NEW DELHI: Jawaharlal Nehru University is back in the headlines after two years — this time for violent clashes over the non-vegetarian food being served in the hostel mess. The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) activists did not allow the food to be served on the occasion of Ram Navami, claimed the pro-Left students while the ABVP responded that the latter were not allowing the pooja to be held peacefully.
Following this blame game, a massive scuffle took place at the time of the dinner in the hostel premises between the two groups. Several purported videos of the violence also surfaced on social media, with one of them showing a student, Akhtarista Ansari, bleeding from the head. Police officials however have not confirmed the authenticity of the videos.
The JNU’s main entrance witnessed huge chaos on Monday with different student organisations giving statements and condemning the ABVP’s behaviour. While the JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) met the Delhi ACP and filed a complaint, the ABVP also got three of their activists to file counter complaints.
What the student organisations said
The JNU and its hostels are meant to be inclusive spaces for all and not one particular section. Students from different physical, social and cultural backgrounds have different food preferences that must be respected and catered to. “This act of ABVP only signified their exclusionary politics and right wing Hindutva policies to hegemonise democratic and secular spaces like the JNU,” said Aishe Ghosh, president, JNUSU. She said that Delhi police was also present at the time of the incident but remained a mute spectator.
The ABVP, however, in a statement said, “ABVP confirms that this event was organised by hostel residents only. This act of politicising a religious celebration by the left is a shameful act and ABVP condemns it.”
Mayukh Biswas, General Secretary of SFI, said, “Since evening ABVP has been attacking the mess committee to change the dinner menu and forcing them to exclude the usual non-vegetarian items in it for all students.”
Saoumya Samal, secretary, All India Democratic Students Organisation (AIDSO), said, “ABVP forcefully tried to stop the serving of non-vegetarian dinner at the Kaveri hostel on the pretext that it was polluting the puja. They manhandled the Kaveri hostel secretary.”