This is a statement by over three hundred and fifty academics based in the UK.

We, the undersigned, stand in solidarity with the students, faculty, and staff of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). We condemn the BJP government-sanctioned police action in the JNU campus and the illegal detention of the JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar. We strongly condemn the manner in which political dissent is being stifled, reducing academic spaces to fortresses. We also condemn the widespread witch-hunt of left-wing students and student groups that this police action has unleashed.

These recent acts are representative of the larger trend that we have been observing – the imposition of an authoritarian and regressive agenda in institutions of higher learning from Films and Television Institute [FTII], Hyderabad Central University [HCU] to Jawaharlal Nehru University [JNU]. From the institutional murder of HCU student, Rohith Vemula, and the suppression of student protests at FTII to the illegal detention of the student union leader Kanhaiya Kumar and pervasive police presence at JNU, there has been a constant non- observance and disregard of administrative and legal norms as well as a gross infringement of the democratic rights of the student community. These actions are embedded in a deeply chauvinistic cultural nationalism, which espouses a casteist and Brahmanical, homophobic, and patriarchal worldview.

We strongly believe that student politics is being targeted currently by giving a new lease of life to a sedition law that was a draconian tool in the hands of the colonial state and has no place in a democracy. It is our democratic right to dissent, disagree, organise and struggle against state, institutions or policies that transgress and suppress democratic and egalitarian values. Expression of dissent cannot and should not be equated with being ‘anti-national’ (or any other such constructed category) and is definitely not punishable under law especially if it is non-violent.

Disguising targeted assault on oppositional student groups/political movements within the narrative binaries of nationalism/anti nationalism only reflects how vulnerable the BJP government feels in its own ability to provide accountable governance.

We also believe that institutions of higher learning should be publicly funded spaces for political engagement, debates, and critical discussions – a legacy campuses (be it JNU, DU, or FTII) have embodied. As they always have, university spaces should subsidise costs of education for students, irrespective of the political disposition of the students. A rather disturbing feature of the narratives around this issue has been the construction and furthering of an artificial dichotomy between academics and politics that suggests that being ‘political’ is an aberration. This would certainly appear to be the case, if seen through the neoliberal lens of perceiving education as an industry that produces ‘semester bred’ automated ‘disciplined’ individuals who are mere consumers.

However, as the nonviolent expressions of dissent by students in JNU clearly demonstrate, contrary to this neo liberal view of academia,we believe that ‘personal is political’ and there is no sphere that is devoid of politics.We believe that good academic work necessarily involves a critical engagement with society and its power inequities and in that sense is always politically engaged. This engagement thrives in the democratic space of the university where many dissenting views can be heard and debated. The vilification of JNU as a space of ‘anti-national’ politics is being carried out by ABVP and BJP in order to attack and break this democratic spirit of academic and political life in Indian universities.

As teachers, students, scholars, and academics from the UK, who are keenly observing the developments unfolding in JNU, we express our solidarity with the students, faculty and staff of JNU as they non-violently resist this infringement on their rights. We urge the Vice Chancellor of JNU to uphold the institutional autonomy and the democratic rights of the student community. We also urge the government of India to stop encroaching on our rights as citizens, students, activists, political and politicised subjects.

