Editorial Note: With students protesting for the release of JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar who was arrested on the charges of sedition, it is being increasingly questioned whether the right to dissent exists anymore in the country. Support for JNU continues to pour in from not just all over the country, but from various parts of the world. To express their solidarity, JNU’s international alumni, and a wider global academic community has come out with a statement stating their displeasure with the current turn of events.
We, the undersigned, stand in solidarity with the students, faculty and staff of Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi against the illegal ongoing police action since February 9, 2016. With them, we affirm the autonomy of the university as a non-militarized space for freedom of thought and expression. Accordingly, we condemn police presence on campus and the harassment of students on the basis of their political beliefs.
The charge of sedition, under the guise of which the police have been given a carte blanche to enter the JNU campus, to raid student hostels, arrest and detain students, including Kanhaiya Kumar, the current president of the JNU Students Union, is an alibi for the incursion of an authoritarian regime onto the university campus. Under Indian law sedition applies only to words and actions that directly issue a call to violence. The peaceful demonstration and gathering of citizens does not constitute criminal conduct. The police action on JNU campus is illegal under the constitution of India.
[envoke_twitter_link]An open, tolerant, and democratic society is inextricably linked to critical thought and expression[/envoke_twitter_link] cultivated by universities in India and abroad. As teachers, students, and scholars across the world, we are watching with extreme concern the situation unfolding at JNU and refuse to remain silent as our colleagues (students, staff, and faculty) resist the illegal detention and autocratic suspension of students. We urge the Vice Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University to protect members of the university community and safeguard their rights.
Dated/- 15 February 2016
If you would like to express solidarity with JNU, then do add your name in the comments below.
[su_spoiler title=”Signatories” icon=”arrow”]Asma Abbas, Bard College at Simon’s Rock Syed Shahid Abbas, Institute of Development Studies, Brighton, U.K. Gilbert Achcar, SOAS, University of London Katie Addleman, University of Toronto Barun Adhikary, JNU Aniket Aga, Yale University Ashish Aggarwal, (JNU 2012) Aftab Ahmad, (JNU 2000), Columbia University Aijaz Ahmad, University of California, Irvine Meena Alexander, City University of New York Nosheen Ali, Habib University Tariq Omar Ali, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign Liyanage Amarakeerthi, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka Harini Amarasuriya, Open University of Sri Lanka Eyal Amiran, UC Irvine, California, USA Dibyesh Anand, University of Westminster Sundari Anitha, (JNU 1996), University of Lincoln Brayford Pool Ponni Arasu, (JNU 2005), University of Toronto Jayadev Athreya, University of Washington Anjali Arondekar, University of California, Santa Cruz Saurabh Arora, University of Sussex Edward Anderson, (JNU 2009), Cambridge University Abdul Kalam Azad, TISS-UNICEF Edward Bacal, University of Toronto Nandita Badami, (JNU 2011), University of California Irvine Shiladitya Banerjee, University of Chicago Amit R. Baishya, (JNU 2003), University of Oklahoma Anirban Baishya, (JNU 2013), University of Southern California Aparna Balachandran, (JNU 2000), University of Delhi Sai Balakrishnan, Harvard University Ian Balfour, York University Jairus Banaji, (JNU 1975) SOAS, London Murad Banaji, University of Middlesex Sandeep Banerjee, McGill University Sreenanti Banerjee, Birkbeck, University