AHMEDABAD: Violence was reported at a silent reading held in Vastrapur on Thursday evening to protest a school’s dropping of books by Malala Yousafzai and Anne Frank. Participants alleged that members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) disrupted the protest at around 6.30pm, and injured 8-10 of those who had gathered there with their books.Police said they are establishing the identities and affiliations of the people involved in the alleged vandalism, and are also verifying the nature of injuries to protestors. An FIR in the incident was yet to be filed till late Thursday.Around 70 people had gathered at a municipal garden near the district education office (DEO) in Vastrapur for a two-hour silent reading intended to show protest against a Shilaj school dropping the books, “I Am Malala” and “The Diary of a Young Girl” from its reading list after uproar from parents and righ-wing activists.The protestors read books including “Why I Am An Atheist”, “1984”, “Bhima Koregaon: Our War Cry”, There’s Gunpowder in the Air” and “The Meat of the Matter: How Politics of Food Shapes Our Health”.The gathering was allegedly disrupted around 6.30pm by 8-10 VHP members. Participants alleged they were confronted by the group and that 8-10 silent protestors were injured.Participants said the issue was beyond banning the books. Jay Thakkar, who attended the protest, said, “I am concerned about children’s education and critical thinking that should prevail in education. Protest can take many forms. This is a call for all those people who are not okay with the banning of the books.”Design researcher Manushree Sinha said the gathering was “a collective expression against hate, discrimination and conformity”.Satya Oza, a student, said everyone should have the right to read what they want. “Malala’s is a story of grit and a girl’s wish to get educated. Inspiration can come from all directions, and it should not be judged based on religion or nationality,” she said.Another student, Aditi, said “The Diary of Anne Frank” offered a perspective on how an ordinary person experiences a regime. “Deciding what a citizen can or cannot read seems anachronistic today,” she said.Inspector G M Chaudhary of Vastrapur police said the gathering was allegedly vandalised by a right-wing group and that police are verifying the identities and affiliations of the people that confronted the participants. She said some people were injured and police are verifying their medical reports to establish the nature of their injuries. “We will register an FIR after verifying the claims of the group that had gathered for the reading of the books,” Chaudhary said.Gautam Sarkar, a sales professional, said the silent format was intended to make passers-by curious about the gathering.Jwalit Mehta, regional coordinator, Bajrang Dal, Gujarat, said in a video byte that “members of the outfit do not want students of India to read a book written by someone with anti-India views, like Malala”.
