On January 24, one day after members of extremists right-wing Hindutva outfits had barged into the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) campus in Pune for putting up a banner in protest of the Ram temple inauguration in Ayodhya, a case has been registered against six students of the institute. The case has been lodged based on the complaint filed by Rutuja Mane, the president of Samast Hindu Bandhav Samajik Sansth, women’s wing.
It is essential to note here that on January 23, a day after the inauguration of the Ram Temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya, a mob of at least 25 people had barged into the FTII campus and had angrily raked through the campus despite the presence of the campus security personnel. The mob had burned a banner that has been put up inside the campus stating ‘Remember Babri, Death of Constitution’ and had assaulted many students, including women, too. As per a report of the Arunachal Times, Mankap Nokwoham, an Arunachalee student hailing from Changlang district, who is also the president of the Film & Television Institute of India (Pune) Student Association (FTIISA), had been brutally assaulted by alleged members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarti Parishad inside the FTII campus.
An FIR had been filed by the institute against the mob. Notably, Indian Penal Code sections pertaining to unlawful assembly, rioting, causing hurt, trespassing, damage to property and criminal intimidation had been invoked by the police against unnamed 10-12 people. And now, as per a report of the Times of India, in a cross lodging of case, the police have registered a case against six students of the institute over displaying a banner and posters with alleged “objectionable” matter.
Pursuant to the filing of the FIR, on January 24 itself, a press note had been released by the FTIISA. The said press note refers to events that took place inside the campus on January 23, stating that “the campus still remains terrorized.” Referring to the FIR filed by the institute against the mob, the note pointedly states how the institute “failed to mention some grievous happenings of the day, including the charge of infringing on women’s modesty.”
The statement also specifies that the assailants in the mob had “not just burnt banners and shouted slogans in the name of Ram, they also pushed slapped, shoved, punched and attacked many students gathered there while hurling abuses”.
The press note also addresses the issue of false portrayal the said incidents on social media platforms. To clarify their stance, the press note states “Hindutva organisations have painted a false picture of the events. Students have not attacked anyone, we were only defending ourselves.” The note also highlights the social media posts that are threatening the FTII students with physical violence and harassment.
Referring to the filing of the FIR against the students, deeming it to be a “serious concern”, the press note stated that there has been a random targeting of five students out of a gathering and the five accused had been exercising their right to defend. As per a report of the Quint, the FIR filed against the students includes sections 153-B (1) (c) and 295 (a) of the IPC, both of which relates to allegation that the acts of the students potentially caused disharmony or enmity and that outrage religious feelings.
Through the note, the FTIISA has then asserted their right to freedom of speech and expression as well as their commitment to protect the secular values of our country. Condemning the said attack they faced as well as the targeting the students are being subjected to, the student association has written that “if upholding the secular values and expressing dissent against their erasure is considered objectionable and worthy of violence to these assailants, we feel strongly that everyone should be alerted of the dire straits we are in, and the kind of terror that surrounds us today.”
The complete press note can be read here:
FIR Copy can be seen here.
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