A book fair scheduled for February 15 and 16 at Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University, a central university in Srinagar of Uttarakhand district has been cancelled, with organisers alleging interference from right-wing groups. The annual literary event, Kitab Kauthik organised by Creative Uttarakhand was initially planned for January at Government Girls’ Inter College but was called off.
“We had obtained permission from the school, but the management later withdrew it without explanation. Since elections were approaching, we rescheduled it for February,” fair coordinator Hem Pant told The Times of India.
Uttarakhand central university cancels book fair over Gandhi, Nehru books: Organisers
Organisers later sought permission to hold the fair at the central university and claimed they had received approval, which was later revoked. “Representatives from the students union and ABVP told us that ‘books on Gandhi and Nehru were not suitable for sale’ and persuaded the university to cancel the permission,” Hem Pant alleged.
However, Uttarakhand central university spokesperson Ashutosh Bahuguna denied that the decision was made under pressure from any group. He stated that the student body expressed concerns that the event might disrupt exams, leading the organisers to look for an alternative venue.
ABVP representative Ashish Pant also rejected claims of ideological opposition, stating that the event was not cancelled due to the nature of books on sale.
After relocation, RSS took venue despite later application: organisers
After being unable to hold the fair at the Uttarakhand central university, the organisers attempted to shift it to Srinagar’s Ramlila Ground but faced another hurdle. “The Ramlila Ground committee initially agreed but later informed us that the RSS had already booked the venue for the same dates. Their application was dated February 10, while ours was submitted on February 9,” Hem Pant claimed.
He also alleged that RSS members put up their posters over book fair banners.
“When we approached the administration, we received no clear response. This is just a book fair meant for students and young readers. We bring over 50,000 books to small towns, and even CM Pushkar Singh Dhami has encouraged us to organise more such events. Against this backdrop, such politically motivated hurdles are disheartening,” he added.
Meanwhile, SDM Srinagar, Nupur Verma, stated, “No application from the book fair organisers came to me, and the RSS event was already scheduled much earlier.”
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