The students’ union of the Presidency University on Sunday, 25 August, alleged that an official of the institute has asked it to stop screening of Ram ke Naam, a 1992 documentary film based on the Babri Masjid demolition.
The union had planned to screen the documentary by Anand Patwardhan in the auditorium located in the university campus on Monday, students’ union spokesperson Sayan Chakraborty said.
“However, a senior university official verbally asked the students not to go ahead with the programme. We will think about the next course of action tomorrow (Monday),” he said.
A university official, however, said, “We will have to confirm if the students had the necessary permission to organise the screening. Presidency had never encroached on the right of students and promoted liberal views.”
Chakraborty claimed that screening of documentaries and discussions on different contemporary issues had taken place in the university in the past without any hindrance.
‘Screening Wahi Karvaenge’: Anand Patwardhan
Anand Patwardhan, the director of the film responded to the incident on Facebook. He wrote, "The bad news is Presidency College, Kolkata has objected to a screening. The good news is Jadavpur University will screen it on Monday, 26 August."
He also addressed the screening of the documentary which was stopped last week at HCU, and said that another one will be held on the campus on 28 August.
The Ram ke Naam documentary looks at the campaign under the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) to build a Ram temple at the site of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, as well as the communal violence that it triggered.
(With inputs from PTI)
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