[Reader-list] Was a screening of `And the World Remained Silent' at Kamla Nehru College really cancelled?

[Sanjay Muttoo]

The representation of the sequence of events leading up to the
decision to screen Sanjay Kak's film `Jashn-e-Azadi' at Kamla Nehru
College on the 24th of August 2007 has created an unseemly
controversy. I refer to a posting on the Sarai Reader list by Rashneek
Kher which states that the organization, Roots in Kashmir (RIK) had
approached Kamla Nehru College to screen a film `And the World
Remained Silent' and had indeed been "given permission to screen the
movie on the 24th of August at 2.30 pm." He goes on to add that it was
at the behest of Sanjay Kak that their screening was cancelled and a
screening of `Jashn-e-Azadi' was scheduled in its place.

As visiting faculty in the Dept of Journalism in Kamla Nehru College
and the person who suggested that we organize a screening of
Jashn-e-Azadi, the sequence of events, as I know them, leading upto
the decision to screen Sanjay Kak's film are at complete variance with
what Rashneek Kher has suggested in his posting. The sequence of
events merits a renarration.

As part of our effort to use audio- visual material in the classroom
to initiate a discussion and debate around issues and the way they are
represented and encourage a process of critical thought, I had
suggested to the Teacher-in-Charge of the Wideangle film society of
the college that we schedule a screening of Jashn-e-Azadi.
Accordingly, Sanjay Kak was invited to screen his film in the college.

I was quite disturbed when I read the `sequence of events'  detailed
in Rashneek Khers posting, suggesting that a prior commitment had been
made by the college to screen their film on the 24th of August 2007
which the college reneged on. I spoke with the teacher-in-charge to
confirm if that indeed was the case. I was told quite categorically
that , while the college had received a request for the screening of
`And the World Remained Silent', it had in no way committed to a
particular date for the screening and so the question of cancelling a
scheduled screening of `And the World Remained Silent'  to accomodate
Sanjay Kak's film just didnt arise!

Sanjay Muttoo