Guest Post by students, faculty and alumni of Oxford University, UK

We, the undersigned members and alumni of the University of Oxford, stand firmly in solidarity with fellow students, teachers and scholars at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). We condemn the ongoing persecution of the student community in JNU, in particular the arrest of JNU Students Union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya Kumar under sedition charges. We protest the use of institutional and state machinery to stifle dissent on campuses, and the attempt to persecute those whose views do not conform to the narrow narratives of ‘nationalism’, ‘nationhood’ and ‘Indian culture’ promoted and endorsed by the ruling party. We view the crackdown in JNU in a continuum with the use of state machinery to clamp down on dissenting views and ideologies on campuses, most prominently at the FTII, Jadavpur University, IIT-Madras and the University of Hyderabad (UoH). We would like to point out that it was a similar witchhunt, backed by state authority, that led to the suicide of Dalit scholar and student leader of the Ambedkar Students’ Association, Rohith Vemula. We also stand in solidarity with the ongoing rally hunger strike at UoH and the struggles of the Joint Action Committee for Social Justice, demanding justice for Rohith Vemula.

We are concerned that sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) have been used to criminalise dissent. University campuses are meant to provide spaces for deliberation and even disagreement; the abuse of the law in order to stifle students’ voices is indicative of an authoritarian state’s attempts to ideologically capture the university space. Further, we believe that Section 124-A of the IPC, which codifies the law on sedition, is fundamentally anachronistic to a democratic state. Even so, for a charge of sedition to be made out, the law requires that violence must necessarily follow subversive speech, which is conspicuously absent in this case.

We are distressed by reported violence targeting students, professors and journalists on the premises of the Patiala House Court, both inside and outside the courtroom, on February 15 and 17, 2016. We urge all responsible parties, including the police and court personnel, to fulfill their constitutional duty in ensuring a fair and secure trial. That this happened under the silent watch of the police and other authorities, is indicative of their complicity. We are also concerned about the profiling and vilification of certain students by sections of the media; for instance, the irresponsible media reportage on JNU student Umar Khalid is a grave point of concern.

We condemn the continued police presence in the JNU campus. We appeal to the government and police to understand us, first, as a broad spectrum of students, who believe in different ideologies, but come together to demand the right to hold these independent beliefs without the threat of state sanctioned violence. We believe that the idea of India, as a multifarious nation, cannot and must not be held ransom by the hyper-nationalism of a particular group. Protecting the university space, where the critical spirit of questioning is nurtured, must remain of utmost importance to any democratic state. These events have, in effect, become a vicious attack on more than just the freedom of

expression, speech and ideation guaranteed to us by the Constitution of India.

We admire JNU’s resilience, and we stand with JNU in this moment of crisis, as a mark of our commitment to the freedom of thought and action and in support of the freedom from fear — of the state, surveillance and pernicious political control.

Signed:

1.Umika Pidaparthy, MSc Social Science of the Internet, 2015-2016

2.Amrita Sengupta, MSc Social Science of the Internet, 2015-16

3.Deepa Kurup, MPhil candidate, Oxford Department of International Development

4.Baisali Mohanty, MSc Contemporary India, School of Interdisciplinary Area Studies

5.Jayesha M. Koushik, MPhil Development Studies, 2015-2017

6.Divya David, MSc Contemporary India, 2014-15

7.Yasser Shams Khan, DPhil English, 2015-2019

8.Mansi Sood, Bachelor of Civil Law, 2015-16

9.Gala Pouzanov, MPhil English Studies

10.Payaswini Tailor, MPhil Politics, Department of Politics and International Relations

