• Actions in JNU an attempt at diverting the students anger over Rohith Vemula's suicide and continued discrimination
• Withdraw Police from JNU Campus, let there be an impartial enquiry in the incidents of February 9th by University
• Release Kanhaiya Kumar immediately and withdraw all charges
Delhi Police and its high-handedness has once again come to the scrutiny and makes us question if it is acting as a political tool rather than being the enforcer of the law and order situation in the State. The swift move to arrest Kanhaiya Kumar, the President of the JNUSU, on charges of sedition is highly condemnable. A witch-hunt is going on at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus and everyone is seen as a suspect at this moment. This must stop immediately.
The facts of the incidents on February 9 are not yet clear but trumped charges, media hyperbole and complete polarisation of views have created a situation where one of the top-most universities of the country is being targeted and maligned. The political dissent of the students with the ruling establishment as evident on several occasions now, #OccupyUGC, #Rohith Vemula's Suicide and others, is being used to criminalise them and term the whole campus as a den of Pakistani sympathisers, terrorists and Naxalites. This is completely malicious and fictitious and will only vitiate the atmosphere.
We need to remember that there is simmering tension and anger in university campuses across the country, thousands are marching everyday in different campuses bringing to the fore the wrongs within the higher education system and the discriminations which prevail there. However, rather than addressing any of these issues, be it the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan as the FTII Chairperson, curtailing of non-NET fellowships, suicides of Dalit and other students, increased interventions from the communal forces in teaching, syllabus or administration etc. the NDA Government and HRD Minister have only unleashed state terror on them.
The current actions by the government at the JNU can't be seen in isolation and needs to be viewed as a part of the larger conspiracy to divert attention and seek political dividends in forthcoming elections and criminalise any political dissent or questioning of the govern-ment in the country today.
In the specific incidents of the shouting of anti-national slogans, let there be an independent and impartial enquiry conducted but it doesn't behove of a democracy that we unleash police on the campus and start a witch-hunt in the heart of the capital and criminalise the whole University.
It's time the government took measures to instil confidence in the rule of law and not engage in political vendetta for narrow political gains. The NAPM demands immediate release of the JNUSU President, Kanhaiya Kumar, and let an impartial enquiry be conducted by the University and bring the facts to light and the public domain. Delhi Police must vacate the campus immediately and stop the witch-hunt and withdraw the FIR against unnamed persons. We also urge some of the news channels engaged in complete hyperbole to behave responsibly and not engage in spreading misinformation and further vitiate the atmosphere.
Medha Patkar, Narmada Bachao Andolan and the National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM); Prafulla Samantarai, Lok Shakti Abhiyan and Lingraj Azad, Samajwadi Jan Parishad - Niyamgiri Suraksha Samiti, NAPM, Odisha; Dr Sunilam, Aradhna Bhargava, Kisan Sangharsh Samiti and Meera,Narmada Bachao Andolan, NAPM, MP; Suniti S.R., Suhas Kolhekar, Prasad Bagwe, NAPM, Maharashtra; Gabriele Dietrich, Geetha Ramakrishnan, Unorganised Sector Workers Federation, NAPM, TN; C.R. Neelkandan,NAPM Kerala; P. Chennaiah and Ramakrishnam Raju, NAPM Andhra Pradesh; Arundhati Dhuru, Richa Singh, Nandlal Master,NAPM, UP; Sister Celia; Domestic Workers Union and Rukmini V.P., Garment Labour Union, NAPM, Karnataka; Vimal Bhai, Matu Jan Sangathan and Jabar Singh, NAPM, Uttarakhand; Anand Mazgaonkar, Krishnakant, Paryavaran Suraksh Samiti, NAPM, Gujarat; Kamayani Swami, Ashish Ranjan, Jan Jagran Shakti Sangathan and Mahendra Yadav, Kosi Navnirman Manch, NAPM, Bihar; Faisal Khan, Khudai Khidmatgar, J.S. Walia, NAPM, Haryana; Kailash Meena, NAPM, Rajasthan; Amitava Mitra and Sujato Bhadra, NAPM, West Bengal; Bhupender Singh Rawat, Jan Sangharsh Vahini and Rajendra Ravi,Madhuresh Kumar and Shabnam Shaikh, NAPM, Delhi (February 13, 2016)
Solidarity Statement by International Scholars and Former JNU Students
We, the undersigned, stand in solidarity with the students, faculty and staff of the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi against the illegal ongoing police action since February 9, 2016. With them, we affirm the autonomy of the university as a non-militarised space for freedom of thought and expression. Accordingly, we condemn police presence on the campus and the harassment of students on the basis of their political beliefs.
