Kanhiaya Kumar has been fined, Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya rusticated. Their “punishment”, which students and teachers are protesting, even going on an indefinite hunger strike, is based on the findings of an internal JNU High Level Enquiry Committee (HLEC) report submitted on 11 March. The report has been public for some time now.
A few months before the 9 February incident involving the alleged chanting of purportedly ‘anti-national’ slogans, another HLEC was formed to investigate a controversial matter. A Christian faculty member and warden of Jhelum hostel was accused by students of hurting their religious sentiments, sexual harassment and verbal abuse while trying to stop a birthday havan on 21 November 2015.
The lethargy in acting on one report and alacrity in implementing the other are not an innocent coincidence, for the JNU Teachers Association as well as some students.
Two Versions: An Issue of Safety or Religious Intolerance?
On 21 November 2015, Dr. Burton Cleetus, Assistant Professor in the History department and one of the wardens of Jhelum hostel in JNU, received complaints that some students had an open fire in their room. Along with two other wardens, Dr. Cleetus went to the room to deal with the issue. Two days later, he was summoned to the Vasant Kunj police station. The complaint against him – he hurt religious sentiments of the students, verbally abused some of them and sexually harassed others.
Students’ Version to the Police
On 21 November, Jitendra, an MPhil student in the Sanskrit Department, celebrated his birthday with friends in the Jhelum hostel. A devout Hindu, he decided to do a puja for the occasion. There were around 15-20 people in the room. Around 6:00 pm, Dr. Cleetus came to the room with some other people. He desecrated the havan (fire ritual) and harassed the students both verbally and physically.
According to the investigating police officer, the complaint filed against him mentioned that Mr. Cleetus kicked the havan samagri (prayer material), pulled a student’s ponytail and uttered casteist, communal, and sexist abuses.Report in The Hindu on 29 November 2015
Teachers’ and Students’ Union Version
Around 5:30 pm, Dr Burton Cleetus received complaints that some students were conducting a havan in the hostel, which was a fire hazard. Along with two other wardens, he went to the room in question at around 6:45 pm. By this time, the ceremony was almost over. He called Jitendra out of the room and discussed the rule-breaking with him. The students in the room, about 20 of them, were asked to disperse peacefully. Two days later, Dr Cleetus was summoned to the Vasant Kunj police station and booked on trumped-up charges. He has since been released on bail.
A Planned Outrage for Religious Polarisation?
Several students, including Kanhaiya Kumar and Umar Khalid are on a hunger strike against the HLEC decision fining and rusticating them. They have the support of a large number of students and teachers.
The HLEC in the havan matter had submitted its report in February. Yet, the findings of the report were not made public despite repeated demands by the JNUTA.
The JNU Teacher’s Association has been demanding to see the report. The entire incident has been fabricated to vitiate the atmosphere in the university. We believe the HLEC report exonerates Dr. Cleetus and that’s why it is not being made public.Dr. Surajit Mazumdar, JNUTA Representative, School of Social Sciences
Rohit Azad, a professor in the Economics department, echoes Dr. Mazumdar’s sentiment.
Burton’s religion is certainly a factor in the case. It is clearly an attempt to polarise JNU.Rohit Azad, Professor at JNU
The Quint also managed to speak to Anirban Bhattacharya, who has been rusticated and barred from pursuing any course in JNU for five years based on the HLEC recommendations. The inquiry committee formed after the allegedly ‘anti-national’ and ‘pro- Afzal Guru event’ on 9 February.
There is definite agenda behind the HLEC. There is a pre-determined script in both cases. There were two other (Hindu) wardens with Dr. Cleetus. Why weren’t charges brought against them? These plans are not taken here. The administration is acting at the behest of puppet masters outside JNU. The Jadavpur VC stood by students. Burton is being targeted because he is a minority. Why weren’t the three others singled out?Anirban Bhattacharya
The power of a Vice-Chancellor (VC) is immense, feels Anirban. The VC at Jadavpur University in Kolkata stood by his student body – when the government wanted to send in the police he did not allow it.
Anirban says he is hurt by the hypocrisy by the administration.
I am hurt. But it’s not just about me. I have spent the last 10 years here. Now they have banned me, and said that anyone who “shelters” me in their room will also be taken to task. When you use a word like “shelter” for students, you are criminalising any form of dissent.Anirban Bhattacharya
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