Students and faculty of the Jawaharlal Nehru University have termed the administration’s action against JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar and other students as “vendetta politics” by the BJP at the Centr
Students and faculty of the Jawaharlal Nehru University have termed the administration’s action against JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar and other students as “vendetta politics” by the BJP at the Centre.
Soon after the varsity acted against its students in connection with a controversial event organised on the campus on February 9 to mark the death anniversary of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, the students and the faculty voiced their concern, saying such decisions were bound to further vitiate the atmosphere on the campus. “Why do they want to divide the students by taking such harsh decisions ” The matter is in the court. The administration should allow the courts to take a call on the matter,” a student told this newspaper.
Om Vashisht, a history professor said, such a decision is a black mark on education itself and that the JNU teachers largely reject the report and would protest against the JNU administration’s decision.
“Kanhaiya has been fined Rs 10,000. How will he be able to pay so much of money since he is from a poor background. Rusticating students is an easy job, but it completely destroys the life of the student rusticated, Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya in this case. The government is anti-student. It is not satisfied with the suicide of Rohith Vemula,” he said.
A Ph.D. student, Lata Kumari, said the JNU administration did not apprise the students and the teachers before announcing their decision to the media. “The administration acted very callously as they did not address the students and teachers before announcing the punishment. They directly told the media. The three-member inquiry committee is any way undemocratic, which is why we never entertained it,” Ms Kumari said.
JNUSU vice-president Shehla Rashid rejected the inquiry report, terming it “farcical,” biased and based on sheer vendetta. “We completely reject this farcical inquiry report, as it is based on sheer vendetta and is a biased inquiry. These students are innocent dedicated activists and this is a conspiracy to crush anti-Modi voices,” Ms Rashid said, adding, ”We will not remain silent and will challenge this sham of a report.”
“The punishments are all based on one-sided statements from the ABVP members, and our repeated calls to conduct a fair inquiry were ignored. Students across the country have assured support to us. People from all walks of life are supporting the JNU students against this targeting. We will launch a countrywide campaign to expose this government’s anti-student, anti-Dalit character,” she added.
