Students of K R Narayanan National Institute of Visual Science & Arts (KRNNIVSA) screened the documentary 'Ram Ke Naam' with certain people of the locality staging a protest outside the campus at Kanjiramattom in Kottayam in central Kerala.
Later, the Students Council of the Institute conducted the screening inside the campus while members of alleged right-wing Hindu groups protested. The local police that arrived to diffuse the tension urged the students to move their screening inside the campus.
"All our students maintained calm. We just wanted to remind everyone that there was a Babri Masjid in Ayodhya and it was demolished," Students' Council chairman, Sreedevan Perumal told Onmanorama.
Perumal said almost all the students on the campus and some members of the faculty attended the screening.
'Ram Ke Naam' is a documentary directed by Anand Patwardhan that focused on BJP leader L K Advani's Rath Yatra that led up to the demolition of Ayodhya's Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992. Kar Sevaks of Vishva Hindu Parishad and allied Hindu organisations participated in the demolition.
'Ram Ke Raam' was vehemently opposed by right-wing Hindu organisations.
The Students' Council of KRNNIVSA had informed the local police station (Pallikkathode) about its intention to screen the documentary outside the campus. "The police told us to call them if there was any problem," said Perumal.
It is understood that there is a Devi temple in the vicinity of the institute, where there was a celebration on the occasion of the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony in Ayodhya.
Following protests, the screening that was scheduled to begin at 7 pm was hosted an hour late. According to reports, there were no further issues once the screening was moved inside the campus.