Geeta Kumari, president of the JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU), speaks about the mass protests over mandatory attendance that have been going on for the past three months and the perception of JNU outside its walls.
The protests against the introduction of mandatory attendance have gone on for over three months now. The administration has refused to blink, nor have the students. What is the next step to end this deadlock?
Our lockdown is still going on. Since we are in an extended weekend, we will regroup and discuss with all students how to counter the administration. The administration wants to destroy the entire semester and then put the blame on the students and the protests by saying that the students did not want to study. But, we have been saying from day one that we are not against attending classes. The administration continues to send us threatening circulars saying that we are not allowing normal functioning of the campus, but we are not hindering any tests or viva voce for entrance examinations.
The administration keeps calling the protests a demand from a ‘small section of people’ and that the JNUSU is holding the university to ransom. How do you react to this?
When they issue such statements, the next mobilisation of students clearly sends them a message that it is not a small section of people. They are basically trying to create a paper trail to show that it was not a large movement so that to the world outside it does not seem that 4,000-odd students are protesting against the way the administration is functioning.
We have sent them over 4,000 signatures — that is more than half the strength of the university — but they continue to ignore the majority opinion on campus by calling it a “small section of students”.
Students have come out alleging that they are being sexually harassed by teachers and that they have no faith in the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC). The GSCASH has also been disbanded. What is the union doing to ensure that such victims can report and get justice?
We have a Gender Sensitisation Committee Against Sexual Harassment (GSCASH) representative that we elected last year but they are not an official body as of now. As a union, we provide help and go with the complainant to the police to file a complaint as we cannot trust the ICC.
In a recent complaint to the ICC, the body leaked the name of the complainant so how can anybody trust the ICC? I have been a part of the GSCASH and most of the girls who come to the GSCASH said that their major issue was that they did not want their name to come out but they wanted justice. It was a much trusted body by the complainants. The ICC has clearly failed in keeping the victim’s identity secret. This can lead to victim-blaming and other social pressures.
We have requested the police to ensure that none of the identities of the complaints are revealed and have made vocal our demand to reconstitute the GSCASH.
There is a perception being built outside the university, especially with admission season coming up, that JNU is in lockdown and that the environment is not conducive to studying and they should look at other options. What would you say to a prospective applicant about the atmosphere on campus?
All I can tell them is that they will love it here in JNU and they will grow up here. I came here for by BA and I knew nothing.
It is a university with so much freedom and they will find their path here. Whatever they read about JNU it does not matter, as they will come here and find out for themselves what the campus has to offer and how it will shape you.
You learn to live in a community and question and challenge several problems that the country is facing. People who come to JNU are lucky to be here.