of London Anustup Basu, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Arani Basu, (JNU 2015), Humboldt University Ananyo “Tito” Basu, American Cooperative School of Tunis Priyanka Basu, (JNU 2011), SOAS, London Srimati Basu, University of Kentucky Subho Basu, (JNU 1988), McGill University Lalit Batra, University of Minnesota Daniel Bender, University of Toronto Ankur Betageri, IIT-Delhi Madhav Badami, McGill University Sukanya Banerjee, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Homi Bhabha, Harvard University Gurminder K Bhambra, University of Warwick/Linnaeus University Brenna Bhandar, SOAS, University of London V. Bhaskar, (JNU 1981, JNUSU President 1981), University of Texas at Austin Udit Bhatia, Oxford University Varuni Bhatia, (JNU), University of Michigan Ann Arbor Enakshi Bhattacharya, IIT-Madras Gargi Bhattacharyya, University of East London Nandini Bhattacharya, (JNU 2005), University of Dundee Ritwik Bhattacharyya, Princeton University Shreya Bhattacherjee, (JNU 2010), University of California, Riverside Soumyadip Bandyopadhyaya, IIT-Kharagpur Akeel Bilgrami, Columbia University Debanjali Biswas, (JNU 2011), King’s College London Nabaneeta Biswas, University of Georgia Somak Biswas, (JNU 2015), University of Warwick Amiel Bize, Columbia University Manuela Boatcă, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg Anannya Bohidar, (JNU 2014), University of Pennsylvania Jenisha Borah, (JNU 2013) David Boyk, University of California, Berkeley Andrea Brock, University of Sussex Wendy Brown, University of California, Berkeley Kriti Budhiraja, (JNU 2014), University of Minnesota Twin Cities Allison Busch, Columbia University Judith Butler, University of California, Berkeley Erica Burman, University of Manchester Utathya C., (JNU 2011), University of Illinois Linda Carty, Syracuse University Radhika Chadha, (JNU 2005), Delhi University Pavel Chakraborty, (JNU 2003), Oxford University Pratik Chakrabarti, (JNU 2000), University of Manchester Dipesh Chakrabarty, University of Chicago Priyanka Chakraborty, Southern Methodist University Paula Chakravartty, NYU Aditi Chandra, University of California Ananya Chatterjea, University of Minnesota Anindita Chatterjee, University of Minnesota Anomitro Chatterjee, (JNU 2010), Georgia State Universit Chandrayee Chatterjee, (JNU 2012), Georgia State University. Partha Chatterjee, Columbia University Piya Chatterjee, Scripps College Sreya Chatterjee, (JNU 2004) Sumita Dutt Chatterjee, (JNU 1989), University of Miami Sameer Chaturvedi, Jawaharlal Nehru University Antara Ray Chaudhury, Jawaharlal Nehru University Divya Cherian, (JNU 2008), Rutgers University Vanessa Chishti, (JNU 2015) Meghna Chaudhuri, (JNU 2012), New York University Francis Cody, University of Toronto Dia Da Costa, University of Alberta Bedatri Datta Choudhury, (JNU 2012), New York University Mrinalini Chakravorty, University of Virginia. Lawrence Cohen, University of California, Berkeley Aditi Surie von Czechowski, Columbia University Katyayani Dalmia, (JNU 2008), New School Deepra Dandekar, University of Heidelberg, Germany Chandler Davis, University of Toronto Dharashree Das, (JNU 2005), Simon Fraser University Manishita Dass, Royal Holloway, University of London Sangeeta Das, (JNU 2007), Jawaharlal Nehru University Satadru Das, (JNU 2008), Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge Ananya Dasgupta, (JNU 2003), Case Western Reserve University Rohit K Dasgupta, University of Southampton Sandipto Dasgupta, King’s College, London Sejuti Dasgupta, (JNU 2010), Michigan State University Natalie Zemon Davis, University of Toronto Anuradha De, (JNU 1992), CORD Rohit De, Yale University Siddhartha Deb, Writer, The New School Sanchia deSouza, University of Toronto Federico Demaria, ICTA UAB, Barcelona, Spain Karishma Desai, Teachers College, Columbia University Jigna Desai, University of Minnesota Meenu Deswal, (JNU 