Tata Institute of Social Sciences warns students against screening BBC documentary on campus

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 27 (ANI): Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) on Friday issued an advisory to students over the screening of the BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating that the institute has not permitted any such screening and gatherings which may disturb the academic environment and jeopardize the peace and harmony in the campuses.

“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,” the advisory from the TISS reads. The initiation further advised all students to refrain from engaging in any such activities in contravention to this advisory.

“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. Any action by students against this advisory will be dealt with strictly as per the rules. We advise all students to refrain from engaging in any such activities in contravention to this advisory,” the advisory added.

However, the TISS Student union leader Pratik Permey said that the association has not planned any screening of the said documentary.
“The TISS Student association has also received the advisory from the registrar and director of the TISS but the association has not planned any screening of the said documentary. We have heard that one Progressive Students Forum (PSF) has organised this screening. We are not part of it,” said Permey.

The BBC documentary has created a fresh row in the country after the government, earlier this month, denounced it and described it as a “propaganda piece” that is designed to push a discredited narrative. The government also pulled down the BBC documentary ‘India: The Modi Question’ from various social media platforms including Twitter and Youtube.

The row further deepened after JNUSU members allegedly faced a “deliberate” power outage, while they were screening the impugned BBC documentary at the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus in the national capital.

The documentary leads to opposition attacking the government on freedom of speech despite the government terming it as a ‘propaganda piece’.

Earlier on Wednesday, 13 students were detained after some students tried to create a ruckus outside the Jamia Millia Islamia University over the screening of a BBC documentary.

The Delhi Police said the university administration did not allow the screening of the BBC documentary in the campus.

On Monday the administration of the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi also warned against screening the BBC documentary on the campus after a group of students released a pamphlet inviting students to a screening of the film at the students union’s office at 9 pm on Tuesday (January 24).

The JNU Students Union wrote to the university administration over its firm advisory against the screening of the BBC documentary stating that they “do not seek to create any form of disharmony” and their purpose is to only watch it on the campus. It also mentioned in the letter that the students with “voluntary interest” would take part in the screening.

Later in the night, the JNU students marched toward Vasant Kunj police station claiming stone pelting by members of ABVP while the said documentary was being screened.

The protest was later called off after the police assured students of taking up the matter and looking into it immediately.