JNU teachers go on fast, demand revocation of students’ punishment

On Tuesday, members of the ABVP claimed that Saurabh Kumar Sharma, who had complained against the event, was rushed to AIIMS and admitted to the ICU after his glucose level dipped.

New Delhi: JNU teachers observed a one-day fast in support of students, who have been on a hunger strike against the punishments awarded to them by the university. They were punished for reportedly raising anti-national slogans at an event on Kashmiri separatist, Afzal Guru.

JNU teachers observed a one-day fast in support of students, who have been on a hunger strike against the punishments awarded to them by the university. They were punished for reportedly raising anti-national slogans at an event on Kashmiri separatist, Afzal Guru. (HT Photo)

“As many as 70 teachers and 180 students today sat on relay hunger strike in support of the ongoing hunger strike against the decision of the high-level committee of JNU. Twenty prisoners in Ara Jail have also started a two-day hunger strike on jail premises, demanding revocation of the punishment ,” a statement by the JNU Students Union said.

On Tuesday, members of the ABVP claimed that Saurabh Kumar Sharma, who had complained against the event, was rushed to AIIMS and admitted to the ICU after his glucose level dipped. Two groups of students are sitting on hunger strike. While the students from leftist groups are protesting against the punishment given to them, the students from the ABVP are demanding harsher punishment for them. They are also demanding the revocation of fine imposed on Sharma.

On the sixth day of the strike, the leftist students and teachers organised a public meeting and criticised the ban on the sale and distribution of Hindi version of a book by Delhi University, authored by noted historian Bipan Chandra. The book refers to Bhagat Singh as a “revolutionary terrorist”.

“In any case, Bhagat Singh used the word revolutionary terrorist to describe the work of his associates and himself. This had been pointed out, yet the sale of the Hindi edition of the book has been stopped and calls have been made to destroy it and criminal cases filed against the co-authors,” Bhagat Singh’s nephew, Jagmohan Singh, said. Co-authors of the book, Sucheta Mahajan, Mridula Mukherjee and Aditya Mukherjee, were also present at the public meeting.