Book fair at Uttarakhand university cancelled after alleged ABVP pressure

A book fair scheduled at a central university in Uttarakhand’s Pauri Garhwal district was cancelled after the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad allegedly pressured the administration to revoke permission for the event, The Indian Express reported.

The ABVP is the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the parent organisation of the state’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

The Kitaab Kautik event organised by a team called Creative Uttarakhand was to be held at the Government Girls’ Inter College in January. But the event was opposed by the Hindutva group, said Hem Pant, one of the organisers.

Pant told The Indian Express that the event had been postponed to February 15-16 and sought permission from the dean of the Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University in Srinagar town.

The dean had approved the book fair and a panel discussion at their Senate Hall, said Pant.

“But later, we were informed that we could not conduct the book fair on the premises,” Pant claimed. “We approached the Ramleela committee to hold the book fair at the maidan in the town, but despite written permission, RSS has organised a programme the same day at the same venue.”

Subsequently, the organisers cancelled the event.

“The groups told us they would burn the books if we held the event,” Pant alleged. “They alleged that we had communist literature. It...

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