NEW DELHI: A day after the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) issued a strongly worded statement condemning the termination of Rohan V H Choudhari from the Centre for Political Studies, the campus witnessed a significant student-led demonstration in solidarity with the professor.
From Friday morning, students began assembling outside the activity centre. The protest was spontaneous, and students cited the seriousness of the issue and the implications for academic freedom as their motivation to gather.
Holding placards that read “We Stand with Rohan”, “Dissent is not a crime”, and “No to authoritarianism, yes to academic freedom”, students from across disciplines, including literature, sociology, and even engineering, joined the demonstration.
Several faculty members were also seen quietly standing with the crowd, some choosing anonymity, while others made their presence known in a show of defiance.
Speaking at the protest, JNUSU president Nitish Kumar said, “Rohan’s termination is not just an attack on him; it is an attack on every student who dares to question, every teacher who refuses to submit, and every idea that challenges the status quo.”
JNUSU vice-president Manisha echoed similar sentiments, adding, “When a teacher is punished for not falling in line, it is the students who are being told to stay silent. But we will not be silent or afraid.”
Meanwhile, the general secretary, Munteha Fatima, announced that the students’ union would soon begin a series of sit-ins, solidarity lectures, and open mics aimed at raising awareness about the increasing threats to academic independence and intellectual freedom on campus.
The silent protest culminated in a candlelight vigil outside the Centre for Political Studies. Students sat in quiet solidarity, holding up photos of Choudhari. A sign placed at the front read, “This university taught us to question. We won’t forget.”