2014), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Garima Dhabai, (JNU 2015), Yale University Meena Dhanda, University of Wolverhampton Neha Dhole, (JNU 2010), University of Pittsburgh Rohan D’Souza, (JNU 1998), Kyoto University Debjani Dutta, (JNU 2012), University of Southern California Devika Dutt, (2014), University of Massachusetts, Amherst Timothy S. Dobe, Grinnell College J Daniel Elam, University of Wisconsin-Madison Kanishka Elupula, (JNU 2008), Harvard University Sara Feldman, University of Illinois Peter Fitting, University of Toronto Bashabi Fraser, Edinburgh Napier University Kathleen Frederickson, University of California, Davis Elaine Freedgood, New York University Lina M Fruzzetti, Brown University Richard Fung, OCAD University Debjani Ganguly, University of Virginia Keya Ganguly, University of Minnesota Tejaswini Ganti, NYU Faisal Garba, University of Cape Town Gaurav C. Garg,(JNU 2013), New York University David Gellner, Oxford University Robert M Geraci, Manhattan College Roos Gerritsen, Heidelberg University & IIT Madras Maitreesh Ghatak, London School of Economics Bishnupriya Ghosh, University of California, Santa Barbara Arunabh Ghosh, Harvard University Vinay Gidwani, University of Minnesota Natasha Ginwala, (JNU 2010), curator Tula Goenka, Syracuse University Dishanka Gogoi, Jawaharlal Nehru University Hugo Gorringe, University of Edinburgh Manu Goswami, New York University Anup Grewal, University of Toronto Ann Grodzins Gold, Syracuse University Priyamvada Gopal, (JNU 1991), University of Cambridge Mahesh Gopalan, (JNU 2012), St. Stephen’s College, New Delhi Ratna Goradia, (JNU 2008), New York Post Yogita Goyal, University of California Los Angeles Radhika Govindrajan, (JNU 2006), University of Washington Isabelle Guérin, Centre d’études en Sciences Sociales Sur Les Mondes Américains Africains et Asiatiques Akhil Gupta, University of California, Los Angeles Anoushka Gupta (JNU 2008), York University Bishnupriya Gupta, (JNU 1983), University of Warwick Bipasha Guptaroy, (JNU 1984), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Shubhra Gururani, York University, Canada Jaswant Guzder, McGill University Alexis Halkovic (JNU 1996), The Graduate Center, City University of New York Thomas Blom Hansen, Stanford University Anusha Hariharan, (JNU 2011), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Martin Harries, University of California, Irvine Barbara Harriss-White, Oxford University Anneeth Kaur Hundle, University of California, Merced Phil Hutchinson, Manchester Metropolitan University Aashique Ahmed Iqbal, (JNU 2011), University of Oxford Feyzi Ismail, SOAS, University of London Bharati Jagannatha, (JNU PhD 2010), Miranda House Sarandha Jain, (JNU 2015) Bhawana Jaiswal, (JNU 2015) Sudeep Kumar Jaiswal, (JNU 2015), East China Normal University (ECNU) Chinnaiah Jangam, (JNU 1998), Carleton College Pranav Jani, Ohio State University Nicolas Jaoul, EHESS/CNRS, France Arjun Jayadev, University of Massachusetts, Boston Rajshri Jayaraman, ESMT Berlin Ketaki Jaywant, (JNU, 2008), University of Minnesota Patricia Jeffery, University of the Edinburgh Anderson Jeremiah, Lancaster University Shikha Jhingan, Jawaharlal Nehru University Bhoomika Joshi, (JNU 2009), Yale University Meghana Joshi, Rutgers University Abhishek Kaicker, University of California, Berkeley Vidya Kalaramadam, William Paterson University of New Jersey Virinder S Kalra, University of Manchester Sangeeta Kamat, University of Massachusetts at Amherst Lipika Kamra, (JNU 2010), University of Oxford Aparna Kapadia, (JNU 2005), Williams College Caren Kaplan, University of California, Davis Ilan Kapoor, York University Anupama Kapse, Queens College, CUNY Jyotsna Kapur, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale Radha Kapuria, (JNU 2013), King’s College London Sumayya Kassamalli, Columbia University Malavika Kasturi, (JNU 1988-1992), University of