Attack on JNU: A Night of Solidarity in Delhi’s ITO

New Delhi: The night was cold, but the mood was heating up in front of Delhi Police’s old headquarters in Delhi’s ITO late Sunday night. People from all walks of life, especially students, gathered spontaneously to express their anger with Delhi Police’s inaction and solidarity with the JNU students and teachers who faced lathis and rods by masked persons who roamed around freely inside the campus.

The gruesome attack in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) was unleashed by alleged ABVP (Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad) members from outside who had reportedly entered the campus with ease.

Earlier, the students, led by the JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) were staging a peaceful sit-in protest against the administration's decision to hike and change the structure of hostel fee. According to students, this move is bound to exclude a huge section of students who come from marginalised sections of the society.

The JNU Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) had called a peace meeting inside the campus, which was attacked by these masked people. They injured teachers and students. This group of masked people then allegedly entered a hostel and attacked students. All this while, the police was stationed outside the campus gate, watching the mayhem. By then, JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh had been hit on her head with a blunt object and was bleeding profusely. A teacher was also bleeding as was rushed to hospital. By the night, several injured students were in hospital.

Angered by the violence, the Jamia Coordination Committee, set up police violence in Jamia Millia Islamia on December 15, gave a call on social media, asking people to gather at Delhi Police’s old headquarters in ITO to protest against police inaction. Jamia was also raided by Delhi Police; a library was attacked and many students were taken into custody. There are allegations of police firing too. Similar calls to gather in ITO were given by various students’ organisations and civil society groups.

From 9 p.m, students from various universities and colleges, started gathering at ITO. They were raising slogans in solidarity with their fellow students and teachers in JNU. They were demanding that the police take immediate measures to find the masked culprits. Soon the students were joined by many concerned citizens.

Brinda Karat, polit bureau member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) joined the protest straight from the AIIMS trauma centre where the injured were taken. She said that “the injuries of the victims were gruesome and more than 15 victims were there while she was at the trauma centre.”

Congress leader Salman Khurshid joined the protest in solidarity with the JNU students. He said: “This government has managed to capture certain institutions of the country, but there are still many which they haven’t been able to control and universities are such institution. The first voice to safeguard the democracy will be raised from the universities.” While commenting on the spirit of JNU he added, “JNU knows how to fight back; it has the strength, self-confidence to do so. JNU will not be defeated.”

A delegation of students and teachers from various universities, including University of Delhi and Jamia Millia Islamia, went to talk to senior officials of Delhi Police. This process was initiated by Karat, who remained at ITO until the meeting was over. Later, CPI(M) general secretary and former JNU student Sitaram Yechury also joined the delegation.

Yechury said, "we told them [police] strongly that actions must be taken against all those who created this trouble.” He further said that these attacks are “atrocious. This something which is unheard of before; outsiders coming in, in front of the police and attacking students and teachers mercilessly...This is a planned attack.”

The delegation demanded that a FIR be lodged immediately in the matter. Police received their application but asked them to register the FIR in the local police station. After the meeting with police officials, the protesters sent two delegations -- one to the trauma centre and another to JNU to ensure there weren't any untreated victims still in the campus.

Last month, when Jamia was raided by the Delhi Police, there was similar outrage by students, teachers and residents of Delhi.

As the BJP government’s attack on universities continue, the common people, students, teachers, activists, continue to join hands to put pressure on the police and to make sure that such incidents do not go unchallenged.

In ITO, there were posters showing solidarity with the JNU community. It was a night of songs of resistance, including Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s Hum Dekhengey, which was in controversy recently, and has become a sort of signature song for the latest countrywide resistance. Some protesters also wrote messages of resistance on the streets with coloured chalk.

As attacks on our democracy are intensifying, people’s anger and resolve to save the country and the Constitution is also strengthening. The picture of Mahatma Gandhi on the building of the old Delhi Police Headquarter also bore witness to the peoples’ will to safeguard democracy.

It is time that the BJP government realise that they cannot wish away the history of peoples’ struggle for democracy. The writing is on the streets; it is for them to read it and beware!