The charge of sedition, under the guise of which the police have been given a carte blanche to enter the JNU campus, raid student hostels, arrest and detain students, including Kanhaiya Kumar, the current President of the JNU Students Union, is an alibi for the incursion of an autho-ritarian regime onto the university campus. Under Indian law sedition applies only to words and actions that directly issue a call to violence. The peaceful demonstration and gathering of citizens does not constitute criminal conduct. The police action on the JNU campus is illegal under the Constitution of India.
An open, tolerant, and democratic society is inextricably linked to critical thought and expression cultivated by universities in India and abroad. As teachers, students, and scholars across the world, we are watching with extreme concern the situation unfolding at the JNU and refuse to remain silent as our colleagues (students, staff, and faculty) resist the illegal detention and autocratic suspension of students. We urge the Vice-Chancellor of the Jawaharlal Nehru University to protect members of the university community and safeguard their rights.
1. Asma Abbas, Bard College at Simon's Rock
2. Syed Shahid Abbas, Institute of Develop-ment Studies, Brighton, UK
3. Gilbert Achcar, SOAS, University of London
4. Katie Addleman, University of Toronto
5. Barun Adhikary, JNU
6. Aniket Aga, Yale University
7. Ashish Aggarwal (JNU 2012)
8. Aftab Ahmad (JNU 2000), Columbia University
9. Aijaz Ahmad, University of California, Irvine
10. Meena Alexander, City University of New York
11. Nosheen Ali, Habib University
12. Tariq Omar Ali, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign
13. Liyanage Amarakeerthi, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
14. Harini Amarasuriya, Open University of Sri Lanka
15. Eyal Amiran, UC Irvine, California, USA
16. Dibyesh Anand, University of Westminster
17. Sundari Anitha (JNU 1996), University of Lincoln Brayford Pool
18. Ponni Arasu (JNU 2005), University of Toronto
19. Jayadev Athreya, University of Washington
20. Anjali Arondekar, University of California, Santa Cruz
21. Saurabh Arora, University of Sussex
22. Edward Anderson (JNU 2009), Cambridge University
23. Abdul Kalam Azad, TISS-UNICEF
24. Edward Bacal, University of Toronto
25. Nandita Badami (JNU 2011), University of California Irvine
26. Shiladitya Banerjee University of Chicago
27. Amit R. Baishya (JNU 2003), University of Oklahoma
28. Anirban Baishya (JNU 2013), University of Southern California
29. Aparna Balachandran (JNU 2000), Univer-sity of Delhi
30. Sai Balakrishnan, Harvard University
31. Ian Balfour, York University
32. Jairus Banaji (JNU 1975), SOAS, London
33. Murad Banaji, University of Middlesex
34. Sandeep Banerjee, McGill University
35. Sreenanti Banerjee, Birkbeck, University of London
36. Anustup Basu, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
37. Arani Basu (JNU 2015), Humboldt University
38. Ananyo “Tito” Basu, American Cooperative School of Tunis
39. Priyanka Basu (JNU 2011), SOAS, London
40. Srimati Basu, University of Kentucky
41. Subho Basu (JNU 1988), McGill University
42. Lalit Batra, University of Minnesota
43. Daniel Bender, University of Toronto
44. Ankur Betageri, IIT-Delhi
45. Madhav Badami, McGill University
46. Sukanya Banerjee, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
47. Homi Bhabha, Harvard University
48. Gurminder K Bhambra, University of Warwick/Linnaeus University
49. Brenna Bhandar, SOAS, University of London
50. V. Bhaskar (JNU 1981, JNUSU President 1981), University of Texas at Austin
51. Udit Bhatia, Oxford University
52. Varuni Bhatia (JNU), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
53. Enakshi Bhattacharya, IIT-Madras
54. Gargi Bhattacharyya, University of East London
55. Nandini Bhattacharya (JNU 2005), University of Dundee
56. Ritwik Bhattacharyya, Princeton Univer-sity
57. Shreya Bhattacherjee, (JNU 2010), University of California, Riverside
58. Soumyadip Bandyopadhyaya, IIT-Kharag-pur
59. Akeel Bilgrami, Columbia University
60. Debanjali Biswas (JNU 2011), King's College London
