The unrest over Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) took an ugly turn when a mob clad in black coats inside the Patiala House Courts attacked not only the teachers and students who had come to support JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar but anyone in their way, including the mediapersons on February 15. But it turned out to be a booster for the students community to mobilise supporters to march on the streets of the Capital last week.
“What is it that threatens those who call us anti-nationalsIJ Is it the unity of teachers and students or the heterogeneous culture of the universityIJ” asked Nivedita Menon, the faculty school of International Sciences and defended the JNU fraternity, saying they did not leave any topic concerning the nation untouched. “Be it caste, oppression or Markism… we embarked on every topic in this campus,” she said while addressing the students after being attacked inside the courtroom last week.
In response to the allegations that JNU is “anti-national” over the event to commemorate the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, the JNUTA and JNUSU has been holding a series of open-classrooms on “Nationalism” as a protest to defend them. So far, four classes have been conducted by JNU faculty below the administration block where the Tricolour flies high.
Meanwhile, the ABVP also held counter protests demanding “stringent punishment” against those who shouted “anti-national” slogans.
While the attack inside the court premises and “media agression” created a not so favourable environment for the JNU students, the JNUSU called for first protest outside campus on February 19.
Thousands of students, teachers and people from different walks of life, thronged the streets in solidarity with the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Thursday.
Holding roses to symbolise with love for the country and non-violence, the protesters marched from Mandi House to Parliament Street demanding release of Kanhaiya.
Students and faculty from JNU, Delhi University, Allahabad University, Jamia Millia Islamia, and Hyderabad University with other institutes like AIIMS and political personalities like Brinda Karat joined the march and shouted slogans against the Delhi Police and the Government.
“We are happy and grateful to everyone who came out in our support. This was an important move as fear was being instilled among JNU community for not letting them to move out,” JNUSU vice-president Shehla Rashid Shora told The Pioneer.
A section of teachers have also pulled out from JNUTA’s support to the on-going student protests. Hariram Mishra, faculty from Sanskrit Department said that he opposed the support of teachers for the people who indulged in “anti-national” activities.