Toronto Suvir Kaul, University of Pennsylvania Ravinder Kaur, (JNU 1996, JNUSU General Secretary 1994-1995), University of Copenhagen Sudipta Kaviraj, Columbia University Prashant Keshavmurthy, (JNU 1998), McGill University Prashant Kidambi, (JNU 1994), University of Leicester Wiebke Keim, CNRS/University of Strasbourg Dipti Khera, New York University Jocelyn Killmer, Syracuse University Makiko Kimura, (JNU 2004), Tsuda College, Tokyo Pasha M. Khan, McGill University Ashok Kotwal, University of British Columbia Ashish Koul, (JNU 2006), Vanderbilt University Monomita Roy Krishna, (JNU 1982), University of Hawaii Sankaran Krishna, (JNU 1982), University of Hawaii at Manoa Jesse Ross Knutson, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa Abdul Kuddus, (JNU 2005), Learning Solutions Consultant Sikandar Kumar, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Leena Kumarappan, London Metropolitan University CJ Kuncheria, (JNU 2015), Yale University Rishabh Kumar, (JNU 2008), The New School, New York Sahil Kureshi, (JNU 2013), Oxford University Vinay Lal, University of California Los Angeles Mahmood Kooria, (JNU 2012), Leiden University, the Netherlands Premesh Lalu, University of the Western Cape Joel Lee, Williams College Jens Lerche, SOAS, University of London Darryl Li, Yale Law School David Palumbo-Liu, Stanford University Madhura Lohokare, (JNU 2003), Syracuse University Munira Lokhandwala, University of California, Berkeley Jinee Lokaneeta, Drew University Ania Loomba, University of Pennsylvania Ritty Lukose, New York University Sumi Madhok, (JNU 1997), London School of Economics and Political Science, UK Aparna Mahariya, (JNU 2015), University of Exeter Kama Maclean, UNSW Australia Rochona Majumdar, University of Chicago Meghana Marathe, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Sanjeev Routray, (JNU 2003), University of British Columbia Sudhir Mahadevan, University of Washington, Seattle Bakirathi Mani, (JNU 1997) Swarthmore College Swati Mantri, IIT Delhi Rohan Dominic Mathews, (JNU 2015) Surbhi Mahajan, (JNU 2008), Development Researcher Aakshi Magazine, (JNU 2011), University of St Andrews, UK Tapasi Mathur, (JNU 2008), University of Michigan Lyla Mehta, Institute of Development Studies, UK Nora Melnikova, Charles University, Prague Dilip Menon, University of Witwatersrand Gayatri A. Menon, Azim Premji University, Bengaluru Minakshi Menon, (JNU 1985), Max Planck Institute for the History of Science Nikhil Menon, (JNU 2011), Princeton University Thomas Metcalf, University of California, Berkeley Alessandra Mezzadri, SOAS, London Sumeet Mhaskar, University of Göttingen Darshana Mini, University of Southern California Geeta Mishra, IIT Delhi Sangay Mishra, Drew University Saurabh Mishra, (JNU 2004), University of Sheffield Shaivya Mishra, (JNU 2013), University of California Berkeley Mayank Misra, Princeton University Timothy Mitchell, Columbia University Kirtimaan Mohan, (JNU 2009), Michigan State University, East Lansing Taneesha Devi Mohan, (JNU 2010), London School of Economics Chandra Talpade Mohanty, Syracuse University Padmini Mongia, (JNU Visiting Faculty 2008-2010), Franklin & Marshall College Radhika Mongia, York University, Toronto Nayanika Mookherjee, (JNU 1996), Durham University, UK Rosalind C. Morris, Columbia University Debashree Mukherjee, (JNU 2009), Columbia University Ishan Mukherjee, (JNU 2011), Trinity College, University of Cambridge Sanjukta Mukherjee, (JNU), DePaul University Shagata Mukherjee, Georgia State University Shruti Mukherjee, (JNU 2013), SUNY Stony Brook Sinjini Mukherjee, (JNU 2008), Heidelberg University Upamanyu Pablo Mukherjee, Warwick University Uponita Mukherjee, (JNU 2014), Columbia University Maroona Murmu, Jadavpur University Hema A Murthy, IIT Madras Sharun W. Mukand, Warwick University Dulali Nag, Indian Institute for Social Welfare and Business Management Richa