YOUTH POWER! CUTS ACROSS NATIONS AND NATIONALITIES

NEW DELHI: As thousands of people gathered in New Delhi to express support for the students and teachers of Jawaharlal Nehru University, messages of solidarity came pouring in from across the world. Academics, scholars, writers, thinkers, scientists and others have issued statements in support. The most remarkable response, however, has come from the student community, who have sent out letters and statements, posted photos, and even taken out their own peaceful marches and processions.

There are far too many such messages of solidarity to compile, but the message is clear: The citizens of the world stand with JNU. Here’s a sample of the photos and messages being circulated:

Harvard University:

“This incident reflects the current government’s authoritarian tendencies to stifle dissent in a thriving democracy. The government and some sections of the media have reduced the discourse to one of nationalism. That is not the debate,” Harvard University students organizing the rally said on their event page.

University of Cambridge:

University of Oxford:

“We, the undersigned members and alumni of the University of Oxford, stand firmly in solidarity with fellow students, teachers and scholars at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). We condemn the ongoing persecution of the student community in JNU, in particular the arrest of JNU Students Union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya Kumar under sedition charges. We protest the use of institutional and state machinery to stifle dissent on campuses, and the attempt to persecute those whose views do not conform to the narrow narratives of ‘nationalism’, ‘nationhood’ and ‘Indian culture’ promoted and endorsed by the ruling party.”

Yale:

New York University:

University of California - LA

“To our friends and comrades of all colors, religions, castes and genders in JNU- we salute you.”

Students in Boston:

Erasmus University, Den Haag.

“In solidarity. #WeStandWithJNU”

The Black Students Movement, Rhode University, South Africa:

“The Black Student Movement was horrified to hear of the the arrest of JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar on 12 February and the entry of the police into JNU Campus. We condemn the unlawful occupation of JNU by the police, the intimidation of students and staff members and the arbitrary arrest of President Kumar. We support the calls of students and staff for the withdrawal of police, the release of President Kumar and the return of normalcy to JNU campus as a matter of urgency. We stand in solidarity with the staff and students at JNU, who keep resisting in the face of the ever-growing fascism of the BJP/RSS in India.”

Red Oak Club, American University of Beirut:

STEPS Centre, University Of Sussex

“We in the STEPS Centre stand in full solidarity and support for our colleagues at Jawaharlal Nehru University. We were distressed to hear of the circumstances leading to the arrests and raids carried out on the JNU campus in the last few days, and the subsequent events, including violent assaults on faculty and students.”

40 of 41 central universities in India expressed support for the students and teachers of JNU. Here are some examples:

TISS, Mumbai:

Varied law schools:

“We, the undersigned, as current students, alumni and professors of law universities, stand in strong opposition to the recent events which have unfolded at JNU, especially those involving the arrest of the JNUSU President, among other disproportionate measures. We strongly disapprove of the free reign given to the police to question, detain and arrest any student or faculty member for voicing their opinions.”

Aligarh Muslim University:

Delhi University:

Mumbai University:

“We, the students of Mumbai extend our support to and express solidarity with the students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), who are under systematic attack from the Delhi Police and certain sections of the media.”

Medical students in Calicut: