There was a sudden cancellation of a book fair scheduled for February 15 and 16 at Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University at Srinagar (Pauri Garhwal), accused of being pulled by rightwing groups. Initially, the literary event, Kitab Kauthik, organised by Creative Uttarakhand, was to be held in January at Government Girls’ Inter College. The school withdrew permission without explanation, and the organizers were forced to postpone it until February; however, it was nonetheless called off.
In a later twist, university event coordinator Hem Pant said he had secured approval for the new date from the father university, only to revoke this too. According to him, the administration was pressured by representatives of the students’ union and the ABVP, who alleged that ‘books on Gandhi and Nehru were not fit to be sold’. According to Pant, this ideological opposition led to the book fair’s cancellation.
But university spokesperson Ashutosh Bahuguna denied that there was any political pressure in the decision, which he said was solely about the interests of His Holiness and the Tibetan people. The student body had raised concerns about the event clashing with university exams as the students were making their assessments. The organizers were told to look for an alternative venue following these concerns.
ABVP representative Ashish Pant also refuted ideological reasons for the cancellation. And he argued that the main issue ran to the timing of the fair and its possible impact on academic work.
The matter has drawn into a debate on academic freedom versus political influence over educational institutions. However, the university insists it was just the result of logistical reasons, and the organizers said it was an effort to squash some viewpoints.
Join our whatsapp group for Latest updates