Nagar, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Kartik Nair, (JNU 2010), New York University Rahul Nair, (JNU 1998), Antioch College Vijayanka Nair, New York University Siddharth Narrain, Lawyer and Legal Researcher Poonam Natarajan, (JNU 1976), CSRD/SSS Anjali Nath, American University of Beirut Vasuki Nesiah, The Gallatin School, NYU Eleanor Newbigin, SOAS, University of London Anirban Nigam, (JNU 2014), University of California Irvine Madhurima Nundy, Institute of Chinese Studies Daniel O’Connor, University of Edinburg Francesca Orsini, SOAS London Goldie Osuri, University of Warwick Poornima Paidipathy, (JNU 2000), Cambridge University Shailaja Paik, University of Cincinnati Poulomi Pal, (JNU 2010), Amherst College Ravi Arvind Palat, SUNY Binghamton Ankita Pandey, (JNU 2008), University of Oxford Ishita Pande, (JNU 1999), Queen’s University Ankita Pandey, (JNU 2008), University of Oxford Khaliq Parkar, (JNU 2015), Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts, Pune Ian Parker, University of Leicester Jonathan Parry, London School of Economics and Political Science Prachi Patankar, South Asia Solidarity Initiative Anuranjan Pegu, (JNU 2005), New York Mario da Penha, Rutgers University Sonali Perera, Hunter College of the City University New York Lakshmi Prasad, Jawaharlal Nehru University Jessy Phillip, (JNU 2015), TISS Kavita Philip, University of California, Irvine Chris Pinney, University College London Sheldon Pollock, Columbia University Gyan Prakash, (JNU 1975), Princeton University Ashok Prasad, Colorado State University David Prochaska, University of Illinois Navtej K. Purewal, SOAS University of London Teja Varma Pusapati, University of Oxford Asgar Qadri, George Washington University Nayma Qayum, Manhattanville College R. Radhakrishnan, University of California Irvine Pallavi Raghavan, Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi Raisur Rahman, (JNU 2000) Wake Forest University Amit S. Rai, Queen Mary, University of London Shirin Rai, University of Warwick Arvind Rajagopal, New York University Dalpat Rajpurohit, (JNU 2008), Columbia University Suvrat Raju, International Centre for Theoretical Sciences, Bangalore Harsha Ram, University of California, Berkeley Bhavani Raman, (JNU 1999), University of Toronto Lucinda Ramberg, Cornell University M.V. Ramana, Princeton University Namita Ranganathan, (JNU 1988), Delhi University Bhargav Rani, (JNU 2014), City University of New York Barbara Ransby, University of Illinois at Chicago Anupama Rao, Barnard College, Columbia University Meghana Rao, University of Toronto Rahul Rao, SOAS, University of London Shruti Rao, (JNU 2011), University of British Columbia Harshit Rathi, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Debraj Ray, NYU Raka Ray, University of California, Berkeley Reeju Ray, (JNU 2007), University of Western Ontario Sangeeta Ray, University of Maryland Boike Rehbein, Humboldt University Berlin Allen F. Roberts, University of California, Los Angeles E. Natalie Rothman, University of Toronto Soumyadip Roy, (JNU 2009), Iowa State University Srila Roy, University of Witwatersrand Srirupa Roy, University of Goettingen Srabani Roychoudhury, (JNU 1992), Jawaharlal Nehru University Kanchana N. Ruwanpura, University of Edinburgh Poulomi Saha, University of California, Berkeley Sangita Saha, (JNU 2011), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Arun Saldanha, University of Minnesota Aditi Saraf, Johns Hopkins University Aprajita Sarcar, (JNU 2013), Queen’s University Ontario Aditya Sarkar, (JNU 2005), Warwick University Parnisha Sarkar, (JNU 2015), University of Toronto Andrew Sartori, New York University Akshya Saxena, (JNU 2008), University of Minnesota Dwaipayan Sen, Amherst College Moumita Sen, (JNU 2009), University of Oslo Ruchira Sen, (JNU 2012), University of Missouri-Kansas City Aviroop Sengupta, (JNU 2014), Columbia University Uditi Sen, (JNU 2004), Hampshire