61. Nabaneeta Biswas, University of Georgia
62. Somak Biswas (JNU 2015), University of Warwick
63. Amiel Bize, Columbia University
64. Manuela Boatcã, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
65. Anannya Bohidar (JNU 2014), University of Pennsylvania
66. Jenisha Borah (JNU 2013)
67. David Boyk, University of California, Berkeley
68. Andrea Brock, University of Sussex
69. Wendy Brown, University of California, Berkeley
70. Kriti Budhiraja (JNU 2014), University of Minnesota Twin Cities
71. Allison Busch, Columbia University
72. Judith Butler, University of California, Berkeley
73. Erica Burman, University of Manchester
74. Utathya C. (JNU 2011), University of Illinois
75. Linda Carty, Syracuse University
76. Radhika Chadha (JNU 2005), Delhi University
77. Pavel Chakraborty (JNU 2003), Oxford University
78. Pratik Chakrabarti (JNU 2000), University of Manchester
79. Dipesh Chakrabarty, University of Chicago
80. Priyanka Chakraborty, Southern Methodist University
81. Paula Chakravartty, NYU
82. Aditi Chandra, University of California
83. Ananya Chatterjea, University of Minnesota
84. Anindita Chatterjee, University of Minnesota
85. Anomitro Chatterjee (JNU 2010), Georgia State Universit
86. Chandrayee Chatterjee (JNU 2012), Georgia State University.
87. Partha Chatterjee, Columbia University
88. Piya Chatterjee, Scripps College
89. Sreya Chatterjee (JNU 2004)
90. Sumita Dutt Chatterjee (JNU 1989), University of Miami
91. Sameer Chaturvedi, Jawaharlal Nehru University
92. Antara Ray Chaudhury, Jawaharlal Nehru University
93. Divya Cherian (JNU 2008), Rutgers University
94. Vanessa Chishti (JNU 2015)
95. Meghna Chaudhuri (JNU 2012), New York University
96. Francis Cody, University of Toronto
97. Dia Da Costa, University of Alberta
98. Bedatri Datta Choudhury (JNU 2012), New York University
99. Mrinalini Chakravorty, University of Virginia.
100. Lawrence Cohen, University of California, Berkeley
101. Aditi Surie von Czechowski, Columbia University
102. Katyayani Dalmia (JNU 2008), New School
103. Deepra Dandekar, University of Heidelberg, Germany
104. Chandler Davis, University of Toronto
105. Dharashree Das (JNU 2005), Simon Fraser University
106. Manishita Dass, Royal Holloway, University of London
107. Sangeeta Das (JNU 2007), Jawaharlal Nehru University
108. Satadru Das (JNU 2008), Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge
109. Ananya Dasgupta (JNU 2003), Case Western Reserve University
110. Rohit K. Dasgupta, University of Southampton
111. Sandipto Dasgupta, King's College, London
112. Sejuti Dasgupta (JNU 2010), Michigan State University
113. Natalie Zemon Davis, University of Toronto
114. Anuradha De (JNU 1992), CORD
115. Rohit De, Yale University
116. Siddhartha Deb, Writer, The New School
117. Sanchia deSouza, University of Toronto
118. Federico Demaria, ICTA UAB, Barcelona, Spain
119. Karishma Desai, Teachers College, Columbia University
120. Jigna Desai, University of Minnesota
121. Meenu Deswal (JNU 2014), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
122. Garima Dhabai (JNU 2015), Yale University
123. Meena Dhanda, University of Wolverhampton
124. Neha Dhole (JNU 2010), University of Pittsburgh
125. Rohan D'Souza (JNU 1998), Kyoto University
126. Debjani Dutta (JNU 2012), University of Southern California
127. Devika Dutt (2014), University of Massachusetts, Amherst
128. Timothy S. Dobe, Grinnell College
129. J Daniel Elam, University of Wisconsin-Madison
130. Kanishka Elupula (JNU 2008), Harvard University
131. Sara Feldman, University of Illinois
132. Peter Fitting, University of Toronto
133. Bashabi Fraser, Edinburgh Napier University
134. Kathleen Frederickson, University of California, Davis
135. Elaine Freedgood, New York University
136. Lina M. Fruzzetti, Brown University
137. Richard Fung, OCAD University
138. Debjani Ganguly, University of Virginia
139. Keya Ganguly, University of Minnesota
140. Tejaswini Ganti, NYU
141. Faisal Garba, University of Cape Town
142. Gaurav C. Garg (JNU 2013), New York University
143. David Gellner, Oxford University
144. Robert M. Geraci, Manhattan College
145. Roos Gerritsen, Heidelberg University and IIT Madras
