Department of Social Work 'Disowns' BJP's Kapil Mishra, DU Students Protest 'State Sponsored Attack'

NEW DELHI: The Department of Social Work Students Union of the Delhi School of Social Work (DSSW) has issued a statement condemning the actions of DSSW Alumni and BJP leader Kapil Mishra, demanding that Mishra be arrested for his “provocative acts and communal statements.”

“We disown him as our Alumni,” Anish Kumar, President of the DSSW Students Union told The Citizen, adding that this was the Union’s decision.

“We have already condemned his actions, we have been condemning his actions. This is the Department of Social Work and he is doing anti-social things. Only because of his speech... his incitement of violence speech, that riots have taken place in Delhi,” Kumar stated.

Mishra, at a pro-CAA rally near Maujpur on February 23, had given an “ultimatum” to the Delhi Police to clear all anti-CAA protestors in Jaffrabad within three days, warning that otherwise “we will have to take to the streets.” Following his speech, clashes erupted in Jaffrabad.

The statement, that begins with the words “Mr. Kapil Mishra, you don’t deserve to be called DSSW Alumni”, further says that the Department of Social Work has had a “glorious past” on one hand, with many social workers, activists, academicians and leaders among others graduating from DSSW.

However, on the other hand, “we also have blot such as our Alumni BJP Leader Kapil Mishra, who has organized recent Delhi riots and incited mob to disturb communal harmony of the city.”

The Students Union further stated that it is “ashamed” of Mishra and the fact that he studied Social Work in their college. The “DSSW fraternity is against the hatred, violence and communalism spread by Kapil Mishra who has also maligned our profession,” the statement continues, adding that the “image of our department and social work profession has been tarnished” through his actions.

“We demand Delhi Police to arrest him and take strict action against all such people,” the statement reads.

Meanwhile, students of English Department of Delhi University staged an “indefinite class boycott” on Thursday, in solidarity with the victims of “the state-sponsored attack on the Muslims of Northeast Delhi” and all those providing support to them on-ground. Many students from other departments and colleges also reportedly joined the boycott.

Calling for those behind the attacks to be held accountable, the statement says, “The idea behind the boycott was to break the veneer of normalcy regarding the anti-muslim pogrom happening right now, existing within elite insitutions like DU.”

“Attending lectures and seminars and keeping up the facade of normalcy constitute subtle forms of othering”, reads the statement. It further explains this “othering” to be taking the form of “putting up the boundaries of comfort” between students who can enter classrooms ignoring the “vicious violence” and those who cannot “because their identities are under attack.”

The English Department, through their statement, further called out “the incompetence of the Home Minister and the CM in dealing with the situation”, demanding they take prompt action. The statement also called for mobilising students to volunteer on ground to “aid the victims.”

“Such orchestrated violence against minority groups shall not, and indeed should not be tolerated,” it said.

Following the boycott by the English Department yesterday, the Arts Faculty, University of Delhi will be holding a peace march today.