After 'nationalism' and 'azaadi', JNU to have lectures on democratisation

After holding lecture series on "nationalism" and "azaadi", teachers at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi have now decided to conduct a new series on "democratisation of social justice" following continuing unrest on campus. 

The decision to hold the new series has been taken by the JNU Teachers Association (JNUTA) in protest against the recent show-cause notices issued to faculty members for addressing protest gatherings by students.

The venue of the lecture series will remain the same as earlier- the administration block, even as the varsity authorities have declared any protest or demonstration in that area to be liable as a violation of norms.

"JNUTA announces the organising of public lectures on the theme 'Democratising Social Justice', from January 18 to 25 to give a clear message that teachers of JNU would not be cowed down by threats and intimidation," JNUTA president Ajay Patnaik said.

"Further, we would like to assure the JNU administration that our constructive resistance in all forms against any of its undemocratic and authoritarian move would continue unabated. "We will oppose all efforts to intimidate, threaten or persecute individuals including teachers and students from any institution across the world which is done to silence voices of dissent," he added.

Repeated notices have been issued to students and five teachers, since the gherao of the administrative block in October, to enforce a ban on protests in a 20-metre radius of any of the administrative or academic buildings on campus. Nine students are also under suspension for allegedly "disrupting" an Academic Council (AC) meeting last month.

JNUTA had conducted a month-long series of lectures on "nationalism" following arrest of three students in a sedition case last year. The next series was on "Azadi: Different Meanings of Freedom".

Meanwhile, JNU students were on strike today demanding the suspension of students be revoked and decisions taken in the council meeting be rolled back. The student union has also given a strike call for tomorrow while the teachers will be on strike on January 17.