JNUTA to hold lectures in protest

After holding a lecture series on “nationalism” and “azaadi”, JNU teachers have now decided to conduct a new series on ‘democratisation of social justice’, following continuing unrest on the campus.

Show-cause notices

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 university authorities have declared any protest or demonstration in that area to be 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 will not be cowed down by threats and intimidation,” said JNUTA president Ajay Patnaik.

Opposing intimidation

“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,” 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. Meanwhile, JNU students went on strike on Thursday demanding that the suspension of students be revoked. PTI