JNU situation calls for revolutionary transformation of academic institutions: AISA on seminar cancellation

NEW DELHI: Calling it suppression of anti-imperialist voices, the All India Students' Association (AISA) condemned the cancellation of three seminars featuring the ambassadors of Palestine, Iran, and Lebanon at the Centre for West Asian Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). The students’ body hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, highlighting how the administration and vice-chancellor have become its agent and called for a ‘revolutionary’ transformation of the educational institutions.

AISA said that this action reflects a troubling suppression of diplomatic voices representing nations deeply engaged in anti-imperialist resistance and highlights the complicity of the JNU administration in upholding imperialist narratives within academic spaces.

“This despicable and dastardly act is a telling revealation of the fact JNU admin has shamelessly reduced itself to a lackey of the central government under Modi-Shah led UP's regime. With this act, the VC has once again divulged her moral and intellectual bankruptcy and spinciessness,” the organisation remarked.

The students’ group argued that the administrative decision to restrict discussions around the Palestinian liberation struggle under the guise of "protocols" reveals the administration’s attempt to maintain a facade of neutrality and academic freedom. This concern about potential protests demonstrates how institutions that claim to champion objectivity often side with imperialist agendas, suppressing revolutionary discourse.

By silencing the voices of Palestinian, Iranian, and Lebanese representatives at JNU, the administration's complicity reinforces the structures that maintain this imperialist order, it stated.

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“The SIS administration's actions must be understood not as mere administrative oversight but as class warfare conducted through academic channels. Dean Mattoo's directive requiring special approval for diplomatic speakers, while couched in bureaucratic language about "protocols" and "academic standards," effectively creates barriers to hearing voices that challenge dominant pro- imperialist narratives. This administrative obstruction comes at a time when understanding the Palestinian struggle for self- determination against Israeli occupation and US imperialism is more urgent than ever,” AISA said.

‘Anti-democratic’ institutions

The students’ body went on to say that the suggestion that these seminars could incite protests underscores the anti-democratic nature of academic institutions under the current regime. This suppression of anti-imperialist viewpoints highlights the pressing need for transformative change in educational settings. As Lenin emphasized, true liberation involves not only political and economic upheaval but also a cultural revolution that dismantles bourgeois control over knowledge production.

The students find it essential to recognize that this issue extends beyond abstract academic freedom; it pertains to the fundamental rights to challenge colonialism. Building solidarity among workers, students, progressive faculty, and anti-imperialist movements is crucial to countering this draconian suppression of revolutionary thought.

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The situation at JNU calls for not just administrative reform but a revolutionary overhaul of academic institutions to align with the interests of the working class and oppressed communities. Only through such transformation can universities become genuine arenas for anti-imperialist struggle, rather than tools for perpetuating capitalist hegemony.

“AISA stands in unwavering solidarity with the Palestinian resistance and reaffirms our commitment to building a revolutionary student movement that challenges imperialist hegemony in all its forms. We will not allow bureaucratic maneuvers to silence crucial discussions about liberation struggles and anti-imperialist resistance,” the students’ body further stated.