TISS issues another warning to students against BBC documentary screening

Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Mumbai on Saturday issued a second advisory for the Students' Union after reports surfaced that a group of students were again planning to screen the controversial documentary.

"It is with utmost seriousness, we note that some students, through a group, are engaged in activities contravening the advisory issued on 27th January regarding the screening of a BBC documentary forbidden by the government and attempting to mobilise and trigger students to do the same," states the second advisory.

"We caution the students to understand that any such acts by any student or groups violating the instructions issued on 27th January 2023 and engaging in any activities leading to disturbance of peace and harmony will be held responsible for the same and will be dealt with duly under relevant institutional rules on the matter," the advisory adds.

In the earlier notice issued, the institute said that they had not permitted any such screening and gatherings that may disturb the academic environment and jeopardize the campus's peace and harmony.

"It has come to our notice that some groups of students are planning to screen the BBC documentary that has disrupted some parts of the country. Some plan to organise gatherings to protest against related developments in a few universities," the advisory from the TISS read.

However, the TISS Student union leader Pratik Permey said that the association has not planned any screening of the said documentary.

"The TISS Student association has also received the advisory from the registrar and director of the TISS but the association has not planned any screening of the said documentary. We have heard that one Progressive Students Forum (PSF) has organised this screening. We are not part of it," said Permey.

The BBC documentary has created a fresh row in the country after the government, earlier this month, denounced it and described it as a "propaganda piece" that is designed to push a discredited narrative. The government also pulled down the BBC documentary 'India: The Modi Question' from various social media platforms including Twitter and Youtube.

The row further deepened after JNUSU members allegedly faced a "deliberate" power outage, while they were screening the impugned BBC documentary at the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus in the national capital.

The documentary leads to opposition attacking the government on freedom of speech despite the government terming it as a 'propaganda piece'.

The Delhi Police said the university administration did not allow the screening of the BBC documentary on the campus.