TISS students’ union to screen BBC documentary off campus

The Progressive Students’ Forum (PSF) at TISS Mumbai said, “The screening is a symbolic protest against the centre’s move to block access to the controversial documentary. We are in solidarity with student organisations at other college campuses.”

Mumbai: Amidst sporadic disturbances being reported in educational institutions across the country, a students’ union from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) will screen the BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi today. However, the institute denied permission to screen the film inside the campus and students have planned to show it in another venue.

Ramadas Prini Sivanandan, PSF secretary and member, Central Executive Committee of the Students Federation of India (SFI) said, “In solidarity of students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and against the authoritarian and communal censorship of the central government, PSF invites all TISS students to join the mass watching of ‘India: The Modi Question’ documentary by BBC on January 28.” (HT PHOTO)

The Progressive Students’ Forum (PSF) at TISS Mumbai said, “The screening is a symbolic protest against the centre’s move to block access to the controversial documentary. We are in solidarity with student organisations at other college campuses.”

Ramadas Prini Sivanandan, PSF secretary and member, Central Executive Committee of the Students Federation of India (SFI) said, “In solidarity of students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and against the authoritarian and communal censorship of the central government, PSF invites all TISS students to join the mass watching of ‘India: The Modi Question’ documentary by BBC on January 28.”

The venue of the screening is yet to be decided.

Meanwhile, the TISS administration denied permission for the documentary screening on campus. “It has come to our notice that some groups of students are planning to screen the BBC documentary that has created a disturbance in some parts of the country. Some plan to organise gatherings to protest against related developments in a few universities,” states the advisory from TISS.

“This is to inform all the students that the institute has not permitted any such screening and gatherings which may disturb the academic environment and jeopardise the peace and harmony in our campuses,” states the advisory, adding that any action by students against this advisory will be dealt with strictly as per the rules.

After receiving the institute’s denial letter, Sivanandan said that PSF-TISS strongly condemned the administration’s banning the screening or gathering around the documentary.

“The administration’s argument that the screening or even discussion around the issue will affect the academic environment and peace of the institute is highly regressive, which goes against the ethos of the institute,” he added. “As a social science institute, TISS has always fostered a culture of debate and dissent on campus.”

In a statement issued by PSF said, “We understand the motive behind the ban by the BJP government on the documentary. But it’s not clear why the TISS admin fears discussion on it.”

This act by the administration is a direct assault on constitutional rights, it states, adding, “We appeal to the entire student community in TISS and across universities to rise in rage against the ban and attack on free speech by the BJP government as well as TISS administration.”