1. Akanksha Mehta, SOAS, University of London
2. Priyanka Basu, SOAS, London
3. Neha Vermani (JNU, 2013), Royal Holloway college, University of London
4. Partha Pratim Shil, PhD student, Trinity College, University of Cambridge
5. Niyati Sharma, University of Oxford
6. Benarji Chakka, Chevening Scholar, SOAS, UoL
7. Javed Wani, Department of History, Royal Holloway, University of London
8. Chacko, University of London.
9. Jay Lingham, SOAS, University of London
10. Anjali B Datta, University of Cambridge
11. Shinjini Das, University of Cambridge
12. Jaice Sara Titus, Brunel University London
13. William Rees, SOAS, (2015)
14. Alex Wolfers PhD Researcher at Cambridge University
15. Aditya Balasubramanian, University of Cambridge
16. Mayur Suresh,
17. Lipika Kamra, University of Oxford
18. Sneha Krishnan, University of Oxford
19. Prashant Kidambi, University of Leicester
20. James Eastwoos (SOAS, University of London)
21. Rohan Deb Roy, Lecturer in South Asian History, University of Reading
22. Prerna Bhardwaj, King’s College London
23. Tristan Burke (University of Manchester)
24. Surabhi Ranganathan, University of Cambridge
25. Sanya Samtani, University of Oxford
26. Baisali Mohanty, Post-graduate candidate, contemporary south asian studies, University of Oxford
27. Prithvi Hirani, Aberystwyth University
28. Dr Lorenza Monaco, SOAS, University of London
29. Suman Ghosh, Bath Spa University
30. Nayanika Mathur, University of Cambridge
31. Marie-France Courriol,UniversityofCambridge
32. Jayesha Koushik, University of Oxford
33. Aditya Ramesh, SOAS
34. Umika Pidaparthy, University of Oxford
35. Sruthi Muraleedharan, SOAS, University of London
36. JD Brown, SOAS, London
37. Sudarshana Srinivasan, King’s College London
38. Wiktor Ostasz (University of Oxford)
39. T Khaitan, University of Oxford
40. Erica Wald, Goldsmiths, University of London
41. Deepa Kurup, Oxford University
42. Sanjoy Bhattacharya, University of York, UK
43. Thomas Marois, SOAS, University of London
44. Saba Hussain, University of Warwick
45. FeyziIsmail,SOAS
46. Joe Buckley, PhD candidate, SOAS, University of London
47. Sandipto Dasgupta, Newton International Fellow of the Royal Society and the British Academy
48. Annabelle Sreberny, Emeritus Professor, SOAS, University of London
49. Sahil Warsi, University of Leeds
50. Subir Sinha, Department of Development Studies, SOAS
51. Sabiha Allouche, Centre for Gender Studies, SOAS, University of London
52. Abhay Regulagedda – MIPLC
53. Jaimie Johansson, University of East Anglia
54. Shabnum Tejani, Senior Lecturer in Modern South Asian History, Department of History, SOAS, University of London
55. Dr Kerem Nisancioglu, SOAS University of London
56. Alfredo Saad Filho, SOAS University of London
57. Arijeet Pal, University of Oxford
58. Elisabeth Leake, Royal Holloway, University of London
59. Musab Younis, Oxford University and SOAS
60. Smitana Saikia King’s College London
61. Dr Rahul S Gandhi BSc (Neuroscience) MBCHB, Member – Royal Australasian College of Physicians
62. Sara Stevano, SOAS University of London
63. Rachel Harrison, SOAS
64. Jonathan Daniel Luther (SOAS)
65. Abeera Khan, MA Gender Studies, SOAS
66. Alexandra Tzirkoti, King’s College London
67. Aditya Sarkar, Warwick University
68. Teja Varma Pusapati, Phil Student in English, University of Oxford
69. Secki Jose, PhD candidate, University of Leicester
70. Shreya Sinha, SOAS, University of London
71. Ashok Kumar, Queen Mary University of London
72. Steven Martin, University of Cambridge
73. Dr Helen Elsey, University of Leeds
74. Dr Mandy Turner, Middle East Centre, LSE
75. Zarah Sultana, NUS Black Students’ Campaign
76. Nicholas Simcik Arese, University of Oxford
77. DrAravindaGuntupalli,SeniorLecturerinPublicHealth,TheOpenUniversity,
78. Milton Keynes, UK
79. Lisa Tilley, University of Warwick
80. Uttara Shahani, PhD Candidate, University of Cambridge
81. Nadje Al-Ali SOAS
82. Saumya Saxena, University of Cambridge
83. Diya Gupta, Department of English, King’s College London
84. John Wood Aberystwyth University
85. Dimitra Kotouza, University of Kent
