Shops refuse to copy pro-Kanhaiya material, say police ordered them
Students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) who are fighting for the release of fellow friends Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya are in a fix with the varsity photocopy shops refusing to print their posters.
Students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) who are fighting for the release of fellow friends Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya are in a fix with the varsity photocopy shops refusing to print their posters.
Most of the student organisations print pamphlets, leaflets to mobilise students and also disseminate information.
The problem is more acute as the students have planned a protest march to Parliament for March 2 demanding the release of jailed students and the removal of sedition charges slapped against them.
When one of these photocopy shops was visited on Monday near Tapti hostel, the shopkeeper refused to make copies of the pamphlets.
“Our owner has asked us not to print any of the posters or pamphlets,” said the worker at the shop.
The owner of the shop, Pankaj, said the police had asked them not to print any of such publicity material.
“We have been told by the police not to print it, we cannot get into trouble. We can’t get into this politics,” said Pankaj.
Outside the campus at Ber Sarai, Delhi Police had on Saturday detained one of the shopkeepers of a printing shop. Since then all the shops in the area have been refusing to print any of the publicity material.
“It is getting really difficult for us now. Now the shops in the varsity are refusing to print any of their posters or pamphlets and it is on the instruction of the university administration,” said Shehla Rashid, JNUSU vice-president.
However, the officiating registrar of JNU, Bupinder Zutshi denied the charges.
“No verbal or written communication has gone from the administration to the shopowners,” said Zutshi.
This restriction is costing JNU students a lot as they are now being forced to go to Delhi University and the surrounding areas in north campus to get copies of their pamphlets and other publicity posters.
