Protests erupt in solidarity with JNU students

Bhubaneswar: A day after a violent attack on some students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) by a group of masked hooligans which left at least 25 students, including girls, severely injured, protests erupted in the Capital city Monday condemning the disgraceful incidence.

Many students took to the streets to protest the Sunday night’s incident when the masked goons brandishing sticks and rods attacked the JNU students and teachers and damaged properties on the campus.

Members of All India Democratic Students’ Organisation (AIDSO) gathered near Rama Devi Women’s University here Monday and started sloganeering against the Union government and police for failure to provide security to students who had been protesting silently for the last several days against fee hike.

Pragyanmita Jena, an AIDSO member and a student of RD University, said that the attack on the JNU students by the intruders is highly objectionable and deplorable. The issue should be taken up seriously because if the students are beaten up inside the hostels then their rights are seriously infringed upon, she said.

“If we, as students, are not supporting them (the victims) today, then tomorrow we may face a similar fate. The government has failed to maintain peace on the varsity campus,” she asserted.

Swati Sangeeta Dalai, another student of the varsity, said, “The assailants definitely got the support from the Central government. Such a large group of attackers entering the hostel without any hindrances and beating up students is not possible without the government throwing its weight behind the incident. Such action shows the barbarism of the government and its attempt to destroy the freedom of speech and suppress the right to protest of the students.

Palli Mullick, a student of Utkal University, said that ABVP and the administration have been targeting the students who were protesting the fee hike. “Protest is their democratic right and beating them up for this is highly uncalled for. Education system is in a dismal state and students’ unrest has become a regular phenomenon. If students are not united now, the political parties will use us against each other through their ‘divide and rule’ policy,” Mullick said.

Apart from students, various left organisations also gathered at Master Canteen to vehemently oppose the brutal attack on students and professors of JNU.

Sanghamitra Jena, a student leader and a member of a Leftist outfit, said, “We have a totally fascist government at the Centre which doesn’t like any protest or objection to their decisions. The JNU incident proves this. The country which got the freedom from the British is now battling the dictatorial attitude of the Union government.”

Meanwhile, ABVP’s state secretary Sashikanta Mishra said that this is nothing but a false allegation to misguide students and the society against the government and the ABVP.

Meanwhile, Odia students in JNU shared information about the situation at JNU. Rama Naga, a JNU student from Boipariguda block in Koraput district, said, “Masked goons invited by ABVP entered the JNU campus and attacked students and faculty members with sticks, rods and stones. It’s a murderous attack. JNUSU President Aishe Ghosh has sustained severe injuries. Several students and teachers were brutally attacked. We urge the Delhi Police to act fast.”

He said that hired goons of ABVP reached the campus with masks on their faces, attacked the students and teachers cowardly and disappeared.

The situation is tense but the JNU community is responding to it unitedly.

Members of local student political groups such as ABVP, AIDSO and BCJD protested in city, Monday, and gave their views about the attack on JNU students.

Smruti Ranjan Biswal of ABVP Odisha said, “For the last few days the leftist members are stopping students from registering for the semester exams and recently the internet services in JNU were also disrupted by some miscreants. This resulted in shameful WIFI blackout in the entire JNU campus. When their nasty shenanigans were caught and questioned by students they mercilessly attacked the students of JNU. This act reminds us of anarchic ways. The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) is running under the left leadership and is hell bent on destroying everything JNU stands for. We demanded immediate arrest of the culprits.”

Umesh Sahoo, president of BCJD-Delhi Chapter said, “We convey the deepest sympathies to those students and teachers injured in the unfortunate incident at JNU. BCJD urges all students to adhere to civilized norms of non violent democratic political discourse and strongly condemns the violence at JNU. We demand expeditious investigation to identify and bring to book, those responsible for the violence.”
Requesting all to keep calm, BCJD extended all support and help to students of JNU who might need any assistance, said Sahoo.