146. Maitreesh Ghatak, London School of Economics
147. Bishnupriya Ghosh, University of California, Santa Barbara
148. Arunabh Ghosh, Harvard University
149. Vinay Gidwani, University of Minnesota
150. Natasha Ginwala (JNU 2010), curator
151. Tula Goenka, Syracuse University
152. Dishanka Gogoi, Jawaharlal Nehru University
153. Hugo Gorringe, University of Edinburgh
154. Manu Goswami, New York University
155. Anup Grewal, University of Toronto
156. Ann Grodzins Gold, Syracuse University
157. Priyamvada Gopal (JNU 1991), University of Cambridge
158. Mahesh Gopalan (JNU 2012), St. Stephen's College, New Delhi
159. Ratna Goradia (JNU 2008), New York Post
160. Yogita Goyal, University of California Los Angeles
161. Radhika Govindrajan (JNU 2006), University of Washington
162. Isabelle Guérin, Centre d'études en Sciences Sociales Sur Les Mondes Américains Africains et Asiatiques
163. Akhil Gupta, University of California, Los Angeles
164. Anoushka Gupta (JNU 2008), York University
165. Bishnupriya Gupta (JNU 1983), University of Warwick
166. Bipasha Guptaroy (JNU 1984), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
167. Shubhra Gururani, York University, Canada
168. Jaswant Guzder, McGill University
169. Alexis Halkovic (JNU 1996), The Graduate Center, City University of New York
170. Thomas Blom Hansen, Stanford University
171. Anusha Hariharan (JNU 2011), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
172. Martin Harries, University of California, Irvine
173. Barbara Harriss-White, Oxford University
174. Anneeth Kaur Hundle, University of California, Merced
175. Phil Hutchinson, Manchester Metropolitan University
176. Aashique Ahmed Iqbal (JNU 2011), University of Oxford
177. Feyzi Ismail, SOAS, University of London
178. Bharati Jagannathan (JNU Ph.D 2010), Miranda House
179. Sarandha Jain (JNU 2015)
180. Bhawana Jaiswal (JNU 2015)
181. Sudeep Kumar Jaiswal (JNU 2015), East China Normal University (ECNU)
182. Chinnaiah Jangam (JNU 1998), Carleton College
183. Pranav Jani, Ohio State University
184. Nicolas Jaoul, EHESS/CNRS, France
185. Arjun Jayadev, University of Massachu-setts, Boston
186. Rajshri Jayaraman, ESMT Berlin
187. Ketaki Jaywant (JNU, 2008), University of Minnesota
188. Patricia Jeffery, University of the Edinburgh
189. Anderson Jeremiah, Lancaster University
190. Shikha Jhingan, Jawaharlal Nehru University
191. Bhoomika Joshi (JNU 2009), Yale University
192. Meghana Joshi, Rutgers University
193. Abhishek Kaicker, University of California, Berkeley
194. Vidya Kalaramadam, William Paterson University of New Jersey
195. Virinder S. Kalra, University of Manchester
196. Sangeeta Kamat, University of Massachu-setts at Amherst
197. Lipika Kamra (JNU 2010), University of Oxford
198. Aparna Kapadia (JNU 2005), Williams College
199. Caren Kaplan, University of California, Davis
200. Ilan Kapoor, York University
201. Anupama Kapse, Queens College, CUNY
202. Jyotsna Kapur, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
203. Radha Kapuria (JNU 2013), King's College London
204. Sumayya Kassamalli, Columbia University
205. Malavika Kasturi (JNU 1988-1992), University of Toronto
206. Suvir Kaul, University of Pennsylvania
207. Ravinder Kaur (JNU 1996, JNUSU General Secretary 1994-1995), University of Copenhagen
208. Sudipta Kaviraj, Columbia University
209. Prashant Keshavmurthy (JNU 1998), McGill University
210. Prashant Kidambi (JNU 1994), University of Leicester
211. Wiebke Keim, CNRS/University of Strasbourg
212. Dipti Khera, New York University
213. Jocelyn Killmer, Syracuse University
214. Makiko Kimura (JNU 2004), Tsuda College, Tokyo
215. Pasha M. Khan, McGill University
216. Ashok Kotwal, University of British Columbia
217. Ashish Koul (JNU 2006), Vanderbilt University
218. Monomita Roy Krishna (JNU 1982), University of Hawaii
219. Sankaran Krishna (JNU 1982), University of Hawaii at Manoa
220. Jesse Ross Knutson, University of Hawai'i at Mânoa
221. Abdul Kuddus (JNU 2005), Learning Solutions Consultant
222. Sikandar Kumar, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
223. Leena Kumarappan, London Metropolitan University
