After boycotting convocation, JNU Students' Union organizes another event
In an open protest against the JNU V-C Jagadesh Kumar and the convocation, the JNU Students' Union boycotted the function and organized another one. However, the JNUSU said their event was cancelled at the last moment. The students of the university boycotted it as they were displeased with V-C and his 'political masters'. They found support in former professors Harbans Mukhia and Anand Kumar.
Understanding why students opposed the convocation
The JNUSU alleged the V-C has cut research seats, reservation seats, increased fees and victimized student leaders. The union in a statement said, "He organized a photo-op convocation in the name of distribution of degrees of research scholars." JNUSU president Geeta Kumari alleged the university was systematically destroyed in the last two and half years, through anti-student, anti-social justice policies of the V-C.
Destroyer of JNU has no moral authority: Students' Union
Further, the union alleged that V-C protected sexual assaulters and silenced complainants. "We owe our degrees to democratic culture of JNU, and destroyer of JNU has no moral authority to distribute our degrees," the statement read. Supporting the students, Kumar said they should continue the struggle.
Former JNU teachers tell what makes the institute different
Harbans Mukhia said that JNU wasn't like any other institute in the country. He said teachers in JNU were expected to create a new system and given freedom. He went on to say that JNU promoted critical thinking, students were urged to question everything, and it also made teachers better. Agreeing with this, Anand Kumar added JNU students weren't afraid of bad grades but becoming dumb.
At convocation held after 46-years, V-C talks about illegal immigrants
The convocation was held after 46 years. Interestingly, the last one held in 1971 also faced resistance from students, but later when actor Balraj Sahni was invited, the students supported it. At the convocation, V-C Kumar asked the young generation to engage with society as the challenges are enormous. Kumar underlined terrorism and illegal immigrants as threats to national security.
