‘We are not under facist rule’: JNU students’ union screens ‘Ram Ke Naam’ despite admin’s warning

NEW DELHI: The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) on Saturday held the screening of Anand Patwardhan’s documentary ‘Ram Ke Naam’ on campus despite the JNU administration ’s warning to cancel the event.

Hundreds of students gathered outside JNU Students' Union office to attend the screening of ‘Ram ke Naam’ at 9.30 pm on December 4.

'You have every right to screen the film': Patwardhan

Filmmaker Anand Patwardhan, in a video message, said, “I want to tell you that you have every right to screen the film despite the administration’s warning to cancel the screening. In fact, it has received a U certificate from the CBFC. It also received a National Award for Best Investigative Documentary in 1992. After that, this film was broadcast in Doordarshan at prime time after the High Court permission. One more television (channel) had broadcast the documentary after the Allahabad High Court order.”

“Which means the entire country has watched this film. The new generation may not have seen it but the screening can't be stopped. It can be stopped only when we are fully under a fascist rule, which is not the case yet, therefore you can’t stop," he said.

Anand Patwardhan, Director of 'Ram Ke Naam' sends solidarity message to the JNU students' community !

Please share ✊ pic.twitter.com/mf4WAVGvTn

— Aishe (ঐশী) (@aishe_ghosh) December 4, 2021

JNUSU President Aishe Ghosh said, “We haven’t done anything wrong and the documentary is available on Youtube and also it is not a banned documentary. Despite the ABVP trying to instigate fear, more than hundred of students attended the event.”

“JNU is a campus about discussion and debate,” she added.

Satish Chandra Yadav, JNUSU General Secretary said, “Ram ke Naam is a documentary which is easily available on Youtube. But when #JNU_छात्रसंघ has taken a program to show this documentary, then #JNU_प्रशासन brazenly also issues a notification to stop the screening.”

'Will disturb communal harmony': JNU

Raising objection against the screening, the JNU registrar Ravikesh earlier said in a circular, “This is to emphasise that such an unauthorized activity may disturb communal harmony and peaceful environment of the university campus.” And, warned of "strict disciplinary action as per the university rules" if the screening is not cancelled.

However, the JNUSU had told the university that it will not cancel the screening, and added the JNUSU Office falls under the jurisdiction of the JNUSU and thus “the JNU Administration’s claims of the event being ‘unauthorised and unwarranted’ are baseless and without legitimacy”.

The RSS and it's stooges shouldn't talk about communal harmony. The JNUSU will go ahead with the screening of 'Ram Ke Naam'.
Communal harmony is being disturbed in this country by the right wing fundamentalists and they will be exposed everytime they try to threaten us. pic.twitter.com/9PloB222Dx

— Aishe (ঐশী) (@aishe_ghosh) December 4, 2021

The film explores the campaign waged by the right-wing Hindu nationalist organisation Vishva Hindu Parishad to build a Ram temple at the site of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, as well as the communal violence that it triggered.