On January 22, a Dalit student of the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai, voiced his opposition to holding a Ram Temple celebratory event on the campus and persuaded 34 others to post it from their respective social media platforms, addressing the institution’s director SK Singh, The Wire reported.
The Dalit student’s post read, “IIPS is a multicultural campus annually organising various celebrations which includes Ganesh Chaturthi, Dussehra, Christmas, etc which epitomises the promise of grooming a secular young generation who can contribute prosperity to a diversified nation-state like India.”
“But the celebration of Ram temple consecration is a pure act of political agenda orchestrated by the various outfits, which can harm the secular sentiments of students while celebrating in an institute like IIPS, where such celebrations cannot be done,” the letter said.
The post concluded that such actions spotlighting India’s secular fabric can damage the country’s centuries-old secularism, brotherhood and communal harmony.
Based on a complaint from a senior who said that the post hurt religious sentiments, the 23-year-old, hailing from Maharashtra’s Latur district, was arrested under Sections 153 (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion) and 295(A) (deliberate and malicious acts, that are intended to outrage religious feelings of any) of the IPC.
He was arrested and kept in police custody for two days before being sent to Arthur Road Central Jail where he was granted bail.
Many incidents were reported across India where students protested against the inaugural of Ram Mandir saying that the event was politically motivated ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
On February 1, at the reputed National Institute of Technology, Calicut, Kerala, a Dalit student was arrested after he had an altercation with members of VHP, a right-wing organisation, who denounced the protests by the students against the temple event.
In response to “Jai Shri Ram”, a student identified as fourth-year BTech student Vysakh Premkumar screamed, “India is not a Rama Rajya”. He now faces a year-long suspension for organising an “unlawful gathering” that led to campus unrest.
Additionally, he has been forbidden from visiting the “institute campus, including hostel premises” without authorization.
