The Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) has strongly condemned JNU Vice-Chancellor Prof Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, criticizing her for what it perceives as ideological manipulation of the university.

The controversy relates to a seminar organized by Professor Pandit on November 11, 2024, titled “Illegal Immigrants in Mumbai: Analysis of Socio-Economic and Political Consequences”. JNUTA said the event was aimed at releasing an interim report by two academics from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Mumbai, one of whom is the deputy vice-chancellor of the institute.

According to a statement from the faculty body, they claimed that “prior to this, the same report was released at TISS Mumbai, where Prof. Pandit was present. However, the full report remains inaccessible and the seminar presentations have been used by political entities. qualify migration patterns as “illegal”. »

JNUTA criticizes the vice-chancellor for approving a report that would conflate all migrants in Mumbai as “illegal”, despite data showing a minimal presence of international migrants and a significant proportion of internal migrants who are not illegal.

According to JNUTA, this approach perpetuates communal bias by labeling Muslim migrants as Bangladeshis without proof. Professor Pandit’s involvement in this portrait is considered by JNUTA to be a dereliction of his responsibilities as vice-chancellor.

In addition to this incident, JNUTA highlights the suppression of various university activities, such as the cancellation of an event on the Palestinian crisis at the JNU School of International Studies, which it considers part of a broader censorship system.

This includes similar events at other institutions, stifling discussions on critical issues. JNUTA asserts that academic freedom is essential for excellence and insists that the vice-chancellor refrain from using JNU for community purposes. They demand respect for the right of teachers to lead academic seminars without fear or intimidation, advocating for an academic environment that supports the disadvantaged and upholds democratic values.