Solidarity with JNU from Columbia University

As we write this letter asking for your support, teachers and students at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, one of the prime institutions of learning in India are fighting a situation of siege brought upon by the right wing Hindu regime and its police.

Over the last few days, since the arrest of the democratically elected president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Student Union (JNUSU) Kanhaiya Kumar by the Delhi police on unproven and false charges of ‘sedition’ (according to the act of IPC 124 A), the university campus has been witnessing a battle between students and the government.

Seven other students who organized a cultural event calling for the right to self-determination of Kashmir has been identified as ‘anti-national’ by the representatives of the right wing government and a section of the Indian public media. A FIR has been lodged against them under the colonial act of IPC 124 A citing a case of ‘sedition’.

There has been a concerted effort towards framing charges and allegations against the larger body of students in all public and social media spaces and the website of the university library has been hacked in order to send threat mails. As several calls to shut down the institution made by the representatives of the BJP/RSS/ABVP (the Hindu right wing political and militant organizations) indicate this is an attack on the institution of Indian Public University where right to speech and expression of collective dissent forms the cornerstone of conducting oneself as a free thinking individual.

In a recent incident, a group of senior faculty members from the institution consisting mostly of female teachers accompanied by two male colleagues and some reporters were physically harmed by these groups within the vicinity of the Patiala Court in New Delhi where the case against Kanhaiya Kumar was up for hearing. The situation has snowballed into a serious fight initiated by the Delhi police and the central government in order to crush every form of dissent against the upper-caste Hindu regime.

Over the last few days various institutions in India and abroad has come forward in support of JNU condemning the action of the police and demanding immediate resolution to the deadlock created by the government. We the students at Columbia University believe that it is our responsibility to stand by the students and teachers of JNU in this hour of unprecedented crisis. Towards this end, we have drafted a petition and are organizing an online signature campaign in the next few days. We earnestly seek your cooperation in joining us in condemning this incident by reading and signing the petition attached along with the mail.