Delhi University’s Ramjas College on Tuesday called off a seminar being held on campus following violent protests from of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and members of the varsity’s student union. Umar Khalid was scheduled to speak in the afternoon on ‘The War in Adivasi Areas’ at an event titled ‘Cultures of Protest’ that was organised by the literary Society of Ramjas College.
Khalid was among the students charged with sedition in connection with an event at JNU last year where anti-national slogans were allegedly raised, Shehla Rashid, a former JNU student’s union member, was instrumental in the movement against the students’ arrest.
The two students were scheduled to take part in a session during a two-day seminar on “Culture of Protest” organised by Wordcraft, Ramjas College’s literary Society.
Khalid was supposed to speak on ‘The War in Adivasi areas’ which happens to be his PhD subject as well, while Shehla’s session was scheduled for Wednesday.
Members of Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) and RSS’ students wing ABVP gathered outside the college and shouted slogans demanding that the invite to the “anti-nationals” be cancelled. Organisers of the seminar claimed that the ABVP members “pelted stones, locked the seminar room and cut the electricity supply”, a charge denied by the ABVP.
“While the seminar will continue we decided to cancel participation of these two students. It is not that we do not advocate freedom of speech but it had to be done keeping peace and harmony of campus in mind,” Ramjas principal Rajendar Prasad said.
Vinita Chandra, professor at the college’s English department and one of the organisers, said, “They locked the seminar room, cut the electricity supply and pelted stones at the window as well. I wonder why police was not involved in handling the situation”.
The principal did not comment on the allegations of lockdown and stone pelting. Police officials claimed that they were present on campus and there was no violence.
DUSU president Amit Tanwar claimed that they raisedslogans objecting to the two students’ presence on campus but the protest was not violent.