IIT Bombay has fined eight students, some graduating and others juniors, up to Rs 1.2 lakh each for their involvement in staging the play “Raahovan” during the institution’s annual performing arts festival on March 31. This play sparked controversy for its portrayal of Lord Ram and the Ramayana, with videos from the event going viral on social media and reigniting debates over the boundaries of artistic expression and religious sensitivities.
Graduating students face fines of Rs 1.2 lakh each and are ineligible for gymkhana awards, while junior students have been fined Rs 40,000 each and are restricted from using hostel facilities. These penalties were imposed based on recommendations from a disciplinary committee following complaints about the play’s perceived mockery and disrespect towards Hindu deities such as Lord Ram, Goddess Sita, and other characters from the Ramayana. The play reportedly offered a modern and feminist interpretation of the epic, but it was deemed objectionable and insensitive by many viewers.
In a similar incident, Pondicherry University also faced backlash for a performance titled “Somayanam” during its ‘Ezhini 2k24’ cultural festival on March 29. The play depicted controversial interpretations of Ramayana characters, including scenes showing Sita Mata offering beef to Ravana and making derogatory comments about marriage, along with mocking Lord Hanuman’s tail as an antenna. This portrayal led to widespread protests from the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), a student organization linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
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