86. Nilanjana Sen Graduate Student King’s College London
87. Gerhard Kling, SOAS University of London
88. Akhila Yechury, University of Andrews
89. Professor Arshin Adib-Moghaddam, SOAS, University of London
90. Rudra Sen (SOAS)
91. Cam Stocks, Medical Student, Barts and The London School of Medicine
92. Manjeet Ramgotra, SOAS University of London
93. Juanita Elias, University of Warwick
94. Sarah Gandee, University of Leeds
95. Roy, SOAS
96. Dr Richard Williams, University of Oxford
97. Tom Cowan, King’s College London
98. Layli Uddin, Royal Holloway
99. Dr Sarah Hodges, History, University of Warwick
100. Emma Hart, University of St Andrews
101. Meenakshi Sinha, King’s India Institute, King’s College London
102. Antonio Ferraz de Oliveira – University of Warwick
103. Eve Tignol (Royal Holloway University of London)
104. Ashwitha Jayakumar, MA student, University of Leeds
105. Alastair McClure, PhD Student at the University of Cambridge
106. Amir Khan – University of Cambridge
107. Javier Moreno Zacarés, Warwick University
108. Professor Stephen Hopgood, SOAS University of London
109. Jordan Osserman, UCL
110. Josh Holroyd, Socialist Appeal
111. Ina Goel, Gender and Sexuality Studies, University College London
112. Julian Benda, SOAS
113. Ola Innset, European University Institute
114. Nicole Beardsworth, University of Warwick
115. Fatima Rajina, SOAS
116. Karthikeyan Damodaran, University of Edinburgh
117. Vanya V Bhargav, University of Oxford
118. Meghna Nag Chowdhuri, University of Cambridge
119. Ranjita Neogi, University of Reading
120. Aparna John, Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex
121. Omar Raii, UCL
122. Ashna Sarkar – UCL
123. Garikoitz Gómez Alfaro, University of Brighton
124. Tom Cunliffe, KCL
125. Mihika Chatterjee, University of Oxford
126. Kavita Maya (SOAS, University of London)
127. Niharika Pandit, master’s candidate, SOAS
128. Jonathan Saha, University of Leeds
129. Farooq Graduate Teaching Asst. SOAS, London
130. Shreya Agrawal, Student at UCL
131. Malia Bouattia, NUS Black Students’ Officer (UK)
132. Amogha Varsha (University of Oxford, UK)
133. Amelia Bonea, University of Oxford
134. Avinash Paliwal, King’s College London
135. Amrita Shodhan, SOAS, University of London
136. Jacob Bard-Rosenberg, Birkbeck College, University of London
137. Laurence Gautier, University of Cambridge
138. Smriti Sawkar, University of Oxford
139. Arianna Tassinari (University of Warwick)
140. Anindya Raychaudhuri, University of St Andrews
141. Onaiza Drabu, University of Oxford
142. Mipsie Marshall University of Sussex
143. Amit Kumar, DPhil Chemistry, University of Oxford
144. Ishan Mukherjee, University of Cambridge
145. Urmimala Maitra, University of Oxford
146. Sahil Nijhawan (Student, University College London)
147. James Lecturer in Islamicate South Asia, SOAS, University of London
148. Anirudh Mathur, Student, Inner Temple
149. Maia Barkaia, (JNU, 2010),Research Fellow, LMH, Oxford University
150. Sheiry Dhillon, DPhil OB/GYN (C) MD (C)
151. Jacob George Pallath, GDL student at University of Westminster
152. Sadie Coventry University
153. Dr Nicholas Cimini, Lecturer and EIS-ULA Exec member at Edinburgh Napier University
154. Leandro Vergara-Camus, SOAS, University of London
155. Chandak Sengoopta, Professor of History, Birkbeck College, University of London
156. Ozan Kamiloglu, Associate Lecturer, University of London, Birkbeck
157. Selbi Jumayeva, Visiting Research Fellow, IGS at LMH University of Oxford
158. Somak Biswas, University of Warwick
159. Divya David, University of Oxford
160. Mihika Chatterjee, University of Oxford
161. Mishka Sinha, University of Cambridge, UK
162. Emile Chabal, University of Edinburgh
163. Radhika Govinda, University of Edinburgh
164. Varun Ramesh – University of Oxford
165. Nat Raha, University of Sussex
166. David Dahlborn, UCL
167. Lesley Hoggart, The Open University, UK
168. Chinmay Sharma SOAS
169. Sahil Kureshi, University of Oxford
170. Leshu Torchin, University of St Andrews
171. Ameya Kelkar-SOAS, London
172. Ankita Pandey, Phil candidate, University of Oxford
