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The letter, which is dated June 4, said the student was “involved directly in executing the play”, which was titled ‘Raahovan’, and also barred him from being recognised with “gymkhana awards”. https://thewire.in/education/iit-bombay-punishes-students-ramayana-play 

The student was to pay the fine by July 30, the letter read, adding that “any violation of the above conditions [would] lead to further strictures”.

According to the Times of India, which cited a student, at least seven other students were punished for having some role in the play, with graduating students fined Rs 1.2 lakh and junior students fined Rs 40,000 and barred from using the IIT’s hostel facilities.

One associate of the punished students told the Indian Express that the play, which was performed in March, was a “feminist” reinterpretation of the Ramayana and that neither the audience nor the judges had objected to it.

But the IITBforBharat account claimed in a post last month that at least 40 students filed complaints against the play with the institute’s authorities, demanding the students involved in the play be penalised and that a “cultural council” apologise publicly, among others.

20/06/2024

On May 19, YouTuber and political commentator Dhruv Rathee posted a 29-minute video titled ‘The Narendra Modi Files | A DICTATOR Mentality?’.

https://thewire.in/rights/dhruv-rathee-modi-video-vasai-police-adesh-bansode 

The video, like most of his work, went viral in no time and garnered over 15 million views. In this video, Rathee critically looks at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s governance over the past two decades – first, as the chief minister of Gujarat and then as the country’s prime minister. He terms his approach “dictatorial”.

While the video continues to be widely shared across social media platforms, the Vasai-based Manikpur police have considered sharing of this video a “crime”. 

The police have registered an FIR against Adesh Bansode, a city-based lawyer and also a state secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) for sharing the video on a WhatsApp group of lawyers.

A first information report was subsequently registered and Bansode was booked under section Section 188, 171 (F), 171 (G) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 123(4) of the Representation of the People Act (RPA). Section 188 applies when a person tends to or causes danger to human life with his disobedience; Section 171 (F) defines punishment for undue influence or personation at an election and Section 171 (G) is applied when a person makes false statement in connection with an election.

by Sukanya Shantha

01/06/2024

Sixteen prominent academics released a statement expressing concern over the prolonged detention without trial of writers, journalists and activists who were critical of the Union government.

Nobel laureate Amartya Sen has voiced his support for this statement, among whose authors are author Amitav Ghosh and political philosopher Martha Nussbaum.

https://thewire.in/rights/academics-call-global-attention-to-prolonged-detention-of-journalists-activists-without-trial 

28/03/2024