ABVP objects,Symbiosis puts off Kashmir seminar

Screening of documentary cancelled

The Symbiosis College of Arts and Commerce,which was scheduled to organise a three-day seminar,Voices of Kashmir,from February 3,has decided to postpone the event and cancel the screening of a documentary following meetings with a few groups working for Kashmir. The institute had recently received a notice from the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP),which objected to the screening of the documentary,calling it separatist.

In a meeting where representatives of various NGOs met Symbiosis University founder S B Mujumdar and principal Hrishikesh Soman,the representatives discussed how the institute needed to make the seminar more inclusive. Following the meeting,the institute decided to postpone the seminar. The new dates will be decided in two days.

Rohit Bhat,coordinator of the Pune chapter of Panun Kashmir,said: We,along with a few others working for the cause of Kashmir,held a meeting with Soman and Mujumdar on Monday. Our agenda was simply to put forward our point that a few speakers on their list have been known to talk about separatist forces. We just told Symbiosis that if these people were allowed to talk,it would hurt our sentiments. We also told them that there was a need to make the event more inclusive by not only talking about Kashmir,but also taking into account the problems being faced by the people in Jammu and Ladakh.

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Pointing out that the documentary Jashn-e-Azadi by Sanjay Kak spoke against the Army and in a way glorified terrorists functioning in the Valley,ABVP office-bearer Praveen Undre said they would ask the institute to show them the schedule for the seminar.

Soman,meanwhile,said: There are so many people who feel so strongly about the issue and they put forward their point of view. After our meeting,we have decided to postpone the seminar. We will try to keep the seminar as apolitical as we can…it is supposed to be a completely academic and cultural event.

Some of the people slated to speak at the seminar are senior journalist Dilip Padgaonkar,Hamid Marazi,Zaffar Iffat Fatima,M K Raina,Pran Kishore,Sanjay Nahar and Babali Saraf.