Group ‘disrupts’ reading session of Malala, Anne Frank books by Student Collective in Ahmedabad
On Thursday, a group of readers from the Student and Youth Collective in Ahmedabad gathered at the AUDA Garden in Vastrapur to conduct a reading session of books by Malala Yousafzai and Anne Frank, citing the recent removal of these works from a private school's curriculum. The gathering aimed to protest the decision, which had been prompted by objections from the Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP).
As the session commenced, around 30 individuals, reportedly associated with the Bajrang Dal and VHP, arrived with weapons such as baseball bats and wooden clubs. The protestors, including students, lawyers, and media personnel, were reportedly attacked, with at least six of them sustaining injuries. The collective demanded the filing of a First Information Report (FIR) against the assailants, and police have acknowledged receiving their complaint.
However, no FIR has been officially registered as of late Thursday. Inspector G M Chaudhary of Vastrapur police station stated that six of the 15-20 men involved have been identified. The Bajrang Dal, through its official Twitter account, claimed that the incident occurred after the students' pro-Pakistan stance on the Kashmir issue prompted the school to withdraw the books.
The collective emphasized their peaceful intentions, but the violent reaction highlights the ongoing tensions surrounding the perceived influence of right-wing organizations on educational content.
Written by urgent.news from The Indian Express's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
