JNU dean held captive in classroom

In a video, Dr Vandana Mishra was seen sitting helplessly in a packed classroom where protesting students were hooting in deafening volume.

Another controversy erupted in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) when an associate dean was kept in illegal captivity by some students since Friday morning.

In a video, which has been circulated on social media, Dr Vandana Mishra was seen sitting helplessly in a packed classroom where protesting students were seen sloganeering and hooting in deafening volume. Few students can be seen playing the tambourine while others raise slogans in a rhythmical manner.

“Dr. Vandana Mishra, Associate Dean of Students being kept in illegal captivity by some JNU students since morning. She is still confined in her class room in SIS building. Her health is deteriorating. This is shameful and unbecoming of students,” JNU vice-chancellor M. Jagadeesh Kumar twitted on Friday evening.

The students, who have been agitating against a draft hostel manual, which allegedly has provisions for the fee hike, electricity charges, dress code etc, have been keeping a faculty member in illegal captivity since Friday morning.

All deans and chairpersons have appealed to the students to end the strike, as it has begun to affect the academic career of thousands of students in JNU. According to sources, the protests were backed by the Leftist students organisation.

In a similar incident on October 28, 2019, the students at JNU blocked an ambulance and did not even allow doctors to meet dean of students Prof Umesh Kadam, who fell sick amidst alleged manhandling by the students.

On Thursday, JNU administration appealed to students agitating against a draft hostel manual, which allegedly has provisions for fee hike and dress code, to end their protest as it is affecting the academic activities.