BBC documentary on Gujarat riots screened at FTII, claims student body

The Centre had last week directed social media platforms Twitter and YouTube to block links to the documentary "India: The Modi Question"

The students' association of the Film and Television Institute of India screened the controversial BBC documentary on the 2002 Godhra riots on the campus of the premier acting school in Pune, said the student body on Saturday.

"On 26/01/23, we screened the banned BBC documentary 'The Modi Question' at FTII," said a statement issued by the FTII Students' Association.

The Centre had last week directed social media platforms Twitter and YouTube to block links to the documentary "India: The Modi Question". The Ministry of External Affairs has trashed the documentary as a "propaganda piece" that lacks objectivity and reflects a colonial mindset.

Throughout history, the association's statement said, the banning of literature, music, and in recent times, media, has been a sign of a crumbling society.

"The act of scrutiny should be welcomed by our elected representatives. Instead, they quickly tag it as false propaganda and try to shove it under the rug. They should know that the sure-fire way for something to be watched is to ban it."

Also read: Ban on BBC film attempt at curbing access to content critical of govt, say legal experts

"However, the BBC documentary barely scratches the surface of the kind of violence that has been perpetuated throughout the country for a dedicated, singular, vicious purpose. It would be startling to us if anyone in India was surprised by the happenings in this documentary," said the students' association.

FTII Registrar Sayyid Rabeehashmi said, "It is being reported that a group of students screened the documentary. The matter will be looked into."

Over the past few days, students at many educational institutes, including the Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi University and Ambedkar University in the national capital, have tried to screen the controversial BBC documentary.

In Kerala, the Congress screened the programme on Thursday.

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