Campaign for violence-free DU
NEW DELHI, AUG. 15
With instances of alleged violence at the campus on rise, students of Delhi University used the online platform to spread awareness for a violence-free DU.
The students were seen changing their profiles on Facebook with placards that read “This Independence Day, Let us take a pledge together DU ko Dilayenge Gundagardi se Azaadi”.
The past year saw a sharp rise in instances of alleged physical violence against students and teachers, which have unsettled the academic environment of DU.
“Seminars have been disrupted and offices vandalised in the name of nationalism or religion. Pelting stones by political goons at an event at Ramjas College in February because they did not like the topic of the seminar and the speakers. Recently, an SRCC professor was beaten up badly for not increasing the marks of a student belonging to the ABVP. The atmosphere, academic freedom and excellence is under most serious attack as it has been never before,” AISA said in an official release.
Shreya Kapoor, a student of IP College for Women, said, “How can we call ourselves free when our academic freedom is under serious attack. We must not submit to the atmosphere of fear created by the ABVP on campus, rather we should fight to save our universities.” Kawalpreet Kaur, president of DU AISA, said, “There has been an attempt to intimidate the academic community by the ABVP through their violence.
“We are appealing students to change their profile pictures in order to support the pledge and stand against violence. On the day when we are celebrating our Independence, our minds are still not free to think and explore. When all this is happening, we can’t sit silently.”