224. C.J. Kuncheria (JNU 2015), Yale University
225. Rishabh Kumar (JNU 2008), The New School, New York
226. Sahil Kureshi (JNU 2013), Oxford University
227. Vinay Lal, University of California, Los Angeles
228. Mahmood Kooria (JNU 2012), Leiden University, The Netherlands
229. Premesh Lalu, University of the Western Cape
230. Joel Lee, Williams College
231. Jens Lerche, SOAS, University of London
232. Darryl Li, Yale Law School
233. David Palumbo-Liu, Stanford University
234. Madhura Lohokare (JNU 2003), Syracuse University
235. Munira Lokhandwala, University of California, Berkeley
236. Jinee Lokaneeta, Drew University
237. Ania Loomba, University of Pennsylvania
238. Ritty Lukose, New York University
239. Sumi Madhok (JNU 1997), London School of Economics and Political Science, UK
240. Aparna Mahariya (JNU 2015), University of Exeter
241. Kama Maclean, UNSW Australia
242. Rochona Majumdar, University of Chicago
243. Meghana Marathe, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
244. Sanjeev Routray (JNU 2003), University of British Columbia
245. Sudhir Mahadevan, University of Washington, Seattle
246. Bakirathi Mani (JNU 1997) Swarthmore College
247. Swati Mantri, IIT Delhi
248. Rohan Dominic Mathews (JNU 2015)
249. Surbhi Mahajan (JNU 2008), Development Researcher
250. Aakshi Magazine (JNU 2011), University of St Andrews, UK
251. Tapasi Mathur (JNU 2008), University of Michigan
252. Lyla Mehta, Institute of Development Studies, UK
253. Nora Melnikova, Charles University, Prague
254. Dilip Menon, University of Witwatersrand
255. Gayatri A. Menon, Azim Premji University, Bengaluru
256. Minakshi Menon (JNU 1985), Max Planck Institute for the History of Science
257. Nikhil Menon (JNU 2011), Princeton University
258. Thomas Metcalf, University of California, Berkeley
259. Alessandra Mezzadri, SOAS, London
260. Sumeet Mhaskar, University of Göttingen
261. Darshana Mini, University of Southern California
262. Geeta Mishra, IIT Delhi
263. Sangay Mishra, Drew University
264. Saurabh Mishra (JNU 2004), University of Sheffield
265. Shaivya Mishra (JNU 2013), University of California Berkeley
266. Mayank Misra, Princeton University
267. Timothy Mitchell, Columbia University
268. Kirtimaan Mohan (JNU 2009), Michigan State University, East Lansing
269. Taneesha Devi Mohan (JNU 2010), London School of Economics
270. Chandra Talpade Mohanty, Syracuse University
271. Padmini Mongia (JNU Visiting Faculty 2008-2010), Franklin & Marshall College
272. Radhika Mongia, York University, Toronto
273. Nayanika Mookherjee (JNU 1996), Durham University, UK
274. Rosalind C. Morris, Columbia University
275. Debashree Mukherjee (JNU 2009), Columbia University
276. Ishan Mukherjee (JNU 2011), Trinity College, University of Cambridge
277. Sanjukta Mukherjee (JNU), DePaul University
278. Shagata Mukherjee, Georgia State University
279. Shruti Mukherjee (JNU 2013), SUNY Stony Brook
280. Sinjini Mukherjee (JNU 2008), Heidelberg University
281. Upamanyu Pablo Mukherjee, Warwick University
282. Uponita Mukherjee (JNU 2014), Columbia University
283. Maroona Murmu, Jadavpur University
284. Hema A. Murthy, IIT Madras
285. Sharun W. Mukand, Warwick University
286. Dulali Nag, Indian Institute for Social Welfare and Business Management
287. Richa Nagar, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
288. Kartik Nair (JNU 2010), New York University
289. Rahul Nair (JNU 1998), Antioch College
290. Vijayanka Nair, New York University
291. Siddharth Narrain, Lawyer and Legal Researcher
292. Poonam Natarajan (JNU 1976), CSRD/SSS
293. Anjali Nath, American University of Beirut
294. Vasuki Nesiah, The Gallatin School, NYU
295. Eleanor Newbigin, SOAS, University of London
296. Anirban Nigam (JNU 2014), University of California Irvine
297. Madhurima Nundy, Institute of Chinese Studies
298. Daniel O'Connor, University of Edinburg
299. Francesca Orsini, SOAS, London
300. Goldie Osuri, University of Warwick
301. Poornima Paidipathy (JNU 2000), Cambridge University
302. Shailaja Paik, University of Cincinnati
303. Poulomi Pal (JNU 2010), Amherst College
304. Ravi Arvind Palat, SUNY Binghamton
