5 days ago
Ahmedabad Malala Book Reading Session Attacked; Three People Arrested
People gathered in Ahmedabad to read Malala Yousafzai’s book, I Am Malala.
Police said another group confronted them after the reading ended.
The group claimed to be connected to Bajrang Dal and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad.
The group reportedly objected to the choice of book.
An argument became a physical fight.
Two people were hurt, and police said sticks were carried by the alleged attackers.
Three people were arrested, while six others were identified.
Congress leader Pawan Khera criticized the incident and called it communal and rooted in ignorance.
The articles also say an Ahmedabad school recently removed books by Malala and Anne Frank after protests from right-wing groups.
A reading session of Malala Yousafzai’s memoir I Am Malala turned violent at Ahmedabad’s Vastrapur Garden.
Police said 18 to 20 people claiming links to Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad confronted about 20 readers.
The confrontation reportedly occurred as participants were leaving, and two people were injured in a scuffle.
Police said the alleged attackers carried sticks; three people were arrested and six others identified.
An FIR was filed under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita provisions concerning rioting, unlawful assembly and causing physical pain.
- Who
- About 20 reading participants and 18 to 20 people claiming links to Bajrang Dal and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad were involved; police arrested three people.
- What
- A reading session of I Am Malala was followed by a confrontation and scuffle that injured two people.
- Where
- Vastrapur Garden in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
- When
- The incident occurred on Thursday evening; police and media reports discussed it on Friday, August 28.
- Why
- Police said the confrontation concerned the participants’ choice to read Malala Yousafzai’s memoir; the articles do not provide a direct explanation from the alleged attackers.
Reading Participants and Supporters
Alleged Activists Who Objected
Choice of book
Reading Participants and Supporters
The participants held a public reading of I Am Malala, and Pawan Khera defended Malala’s record of opposing attacks on girls’ education.
Alleged Activists Who Objected
The alleged group confronted the participants and demanded to know why they had read Malala Yousafzai’s memoir; the articles provide no direct statement explaining the objection.
Characterization of the incident
Reading Participants and Supporters
The reading was described as peaceful before the confrontation, and police said two participants were injured during the resulting scuffle.
Alleged Activists Who Objected
The group was described as claiming affiliation with Bajrang Dal and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad; police, rather than the group itself, reported that some attackers carried sticks.
Broader concerns
Reading Participants and Supporters
Khera characterized the incident as involving ignorance and communalism, while the reports linked it to concerns about freedom of expression.
Alleged Activists Who Objected
The articles do not include a response from Bajrang Dal or the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, so their broader position cannot be independently stated.
Key facts
- Book
- I Am Malala, the memoir by Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai
- Location
- Vastrapur Garden, Ahmedabad, Gujarat
- People at reading
- Nearly 20 people, including women, attended the session
- Alleged confronting group
- About 18 to 20 people who claimed affiliation with Bajrang Dal and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad
- Injuries
- Two people were injured in the scuffle
- Police action
- Three people were arrested and six others identified
- Legal action
- An FIR was registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita provisions related to rioting, unlawful assembly and causing physical pain
- Political reaction
- Congress leader Pawan Khera criticized the alleged attack in a post on X
Quotes
G M Chaudhary
Inspector at Vastrapur police station
“But. Malala rose to prominence for standing up to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan when it took control of Swat, burnt down girls’ schools and banned girls from studying. Which, by the Right Wing’s own logic, makes Malala the perfect icon for their endless campaign to ‘save Muslim women’”
theprint.in
“At Ahmedabad’s Vastrapur Public Garden, Bajrang Dal members disrupted a reading event and assaulted a civil society group because they were reading Malala Yousafzai’s book. Their logic? A Muslim Malala’s book cannot be read”
theprint.in
Sources
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