The Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers’ Association has decided to present a memorandum to Vice-Chancellor M. Jagadesh Kumar on Thursday demanding that he vacate the post by September 5 due to loss of confidence expressed by teachers, in a recent referendum by the association, in his ability to administer the university.
Intensive action
“Should he fail to accede to this demand by Teachers’ Day [September 5], the JNUTA will initiate more intensive action. This will include a campaign making public the turmoil caused in the university by the present administration and mobilisation of faculty for non-cooperation with the administration,” the JNUTA said in a statement.
‘Vilification of JNU’
The association, which took the decision at its recent general body meeting, also condemned the continued “vilification” of JNU, especially the university historians.
“We would like to remind the JNU community and the general public of similar attacks in the past that have resulted in withdrawal of texts authored by JNU teachers from syllabi of various universities. Individual JNU teachers are again being named in prime-time evening news shows, inciting violent attacks against these individuals. The general body denounces the escalating slanderous campaigns against JNU academicians by some TV journalists and news channels,” the JNUTA statement added.
Umar Khalid attack
The association said it will write to the Editors Guild, the Press Council of India and the Bar Council of India complaining against vilification of JNU teachers and students by their members. The general body meeting also condemned the attack on Umar Khalid on the eve of Independence Day, which was the result of propaganda being spread by parts of the media and some lawyers.
