[Reader-list] Emergency returns to JNU

[Shuddhabrata Sengupta]

Dear Prakash,

many thanks for posting this. This is a very grave and serious  
violation of the rights and liberties of students by the JNU  
administration, and must be challenged. It is also totally arbitrary  
and a serious break with the tradition of JNU being a venue for  
serious discussion. All of us should stand with the JNU students in  
ensuring that this gross, unnecessary, undemocratic and totally  
arbitrary decision is not allowed to prevail. By doing this, the JNU  
administration has only brought public shame on to itself.

Incidentally,I think that there is a provision within the censorship  
guidelines that suggests that the screening of a film for educational  
purposes (which is exactly what happens within the context of a  
university) is exempt from the necessity of having to display a CBFC  
certificate. This can be confirmed. if this is the case, then, not  
only is the JNU administration's step retrograde, it also becomes  
illegal.




On 02-Apr-10, at 1:09 AM, Prakash K Ray wrote:

> Dear all,
>
> After attempts to bulldoze its agenda of commercialization and to  
> tamper
> with reservation, the JNU administration is now going all out to  
> muzzle
> freedom of expression and speech with a series of draconian  
> measures. In a
> meeting of the Provosts held on 26th March, the Dean of Students  
> has come up
> with a Proforma for all hostels regarding organizing Public  
> Meetings and
> Film Screenings. The guidelines formulated unanimously in the  
> meeting are
> nothing short of attempts on the part of the administration to  
> suppress the
> democratic rights of the students. The guidelines stipulates that  
> no film
> can be screened that doesn’t have a Censor Board certificate. Also,  
> all
> details on the movie, its makers, and time duration need to be  
> mentioned
> while filling the form for seeking permission to organize  
> screenings in the
> hostels. This implies that Documentaries/Films made by independent  
> film
> makers, cannot be screened. Furthermore, the guidelines also make it
> mandatory on individuals/organizations holding Public Meetings to  
> provide
> all details of the topic, and list of speakers. According to the  
> circular,
> any meeting the administration feels would be in contravention of  
> ‘national
> harmony’ or ‘national integration’ or ' national security' could be
> disallowed and denied permission. Permission must be taken a week  
> before.
>
> These new guidelines under the garb of standardizing procedures for  
> all
> hostels, are in fact draconian attempts to muzzle the voices of  
> dissent,
> thereby seeking to curtail the freedoms of speech and expression. The
> pretext of the national interest and harmony is another excuse of
> suppressing the heterodox views. These terms are always defined  
> conveniently
> to suit the hegemonic projects of those in power and against those  
> who are
> challenging this hegemony. These anti-democratic guidelines thus are a
> systematic effort on part of administration to curb the progressive  
> student
> movement and launching fresh onslaughts on the student community.  
> In the
> absence of elections and an elected JNUSU, the administration has been
> increasingly getting high-handed and pushing through such anti-student
> policies. The administration has sought to conveniently use the  
> stay on
> JNUSU elections surreptitiously to bulldoze such anti-democratic  
> measures.
> It is a sad thing that most of teachers of JNU are either silent or
> supporting the JNU administration. It is pertinent that the student
> community in JNU remains vigilant and fight against such assaults  
> on our
> democratic rights that have been won after hard-fought struggles. All
> right-thinking people should join hands with the progressive  
> students of JNU
> in their fight against these draconian measures tooth and nail.
>
>
> Prakash
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Shuddhabrata Sengupta
The Sarai Programme at CSDS
Raqs Media Collective
shuddha at sarai.net
www.sarai.net
www.raqsmediacollective.net