JNU students union calls for boycotting convocation on August 8

New Delhi: Accusing JNU VC M Jagadesh Kumar of "muzzling their democratic rights", the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) on Monday called for boycotting the university's convocation on August 8.

Almost 46 years after it held its first convocation, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) will be hosting its second convocation this month for awarding degrees to PhD scholars. The JNUSU alleged that for the last two-and-a-half years, they have witnessed a "systematic destruction of our campus led by its VC, M Jagadesh Kumar".  

"The VC and his political masters, through their anti-student and anti-social justice policies like research seat cut, scuttling reservations, fee hikes, victimisation and targeting of student activists through fines and punishments, have tried their best to demolish JNU and all that this university stands for," the students' union said in a statement. It called the convocation a "photo-op" in the name of distribution of degrees.

"We would like to say it loud and clear - VC, we have earned the degree because of our efforts and the commitment of our teachers. We owe our degrees to the democratic culture of JNU, and the destroyer of JNU has no moral authority to distribute our degrees!" the statement said.

The JNUSU appealed the JNU community to "boycott the VC's convocation". The union will also be holding an event inside the campus after the convocation on August 8. Former union members and teachers are expected to attend the event.