SFI AUD organised a peace march on April 21, 2022 to protest against the communal violence taking place in Jahangirpuri. However, it was disrupted by the AUD administration. Read to find out more. 

 

On April 21, 2022, the Students Federation of India (SFI) Ambedkar University of Delhi (AUD) Kashmere Gate unit had called for a peaceful protest against the communal attacks on the minorities in the country and against the “anti-encroachment” drive of the BJP ruled North Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). According to them, this drive has been led in light of destabilising the socio-economic capacity of the minority in the area of Jahangirpuri. The students were completely equipped to carry out a peaceful march outside the CR area and were singing songs. This is when the AUD administration including Registrar, Proctor, and the Security Officer aggressively disrupted the march by pushing around students and tearing the posters and placards made by students, as claimed by SFI AUD. The administration came along with a horde of security guards and put a number of barricades to stop the march organised by SFI and other students of the University. 

 

In conversation with a student of AUD, Kislay, told DU Beat about SFI’s peace march that took place on Thursday. According to him, it was the lunchtime and SFI did not want the disruption of classes for peace march so around 1pm, there were around 15-20 members who started singing songs and held placards which had ‘SFI against communalism’, ‘SFI against communal violence’, and ‘SFI for peace’ written on them. Suddenly, the registrar and proctor along with 4-5 guards, which included no female guards, came charging against them. Kislay claimed that they were asked  to take down the posters on the pretense that students can not unionise within the campuses. However, it is not unconstitutional to unionise but the administration did not want the march to take place, as stated by the student. 

The administration used to verbally abuse students but it is for the first time that I saw the registrar and proctor physically abuse the students. The administration has stooped so low that they are abusing students for their march for peace.

-Kislay, member of SFI AUD

 

Kislay further added that at that moment, the administration threatened one of the students to throw them out of the university. There was a constant scuffling from the administration. Also, in the heat of the moment the registrar and proctor started pushing the students by their hands and disrupted the march as they wished, according to the student. 

He also claimed that interestingly, at the end of the protest, which ended with a speech instead of the public meeting that was supposed to take place, the students who were a part of the ABVP started intimidating the protesters and both the registrar and the proctor were not at the scene.  

 

Such a behavior from the part of administration is not only a blatant attack on the fundamental rights of students to organize within the campus, but also is an attack on their rights as students of the University to peacefully assemble. We would like to remind the University administration that students of public universities have the right under the Lyngdoh Committee Guidelines to unionize into organizations.

-Said Nadia, Vice President of SFI AUD Unit

 

Besides this, the SFI AUD felt quite important to mention the aggressive attitude of the members of the administration. According to them, students were gathering peacefully and preparing for the march but it was the members of the administration who threatened the former and asked to remove SFI AUD from the posters, on the pretext that student organizations do not have the right to talk about political issues on campus. 

 

The whole attempt by the administration is a reflection of what kind of politics is acceptable within the campus space. The administration clearly showed that any attempt made by progressive organizations of students will be quelled violently with threats of suspension and rustication.

-Anuraag, Joint Secretary of SFI AUD Unit.

 

In another conversation with the SFI AUD President, Anil, told DU Beat about the actions of the administration. According to him, this is not the first time that the administration is coming down on students. He mentioned that recently, during the Ambedkar Jayanti celebrations, the administration tried stopping the celebrations. Similarly, whatever events they organise, the administration has always tried to stop it. Moreover, the SFI AUD has been asked multiple times to remove their name from placards and even the memorandums which they have submitted in lieu of infrastructural issues or other issues. The organisation takes it as curbing the voices of the organised student movements in a university because the administration is scared of the approach taken up by such organised movements. This also points toward the saffronised administration in AUD. This is because the way this programme was stopped shows the right wing nature of the administration and the way they are functioning. 

 

This event was called out for making a statement for the concerned students of AUD against the communal violence that is taking place all over the country, especially against the muslims. So, the way it was stopped also makes us think of the right wing nature that the AUD administration is showcasing right now.

-Anil, President, SFI AUD

 

The SFI AUD and the student community of AUD condemns unequivocally the actions of the administration. According to them, it is clear that they are protecting and are condoning the communal forces of the nation and inside the campus. Hence, the student body continues to condemn such actions. 

 

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Featured Image Credits: SFI AUD

 

Ankita Baidya

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