College Sanjay Seth, Goldsmiths, University of London Aradhana Anu Sharma, Wesleyan University Partha Pratim Shil, (JNU 2008) Trinity College, Cambridge Arushi Singh, (JNU 2014), University of California, Los Angeles Bhrigupati Singh, Brown University Prerna Singh, Brown University Rashmi Singh (JNU 2011), University of Cambridge Aarti Sethi, (JNU 2009), Columbia University Alpa Shah, London School of Economics and Political Science Chayanika Shah, TISS Mumbai Svati Shah, University of Massachusetts/JNU Qaiser Shamim, (JNU 1981) Jayeeta Sharma, University of Toronto Nitin Sharma, Purdue University Shalini Sharma, (JNU 1996), Keele University Ajay Skaria, University of Minnesota Samira Sheikh, (JNU 1994), Vanderbilt University Benjamin Seigel, (Visiting Professor JNU 2007-8), Boston University Marc Siegel, Goethe University, Frankfurt Pritam Singh, (JNU 1976, Student Councillor JNU-SSS 1973), Oxford Brookes University Manjira Sinha, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur Subir Sinha, SOAS University of London Suvadip Sinha, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Tanvi Sirari, (JNU 2012), University of British Columbia Ari Sitas, University of Cape Town Ruhi Sonal, (JNU 2012), IIT Delhi Jonathan Spencer, University of Edinburgh Alex Steele, University of Minnesota Rachel Sturman, Bowdoin College Abha Sur, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Columbia University Kannan Srinivasan, Wertheim Study New York Public Library Ravindran Sriramachandran, Ashoka University Tanvi Sirari, (JNU 2012), University of British Columbia Priyanka Srivastava, (JNU 1995-2000) University of Massachusetts, Amherst Ulrike Stark, The University of Chicago Tony K. Stewart, Vanderbilt University Andy Stirling, University of Sussex Ajantha Subramanian, Harvard University Narendra Subramanian, McGill University Sanjay Subrahmanyam, University of California, Los Angeles Meghant Sudan, Concordia University, Montreal Sanjukta Sunderason, Leiden University Byapti Sur, Leiden University Deborah Sutton, (JNU 2001), Lancaster University Ashwini Tambe, University of Maryland-College Park Anand Vivek Taneja, Vanderbilt University Akshaya Tankha, (JNU 2006), University of Toronto Shabnum Tejani, SOAS, University of London Kamal Kumar Tanti, University of Technology and Management, Shillong Kuhu Tanvir, (JNU 2012), University of Pittsburgh Rei Terada, University of California, Irvine Shubha Tewari, University of Massachusetts Sharika Thiranagama, Stanford University Sudipa Topdar, (JNU 2002), Illinois State University Saadia Toor, College of Staten Island, City University of New York Nishita Trisal, University of Michigan Alexios Tsigkas, New School Malvika Tyagi, IIT Delhi Bhargav Rani, (JNU 2014), City University of New York Lalit Vachani, University of Göttingen. Nilita Vachani, New York University Aparna Vaidik, (JNU 2005), Ashoka University Anand Vaidya, University of Bergen Anish Vanaik, (JNU 2008), Purdue University Rashmi Varma, University of Warwick Ramaa Vasudevan, (JNU 1986-88) Colorado State University Rajesh Venogopal, London School of Economics Kartik Verma, (JNU 2008), University of Utah Vertika, (JNU 2014), McGill University, Montréal Ramna Walia, (JNU 2011), University of Texas at Austin Gary Wang, University of Toronto Tyler Walker Williams, (JNU 2007), JNUSU Vice President 2006-2007, University of Chicago Kalpana Wilson, London School of Economics and Political Science Nicole Wolf, Goldsmiths, University of London Niharika Yadav, Princeton University Harshita Yalamarty, (JNU 2013), York University Suvaid Yaseen, (JNU 2013), Brown University Akhila Yechury, (JNU 2007), University of St. Andrews Dilan Yildirim, Harvard University Nima Lamu Yolmo, (JNU 2011) Vazira Zamindar, Brown University John Zavos, (JNU 1988), University of Manchester[/su_spoiler]
Featured image by V. Arun Kumar
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