11.Sanya Samtani, Bachelor of Civil Law, 2015-2016

12.Varun Ramesh, MSc. in Contemporary India, 2016

13.Natasha Maru, MPhil in Development Studies 2016

14.Padmini Gopal, MSc Contemporary India, 2016

15.Lipika Kamra, DPhil, Department of International Development

16.Sneha Krishnan, DPhil Development Studies, 2015

17.Tara Greig, DPhil in British History

18.Gabriella Crimi, MPhil in Development Studies, 2017

19.Kalyani Madhura Ramachandran, MPhil Anthropology, 2015

20.Onaiza Drabu, MSc Social Anthropology, 2016

21.Niyati Sharma, D.Phil English, 2014-2017

22.Rumi Pegu, MSc. in Contemporary India, 2015-16

23.Yussef Robinson, BA History and Politics

24.Jinal Dadiya, Bachelor of Civil Law 2015-16

25.Carl Ohman, MSc in Social Science of the Internet, 2015-2016

26.Sneha Menon, MPhil Economics, 2015

27.David Adler, MPhil Politics, 2017

28.Alice Lepeuple, MSc in Political Theory Research, 2015-2016

29.Gitanjali Keshava, Bachelor of Civil Law 2015-2016

30.Deniz Duru Aydin, MSc Candidate, 2015-16

31.Sonali Chowdhry, Candidate for MPhil Economics, 2015-2017

32.Harendar Neel, Bachelor of Civil Law, 2015-2016

33.Aisha Ahmad, MPhil Development Studies, 2017

34.Lakshmy Venkatesh, MSt Archaeology, 2016

35.Ashwin Menon, MSc Education, 2015-16

36.Challenger Mishra, D.Phil. in Theoretical Physics, 2011

37.Paris Zhao, Oxford Internet Institute, 2016

38.Prerna Bakshi, Msc Global Governance and Diplomacy

39.Anne Payne, MSt Global & Imperial History 2016

40.Amit Kumar, D.Phil Candidate Chemistry

41.Amba Uttara Kak, Bachelor of Civil Law, 2015-2016

42.L Molloy, DPhil Social Science of the Internet

43.Ashley Pople, MSc in Economics for Development, 2015-2016

44.Rebecca Byrnes, Bachelor of Civil Law, 2015-2016

45.Leo Boonzaier, DPhil (Law) student

46.Dr Rahul Gandhi, BSc (Neuroscience), MBChB, Member, Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Fulbright Awardee, MBA
University of Oxford 2015-16

47.Dr. Bhaskar Bhushan, DPhil Organic Chemistry, 2010-2014

48.Dr. Aakashi Bhatt, MSc Clinical Embryology, 2015-2016

49.Jose Ignacio Morales, Magister Juris, 2015-2016

50.Anisha Sharma, DPhil Economics, 2011-16

51.Jessica Glennie, MSc Environmental Change and Management, 2015

52.Shannon Philip, D.Phil International Development

53.Leonie Hoffmann, PPE, 2014

54.Mayanka Mukherji, MPhil in Visual, Material and Museum Anthropology, 2015

55.Seham Areff, MSc Global Governance and Diplomacy, 2015-2016

56.Tushar Menon, DPhil in Philosophy

57.Natalya Din-Kariuki, DPhil Candidate in English, 2013

58.Utkarsh Bhatnagar

59.Richa Sinha, ECM

60.Diptasri Basu, Master of Public Policy, Blavatnik School of Government, 2015-2016

61.Vimal Balasubramaniam, DPhil (Candidate), Said Business School

62.Subhashish Bhadra, M. Phil. In Economics

63.Teja Varma Pusapati, D.Phil Student in English

64.Neelakshi Tewari, M.Sc. Education, 2015

65.Fran Green-Armytage, Chemistry

66.Geetanjali Sharma

67.Rakesh Sharma, DPhil, 2009

68.Nikhil M. Pandhi, M.Phil Archeology

69.Julian Pohl, MPhil in Politics

70.Priyanka Mehra, MSc Contemporary India

71.Ria Kapoor, D.Phil History, 2015

72.Charlie Tyson, MSc History of Science, Medicine, and Technology, 2016

73.Ned Dostaler, MPhil Medical Anthropology, 2015

74.Deeksha Manchanda, Bachelor of Civil Law, 2013

75.Martin Pastor, Magister Juris, 2016

76.Garima Singh, MSc Environmental Change and Management, 2014-15

77.Andrew Wheeler, MSc in Economics for Development, 2016

78.Emile Rolland, Mst. Modern South Asian Studies Postgraduate

79.Marlena Valles, Bachelor of Civil Law, 2015-2016

80.Amogha Varsha, DPhil, 2010-14

81.Cannelle Gueguen-Teil, MPhil Development Studies, 2015-17

82.Gautam Bondada, D.Phil Archaeology, 2012-17

83.Faiza Rahman , Bachelor of Civil Law, 2015-16

84.Meghan Finn, Bachelor of Civil Law, 2015-16

85.Tyler Overton, MPhil Development Studies, 2015-16

86.Manish Kushwaha, D.Phil. Biochemistry, 2006-10

87.Aban Haq, MPhil Development Studies, 2015-17

88.Abhinav, Bachelor of Business Administration, 2012-15

89.Lakshmi Neelakantan, MSc Evidence-Based Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation, 2015-16

