Spark, The Voice of Youth condemns the murderous attack on students and teachers of Jawaharlal Nehru University on the evening of January 5. People armed with iron rods and lathis and masked faces entered the campus and went around hostels attacking the students and damaging the property. Nearly two dozen students and teachers have suffered serious injuries in this pre-planned attack. Some of them are in critical condition.
The students and teachers of JNU have been waging a struggle for more than two months against the steep hike in fees. They have been opposing every attempt of the authorities to privatize JNU.
This is third attack on students in university campuses in last 21 days. The students of Jamia Millia Islamia were brutally attacked on December 15 when they were protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). On the night of Dec 15 the students of AMU were also attacked by the police after entering the campus.
The students of JNU came out in solidarity and condemned the attack on them. The students of JNU along with students all over the country have been playing an active role in the struggle of people against the CAA and the NRC. The students of JNU have been painted as “anti-national”, who allegedly want India to break up.
The brutal attack on students is a part of the revenge on JNU students for opposing the policies of the central government. The students of JNU have often been referred to as “tukde tukde gang” and been blamed lately for inciting people against CAA and NRC.
The attack on JNU students had the blessings of both the Vice Chancellor of JNU and the Delhi Police. The Vice Chancellor did not call the police into the campus until the murderous gangs had completed their plan. A lot of people had come to defend and express their solidarity with the JNU students but the Delhi police did not allow them to enter the campus. On the other hand, the police helped the attackers to safely escape from the campus.
Protest in solidarity in Mumbai at Gateway of India on 6 January
Spark, The Voice of Youth extends its full support to the students and teachers of JNU in their just struggle and calls upon students and youth all over the country to stand with the students of the JNU.
