Ten Emeritus professors of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) including historian Romila Thapar have written to the Vice Chancellor expressing their concern over the current state of affairs in the university.
In the letter addressed to the VC M Jagadesh Kumar, the professors have written that the current administration has “clamped down on free discussion” in the campus.
“As Emeritus Professors of the JNU we are disturbed by the turn of events at the JNU. The University has always been a space where we allowed free discussion of issues raised by students and faculty. In the course of such discussion whether in seminars or at other informal gatherings, speakers from both within the University and from outside were invited to participate,” the letter reads.
“The current administration has clamped down on free discussion by imposing severe punishments of fines and rustication on those who organised a meeting on 9th February 2016. This despite the fact that they were arrested and sent to jail,” it further added.
“Now an order has been issued prohibiting the entry of outsiders to the University premises,” it reads.
The professors have further requested that the administration reconsiders both these decisions and act according to the accepted norms of the JNU.
Apart from Ms. Thapar, Namwar Singh from School of Languages, Amit Bhaduri from School of Social Sciences, Sheila Bhalla from School of Social Sciences, Anil Bhatti from School of Languages, Utsa Patnaik, Deepak Nayyar, Zoya Hasan and Prabhat Patnaik from School of Social Sciences, SD Muni from School of International Studies, are the signatories of the letter sent to the VC late on Monday.
