Recent events at Delhi’s Jamia Millia Islamia University have highlighted the volatile state of affairs in India. Hundreds of students were detained, and riot police were called in after a BBC documentary allegedly portrayed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a negative light. This Article post will explore how this incident is indicative of religious intolerance and censorship within India.
Police detained four students, including members of a left-wing group, and classes were suspended at Delhi’s prestigious Jamia Millia Islamia university on Wednesday over a plan to show the controversial Prime Minister Narendra Modi BBC documentary.
Police in blue riot gear and vans armed with tear gas cannons arrived at the college’s gates in southeast Delhi. Jamia authorities issued an order on Tuesday saying they will not allow any unauthorized gatherings on campus after the Students Federation of India announced the screening on Facebook.
The documentary, which is based on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tenure as Chief Minister of Gujarat during the 2002 riots, has sparked outrage, with the government banning it and requesting that social media companies remove links to it. The move has been slammed by the opposition as blatant censorship. Last evening, a similar screening organized by some students at Jawaharlal Nehru University encountered technical difficulties, with both the internet and electricity turned off in the students’ union office. Instead, hundreds of people huddled outside in the dark to watch the documentary on phone screens or laptop screens, and the evening concluded with a protest march. The JNU administration had threatened disciplinary action if the documentary was shown, claiming that it would disrupt campus peace and harmony.
The two-part documentary series ‘India: The Modi Question’ has been labeled a “propaganda piece” by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration.
Over 1,000 people were killed in Gujarat during a three-day riot in which Hindu pilgrims’ trains were burnt down and Muslims attacked.
In this increasingly digital world where there is heightened access to information. It is essential for us to stand together in solidarity with our fellow citizens who fight for justice against oppression. We must continue advocating for our shared values – respect, peace, and safety – which will allow us to live in a society that respects the right to free speech without fear or repercussions.
