The Weekend Leader - JNU teachers body condemns violence by agitators

JNU teachers body condemns violence by agitators

New Delhi

06-January-2020

The Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers' Federation (JNUTF) on Monday said it is extremely concerned about the environment of fear and brutality created by some violently agitating students and said it condemns the violent acts of the agitators.

In a statement, it said a group of masked agitators barged into various hostels and mercilessly beat up the inmates with iron rods and stick on Sunday night.

"For the past many days, entry to school buildings was blocked by placing heavy furniture, flowerpots and ladders. Such a blockade has caused great academic loss as well as financial loss to the University and its stakeholders," the teachers' body said.

They said teachers, staff and students, who try to enter their offices or schools, are being subject to verbal abuse, heckling, threats and physical assaults.

"The entire registration process has been taken hostage by the agitators as they destroyed the server room twice, on Saturday and Sunday," the statement said.

On Saturday, the Dean and a faculty membersof the School of International Studies were humiliated, abused and physically assaulted by a group of vicious agitators when they tried to enter into their offices, it added.

According to the association, "in another incident, another faculty member of the School of Social Sciences was heckled, assaulted and his mobile phone was snatched away by the nasty agitators in front of the School of Languages."

The associate dean of the School of Languages too was heckled, abused and physically assaulted when he tried to enter the school premise along with some other faculty members and office staff, it said.

"Needless to say that such criminal audacity on part of the agitating students is not possible without the support of some of the teachers with malicious intentions. The JNUTF unequivocally condemns the violence perpetrated against the faculty members," it added.

The JNUTF expressed dismay about the financial and academic loss to researchers owing to the forceful seizure of science laboratories.

"In many cases, the researchers have lost their years of research as chemicals and other laboratory essentials have been destroyed. The researchers could not track the progress of their research due to the lockdown. It is high time that the agitators must realise, the kind of damage they have already caused in the university," the statement said.

Some of these laboratories have been consistent in producing nationally and internationally acclaimed research outputs that have been hampered by the unlawful blockade. The vital question, JNUTF asked, is who would pay for the academic as well as financial losses.

"Will the shameless provocateurs or the brazen agitators take the responsibility? It is apparent that the protesters and their provocateurs have no faith in democratic methods. They are just interested in imposing their will, creating chaos, threatening people and damaging public property," it said.

"The JNUTF strongly believes that every faculty member and staff have a right to access her office space, laboratory and faculty room. The JNUTF appeals to the agitators and their patrons not to instigate the students for violence and criminal activities," it added.

The JNUTF also appealed to the JNU community to restore the peaceful environment of the university where people can express their disagreements democratically.IANS 



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