Alleging threats of disruption from right-wing outfits, a city-based college cancelled a lecture that was to be delivered on Friday by Tushar Gandhi, the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, as part of a national seminar on Gandhian thought being held by the college.
In a tweet on Thursday night, Mr. Gandhi indicated that the right-wing outfit Patit Pavan Sanghatana had pressured the authorities of Modern College to cancel his talk, which was part of the seminar ‘Revisiting Gandhi’.
“Modern College Pune was forced to cancel a program scheduled for tomorrow celebrating the 150th anniversary of Bapu because they invited me, Patitpavan Sanstha threatened to disrupt the program if I was present. The Goli Maro Gang in Action (sic),” he tweeted.
The two-day seminar on the Mahatma, which started on Friday, proceeded without Mr. Gandhi’s lecture.
College authorities said they informed Mr. Gandhi on Thursday about the cancellation of his talk in the wake of letters from a number of outfits who had warned of protests if he delivered his speech. Authorities said they feared that protests could have an effect on the ongoing practical examinations and hence decided to call of Mr. Gandhi’s lecture.
Gajanan Ekbote, chairman of Progressive Education Society (PES) which runs Modern College, said, “Earlier this week, some students had approached the [college] principal with some video clips of Tushar Gandhi and claimed that his speeches were politically inclined and could generate negative sentiment. They also objected on grounds that events with a political colour should not be allowed given that the seminar was organised with funds from the Pune University.”
Mr. Ekbote said he had apparently assured Mr. Gandhi that the college would hold his lecture at a convenient date very soon.
The Patit Pavan Sanghatana, however, has categorically denied ever issuing any threat letter against Mr. Gandhi’s lecture. “We have never opposed Gandhian thought, nor have anything to do with the cancellation of Tushar Gandhi’s scheduled talk. We are not aware of this incident and have only come to know of this through the media. We will seek an explanation on this matter from the college and PES authorities,” Sourabh Pawar, a member of the organisation, told The Hindu .
The Savitribai Phule Pune University is funding the seminar under the under the Quality Improvement Programme.
Housing Minister Jitendra Awhad condemned the lecture being cancelled, while Home Minister Anil Deshmukh has promised to look into the matter.
Published - February 08, 2020 12:40 am IST
