‘How dare you threaten students?’: Jamia, JNU face backlash over protest advisories

NEW DELHI 

A day after Delhi University (DU) issued a similar advisory, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Jamia Millia Islamia issued advisories asking students to “refrain from participating” in gatherings in and around Jantar Mantar, adding that violations may invite legal consequences as well as disciplinary action.

The advisories drew sharp criticism from Opposition leaders, who said they would have a “chilling effect on democratic speech and expression”.

‘Legal consequences’

In its advisory, JNU stated: “Please exercise responsibility on social media. Violations may invite legal consequences under applicable laws as well as disciplinary action under the University’s code of conduct.”

By evening, Jamia also issued an advisory on social media, stating that students worked hard and travelled from across the country to study at the university. It added: “Nothing is worth placing at risk a future nurtured through such hard work, dedication and sacrifice.”

“In keeping with the assurances of the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India himself that the interests of the students shall be safeguarded and stern action will be taken against those who have played with the future of the students, JMI appeals to all its students and stakeholders to refrain from any activity that is not in keeping with the law,” it added. The advisory asked students to focus on their studies.

‘Exercising their rights’

Responding to the JNU advisory, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, “How dare you threaten students for exercising their democratic rights? Please note, you are the ones who will be held accountable when the time comes.”

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said that instead of making Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resign and then start a meaningful discussion on the education system, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have resorted to denigrating the centres of learning”.

Party MP Shashi Tharoor reacted to DU’s advisory, saying that even during the days of the JP Movement leading up to the Emergency in 1975, there was no bar on DU students protesting. He said, “A university is meant to teach critical thinking and independent assessment of issues, not to stifle these very qualities.”

He argued that most DU students were not privileged enough to ignore such a sternly worded warning without fearing consequences to their academic or professional prospects if they attended the protests.

Congress MP and general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal called the advisories a “travesty”, saying that DU and JNU had a long history of fostering healthy debate and shaping India’s political discourse. “These universities should withdraw these circulars at the earliest. They are blatantly unconstitutional,” he said.

The advisories also drew criticism from students, who pointed out that their universities had a history of student movements and said the latest advisories showed that the institutions were now “compromised”.

‘Act of intimidation’

The JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) condemned the “anti-democratic and anti-constitutional” advisory, calling it a “blatant act of intimidation designed to silence dissent”. It added that the ongoing youth movement was a culmination of a decade of suppression and crackdown on dissent.

“Rising unemployment, shrinking expenditure on education, and a relentless spate of paper leaks have left students with no option but to take to the streets. JNUSU stands firmly with this movement and with the youth of this nation, who continue to march despite lathi charges, tear gas, water cannons, firing and pellet guns,” it said in a statement.