Multiple students were injured at the JNU after violence broke out on the campus on the evening of April 10. File. The Union Ministry of Education has written to the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration, seeking a report on the recent violence on the campus in which student groups clashed over non-vegetarian food and the holding of a ‘havan’ on the occasion of Ram Navami.
An education ministry official said that a report has been sought under the laid down standard operating procedure wherein central universities are expected to update the government on all contentious issues.
Multiple students were injured at the JNU after violence broke out on the campus on the evening of April 10. The left-affiliated student groups alleged that Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) members made attempts to stop non-vegetarian food from being cooked and served in the Kaveri hostel mess. The ABVP, affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), claimed that attempts were made to disrupt a Ram Navami puja in the same hostel.
In a statement on Monday, JNU registrar Ravikesh said that the “scuffle” had begun with some students objecting to the holding of ‘havan’. He added that while pacifying the students, it was clarified by the administration that there was “no bar” on serving non-vegetarian food.
“There was a scuffle in the JNU campus on April 10, 2022 between student groups. It was the occasion of Rama Navami and ‘hawan’ was organized by the students in the Kaveri hostel and there were students who were objecting to this. The wardens and the dean of students tried to pacify and the hawan was concluded peacefully. Despite this, some group of students were not happy with this and soon after, at the time of dinner, a ruckus was created over there and heated arguments were followed by altercation between both the groups in the Kaveri hostel,” the registrar said in a statement.
The registrar also said that it had been clarified that there was “no bar” on serving non-vegetarian food. “Mess is run by the student committee and the administration has nothing to do with the menu. The wardens clarified on the spot and issued a notice when the ruckus was going among students that there is no bar on serving non-vegetarian food,” the registrar had said.
He also said that after the incident, the JNU administration “immediately swung into action” with vice-chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit visiting the hostel late at night. “We appeal to everyone to exercise restraint and let the academic environment flourish in JNU without any external disturbances,” he had said.
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