As the screening could not take place, the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union shared the link of the documentary and the students, who had gathered in large numbers, watched it together on their phones. Photo: Jaideep Dev Bhanj
Youth organizations linked to opposition parties and student organizations screened the first episode of the BBC on Tuesday. India: The Modi Question To register a protest across Kerala against the Centre’s recent move to ban social media. A similar attempt at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) was stopped by authorities, which led to the group being seen on personal devices.
The JNU campus was plunged into pitch darkness as electricity was cut in most parts, especially outside the venue: Teflas, Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) office. Since the screening could not take place, the union shared the link of the documentary and the students who had gathered in large numbers watched it simultaneously on their phones.
Addressing the gathering, JNUSU President Aishe Ghosh said, “You can shut down one screen, but you cannot stop the thousands shining instead.” The students turned up despite an advisory from the university administration that such “unauthorised activity” could disturb the peace and harmony of the campus.
Ms Ghosh said the union decided to go ahead with the screening because its work was to “strengthen democracy” and it would continue to do so. Quoting a tweet from the Prime Minister’s Office on April 18, 2018 – which said “I want this government to be criticized. Criticism makes democracy stronger: PM @narendramodi”, – Ms Ghosh said ” I think the JNU administration remembered the tweet made by our PM a few years back. Just a reminder. We take his words very seriously.”
“If ABVP [Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad] Or the administration had objections to us screening the documentary which the Center is trying to hide, they could have done a parallel programme. This is the culture of dissent that we have on campus,” she said, adding that students came together to uphold democracy and the right to dissent.
As soon as the darshan of the public was happening in the thick darkness, stones were pelted at the meeting. After a brief scuffle between students, a march was organized by the JNUSU to the north gate of the campus, demanding restoration of electricity.
A student said that the only safe place on campus is at the gate as the rest of the campus is dark and unsafe. Ms. Ghosh came out of the campus and requested the Delhi Police officials standing outside to restore power to the campus.
‘Colonial Mindset’
Reacting to the Left-backed JNU Students’ Union’s plan to screen the documentary, the ABVP said that supporting a “British-made narrative” was in line with the “colonial mindset of British soldiers”. It added, “Many more so-called student organizations in opposition are actually British stooges, spreading propaganda-driven BBC documentaries on Indian educational institutions.”
In a statement, the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) said its central executive committee has decided to screen the documentary in all states to expose the “true face” of the Modi government. ‘However, the authorities allowed the screening to ABVP’ k files‘ Which is a propaganda film of RSS-BJP politics, Central Universities/ Institutions are ordering cancellation of screening of this documentary. The Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has also issued instructions to block the first episode of the BBC documentary. SFI condemns this autocratic move of the Central Government.
tension in kerala
In Kerala, political temperatures rose over a public screening of the documentary by student and youth organizations owing allegiance to the CPI(M) and the Congress in defiance of a “central ban”. This led to a tense standoff between BJP and rival party workers. Police used water cannons to disperse BJP workers who tried to disrupt a public screening at Poojappura Maidan in Thiruvananthapuram, while in Kochi, they dispersed BJP workers at screening sites at Maharaja and Government Law College prevented from speaking
Demanding a ban on the protest, BJP workers marched to the Police Commissioner’s office in Kozhikode. Students of Kannur University also screened the documentary. Rising political tensions prompted the police to be deployed in force to prevent any violence.
The screening drew condemnation from the BJP leadership. Union Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan urged Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to ban them, saying they aimed to “turn Kerala into a conflict-torn state”. In an open letter to Mr. Vijayan, BJP state president K.K. Surendran said that baseless allegations have been made in the documentary, which have been declared false by the Supreme Court.
BJP’s Anil K. A lone voice of support was found in Antony, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee’s digital media head and son of veteran Congress leader AK Antony, who tweeted that the BBC’s views undermined India’s sovereignty.
Mr Antony’s position drew criticism from Youth Congress president Shafi Parambil. Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan also gave a clear message to the party cadre by attending a public screening in Kochi.
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and party’s state secretary MV Govindan have supported the public viewing of the documentary.
In another development, ABVP has lodged a complaint with the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hyderabad, demanding action against those who screened the documentary on January 21. The registrar of the university has sought a report on the issue.
Campus security had earlier tried to block it, but a section of teachers and students in support of the screening said the documentary was not banned as the Center had only asked social media platforms such as Twitter and YouTube to remove its web link. Where did you go? However, ABVP leaders alleged that it was a “sinister design” to disturb the peace on the campus. Research scholar and ABVP member Mahesh Namani said, “What is the need for screening when everyone can see it on their gadgets?”
University officials said the campus is peaceful and no untoward incident took place.