Denounces govt’s attempt to stifle dissent and criticism”
Dimapur, March 2 (MExN): The North-East Forum for International Solidarity (NEFIS) on March 2 organised solidarity protests for JNU across different cities in India to “support the international call of JNU students to demand justice for Rohith Vemula, and for releasing Kanhaiya Kumar and removal of all false charges against JNU students.”
According to a press note from NEFIS Convenor, Chinglen Khumukcham, activists gathered in huge numbers in Chandigarh, Imphal, Kokrajhar, Dehradun and Gwalior in what it called BJP Govt’s agenda “to stifle dissent and criticism in the country.”
“NEFIS supports the movement against the casteist, communal forces RSS-BJP” it said alleging that the malafide intentions of the BJP government were revealed when the Home Minister, Rajnath Singh made irresponsible comments, alleging connections of JNU students with Terror Outfits, without any evidence.
HRD Minister Smriti Irani similarly quoted an internal and “interim” report of a “High Level Enquiry Committee” in JNU to name eight JNU students as prima facie “guilty”, it added.
By naming the eight students in the parliament, NEFIS maintained that Irani has misused her official position and power to give “credence” to a questionable report of JNU’s High Level Enquiry Committee.
It further noted that these actions reveals BJP government’s agenda to “stifle dissent” in the country.
“To create fear that criticism of any kind would entail seditious charges are much more than merely disturbing,” NEFIS pointed out adding it exposes “the true face of the fascist forces” that are attacking the democratic rights of the students in JNU, HCU and of the citizen of this country.
In this context, NEFIS further condemned what it described as “the malicious slander campaign” unleashed against JNU and its academic community as a cover for political witch-hunt and a vicious attack on the University’s autonomy and democratic culture of debate, dialogue and dissent.
