A peaceful reading session in Ahmedabad’s Vastrapur area turned violent on August 27 after a group of men identified as members of the Bajrang Dal confronted participants, questioned the books they were reading, and assaulted several students and residents, according to a statement issued by the Student and Youth Collective Ahmedabad (SYCA).
The reading session was organised by SYCA and Gujarat Reads Anyway at the AUDA Garden near the DEO Office, Vastrapur, at around 4 pm. The organisers said the event was planned as a silent reading session focused on books promoting free thought and written by scholars, thinkers and activists from around the world.
Around 40 people attended the gathering. The organisers said both groups are volunteer-led and have no political affiliations.
Peaceful reading session begins at 4 pm
Participants began arriving at the garden with books they wanted to read. Among the books kept at the reading circle were Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl and Malala Yousafzai’s I Am Malala.
Books on Bhagat Singh and Jawaharlal Nehru were also among those available during the gathering.
According to SYCA, there were no slogans, banners or demonstrations from the organisers or participants during the reading session. The event was intended to remain a quiet gathering where people could read and discuss ideas.
At around 5:30 pm, organisers noticed a group of men carrying hockey sticks at the entrance of the garden. The group did not immediately interfere with the gathering.
However, as participants began preparing to leave around 6 pm, the men allegedly approached them and began questioning the purpose of the event and the books being read.
Group identifies itself as Bajrang Dal
According to the organisers, the men were carrying orange flags and scarves and were chanting “Jai Shree Ram.” They later identified themselves as members of the Bajrang Dal, with the group allegedly being led by Hiren Rabari.
The organisers alleged that the men repeatedly questioned why participants were reading Malala Yousafzai’s book.
During the confrontation, one of the men allegedly made a communal remark, saying: “pant utar ke dekh lena ki vo muslim hai ki nahi” — referring to checking whether people were Muslim.
Participants and volunteers attempted to prevent the situation from escalating. They reportedly showed the group books on Bhagat Singh and Nehru and tried to explain the purpose of the gathering.
According to the statement, the men refused to engage in a peaceful discussion and instead continued shouting and raising slogans.
One participant, Jay Thakkar, reportedly asked the men to sit down and speak with the participants. The organisers said the request was refused and that the situation appeared increasingly threatening.
National anthem fails to calm the situation
As tensions increased, Jay suggested that the participants sing the Indian national anthem in an attempt to prevent the confrontation from turning violent.
After the anthem ended, the participants also chanted “Bharat Mata Ki Jai.”
However, according to SYCA, the confrontation continued.
The Bajrang Dal members allegedly accused Jay of disrespecting the national anthem because his shoulder had moved while it was being sung. Another participant was allegedly accused of not chanting “Bharat Mata Ki Jai.”
The statement alleges that the participant was then assaulted.
The group also allegedly began tearing books, including a book on Bhagat Singh.
Several participants assaulted
SYCA alleged that the violence then spread as more members of the group began pushing and attacking participants.
The statement claims that the group had entered the garden carrying heavy sticks and lathis and that the attack was unprovoked. SYCA said participants did not retaliate violently at any point during the incident.
According to the statement, Jay Thakkar was among the first people attacked. He was allegedly beaten with lathis on his feet, back, legs, left elbow, head and stomach and was also punched and kicked.
Other participants, including M. Shashi Kumar, Savan Zalariya and Sneh Bhavsar, were also allegedly assaulted.
Sneh was reportedly beaten on the head, left hand, both legs, elbow and back.
The organisers said participants were taken to different parts of the area and were slapped, punched, scratched and beaten before they reached a police vehicle.
Attack continued near police vehicle
According to the statement, the violence continued even when police personnel were present.
Police officers reportedly told the participants to get inside the vehicle, warning them that the attackers could cause further harm.
The statement alleges that when M. Shashi Kumar was being placed inside the police vehicle, the attackers continued hitting him on his forehead, eyes, jaw and back with lathis. During the incident, a police officer was also allegedly hit on the hand.
Savan Zalariya was allegedly slapped, his glasses were broken, and he was beaten on his left ankle, head and near his waist with lathis, bats and punches before being placed inside the police vehicle.
The organisers also alleged that Swati Goswami was grabbed roughly by the arm and had her hair pulled, while Maitry Chhaiya was allegedly slapped several times on her back.
All of them were subsequently taken to Vastrapur police station, according to the statement.
Participant filming incident threatened
Another participant, Aadhya Chhatrola, was recording the incident on her phone.
SYCA alleged that members of the group threatened her and demanded to know why she was filming. According to the statement, she was told that if she did not stop recording, they would “make her disappear and no one would find her.”
The organisers said the threat was captured on video.
One of the men allegedly tried to take Aadhya’s phone by force. She reportedly shouted and managed to get away.
Organisers allege false claims were spread
The statement also alleges that people involved in the confrontation later spread claims that the gathering involved “anti-nationals and terrorists” who had gathered inside the park and needed to be taught a lesson.
SYCA rejected these claims and said the event had been publicly announced as a peaceful reading session.
The organisers stressed that the gathering had no slogans, banners or political demonstrations and that participants had gathered only to read and discuss books.
The statement further alleged that the attack took place in broad daylight, in front of police officers, passersby and people from different sections of society who had gathered for the reading.
Participants taken to police station, organisers raise questions
According to SYCA, the people who had attended the reading session were taken to the police station, while the people who allegedly attacked them were not taken to the station at the time.
The injured participants subsequently filed an FIR against members of the Bajrang Dal whom they accused of assaulting them.
SYCA said it has videos that it believes support the allegations made in its statement.
The organisation also said it was disappointed that three people allegedly involved in the violence were released on bail and called for stronger action against those responsible.
SYCA says reading session was about free thought
The organisers said the purpose of the reading session was not limited to the works of Anne Frank or Malala Yousafzai. They said the larger aim was to explore the ideas of people who questioned authority and encouraged critical thinking.
SYCA said it had no objection to dialogue and pointed to its attempts during the confrontation to speak peacefully with the group.
However, the organisation alleged that the Bajrang Dal members arrived carrying heavy sticks and lathis and were prepared to create a confrontation.
The tearing of books, particularly those related to Bhagat Singh, was also strongly condemned by the organisers.
‘We will not be silenced’, organisers say
SYCA condemned what it described as a “horrific and ruthless” attack on people participating in a peaceful reading session.
The organisation demanded that police take stricter action against those involved in the alleged violence.
It also said the incident would not stop students and members of civil society from organising gatherings around reading, discussion and critical thought.
“The youth and broader civil society will not be silenced by this violence,” the organisation said in its statement, adding that it would continue to oppose what it described as attempts by disruptive right-wing forces to suppress free thought and the right of people to gather peacefully.
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