90.Devony Schmidt, MPhil European Politics & Society, 2014-2016

91.Ellie Marshall, MSc Social Science of the Internet, 2014-2015

92.Joseph Barrett, MPhil in Economic and Social History, 2017

93.Chetna Shrivastava, Bachelor of Civil Law, 2015-2016

94.Souktik Roy, BA-MMath, 2014

95.Sai Gourisankar, MSt Global and Imperial History, 2015

96.Kaushal Vidyarthee, MPhil in Development Studies, 2006-08

97.Andrea Wright, MSc Physics 2016

98.Debasmita Padhi, MSc Economics for Development, 2015-16

99.Rachael Midlen, MPhil Development Studies, 2014-2016

100.Pavithra Srinivasan, MSc Social Anthropology, 2013-14

101.Anders MÃ ̧ller, MPhil Development Studies, 2014-2016

102.Sana Moyeen, MPhil Development Studies, 2015-17

103.Byron Gray, M.Phil in Social Anthropology, 2012-2014

104.Prerna Bakshi, Msc. Global Governance and Diplomacy, 2015-16

105.Achas Burin, Dphil, 2015)

106.Vincent Wolff Zahner, Master of Public Policy, 2015-16

107.Arpita Varghese, MSc Global Governance and Diplomacy, 2015-16

108.Shreya Atrey, DPhil (Law), Bachelor of Civil Law, 2011-15

109.Garima Jaju, DPhil International Development, 2015-18

110.Soumya Mishra, DPhil International Development 2015

111.Vasudha Sharma, Bachelor of Civil Law, 2015-2016

112.Anshumali Nilesh, MSc Mathematics and Foundations of Computer Science, 2015-16

113.Abhilasha Joshi, DPhil Neuroscience, 2013-2017

114.Udit Bhatia, DPhil Political Theory, 2014- 17

115.Santanu Bhattacharya, Master of Public Policy, 2015-2016

116.Arindam Banerjee, Master of Public Policy, 2015-16

117.Faraz Janan, DPhil Engineering, 2014

118.Nicholas Letchford, DPhil Mathematics, 2013-2016

119.Sunniva Melhuus, MPhil Politics, 2014-16

120.Judith Dada, MSc Social Science of the Internet

121.Gayathri Balan, Master of Business Administration, 2015-2016

122.Dhruti Babariya, DPhil Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 2013-17

123.Tariq Parker, Msc Neuroscience, 2015-16

124.Richard Kendall, MPhil Classical Archaeology, 2014-16

125.Kayla Svoboda, MPhil in Development Studies, 2016

126.Josephine Mahony, DPhil Environmental Sciences, 2015-2019

127.HF Ryan DPhil Archaeology

128.Nicole Beardsworth MSc African Studies 2012/13

129.Eden Bailey, MSt Musicology, 2015-16

130.Shalmalee Ghate MPhil Development Studies, 2016-17

131.Anna Baird, Lit Hum BA, 2017

132.Md Adil Hossain, DPhil International Development, 2014

133.Min Zha, MSc Education, 2015

134.Ayush Ranjan, MSc. in Contemporary India, 2015-16

135.Indigo Hope Wilde, BFA Fine Art, 2014

136.Chandrashekar Madaiah, MSc Physics, 2002-2005

137.Arthur (Eirich), MPhil Social Anthropology, 2015-16

138.Matthew Eric Garret, MPhil 2015

139.Devanshi Shah, CS Exec, B.Com

140.Aneil Jaswal, DPhil Public Health, 2016

141.Shrochis Karki, DPhil International Development (2011-2015)

