The Indian government has made repeated efforts to restrict the airing of a new documentary by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) which alleges that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is ‘directly responsible’ for a ‘climate of impunity’ that led to an outbreak of severe communal violence in Gujarat in 2002.
The documentary, titled ‘The Modi Question’, was released in two parts on 17 and 24 January. It tracks Prime Minister Modi’s early years in politics, his gradual ascent through the ranks of India’s now-ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), his tenure as Gujarat’s Chief Minister, and his alleged involvement in the 2002 Gujarat riots, which are considered one of the worst cases of communal violence since India’s independence.
Included in the documentary are quotes from an unpublished report from the British Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office that claimed Modi, who was the Chief Minister of Gujarat at the time, was ‘directly responsible’ for the ‘climate of impunity’ that led to the attacks. The report also said that the incident had ‘all the hallmarks of an ethnic cleansing.
The government has claimed that the documentary, which is based on detailed research and interviews with multiple witnesses and experts, is propaganda, and has since used its Information and Technology law, and the emergency powers contained within it, to order Twitter and YouTube to block content related to the documentary on their platforms. In the past, this law has been widely opposed by media organisations, digital rights activists and social media platforms, who claim that it enables censorship.
Several tweets containing links to the documentary have been taken down, including from prominent political leaders, advocates and activists.
The government has also directly intervened in attempts to screen the documentary across the country. On 24 January, police cut power and internet facilities at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi, one of the most prominent educational institutions in India, to prevent a student-organised screening. One report also said that the students were attacked with stones by a group of people who were opposed to the screening. Similar incidents are reported to have taken place in Delhi’s Ambedkar University and Delhi University, both on 27 January.
On 25 January, police arrested at least 12 students at Delhi’s Jamila Millia University after they planned a screening. The students remain in detention, and have allegedly been prohibited from meeting with their lawyers.
Screenings have been held successfully by student unions in the states of Hyderabad, Kerala and West Bengal.
CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: ‘CSW is not surprised that Prime Minister Modi and the BJP is attempting to restrict the airing of this documentary. The ruling party has overseen a severe crackdown on fundamental freedoms since it came to power in 2014, and the space for individuals and organisations who express any criticism of the government has shrunk significantly. We call on the Indian government to uphold fundamental freedoms including the freedom of expression, and to cease the harassment of those who have sought to screen this documentary. We also call for the release of the students who were arrested at the Jamila Millia University, and urge the international community to hold the Indian government to account for the manner in which it stifles dissent and emboldens extremists in the country.’
