The darkness of Sunday night

Hold the VC, Delhi Police, and ministries concerned to account

The unprecedented attack on students and teachers of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi on Sunday night is one of the darkest episodes in recent times in India. It brings to the fore a range of troubling issues — the increasing mob violence; the rule of law (or its absence) in the heart of the capital; the action (or inaction) of Delhi Police, which reports directly to the ministry of home affairs (MHA); the systematic undermining of one of India’s most important higher educational institutions in line with what appears to be a concerted attack on universities; the deployment of inflammatory rhetoric to tarnish critics; the abdication of constitutional duties by authorities concerned; and, ultimately, the weakening of Indian democracy itself.

Irrespective of the background of the violence, it is clear that three institutions have failed (Vipin Kumar / Hindustan Times)

Here is what we do not know conclusively about what happened in JNU on Sunday: The complete background of all the attackers who brutally beat up students and teachers, unleashed a reign of terror, and vandalised property. But here is what we do know: These attackers engaged in violence; many of those beaten up were critical of both the government and the university administration; the university administration was absent: the police did not enter the university and restore order for hours, allowing the mob to continue; the police also turned a blind eye to the violence outside the gates, where activists and journalists were beaten up, even as others cheered on the attack with violent slogans; the miscreants walked out, with the police looking on; and no one was arrested.