JNU warns against screening banned BBC documentary, AISF to defy advisory

On Monday, Jawaharlal Nehru University issued a notice declaring the scheduled screening of the controversial documentary at Ganga Dhaba at 9 pm as "unauthorised and unwarranted"

Despite an advisory from the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration urging students to refrain from screening the banned BBC documentary ‘India: The Modi Question’, the All India Students’ Federation (AISF) has announced its intention to proceed with the screening as planned on Tuesday night, according to a report in The Indian Express.

 

On Monday, the university administration issued a formal notice calling the scheduled screening at Ganga Dhaba at 9 pm “unauthorised and unwarranted”. It expressed concerns that the event might disrupt communal harmony and the peaceful environment of the campus.

 

The advisory reads, “It has come to the attention of the administration that a group of students has circulated a pamphlet announcing the screening of a banned documentary tomorrow at 9.00 pm at Ganga Dhaba. No prior approval has been sought from the IHA for this event. Unauthorised activities of this nature may disturb the campus environment and community harmony.”

 

 

It further warned that serious disciplinary measures would be taken against people or groups involved in the unauthorised activity, while also pleading with stakeholders to stay away from and not get carried away by the rogue pamphlet.

 

However, All India Students’ Federation vice-president Santosh Kumar rubbished the university’s warning as vague and non-specific. “The advisory doesn’t name the documentary or the group involved,” Kumar said in a statement to The Indian Express. He said, “This documentary has already been seen by people across the country. There’s no harm in screening it. The event will proceed as planned.” 

    

  The BBC documentary has been at the center of controversy due to its critical examination of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, particularly during his tenure as Chief Minister of Gujarat in 2002. The Indian government has blocked its full release, citing concerns over its content.

 

The decision of the All India Students’ Federation to go ahead with the screening coincides with efforts to commemorate the alleged police crackdown on students at Jamia Millia Islamia during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in 2019. Earlier in January 2023, attempts to screen the same documentary at JNU and Delhi University led to widespread student protests.