Students of Jawaharlal Nehru University, who were debarred from performing academic activities ever since the February 9 incident took place on campus, were on Friday informed that they could resume their studies. The decision was revealed soon after the high-level inquiry committee, that was formed to look into alleged anti-national slogans raised during an event marking the hanging of 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, submitted its findings to the Vice Chancellor, M Jagadesh Kumar.
With this development, the students who are on campus will now be able to participate in academic activities from Saturday. However, further action on the students will be taken on the basis of the findings of the report. The punishment/action will be decided by the Proctor's office, which will take another few days.
JNU student president Kanhaiya Kumar addressed students soon after meeting the senior-most officials of JNU and said that all the eight students, including himself, can rejoin academic activity. Following the February 9 incident, Kanhaiya had been arrested and spent almost three weeks in jail, while two other JNU students, Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhatacharya, continue to be lodged in prison.
A high-level inquiry committee was constituted by the university on February 11 to look into the incident and it was decided that the students would be debarred till the committee finishes its inquiry. Following the formation of the committee, eight students were considered -- Kanhaiya Kumar, Rama Naga, Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya, Ashutosh Kumar, Anant Prakash, Aishwarya Adhikari and Shweta Raj.
The committee initially comprised of three members – Rakesh Bhatnagar, Himadri Bohidar and Suman K Dhar. Two more members -- GVJ Prasad and Prof Ummu Salma Bava were later added to the committee after students and teachers refused to accept the composition of the committee, citing that the committee had no representative from the SC/ST or Dalit community or any woman.
While the committee, right from its inception, was marred with controversy, official sources told dna that the JNU teachers association, might further take on the five-member team, if students belonging to "other political groups" do not find mention in the report.
"We know for a fact that slogans were raised by both sides that night. Students from the ABVP also raised slogans and threatened their opposition as well as the JNU administration. We are not suggesting that the students be punished, but if the report does not mention the objectionable slogans raised by them or does not identify them, the credibility of the report ought to be questioned," said an official source.
According to the source, the action to be taken will be decided on the seriousness of the charges that have been found in the report. "Some students will be let off with a fine, some might have to leave their hostels and some others might be rusticated," a source in the university said.
This, however, might not go down well with the students here, as it was apparent in the address of Kanhaiya who said the students have refused to accept the committee report and will refuse to accept the action that is taken on its basis.
"We do not accept the report because we have been demanding that the inquiry should have taken place in a more democratic manner, which did not happen. None of us deposed in front of the committee, how can we accept its recommendations,
"We asked the VC on what basis the students were suspended as according to the rules, such action can only be taken after finding prima facie evidence. He told us that we should forget whatever has happened and now try to rebuild the image of the university. We agree with him, but it is the Registrar who won't let that happen. We have requested the VC that the Registrar must be asked to step down," Kanhaiya said.
