Full Breakdown
Controversy Over Planned Documentary Screening at NLSIU
By Drooid · · How we work
Background of the Documentary and Prior Screenings
The Law and Society Committee (LawSoc) of the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) planned to screen *Prisoner No 626710 is Present*, a documentary by Lalit Vachani about activist Umar Khalid. The film was slated for September 14, coinciding with the anniversary of Khalid’s 2020 arrest under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. LawSoc noted that the documentary would be followed by discussions on pre-trial detention, bail, dissent, political incarceration and the relationship between criminal law and democratic freedom. Students said the same film had been shown the previous year on Political Prisoners Day, indicating the event was not a first-time occurrence.
Student Organisation’s Decision to Postpone
On the evening before the scheduled date, LawSoc sent a notice to students stating that the screening was being postponed for “logistical and security reasons.” The committee added that it was working to arrange a safe venue and that the decision was not the result of external pressure. No new date was announced, and attempts to obtain a comment from the Vice-Chancellor of NLSIU went unanswered.
Opposition from Right-Wing Groups and Legal Professionals
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), a student organization affiliated with the RSS, filed a formal complaint with the university administration demanding cancellation. ABVP leaders argued that using an academic campus to showcase a film about “individuals linked to anti-national slogans” amounted to political propaganda and threatened national integrity. Former Infosys CFO T.V. Mohandas Pai echoed similar concerns on his X account, asserting that the documentary glorified a person accused of serious crimes whose bail had repeatedly been denied.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The NLSIU should uphold Rule of Law not glorify terrorists. These are accused of serious crimes, multiple courts have denied bail. They are not political prisoners but terrorists.” — Girish Bharadwaj, advocate
- “As a custodian of the institution’s values and legacy, the V-C has a responsibility to ensure that the NLSIU does not become a platform for glorifying terrorism, separatism or those associated with such politics.” — Mr. Bharadwaj, advocate
These statements illustrate the core contention: while student organizers view the screening as a legitimate academic exercise, right-wing student groups and certain legal professionals contend that it crosses the line into political endorsement of a controversial figure. The dispute remains unresolved pending a response from NLSIU’s administration.