[Reader-list] VHP attacks Film Screening in Ahmedabad

[Shuddhabrata Sengupta]

Dear All,

This report from Ahmedabad came into my mailbox this morning. Notice, 
that the attack (in an educational institution) was on the screening of 
a short film on womens rights, it wasn't about anything to do with 
Kashmir, or any challenges to the glorious idea of the nation. I suppose 
that the gentlemen attacking this screening too had thoughtful ideas 
about what women are 'prone to', which they were expressing with some 
vehemence. Clearly, a pattern is emerging.

best

Shuddha
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VHP attacks a film screening

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad, the self appointed moral police, has sunk to 
new levels of intolerance. On September 13, about 15-20 hooligans 
charged in the college room of L abd C Mehta Arts College during the 
screening of 'Bol', a series of short films on women's rights. The 
screening was part of Nazariya, an activity promoted by Drishti in about 
20 colleges of Ahmedabad. As part of this activity students are shown 
documentaries on various social issues followed by a discussion. Today's 
screening, that was disrupted, was followed by a discussion with Stalin 
K, a leading human rights activist and documentary film maker.

About 25 students and three lecturers had just finished seeing the film 
and Stalin was discussing various aspects of patriarchy and gender when 
suddenly 15-20 hooligans, who clearly did not look like students or 
faculty of the college, charged into the room and started threatening 
Stalin and demanded to know what was being shown and discussed. The 
lecturers present there tried to reason with the hooligans that they 
were not doing anything against any particular person or group. The 
hooligans then wanted to see the film to which Stalin said that that 
would not be possible. He told them that they had no right to come in 
and distrupt a lecture or demand to see the film.

One lecturer pacified the hooligans and took them out of the classroom.
Meanwhile, Stalin continued with the discussion with the 
students.Incidentally, the subject of discussion just before the 
hooligans barged in was 'fear' and fear inhibits us to struggle or 
attempt any change in oppressive customs or traditions. About 5 minutes 
later the hooligans barged in again and came menacingly towards Stalin 
and demanded the DVD. Stalin refused to give it to them and told them 
that they could buy a copy from the office if need be. They threatened 
him with 'dire consequencies' if he did not give them the DVD and 
started pulling at the DVD and pushing him around.

Meanwhile, Gaurang, coordinator of Nazariya, had called the Police 
Control room. The hooligans then snatched the DVD from Stalin's hands 
and, as if they had won a war, shouted 'jai shree ram' and charged out 
of the room and campus. Police reached the college immediately but by 
that time the hooligans had already left. The police asked Stalin and 
Gaurang to go to Navrangpura Police Station if they wanted to file an 
FIR. However, Stalin and Gaurang had to wait for nearly 3 hours before 
the police finally registered a complain against two of 20 hooligans - 
Rahul Soni and Bharat.