with a 6-year-old girl who gets trapped in a car in war-torn Gaza. The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had banned the film and justified their decision claiming the ban was to protect Indo-Israeli relations. However, in a joint statement, the signatories argued that the ban is an "unlawful attack" on free speech guaranteed under Article 19 of the Constitution. Their statement says that recently several Palestinian and Israeli voices have been restricted at film and theatre festivals in India. They added that such bans encourage an "anticipatory obedience" where artists censor themselves to make sure their films do not face censorship. The signatories warned that by curbing dissent in the name of diplomatic relations the government could be harming free speech in Israel where anti-war protests and Palestinian voices have already faced increasing pressure. They argued that invoking bilateral ties to justify censorship sets a dangerous precedent for international cooperation. Among those who endorsed the statement are actors Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah, filmmakers Anand Patwardhan and Payal Kapadia, as well as Israeli academic Yair Wallach. Their letter calls for a commitment to the freedom of expression, democratic rights....