The Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) on Sunday came up with seven demands regarding the recent incident of sexual harassment in the campus, including withdrawing all police cases filed and proctorial inquiries started against the complainant and those who are standing in solidarity with her in the struggle. The demands should be implemented immediately, with the warning that if they are not met, the Association will be forced to take whatever course of action is necessary to ensure that the complainant gets justice.
“it is a matter of grave concern that no senior official from the University administration has as yet over a period of the last six days visited the main gate to give an assurance to the students protesting. JNUTA’s own attempts to communicate with the Vice Chancellor on this matter have also gone unheeded. JNU administration has in fact has failed to demonstrate through its actions its tall claims of zero tolerance for sexual harassment.
JNUTA is in fact shocked to learn that the university administration has set up proctorial enquiries against the affected students and those who have stood in solidarity with them. It is also confirmed that JNU administration has filed a complaint with the Delhi Police against the complainant and others who have stood in solidarity with her” JNUTA said.
JNUTA also alleged that these non-actions by the administration show that administration is supporting the accused.
“These acts of omission and non-action indicate the tacit support being provided to the accused by the JNU administration” it alleged.
It also mentioned that, In this recent incident, the perpetrators were so emboldened, that they did not even think twice about harassing a faculty member out on a walk the same night, who has provided an independent testimony of the incident that took place.
It all started when on March 30 a student at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) claimed she was sexually harassed on the campus by a few students.
On April 1students started staging a protest against the alleged incident and on April 2nd the varsity’s chief security officers submitted a report to the proctor’s office saying that the students had allegedly obstructed the north gate of the campus, where the protest is taking place.
After that administration issued a proctorial inquiry notice to 21 students, including the victim of an alleged sexual harassment incident, who have been sitting on an indefinite strike here at the main gate of the campus against alleged inaction by the varsity administration in the matter.