173. Sinthujan Varatharajah, UCL Geography
174. Maanasa SOAS
175. Dr Ghazala Mir, University of Leeds
176. Deepa Kurup, University of Oxford
177. Secki P Jose, University of Leicester
178. Rashmi Varma, University of Warwick
179. Sneha Menon, University of Oxford
180. Yasser Shams Khan, University of Oxford
181. Harry Stopes, University College London
182. Nithya Natarajan, SOAS
183. Dr Marika Rose, Durham University
184. Mansi Sood, Student, University of Oxford, 2015-16
185. Mukulika Banerjee, Director of LSE South Asia Centre and Associate Professor of Anthropology, LSE
186. Fatima Shahzad, Postgraduate Student, SOAS, University of London
187. Rodrigo Torres, UCL
188. Kanika Sharma, Birkbeck, University of London
189. Paavani Singh – King’s College London
190. Mallika Leuzinger, University College London
191. Kashish Madan, A. English Literary Studies, Durham University
192. Grace Egan, University of Glasgow
193. Joseph McQuade, University of Cambridge
194. Amrita Lamba, SOAS
195. Sarah Kunz – PhD student, UCL
196. Shamim Zakaria, University of Sussex
197. Rubina Jasani, University of Manchester
198. Moiz Tundawala, PhD candidate, London School of Economics and Political
199. Aditya Ray, Queen Mary University of London
200. Rahul Rao, SOAS, University of London
201. Dr Lee Jones, Queen Mary University of London
202. Manish Kushwaha, University of Warwick
203. Kalpana Wilson, London School of Economics and Political Science
204. Daniela Lainez del Pozo – University College London
205. Praveen Priyadarshi, PhD Candidate, London School of Economics
206. Anju Christine, King’s College London
207. Amogha Varsha (University of Oxford)
208. Ashutosh Kumar, University of Leeds, UK
209. neha kagal, Doctoral Scholar, SOAS
210. Dr Hannah Boast, University of York
211. Phiroze Vasunia, University College London
212. Saawani Raje, King’s College London
213. Sanghita Sen, University of Andrews. Scotland
214. Dr Rohit K Dasgupta (WSA), University of Southampton
215. Utsa Mukherjee, Royal Holloway
216. Senjuti Chakraborti, Birkbeck College, University of London
217. Aakshi Magazine, University Of St Andrews
218. Souraj Dutta, Research student, University of St Andrews, Scotland
219. Megan Robb, University of Oxford
220. Andrew Kinnell, President of Stirling Students Union
221. Grant Buttars, University of Edinburgh
222. Johannes Makar, student at SOAS and KU Leuven
223. Dr Anandi Ramamurthy, Sheffield Hallam University
224. Anish Vanaik, Purdue University (Oxford, 2013)
225. Akshyeta Suryanarayan, University of Cambridge
226. Eleanor Newbigin, SOAS, University of London
227. Rubina Jasani, University of Manchester
228. Siddharth Chawla, Cambridge University
229. Dimble Mathew University of Bradford
230. Kshiti Gala, SOAS, University of London
231. Bjorn Berntson, University College London
232. Sreenanti Banerjee, Birkbeck, University of London
233. Pori Saikia University of Essex
234. James Harland (Department of History, University of York)
235. Kanwar Nain Singh, University of Cambridge
236. Ayça Çubukçu, Assistant Professor in Human Rights, London School of Economics and Political Science
237. Dr Satoshi Miyamura, SOAS, University of London
238. Kyle Jordan (UCL)
239. Gautam Bondada, Phil student, University of Oxford
240. Tom Robinson, UCLU Welfare & International Officer
241. Ettore Morelli, School of Oriental and African Studies
242. Dr Jayasree Kalathil, Survivor Research, UK
243. Tvisha Nevatia, LSE
244. Karin Sjöstedt, SOAS
245. Joya Chatterji, University of Cambridge
246. Dr Peter Dwyer, Ruskin College, Oxford
247. Dr Chris Rossdale, University of Warwick
248. Rama Dieng, SOAS
249. Anish Augustine, Queen Mary, University of London
250. Sofa Gradin, Queen Mary University of London
251. Nandini Maharaj, Sheffield Hallam University
252. Shivangi Pareek, University of Cambridge
253. Shubranshu Mishra, University of Kent
254. Ritanjan Das, University of Portsmouth
255. Ananya Rao-Middleton, University of Cambridge
256. Ganga Shreedhar, London School of Economics
257. Swapna Kona Nayudu, LSE
258. Elizabeth Frazer, Head of Department, Politics and International Relations, University of Oxford
