New Delhi: More than 500 scientists, academics and concerned citizens have written a letter to the Indian Institute of Science’s director Govindan Rangarajan expressing dismay at the administration’s decision to stop a discussion on the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

The discussion, titled “Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, Prisons and the Criminal Justice System”, was to be led by Natasha Narwal and Devangana Kalita on June 28. Narwal and Kalita are student activists who were accused by the Delhi police in the Delhi riots “conspiracy” case and booked under UAPA.

IISc’s registrar on June 27 “abruptly” cancelled the event, which was to be held at the Centre for Continuing Education (CCE). The student-organisers of the event then decided to hold an informal interaction outside the Sarvam complex, but the security team was dispatched to disperse the gathering. After the intervention of faculty members, the security team backtracked.

The letter highlights that the Delhi high court, while granting bail to Narwal and Kalita, noted that “in its anxiety to suppress dissent … the State has blurred the line between the constitutionally guaranteed ‘right to protest’ and ‘terrorist activity’. If such blurring gains traction, democracy would be in peril.”

“We believe that it is important for members of IISc to hear about Natasha and Devangana’s experience and to reflect on the laws that were used to incarcerate them. Regardless of one’s perspective, such discussions are crucial in a functioning democracy and IISc, as an academic institution, is ideally positioned to host them. Conversely, if the institute is unwilling to permit peaceful discussions on constitutional questions, it is hard to see how it can foster a spirit of critical inquiry that is necessary for scientific work,” the letter says.

By cancelling the discussion, the administration has “damaged IISc’s reputation, both within the country and internationally”, the signatories said, adding that “urgent corrective measures” should be taken to ensure that members of IISc remain free to express and discuss a range of ideas, both about science, and about the society that we live in…

This story was originally published in thewire.in. Read the full story here