NEW DELHI: A day after MP Shashi Tharoor wrote on X regarding the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) decision restricting Onam celebrations on campus, calling it a hugely retrograde step, JNU responded to him on social media saying JNU administration is secular and all ‘so called’ cultural festivals can’t be celebrated long after it is over.
Tharoor, on X, said,“JNU has blocked Onam celebrations by Keralite students on campus, a hugely retrograde step. Onam is a secular festival celebrating equality... JNU should be encouraging such celebrations, not banning them.”
JNU responded to this saying, “Onam was in August. No permission for a food festival was taken. The poster released was a political manipulation of a festival. JNU admin is secular and all so called cultural festivals can’t be celebrated long after it is over.”“No letter was sent to the Vice Chancellor for permission. Half truths need to be verified and condemned, not glorified,” the post read.
However, the students’ groups said many religious gatherings have been held within the premises in the presence of the VC. “Citing “religiosity” to cancel the booking for the Onam venue should be seen as an “attack on the harvest festival and on farmers and working people across state boundaries,” a statement from a student body said.
“This is a clear attempt by the Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit administration, backed by the RSS, to control how people celebrate it,” it added.Aishe Ghosh, JNUSU president, said, “Lies won’t work. A detailed description of events, mentioning a food festival was provided to the authority.”