305. Ankita Pandey (JNU 2008), University of Oxford
306. Ishita Pande (JNU 1999), Queen's University
307. Ankita Pandey (JNU 2008), University of Oxford
308. Khaliq Parkar (JNU 2015), Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts, Pune
309. Ian Parker, University of Leicester
310. Jonathan Parry, London School of Economics and Political Science
311. Prachi Patankar, South Asia Solidarity Initiative
312. Anuranjan Pegu (JNU 2005), New York
313. Mario da Penha, Rutgers University
314. Sonali Perera, Hunter College of the City University New York
315. Lakshmi Prasad, Jawaharlal Nehru University
316. Jessy Phillip (JNU 2015), TISS
317. Kavita Philip, University of California, Irvine
318. Chris Pinney, University College London
319. Sheldon Pollock, Columbia University
320. Gyan Prakash (JNU 1975), Princeton University
321. Ashok Prasad, Colorado State University
322. David Prochaska, University of Illinois
323. Navtej K. Purewal, SOAS University of London
324. Teja Varma Pusapati, University of Oxford
325. Asgar Qadri, George Washington University
326. Nayma Qayum, Manhattanville College
327. R. Radhakrishnan, University of California Irvine
328. Pallavi Raghavan, Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi
329. Raisur Rahman (JNU 2000) Wake Forest University
330. Amit S. Rai, Queen Mary, University of London
331. Shirin Rai, University of Warwick
332. Arvind Rajagopal, New York University
333. Dalpat Rajpurohit (JNU 2008), Columbia University
334. Suvrat Raju, International Centre for Theoretical Sciences, Bangalore
335. Harsha Ram, University of California, Berkeley
336. Bhavani Raman (JNU 1999), University of Toronto
337. Lucinda Ramberg, Cornell University
338. M.V. Ramana, Princeton University
339. Namita Ranganathan (JNU 1988), Delhi University
340. Bhargav Rani (JNU 2014), City University of New York
341. Barbara Ransby, University of Illinois at Chicago
342. Anupama Rao, Barnard College, Columbia University
343. Meghana Rao, University of Toronto
344. Rahul Rao, SOAS, University of London
345. Shruti Rao (JNU 2011), University of British Columbia
346. Harshit Rathi, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
347. Debraj Ray, NYU
348. Raka Ray, University of California, Berkeley
349. Reeju Ray (JNU 2007), University of Western Ontario
350. Sangeeta Ray, University of Maryland
351. Boike Rehbein, Humboldt University, Berlin
352. Allen F. Roberts, University of California, Los Angeles
353. E. Natalie Rothman, University of Toronto
354. Soumyadip Roy (JNU 2009), Iowa State University
355. Srila Roy, University of Witwatersrand
356. Srirupa Roy, University of Goettingen
357. Srabani Roychoudhury (JNU 1992), Jawaharlal Nehru University
358. Kanchana N. Ruwanpura, University of Edinburgh
359. Poulomi Saha, University of California, Berkeley
360. Sangita Saha (JNU 2011), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
361. Arun Saldanha, University of Minnesota
362. Aditi Saraf, Johns Hopkins University
363. Aprajita Sarcar (JNU 2013), Queen's University, Ontario
364. Aditya Sarkar (JNU 2005), Warwick University
365. Parnisha Sarkar (JNU 2015), University of Toronto
366. Andrew Sartori, New York University
367. Akshya Saxena (JNU 2008), University of Minnesota
368. Dwaipayan Sen, Amherst College
369. Moumita Sen (JNU 2009), University of Oslo
370. Ruchira Sen (JNU 2012), University of Missouri-Kansas City
371. Aviroop Sengupta (JNU 2014), Columbia University
372. Uditi Sen (JNU 2004), Hampshire College
373. Sanjay Seth, Goldsmiths, University of London
374. Aradhana Anu Sharma, Wesleyan University
375. Partha Pratim Shil (JNU 2008) Trinity College, Cambridge
376. Arushi Singh (JNU 2014), University of California, Los Angeles
377. Bhrigupati Singh, Brown University
378. Prerna Singh, Brown University
379. Rashmi Singh (JNU 2011), University of Cambridge
380. Aarti Sethi (JNU 2009), Columbia University
381. Alpa Shah, London School of Economics and Political Science
382. Chayanika Shah, TISS Mumbai
383. Svati Shah, University of Massachusetts/JNU
384. Qaiser Shamim (JNU 1981)
385. Jayeeta Sharma, University of Toronto
386. Nitin Sharma, Purdue University
