Symbiosis college cancels Kashmir documentary screening seminar

Under pressure from several right-wing groups, the Symbiosis College of Arts and Commerce has cancelled the screening of a documentary which was part of the ‘Voices of Kashmir’ seminar.

In fact, the seminar which was to begin on February 3, has been postponed indefinitely.

BJP’s student wing, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) had earlier sent a notice to the institute raising objections against screening the documentary which it called as “separatist”.

An organisation representing displaced Kashmiri Pandits had also raised its voice against the seminar.

ABVP and Panun Kashmir representatives who met the college authorities on Monday and said the proposed screening of the a documentary, ‘Jashn-e-Azadi’, at the seminar projected the militants in the Valley as "heroes" and was critical of the Indian Army.

This was not acceptable, they maintained.

"We submitted a memorandum to the college authorities against offering a platform to anti-national elements at the seminar and they told us that the seminar would be postponed," a spokesman of ABVP said today.

Rohit Bhat, Coordinator of Pune chapter of PK, said that the proposed seminar should be more "inclusive" and project a balanced view of the situation in the militancy-hit state which also includes Jammu and Ladakh regions.

A Symbiosis spokesman said the three-day meet was being postponed. He said the meet was intended to be an "apolitical and academic event" without hurting anybody's sentiments.

The college has not announced new dates for the postponed event.