Resisting the censorship imposed by the Narendra Modi-led Union government against BBC’s documentary, India - The Modi Question, several student groups have been organising screenings simultaneously in various universities across the country. On January 26, on the occasion of Republic Day, student groups at the English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU) and the University of Hyderabad (UoH) watched the documentary in their campus premises.
A student from EFLU said that around 60-70 students gathered in the campus and watched the documentary on their cell phones and laptops. The student said that the event was planned impromptu and was not publicised fearing a restraint by the administration. Following this, there was a discussion on the documentary and broader issues of censorship, threats to freedom of expression, and the culture of suppression in university spaces, the student said.
Similarly, the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) unit of University of Hyderabad had also organised a screening of the documentary at the Ladies Hostel of the campus on Thursday. In retaliation, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) members screened The Kashmir Files at a different venue in the campus. The events concluded peacefully without any disturbance. Earlier, the students belonging to the Fraternity Movement group had also screened the documentary in the campus, following which, an inquiry was initiated by the University administration.
Students of EFLU watching the documentary on their laptops and phones
The BBC documentary had critically examined the role of Narendra Modi in the 2002 Gujarat riots, during which he was serving as the Chief Minister of the state. The documentary had interviewed the UK bureaucrats who were independently probing the 2002 violence. It also interviewed the BBC journalist who had covered the riots.
For the first time, the BBC declassified the UK’s 2002 report, which directly held Narendra Modi responsible for the large-scale violence. The violence resulted in the deaths of at least 2000 people. “The Vishva Hindu Parishad and its allies acted with the support of the state Government. They could not have inflicted so much damage without the climate of impunity created by the state Government. Chief Minister Narendra Modi is directly responsible. His actions have not just been guided by a cynical assessment of political advantage. As an architect of the BJP’s Hindu nationalist agenda, which it has pursued in Gujarat since it came to power in 1995, he is a believer in the VHP’s ideological motivation,” the report said, which was exclusively accessed by The Caravan.
The documentary had looked into the complicity of the State in the anti-Muslim riots that left at least 1,38,000 people displaced. The UK’s 2002 classified report also said that the 2002 violence was pre-planned. “Police contacts confirmed that rioters used computerised lists to target Muslim homes and businesses. The accuracy and detail of the lists, including businesses with minority Muslim share-holding, suggest that they were prepared in advance.”