Hyderabad: Soon after left-wing students and women activists gathered at Osmania University to protest in solidarity with Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students that were attacked by a masked mob, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) also entered OU’s Arts College and burned an effigy of “communists” for “attacking” JNU students. Police also showed up.
Separately, there were protests at the Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) in solidarity with the JNU students.
Various student organisations from the English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU) and women activists also joined the peaceful protests.
JNU paradise turned into hell
While they assembled, ABVP students reached the spot and condemned the entry of “outsiders”. The ABVP also made a representation to the vice chancellor questioning why people from other universities were entering the campus.
D. Naresh from the Dalit Students Union (DSU) said they postponed the protest in the evening. “As students we have the responsibility to protect knowledge centres like universities and we condemn the attack on students,” he said. “We want the culprits to be punished as soon as possible.”
When contacted OU police officials said there were small groups of students protesting but the ABVP objected because of some outsiders. “However no clash happened,” police said.
The ABVP said that outsiders were not allowed on campus for politicisation of issues. G. Jeevan Kumar, ABVP state general secretary, condemned the alleged attack on “innocent” ABVP students in JNU.
UoH students addressed a gathering at “velivada”, the south shopping complex of the varsity, and condemned the brutal attack on JNU students.
MANUU Professors said the university, earlier a paradise had now become hell due to goondaism. Teaching and Non-Teaching staff of MANUU protested in solidarity with the students and teaching staff of JNU. Students also protested.
Addressing the protesters, Prof. Mohammed Shahid expressed shame on such incidents, said these were happening because we maintain silence. “Police used force against the students in Jamia Millia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University as it had an apprehension that there were goons, but police were silent spectators when goons vandalised the university,” he said. “We are silent even when the Constitution is in jeopardy. The universities in the country are being targeted because they propagate patriotism, prompting thought to stand against injustice. Students have stood up to safeguard constitutional values and to resist anti-constitutional acts.”
Dr Feroz Alam, former general secretary of the MANUU Teachers Association, said JNU was targeted as it is where the voice of dissent is raised against government policies that are against the interest of the nation, students, teachers and employees. JNU students were protesting against a fee hike. “The mentality behind increasing the fees was to check children from poor families from getting admission in that premier institution,” he said. “The government is wasting huge amounts on statues, but not ready to spend on students.”
Students also took out a rally against the JNU incident and demanded immediate action against the culprits, who attacked in a planned manner, severely injuring the students’ union president. They termed it a terror attack.
