A scheduled discussion on academic and writer Professor Anand Teltumbde’s book at the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival was cancelled at the last moment, following a request from the Mumbai Police, festival organisers confirmed.
The session, titled “Incarcerated: Tales from Behind Bars,” was to be held at the David Sassoon Library as part of the festival’s literary programme. The discussion was planned around Teltumbde’s recently published prison memoir, which recounts his experiences during incarceration in connection with the Bhima Koregaon case.
According to organisers, the decision to cancel the event was taken after details of the programme circulated on social media, leading to objections and online backlash from certain groups. Soon after, the police reportedly conveyed security concerns and advised that the event not be held. Participants were also asked to remove promotional posts related to the discussion.
The panel was expected to include Anand Teltumbde, journalist and author Neeta Kolhatkar, and was to be moderated by Naresh Fernandes, editor of Scroll.
Reacting to the cancellation, Teltumbde described the move as “unfortunate,” stating that a discussion on an already published book should not warrant such action. Kolhatkar termed the cancellation an example of growing restrictions on free expression and public dialogue.
The incident has reignited debate around freedom of speech, censorship, and the shrinking space for dissenting voices at cultural and literary platforms in India.
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