387. Shalini Sharma (JNU 1996), Keele University
388. Ajay Skaria, University of Minnesota
389. Samira Sheikh (JNU 1994), Vanderbilt University
390. Benjamin Seigel (Visiting Professor JNU 2007-8), Boston University
391. Marc Siegel, Goethe University, Frankfurt
392. Pritam Singh (JNU 1976, Student Councillor JNU-SSS 1973), Oxford Brookes University
393. Manjira Sinha, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
394. Subir Sinha, SOAS University of London
395. Suvadip Sinha, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
396. Tanvi Sirari (JNU 2012), University of British Columbia
397. Ari Sitas, University of Cape Town
398. Ruhi Sonal (JNU 2012), IIT Delhi
399. Jonathan Spencer, University of Edinburgh
400. Alex Steele, University of Minnesota
401. Rachel Sturman, Bowdoin College
402. Abha Sur, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
403. Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Columbia University
404. Kannan Srinivasan, Wertheim Study New York Public Library
405. Ravindran Sriramachandran, Ashoka University
406. Priyanka Srivastava (JNU 1995-2000) University of Massachusetts, Amherst
407. Ulrike Stark, The University of Chicago
408. Tony K. Stewart, Vanderbilt University
409. Andy Stirling, University of Sussex
410. Ajantha Subramanian, Harvard University
411. Narendra Subramanian, McGill University
412. Sanjay Subrahmanyam, University of California, Los Angeles
413. Meghant Sudan, Concordia University, Montreal
414. Sanjukta Sunderason, Leiden University
415. Byapti Sur, Leiden University
416. Deborah Sutton (JNU 2001), Lancaster University
417. Ashwini Tambe, University of Maryland-College Park
418. Anand Vivek Taneja, Vanderbilt University
419. Akshaya Tankha (JNU 2006), University of Toronto
420. Shabnum Tejani, SOAS, University of London
421. Kamal Kumar Tanti, University of Technology and Management, Shillong
422. Kuhu Tanvir (JNU 2012), University of Pittsburgh
423. Rei Terada, University of California, Irvine
424. Shubha Tewari, University of Massachusetts
425. Sharika Thiranagama, Stanford University
426. Sudipa Topdar (JNU 2002), Illinois State University
427. Saadia Toor, College of Staten Island, City University of New York
428. Nishita Trisal, University of Michigan
429. Alexios Tsigkas, New School
430. Malvika Tyagi, IIT Delhi
431. Bhargav Rani (JNU 2014), City University of New York
432. Lalit Vachani, University of Göttingen.
433. Nilita Vachani, New York University
434. Aparna Vaidik (JNU 2005), Ashoka University
435. Anand Vaidya, University of Bergen
436. Anish Vanaik (JNU 2008), Purdue University
437. Rashmi Varma, University of Warwick
438. Ramaa Vasudevan (JNU 1986-88) Colorado State University
439. Rajesh Venogopal, London School of Economics
440. Kartik Verma (JNU 2008), University of Utah
441. Vertika (JNU 2014), McGill University, Montréal
442. Ramna Walia (JNU 2011), University of Texas at Austin
443. Gary Wang, University of Toronto
444. Tyler Walker Williams (JNU 2007), JNUSU Vice President 2006-2007, University of Chicago
445. Kalpana Wilson, London School of Economics and Political Science
446. Nicole Wolf, Goldsmiths, University of London
447. Niharika Yadav, Princeton University
448. Harshita Yalamarty (JNU 2013), York University
449. Suvaid Yaseen (JNU 2013), Brown University
450. Akhila Yechury (JNU 2007), University of St. Andrews
451. Dilan Yildirim, Harvard University
452. Nima Lamu Yolmo (JNU 2011)
453. Vazira Zamindar, Brown University
454. John Zavos (JNU 1988), University of Manchester
(February 15, 2016)
Statement of Solidarity with Student Protests in India from Students of the University of Chicago
We, the undersigned, strongly condemn the arbitrary, unconstitutional, and anti-democratic actions of the BJP/RSS/ABVP/Delhi Police continuum at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus. We demand an immediate end to all police action on campus, a withdrawal of all frivolous charges against the President of the JNU Students' Union, Kanhaiya Kumar, and other students, as well as an end to the campaign of harassment and intimidation against students at the university.