259. Dr William McEvoy, University of Sussex, UK
260. William Gould, University of Leeds
261. Marta Garcia Aliaga (SOAS, University of London, and NALSAR)
262. Ayse Zarakol, University of Cambridge
263. Prof Gurminder K Bhambra, University of Warwick
264. Lisa Skwirblies, D. Candidate (University of Warwick)
265. Louiza Odysseos, University of Sussex
266. Alex Anievas, University of Cambridge
267. Dr Meera Sabaratnam, SOAS
268. Kirsten Forkert, School of Media, Birmingham City University
269. Eda Ulus, University of Leicester
270. Premalatha Balan, University of Nottingham and University College, London
271. Adelie Chevee, SOAS, University of London
272. Manishita Dass, Royal Holloway (University of London)
273. Rosalind Galt, King’s College London
274. Priyasha Mukhopadhyay, Oxford
275. Rod Earle, Dept of Health & Social Care, The Open University
276. Caoimhe Mader McGuinness, Queen Mary University of London
277. Julie Dayot University of Oxford
278. Sai Englert, PhD candidate, SOAS, University of London
279. Sonali Campion, London School of Economics
280. Dr Cathy Bergin, University of Brighton
281. Aditya, University of Oxford
282. Akshi Singh, Queen Mary, University of London
283. Karan Katoch, University of Oxford
284. Raghav Kishore, University of Huddersfield
285. Dr Tanvi Pate, PAIS, University of Warwick
286. Dr Bhabani Shankar Nayak, University of Salford, UK
287. Konrad M Lawson (Lecturer St Andrews)
288. Professor Emilia Jamroziak, University of Leeds
289. Anwesha Sengupta, University of Oxford
290. Andy Rixon The Open University UK
291. Natalie James, UCLU
292. Mirna Guha, PhD School of International Development, University of East Anglia
293. Sita Balani King’s College London
294. Steffan Blayney, Birkbeck, University of London
295. Mehroosh Tak, SOAS
296. Tanya Singh, University of Wolverhampton
297. Kathryn Maude, Swansea University
298. Hilary Aked, University of Bath
299. S.V.P. Capildeo, Affiliate, St. John’s College, University of Cambridge
300. Katy Sian, University of York
301. S Lidher (Cambridge)
302. Paul Kirby, University of Sussex
303. Gayathri Sekhar, King’s College London
304. Marijn Nieuwenhuis, Politics and Int. Studies, University of Warwick
305. Lorena Lombardozzi (SOAS)
306. Alen Toplisek, Queen Mary University of London
307. Owen Clayton, University of Lincoln, UK
308. Dr Terese Jonsson, University of Portsmuth
309. Alexandra Sporidou Nottingham Trend University
310. Professor Azrini Wahidin, Nottingham Trent University
311. Janhavi Mittal, King’s College London
312. Špela Drnovšek Zorko, SOAS, London
313. Aapurv Jain, SOAS, University of London
314. Noelle Richardson
315. Vicki Baars
316. Abhilasha Joshi, DPhil Neuroscience
317. Fuad Ali, OtherAsias
318. Miqdad
319. Zara Kayani
320. Jack Bardsley
321. Joel White
322. Pallavi Roy
323. Vinayak Raj Gathoria
324. Suchitra Sebastian
325. Shariq
326. Debanjali Biswas
327. Umer Malik
328. sabahat ijaz
329. Sharon Mallon
330. Arushi Menon
331. Kaushik Banerjee
332. Saumya Singh
333. Sophie Mayer (independent scholar)
334. Zara Qadeer
335. Darshana Gurung
336. Sahiba student masters
337. Nihad Ahmed
338. Nasir Arafat
339. Shreya Chatterjee
340. Edyth Parker
341. Sinjini Chatterjee, student
342. Daniel Ong
343. Sunny Singh
344. Ritika Bose
345. Sanaz Raji, Independent Research & Campaigner
346. Sameen Ali
347. Shruti Sekhar Ravindran
348. Shamira Meghani — scholar and teacher
349. Leon Sealey-Huggins
350. Neeharika Shetty
351. Abhishikta Mallick
352. Lakshmy Venkatesh
353. Owen Clayton, University of Lincoln, UK
354. Dr Terese Jonsson, University of Portsmuth
355. Alexandra Sporidou Nottingham Trend University
356. Professor Azrini Wahidin, Nottingham Trent University
357. Janhavi Mittal, King’s College London
358. Špela Drnovšek Zorko, SOAS
359. Aapurv Jain, SOAS, University of London
360. Laura Schwartz, University of Warwick
361. Deepa Kurup, University of Oxford
362. Gopal Balakrishnan
363. Arwa Awan, Visiting Undergrad, University of Oxford
364. Matthew Cole, University of Leeds
365. Nikita S.
366. Mohamed Hussain