The Law and Society Committee (LawSoc) at the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) in Bengaluru has decided to drop the screening of a documentary on jailed activist Umar Khalid.
The decision was taken after discussions with the university administration, faculty members and the Student Bar Association on Friday, September 18, students said. The documentary, Prisoner No. 626710 is Present, is directed by filmmaker Lalit Vachani.
According to a report by The Hindu, a student said that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had recently flagged that the documentary had not been certified, and the university administration and Student Bar Association decided to drop the screening after considering the legal requirements.
The CBFC had flagged a proposed screening of the same documentary at the International Institute of Information Technology-Hyderabad (IIIT-H), stating that publicly exhibiting an uncertified film would violate the Cinematograph Act unless a specific exemption had been obtained. IIIT-H subsequently cancelled the programme and said it had not authorised the event.
The NLSIU screening was originally scheduled for September 14, coinciding with Political Prisoners’ Day and six years since Umar's arrest. LawSoc had postponed it on September 13, citing logistical and security considerations, while saying the decision was not taken due to pressure from anyone.
Following the postponement, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) had continued to demand that the screening be cancelled. The student organisation had also sought an inquiry into the proposed screening and the role of the university administration.
ABVP Bengaluru welcomed the latest decision. In a statement, its leader, Abhinandan Mirji, said, “academic freedom should not be used to promote narratives that, according to the organisation, challenge the sovereignty and security of the country.” ABVP also said it would approach the CBFC over screenings of the documentary elsewhere and meet its officials in Bengaluru on September 21.
Meanwhile, LawSoc has decided to hold a discussion series on political prisoners, criminal justice and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
The series, titled ‘The Criminal Justice Conversations’, began on Saturday, September 19. The first discussion, ‘UAPA: Bail and Beyond’, featured Radhika Chitkara and focused on the history, framework and impact of anti-terror laws such as the UAPA on political freedoms, according to students.
A small group of law students also held a reading session on September 14, where they read a letter Khalid wrote in prison after the planned documentary screening was postponed.