NEW DELHI: The Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers Association (JNUTA) on Monday after a one hour meeting with the Vice Chancellor M. Jagadesh Kumar demanded for dropping of charges against the five students and termination of the current enquiry committee set up by the varsity to investigate the February 9th event.
JNUTA General Secretary Vikramaditya said “We demand that the University should immediately drop the charges of sedition and criminal conspiracy, the officiating registrar be removed, immediate termination of the current enquiry and the lastly the university should withdraw in writing the blanket access given to the police.” We stand in solidarity with our students, he added.
The five students are identified as –Umar Khalid member of the Democratic Student Union (DSU), Rama Naga JNU Student Union(JNUSU) General Secretary, Ashutosh AISA Secretary, Anirban Bhattacharya and Former JNUSU vice-president Anant Narayan. Five along with Umar have declared that they are not afraid and the police is welcome to arrest them.
However, Delhi Police Chief BS Bassi, making it clear that he believes it is for the students to prove their innocence, said: "They should join the probe. If they say they are innocent, they should present evidence of their innocence."
The University administration has not accepted any of the demand nor has it allowed the Delhi police to enter the campus. The police have said that the students to surrender, right now the situation are back to square one.
Umar Khalid addressing the students said "We don't agree with, nor did we raise, the other slogans that have been reported. I want to say that I don't believe in any nationalism. I dream of a world without nations or boundaries. It is up to us to create that world."
"For the first time in seven years, in the last 10 days, I was made to feel like a Muslim. I was reduced to my identity and it is shameful... These people are telling us about patriotism... They may have majority but they are scared of us... they are scared of our struggle, they are afraid of us because we think...,"Khalid added.
Ashutosh told Express “The way students came out in support for us earlier made encouraged us to come back. We believe in the system, but the way Kanhaiya was attacked we were scared us. The media created frenzy about JNU being anti-nationalist is wrong.”
Disagreeing to this JNUSU Joint Secretary Saurabh Sharma said “The court, administration and the police should work together to find a way to this situation which is causing severe damage to the student classes. The teachers who are defending the accused students have links with ISI and Maoists, these students were binge protected and sheltered by the teachers for all this time.” Sharma is the only ABVP member of the Student Union.
Meanwhile extending full support to the students who are wanted for question by the police, the JNSU Vice-President Shehla Rashid Shora made a call of unity to the students “join us take the march to their doorstep, unite for justice to Rohith Vermula” said while calling for a rally tomorrow.
Surrounded by students, teachers the five remained in the protest site dedicated to Rohit Vermula beside the administration block. Food, beverage eager students had to make through past three checks-internal security guards, teachers and members of the JNUSU to catch a glimpse of the students.
Meanwhile as per sources the High Level Enquiry Committee setup by the varsity comprising of three faculty members, was expected to submit its final report by the 25th of February now it has postponed it to 3rd March.