142.Vanshica Kant (M.St Global & Imperial History, 2013-14)

143.Ankita Pandey D. Phil Candidate

144.Sa’eed Husaini, DPhil International Development, 2015

145.Sahana Ghosh, MPhil Migration Studies, 2008-10

146.Aranyani Bhargav, Msc Contenporary India, 2009-10

147.Ayudh Reyaz , M.Arch , 2012-17

148.Shagun Gupta/MSc Global Governance and Diplomacy/2014-2015

149.Zakir Hossain Majumder, Grad Student (PhD), Interdisciplinary Humanities, University of California, Merced

150.Dhvani Mehta (Bachelor of Civil Law, 2010; M.Phil Law, 2011; D.Phil Candidate Law)

151.Bhumi Purohit, MSc Contemporary India 2014-2015

152.Akanksha Awal, D.Phil (Anthropology) 2014

153.Swati Janu, MSUD, 2013-15

154.Diwita Mathivanan; MA History 2015-Present

155.Ratika Yumnam, MSc Contemporary India 2013-2014

156.Gayeti Singh (Msc Contemporary South Asian Studies) (2009-10)

157.Ankana Das, MA English 2016

158.Mezna Qato (DPhil History)

159.NIRAD VIDROHI/MA DEVELOPMENT 2015-17

160.VRO Student 2014-2015

161.Gael Sirello, VRO BA PPE, 2014-2015

162.Sakshi, B.C.L. (2014-15)

163.James Nottage, BA History & Politics (2010), MSc Contemporary India (2014)

164.Lakshmee Sharma, MSc Social Anthropology 2014-15

165.Saurabh Mishra DPhil History (2005-08)

166.Fergus Peace, BPhil Philosophy 2015-7

167.Konpal Kaur Mphil archaeology 2015-17

168.Prerona Prasad, Modern History Department

169.Ilunga Mpyana, Master of Public Policy, 2015-2016

170.Abigail Desmond, MPhil Archaeology, 2015-2017

171.Jaskiran Chohan, MSc Latin American Studies, Latin America Centre, 2013-2014

172.Amaal Akhtar, Msc Contemporary India, 2014-15

173.Debasmita Deb, PhD student, Women’s Studies, 2013

174.Vanya Vaidehi Bhargav, D.Phil History, (2013-)

175.Anica Mann-Kapur, Mphil Classical Indian Religion, 2013-15

176.Lofred Madzou, MSc in Social Science of the Internet (2015-2016)

177.Arijeet Pal (Research Fellow, Theoretical Physics)

178.Raag Yadava (MPhil, Law, 2015-16)

179.Joe Hayns-Worthington Dphil Anthropology 2011-2016

180.Anisha Gururaj, MSc in Global Governance and Diplomacy, 2016.

181.Corinne Cattekwaad, Alumni (MSc in Social Science of the Internet) 2014 – 15

182.Jem Jones, CAAH Classics, 2013-16

183.Amar Sohal (DPhil. History, 2015-18)

184.Musab Younis, DPhil International Relations, 2013-16

185.Kiran Benipal, Literae Humaniores, 2018-19

186.Farheen Ahmed (BA, jurisprudence; 2014-17)

187.Dalia Gebrial, MSt. World Literatures, 2015-2016

188.Vivian Holmes, MMathPhil Mathematics & Philosophy 2013-17

189.Lucy Hirst, BA Classics 2014-2015

190.Aliya Yule, PPE, 2017

191.Priyanka deSouza MSc Environmental Change and Management 2013

192.Madeleine Norman, Classics, 2013-18

193.Tim Pfefferle, MSc Global Governance and Diplomacy, Department for International Development, 2016

194.T Khaitan, Bachelor of Civil Law, 2004

195.Jacob Armstrong BA English and Modern Language (GER), 2014

196.Mili Malde, Classics, BA Classics, 3rd year

197.Vinayak Uppal MSc. Economics for Development, 2009

198.Kate Tunstall, Faculty (Modern Languages)

