We, the concerned Nagaland students and alumni of Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, hereby make some clarifications on the recent incident that unfolded in the campus and put forward our positions on the same:
– What happened on campus: On 9th Feb 2016, a group of students organized a “cultural event” in which some slogans against India were allegedly raised. Following this, the Vice Chancellor authorized the Delhi police to raid the campus and arrest the JNUSU president, who is not a member of the said group, on sedition charges violating the autonomy of the university. The university has since then been branded as a space of anti-nationals, terrorists and Maoists and its normal functioning has been suspended. As a result of the above incident, JNU community has faced accusations and threat to our physical safety within and beyond the campus.
– What JNU stands for: In the words of Jawaharlal Nehru, “A University stands for humanism. For tolerance, for reason, for the adventure of ideas and for the search of truth. It stands for the onward march of the human race towards ever higher objectives. If the Universities discharge their duties adequately, then it is well with the Nation and the People.”
JNU epitomizes unity in diversity; it is a space of inclusiveness where different ideas are discussed and debated and often questions received knowledge and ideas that may be uncomfortable.
– What is JNUSU? The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union is a democratically elected body and has a long history of struggle against oppressive regimes, victimization of minorities, casteism, demands for scholarship, patriarchal structures and injustice of various forms.
– What we stand for: We the undersigned stand for affirmative policies, for the upliftment of the weak and poor sections of society, minority rights, justice, democracy and freedom of expression under the provisions of the Constitution.
– Statement: While every individual, group or party has the fundamental right to freedom of expression, we question the wisdom of the members of the BJP, Nagaland unit, in holding a protest rally (and the proposed upcoming campaign) to tarnish JNU and its intellectual, progressive and democratic ethos that have been built over the decades. We also question the wisdom of office bearers of the Nagaland unit, when the State at the Centre endorses the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, curb the right to food habits, religious freedom, cuts on education funds, aims to establish a homogeneous idea of nation based on Hindutva ideology, the political and cultural appropriation of the Heraka movement, and the indoctrination of school children in some villages. We do not endorse the aforementioned slogans and we also condemn the propaganda of slander to defame JNU, the use of physical force, and the curbs on freedom of expression, the disregard for rule of law within and beyond the JNU campus.
– Appeal: We also appeal to the local media to ascertain facts before publication to avoid undue defamation of the institution and aggravating the situation. This also holds true for coverage and reporting on other issues.
Concerned Nagaland students and alumni of Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
