Mahmood Farooqui's performance at IIT Bombay cancelled as students protests

Filmmaker Mahmood Farooqui's story-telling performance at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay was cancelled on Saturday as a section of students opposed it, claiming it will insult the survivors of sexual assault.

Farooqui, a writer, performer and director who was convicted in a sexual assault case by the trial court but later acquitted by the high court, was to perform `Dastan-E Karn Az Mahabharat', a retelling of the life of the Karna of Mahabharata, at IIT-B's `Izhaar' festival.

When contacted, an IIT-B official confirmed the cancellation.

IIT-B for Bharat, a students' body, in a letter stated that hosting Farooqui at the institute would be a direct insult to the survivors of sexual assault. ''Hosting Farooqui at IIT Bombay risks conveying a message that undermines our institution's stance on the safety, respect and dignity of all students. For survivors of sexual assault and those who support them, his presence could create a campus environment that feels uncomfortable, triggering, and dismissive of survivors' experiences,'' said the letter.

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