Students and academics from different Universities in London and Oxford took part in protests on Monday to show solidarity with students at Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi. Many of these students had friends or family or knew of someone studying in JNU who have been brutally attacked within their university campus on Sunday night.
According to a report by The Times of India, more than 50 students, researchers and academics from Oxford University protested outside the Radcliffe Camera, Oxford at 12pm.
Similarly 50 people also gathered on the steps of SOAS University in London on Monday at 10am. This also included students from other universities.
Director of Soas, South Asia Institute Edward Simpson, and Avinash Paliwal, Deputy Director in a statement through Bulletin told Asian Voice, “Last Sunday, students and faculty of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi faced an organised attack which led to a number of injuries. Media images showed masked men and women carrying sticks and iron-rods passing through the familiar precincts of the university, which is one of India’s most prestigious places of learning and research. SOAS has a long-standing partnership with JNU.
“We collaborate at all levels, including a formal memorandum of understanding, and countless informal links and publications and research projects. Many of our own students are graduates of JNU or have friends studying there. Across our campus this week there has been a shared sense of dismay that this was allowed to happen, thus far seemingly without sanction or reprimand. Universities with an ethos of critical analysis are having a hard time in many parts of the world; however, we use this week’s Bulletin message to express strong solidarity with the students and faculty of JNU.”