199.Mihika Chatterjee, DPhil, 2015

200.Gil Chambers, Materials Science, Department of Materials, 1st

201.Arushi Garg, D Phil in Law,

202.Yasser Shams Khan, DPhil English, 2015-2019

203.Tanyah Hameed, MPhil Comparative Social Policy, Dept of Social Policy and Intervention

204.S Iravani, BA. English

205.David Bowe, DPhil, Medieval and Modern Languages

206.Nils Rochowicz, MPhil Economics 2015

207.Sachin Croker, BA English Language and literature, 2013

208.Nazmus Tareque, Bachelor of Civil Law, 2015-16

209.Nomfundo Ramalekana, Bachelor of Civil Law, 2015-2016

210.Kristin Grogan, DPhil English, 2014

211.Ananthi Al Ramiah, DPhil Experimental Psychology, 2009

212.Lindsay Lee (Master of Public Policy 2015)

213.Chi Chi Shi, MPhil. Political Theory, 2nd year

214.Ndjodi Ndeunyema (Bachelor of Civil Law) 2015/2016

215.Divyanshi Chugh (MSc. Comparative Social Policy, Department of Social Policy), Batch 2014-2015

216.Simukai Chigudu, DPhil in International Development, 2016

217.Felix Binder, DPhil Physics

218.Benjamin Abraham, DPhil Public Policy. year 1

219.Ela Naegele, MSc. Political Theory, 2014

220.Rebecca Dixon, MPhil in Development Studies 2012-2014

221.Namratha Rao, DPhil English 2015 – 2018

222.Arev Papazian, MPhil. Social Anthropology, 2015-2016

223.Sanchari Dutta, DPhil History, 2007

224.Aidan Hocking, MSt. Global and Imperial History, 2014-15

225.Geoffrey Yeung, Bachelor of Civil Law, 2016

226.Marc Shi Msc. Social Policy and Intervention

227.Bernard Soubry, M.Phil in Environmental Change and Management, 2015

228.Rui Barbosa (Research Assistant, Computer Science)

229.Kirti Mahapatra, Bachelor of Civil Law, 2012-13

230.Alba Kapoor BA History and Politics

231.Kate Nussenbaum, MSc. (Res) Experimental Psychology, 2017

232.Emily Blease, MPhil Anthropology

233.Simon-Chevarie-Cossette, DPhil. Philosophy, 2014

234.Max Harris, Bachelor of Civil Law and Master of Public Policy (2012-2014)

235.Samuel Demharter, DPhil Computer Science, 4th year

236.Swathi Swaminathan, MSc Psychological Research

237.Raphael Chaskalson, MSc in Economic and Social History, 2015/16

238.Ritika Tewari, MSc. Global Governance and Diplomacy, 2015

239.Sujit Thomas, MPhil Modern British and European History 2012-14

240.Ntokozo Qwabe (MSc. African Studies, 2016)

241.Eleonora Serra, MSt. Linguistics, year 2013-2014

242.Arwa Awan, Visiting Undergrad, History and Politics

243.Elizabeth Dann, BA, Medieval and Modern Languages, 3rd year

244.Marija Pantelic, DPhil Social Policy and Intervention, 2013

245.Vanessa Gerber [MSc Environmental Change & Management]

246.Jack Doyle, DPhil History, 2017

247.Prateek Jain (Masters of Business Administration, 2016)

248.Salmoli Choudhuri, Bachelor of Civil Law, 2015-16

249.Ms. Ranu Sinha, M.Phil in Geography and the Environment, Department of Geography and the Environment, October 2014 –

2016

250.Vindhya Srinivasamani, Bachelor of Civil Laws, 2012-13

251.Anirudh Mathur, BA Hons PPE, 2014

252.Anupama Kumar, Bachelor of Civil Law (2013-14) and MSt Archaeology (2014-15)

253.Alex Diwa, DPhil Clinical Medicine

254.Vikaran Khanna, DPhil. Physics, 2010

255.Matt Broomfield, BA English Language & Literature, 2015

256.Abhishek Bhattacharyya. B.A. English Language and Literature. Christ Church. Matriculation: 2009.

