The Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore initially stopped civil rights activist and journalist Teesta Setalvad from entering the institution ahead of her talk on Communal Harmony and Justice.
The permission for the event was sought with the registrar of IISc for the event to be held at the CCS Seminar Hall. However, on the day of the event, with no prior notice or intimidation, the institution directed the security personnel to stop Setalvad from entering the campus, minutes before the event.
The situation was resolved after faculty members of IISc intervened, challenging the denial of entry to Setalvad. After their intervention, Setalvad was allowed to enter the institution. However, the discussion did not take place as planned in the seminar hall. The venue was moved to Sarvam Complex near the cafeteria and the discussion began at around 5:45 pm and went on till 8 pm.
The discussions revolved around topics such as evolving riot patterns, challenges harmony, scientific rationality pose to certain ideologies, and the utilization of social media for spreading hate.
It’s also to be noted that students from other colleges who were invited for the discussion were turned away by the institution. This is the second such incident to occur at the institute. When earlier activists Natasha Narwal and Devangana Kalita were invited at the IISc Campus, the authorities had cancelled the talk on the basis that they were not aware.
In June 2022, Setalvad was arrested by the Anti Terrorism Squad of Gujarat Police for allegedly conspiring to implicate Gujarat government functionaries in the 2002 Gujarat Riots. However, she was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court.
Setalvad is known as the secretary of Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP), an organization formed to advocate for victims of 2002 Gujarat riots. The (CJP) was set up by Teesta Setalvad herself and her husband Javed Anand, along with Father Cedric Prakash (a catholic priest), Anil Dharker (a journalist), Alyque Padamsee, Javed Akhtar, Vijay Tendulkar and Rahul Bose (all film & theatre personalities) on 1 April 2000.
The Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) is a human rights movement dedicated to upholding and defending the freedom and constitutional rights of all Indians.
