A panel discussion on queer rights led by filmmaker Onir at the ongoing Bhopal Literature and Art Festival was "cancelled" Friday because the organisers “couldn't ensure the safety of the filmmaker.” The fifth edition of the three-day Bhopal Literature and Art Festival began at Bharat Bhavan in Madhya Pradesh’s Bhopal on Friday. Onir’s session that got dropped was on ‘Making Literature LGBTQ Neutral’ with transgender rights activist Kalki Subramaniam as co-panelist. Shocked and Sad that an event I was really looking forward to speaking at had to drop me . Apparently there was a group threatening protest and violence and the police told the organisers that they cannot guarantee my safety. So they cancelled the event. Let me process this. pic.twitter.com/AMSeG9CAa1 — iamOnir (@IamOnir) January 12, 2023 When The Indian Express reached out to the organisers of the festival, they said that they had to cancel Onir's event to ensure his safety. "All I can say is that we were not confident of ensuring his safety," said Sulakshna Choudhry of the Bhopal Literature and Art Festival. The organisers later clarified that they held a session on inclusiveness with Subramaniam instead. Onir, whose debut film My Brother Nikhil (2005) is considered to be an important landmark in the LGBTQIA movement in India, took to social media to express his dismay. “Shocked and Sad that an event I was really looking forward to speaking at had to drop me. Apparently there was a group threatening protest and violence and the police told the organisers that they cannot guarantee my safety. So they cancelled the event. Let me process this.” he said in a Twitter post. Speaking to The Indian Express, he mentioned that the incident has left him confused. "I don't even know if they have issues with me or the topic of discussion. It's ridiculous that today, after the writing down of Section 377, when the Supreme Court is discussing the legality of same-sex marriages, people have problems with a panel discussion on LGBTQIA issues," Onir said. Speaking to The Indian Express, Kalki Subramaniam said, "It was lovely attending the event. The crowd was very warm and welcoming. But I did extend my solidarity to Onir, who couldn't be a part of the event. The topic of the event was changed at the last moment to something related to diversity and health, but I told the organisers that I will only talk about diversity and inclusion because health is not my domain." Choudhry confirmed the same. "Yes, we changed the name of the Onir event since he couldn't be a part of it," she said. Onir also mentioned that this is the first time something like this has happened to him. "I have never personally received any threats. I am quite vocal about my views so maybe I am being targeted because of that. But on Twitter, a lot of random profiles have expressed their happiness about my event being cancelled. They feel that 'such topics' shouldn't be discussed at such a prestigious event," he said.