257.Ayyaz Mallick, MBiochem, Alumnus Oriel College

258.Sanober Umar, MSc Anthropology and International Development

259.Chandrika Prasad Verma, PhD., Centre of Social Medicine and Community Health JNU

260.Aditi Vyas, MSc. History of Science, Medicine and Technology, Wellcome Unit for the History of Medicine, 2007

261.Marisa Macari, DPhil Anthropology, 2013

262.Arbind K Chaudhary

263.Shruthi, History, First Year

264.Nora Bardelli, DPhil International Development, 2014

265.Richard Toppo MSc. Contemporary India 2013

266.Sarabe Chan (MA Poverty and Development, IDS) 2015-16

267.Alexandra Reza, MPhil. International Relations, 2015

268.Kalina Naidoo, Masters by Research in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, 1st Year.

269.Drasko Kascelan, MSc Applied Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition, Department of Education, 2014

270.Jess Rahman MSt Women’s Studies

271.Ryan Daniels, DPhil Zoology, 2015

272.Kate Stewart, BA English, 2nd Year

273.Madalina Ciocanu, Anthropology, 2017

274.charlotte Linton, Mphil Visual, Material and Museum Anthropology, 2016

275.Rosie Fraser BA Spanish and Portuguese First Year

276.Nils Karl Reimer, MSc in Psychological Research, 2014

277.Shohini Sengupta, MSc in Law and Finance, 2015

278.Fadiah Nadwa, Mst International Human Rights Law, 2015

279.Crea O’Hanlon MPhil Russian and East European Studies

280.Zheng Guan, MSt. Global and Imperial History, 2015/6

281.Chris Whitehouse, BA History & Politics, First Year

282.Lucy Graham, D.Phil., graduated 2011

283.Tyler Journeaux Graham, M.St. Philosophical Theology, Department of Theology and Religion, first year (2015-2016)

284.Anwesha Sengupta, MPhil. Modern South Asian Studies

285.Sarah Bufkin, DPhil in Politics

286.Alex MacFarlane, DPhil Oriental Studies 2019

287.Amaal Akhtar, MSc. Contemporary India (2015)

288.Jennifer van Leijen-Cowasji Alumni of Utrecht University and the University of East London

289.Emma Brunskill-Powell, MSc Comparative Social Policy, 2016

290.Shahnawaz Ali Raihan, Dphil in History (2013-16)

291.Kalina Naidoo, Masters by Research in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, 1st Year.

292.Puja-Arti Patel, BA. Theology and Oriental Studies, Year 1

293.Wiktor Ostasz, DPhil in History, 4th year

294.Binesh Hass, DPhil 2015

295.Micheline Astley-Boden DPhil History

296.Amit Upadhyay, MPhil. Evidence Based Social Intervention, 2005.

297.Barbara orth, MSc Refugee and Forced Migration Studies, Department of International Development

298.Swagato Sarkar, MPhil & DPhil (Development Studies), 2002-2009

299.Zoe Fannon, MPhil Economics 2014

300.Julian Gilson, MSc Social Science of the Internet, Oxford Internet Institute, Postgraduate

301.Greg Lehman, MSt History of Art, 2014

302.Nayanatara Gopal (BCL, 2015)

303.Priyanka Nirmala Seshadri (BA History) 2013

304.Ayushi Nayak, BA Archaeology and Anthropplogy, 2013-2016

305.Brian Chang, B.A. in Jurisprudence, 2014

306.Hannah Lanyon, BA English Literature, 1st yr

307.Shalini John, MSc in Evidence-based social intervention and policy evaluation, 2015-’16

308.Madeleine Thickett, MEng Engineering Science, 2015

309.James Bray (MPhil Social Anthropology, 2013)

310.Mary-Dan Johnston, MPhil Economic and Social History, 2014

311.Mahesh Devnani, CRISP, Said Business School, 2015

312.Ms. Ezaz, BA History and English

313.Temitope Ajileye, Msc Mathematics and computer Science

314.Jelena Jaric, 2nd Year DPhil in Archaeology

315.Hugh Hathaway, BA social anthropology

316.Debasmita Boral, MPhil Candidate in Modern South Asian Studies, 2015-17

Student Societies and Institutions

317.Rhodes Must Fall

318.Corpus Christi College Equal Opportunities Committee

319.Oxford University Student Union’s Campaign for Racial Awareness and Equality