jnu

The JNU row over the organization of a meeting by some students on 9 February on the anniversary of hanging of Afzal Guru and the so called anti-national slogans given there has already exposed the evil design of the ABVP/BJP combine to break the left students’ domination and open up this prestigious campus for saffronization.

It is already established in the public domain that the videos of the function showing those slogan shouting were doctored and were repeatedly shown by some channels invited by the ABVP to whip up public hysteria. They were used as the basis for the arrests of the students and slap serious cases on them. The lynch mobs were unleashed to beat Kanhaiya Kumar, President, JNU Students Union (JNUSU) in the court premises under the nose of the Delhi police. Instead of taking action against the culprits who doctored the video, the Police who allowed the lynch mob of the BJP to beat up Kanhaiya Kumar, and the people who comprised this lynch mob, the students are being harassed by the government through its puppet VC, Prof Jagdish Kumar.

The `high level enquiry committee’ (HLEC) instituted by him to go into this incidence is said to be in contravention of the University statutes. Both, the teachers association (JNUTA) and the students union (JNUSU) had objected that the terms of reference of the committee, its procedure and composition were neither made clear nor appeared to fulfill any established norms or criteria. The constitution of the HLEC and the process it followed have been flawed by a panel of legal experts headed by Chief Justice (retd) A.P. Shah, approached by the teachers association (JNUTA). The panel has termed it as violative of both the rule of constitutional law and the principles of natural justice. The JNU student community has summarily rejected the legitimacy of this sham committee.

Some of the students punished by the VC have already cases pending against them and the VC should have known that he cannot take over the adjudication of the matter that is before the courts.

The brave students have responded to the university’s action with an indefinite hunger strike by 20 students including JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar and Secretary Rama Naga, from the night of 27th April 2016. Most campuses are busy with their annual examinations. Once they are through it, the floodgates of protests shall be opened to drown the sinister design of the saffron forces.

CPDR condemns the unjust and illegal action of the VC of JNU against the students and demands

  • Forthwith withdrawal of the punishments awarded to the students and ex students

  • Institution of an independent enquiry into the entire episode to identify the criminals responsible for the doctoring the videos and consequent harassment of the students

  • Action against the Delhi Police for dereliction of duty and abetment in crime of beating Kanhaiya Kumar

  • Withdrawal of the court cases against the students as they were apparently based on doctored evidence.

Dr Anand Teltumbde

General Secretary

Committee for Protection of Democratic Rights (CPDR)