We believe that these actions by the Indian state and its associated groups and institutions are part of a larger campaign to stifle dissenting voices in the country, especially on university campuses which have persistently resisted the capitalist, Brahmanical hegemony of the current government. This was clearly evident in the institutional murder of Rohith Vemula, a Dalit Ph.D student at Hyderabad Central University (HCU) last month. The similarity of the modus operandi in Hyderabad and Delhi is striking: Rohith and his comrades had been accused of ‘anti-national' activities for their condemnation of the hanging of Yakub Memon, and suspended from their academic positions on these undemocratic grounds. Similar charges have been framed against the students of the JNU for organising an event in solidarity with the struggle of Kashmiri people for their right to self-determination. To make matters murkier, it is now certain that at the event, which also marked the third anniversary of the execution of Afzal Guru, the ABVP was involved in raising the controversial slogans that are being cited to justify the sedition charge. We are of the firm opinion that protesting against state violence is a fundamental right that must not become vulnerable to arbitrary violation by governments, police and university administrations.
We believe that the colonial-era laws of sedition—already diluted and read down by the Supreme Court—are an embarrassment to India's democratic principles. The criminalization of dissent in this case reveals how India's current political leadership has been unable to respect diversity and guarantee the full legal rights of its people. Its political program imagines the citizen as upper caste, heterosexual, male, Hindu; its economic programme necessitates a blind faith in neoliberalism; and its social program continually imagines an enemy—the Muslim, the Dalit, the Left. It is not surprising that a government so debilitated and blinkered by its ideological narrowness has invoked the charge of sedition and sent police forces into the JNU campus, an action reminiscent of the worst years of Emergency.
We are also distressed by views expressed in certain sections of the Indian media regarding the legitimacy of political activism in public universities. This argument claims that since central and state governments subsidise education in public institutions, it is the responsibility of beneficiaries to refrain from critiquing state policies and to solely prioritise their studies. We firmly reject this cost-benefit understanding of education as shallow, apolitical, and deeply reactionary. As the saying goes, ‘education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire'. The current administration and sections of the media would prefer students to remain uncritical of the violence of Brahmanism, communalism, and neoliberal capitalism. But the Rohiths of the world will keep lighting a fire and keep burning down bigotry. We believe that both public education and free speech are fundamental rights enshrined in the Indian Constitution, rights that have been earned through long struggle and rights that we will keep fighting for in India and elsewhere as we face systematic neoliberal onslaughts on dissent and education.
To our friends, colleagues and comrades in the JNU, HCU, FTII and elsewhere, we stand with you in your resistance against state sponsored violence, which curbs any form of dissent on the one hand, and on the other, condones hate speech by Hindu nationalists. We believe that scholarship and the concomitant development of our critical faculties should be used in dreaming of and implementing a better, pluralistic and just society.
• Sayantan Saha Roy, Ph.D student, Anthro-pology
• Ahona Panda, Ph.D student, South Asian Languages and Civilisations
• Harini Kumar, Ph.D student, Anthropology
• Tanima, Ph.D student, Anthropology
• Sneha Annavarapu, Ph.D student, Sociology
• Abhishek Bhattacharyya, Ph.D student, South Asian Languages and Civilisations and Anthropology
• Tejas Parasher, Ph.D student, Political Science
• Jenisha Borah, Ph.D student, Cinema and Media Studies.
• Suchismita Das, Ph.D student, Anthropology
• Vidura Jang Bahadur, MFA student, Visual Art
• Mannat Johal, Ph.D student, Anthropology
• Shefali Jha, Ph.D student, Anthropology
• Sanjukta Poddar, Ph.D student, South Asian Languages and Civilisations
• Aditi Das, Ph.D student, Social Service Administration
• Joya John, Ph.D student, South Asian Languages and Civilisations
• Marc Kelly, Ph.D student, Anthropology
• Eleonore Rimbault, Ph.D student, Anthro-pology
• Eric Powell, Ph.D student, English
• Patrick Lewis, Ph.D student, Anthropology
• Romit Chakraborty, Ph.D student, Chemistry
• Gautham Reddy, Ph.D student, South Asian Languages and Civilisations
• Amanda Shubert, Ph.D student, English
• Peter McDonald, Ph.D student, English
• Hannah Chazin, Ph.D student, Anthropology
• Jahnabi Barooah, Ph.D student, Divinity
• Margherita Trento, Ph.D student, South Asian Languages and Civilisations
• Peter Malonis, Ph.D student, Neuroscience
• Zoya Sameen, Ph.D student, History
• Sharvari Sastry, Ph.D student, South Asian Languages and Civilisations
• Andrew Messamore, MA student, Social Sciences Division
• Thomas Newbold, Ph.D student, South Asian Languages and Civilisations
• Eduardo L. Acosta, Ph.D student, South Asian Languages and Civilisations
• Uday Jain, Ph.D student, Committee on Social Thought