#JNUViolence: Internet Gives First-Hand Accounts Of Brutal Attack On Students & Teachers

Jawaharlal Nehru University witnessed brutal violence on Sunday, January 5. Students including the students’ union president alleged that they were attacked by members and supporters of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABPV) while the police stood in silence. Videos going viral on the internet show that the students were attacked by masked men who carried wooden bats and iron rods. Reportedly, the men beat up faculty members, students who were protesting and left many bleeding on the campus.  

Why Were The Students Protesting?

For almost 70 days, a standoff has been going on between the students and the administration over the hostel fee hike. Students claim that the hike has increased their expenses three-fold and have been demanding a rollback. The JNU administration has justified the hike saying that the room rent has not been revised in 30 years and they are spending 10 crore a year for the payment of electricity, water, and service charges. 

JNUSU General Secretary Satish Yadav said, “For the past 68 days, there has been a movement in JNU against fee hike. The administration has tried to break this movement but has been unsuccessful. This time they have colluded with ABVP to spread violence.”

Narrating the incident, Satish said that the students were marching peacefully to the T-point and were attacked with stones by ABVP students who were on the roof. Students were injured on their heads and the march dispersed. Students were rushed to hospitals and some joined a meeting where they appealed for the atmosphere in JNU to remain peaceful.

The Horrifying Attack: Eye-witness Accounts That Were Shared On Social Media

According to a report by the BBC, at least 40 people from the faculty and student body were admitted in the hospital, some suffered severe head injuries and fractures. 

Warning: Distressing images and videos

In one video being shared on the internet, the JNUSU President Aishe Ghosh, with blood running down her face can be heard saying, “I’ve been brutally attacked by goons who were masked, I have been bleeding… I am not in a condition to talk.”

Her father said that he was scared because of the volatile situation all around the country, even he could be beaten up in the future and his mother demanded the Vice Chancellor’s resignation. She affirmed she won’t ask her daughter to back out of the protests.

Aishe’s father added, “The situation of the entire country is volatile. We are afraid. My daughter has been attacked, tomorrow someone else will be beaten up. Who knows, even I may be beaten up tomorrow.”

People were seen carrying lathis and sticks and entering the campus premises. Students have also blamed the police for standing on the sides and not intervening and stopping the violence. JNUSU vice-president, Saket Moon said, “The police have been on the campus since the afternoon but have done nothing.”

Rehman Mirza, a student at JNU allege that all the rooms that have been vandalised, belong to Muslims. 

“I kept thinking now the door would break now, now the door would break. My heart was pounding for an hour till after it ended,” he added.

Professor Sucharita Sen was beaten unsparingly too and was left heavily bleeding too. 

Talking about the goons that entered the campus, Professor Atul Sood said, “These were not small stones, these were big stones that could have broken our skulls. I fell on the side and when I came out, I saw cars completely vandalised including my car.”

There were even reports suggesting that the attackers were carrying acid with them.

Students Across The Country Stand In Solidarity With JNU Students

After around two hours of violence on the JNU campus, protestors from across the city, from Jamia to Shaheen Bagh, and from several other parts of the capital gathered outside Delhi Police Headquarters to demonstrate against reported police inaction in and around the central university’s campus. Hundreds of people protested against the policemen, who were reported to have been standing as silent spectators while faculty members and students of JNU were being assaulted. 

National Law School University of India (NLSUI) in Bengaluru lighting candles for peace

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Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), which was under attack a few days back also supported JNU students

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Students of IIT Mumbai protest against the mob violence that was witnessed in central university campus

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Mumbai also called for an impromptu midnight protest around Gateway of India and many people were determined to stay on till the wee hours of the morning

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Jadavpur University in Kolkata held peaceful demonstrations against violence in campuses

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Oxford University students unite against violence in JNU

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While it is still not confirmed by the police or the administration who the attackers were and people haven’t been identified, we do hope this happens soon. An attack on students and teachers on the university campus as well as destroying public property are absolutely unacceptable. We hope the perpetrators are caught soon and strict action is taken.

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