"First-time such casteist slogans used on campus...few outsiders did it," JNU VC SD Pandit on defacement of walls
Dec 13, 2022
New Delhi [India], December 13 : After the walls and faculty rooms of the Jawaharlal Nehru University were defaced with anti-brahmin slogans by some unknown elements, JNU Vice Chancellor SD Pandit on Monday said that a few "outsiders" did it.
JNU VC SD Pandit condemned the entire incident and said that it was the first time such casteist slogans were used on the campus walls.
"JNU is known for celebrating the cultural diversity of the country. All Army, Navy, and Air Force personnel are from JNU. So JNU can't be anti-national. Few outsiders did it. It's the first time such casteist slogans were used," said JNU VC SD Pandit.
She said that it is a mischief created before university elections for teachers and Assembly elections.
"Those 2-3 outsiders came with ulterior motives knowing that whatever happens in JNU gets publicized. It was mischief created before university elections for teachers and Assembly elections," said JNU VC SD Pandit.
The matter pertains to December 2, when the incident of vandalism where the School of International Studies (SIS) walls and JNU were defaced with "anti-brahmin" slogans.
Earlier, the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union condemned the incident and urged the administration to take strict action against the miscreants.
JNUSU said in a statement that it condemns any such acts that purposefully attack any community to encourage any form of disharmony or disturbance of the peaceful environment of the campus.
However, it added that political art and wall postering are an "integral part of the political culture" of the university.
"We have never witnessed the same to have been employed for hateful purposes under the garb of anonymity. The JNU Administration must take cognisance of such slogans and take the requisite strict action according to the statutes of the university," it said.
The Students Union said it is only a "certain group within the campus" that "repeatedly attempted" to vitiate the campus environment in order to maintain an atmosphere of insecurity on the campus.
Stating that the "progressive" student movement of JNU has never defined social justice as contingent upon the "outright expulsion of any particular group from society," the student union accused the "right-wing forces to have tried historically to caricature claims" to social justice in a deplorable manner "with the exclusionary CAA-NRC-NPR being the latest of their attempts at so-called justice".
"The JNUSU reiterates its strong condemnation of the present and past acts of vandalism and urges the JNU Administration to conduct a time-bound free and fair inquiry to ensure peace and normalcy on the campus," it said.
The Dean of the School of International Studies and Grievances Committee has been asked to inquire and submit a report to the VC at the earliest.
"JNU stands for inclusion and equality. The VC reiterates zero tolerance for any violence on campus," the notice said.
