KL Report
SRINAGAR
Authorities on Wednesday banned internationally acclaimed author, researcher and scholar Mridu Rai from delivering a lecture in a local hotel in the summer capital.
“The hotel management informed Roy that police have not allowed them to spare space for her lecture,” sources said.
“At the last moment the government has threatened action against Hotel Grand Mumtaz, Srinagar, if they allowed the Pt Rughonath Vaishnavi Annual Talk which was scheduled to be delivered by Prof Mridu Rai,” said Khuram Parvaiz, a rights activist and Coalition of Civil Society office bearer.
“Under the law, there is no requirement for any permission for holding such an event at a private hotel,” Khurram added. “This ban is consistent with the government’s policy of disallowing academic, cultural and political activity in Kashmir. We regret the disappointment the ban has caused the organizers as well as many of you who planned to join the event.”
A press conference will be addressed by the organizers outside the office of JKCCS (The Bund – Amira Kadal, opposite Abdullah News Agency) at 3 pm to explain the means deployed by the authorities to “sabotage” this important event.
