www.sacw.net | March 3, 2008
An email account of violence and intimidation by Hindutva activists against Delhi's historiansDate: Mon, Feb 25, 2008 at 6:25 PM
Subject: Voilence in the Department of History by ABVP activists
Dear Colleague,
This
is to inform you that the ABVP activists had come to the Department
around 2.00 p.m. with the intention of causing some damage to the
structure and gaining some mileage from it. They partly succeeded
in their venture. No injuries to anybody except the glass
doors has been caused. The other details you can see from the
students letter which follows.
Professor S.Z.H. JAFRI
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DOWN WITH ABVP VIOLENCE ON CAMPUS!PUNISH THE CULPRITS! 25th
February 2008. At about 2 pm in the afternoon an organised mob of more
than 100 people from outside the university led by the ABVP activist
Vikas Dahiya gathered outside the building of the School of Social
Sciences. Some 8-10 people came to the office of the Head of the
Department of History, Prof S.Z.H. Jafri saying that they wished to
speak to him and to Prof B.P. Sahu about the curriculum of BA Part II,
History (Concurrent). They insisted on speaking only once the media was
present. Once the media arrived, in place of speaking to the department
members, they began to ransack the department. Even without speaking or
giving a chance to the people present there from the department to
speak, these people toppled the table and ransacked the office of the
head of the department. One of them also manhandled Prof. Jafri and
held him by his collar and hurled abuses at those present there.
Considerable damage to the property of the department by breaking the
glass panes, damaging books, office files and other objects in the
office was done and all in the presence of the media personnel and the
very passive police! The outsiders threatened the faculty members and
warned them of dire consequences. This is a clear act of vandalism. It
is clear that they had come with the clear intention of perpetuating
violence in the department and it was a planned action to create an
atmosphere of terror.
This incidence occurred in the very
presence of the police personnel as well as the media. The media
footage would clearly show all that happened in the office of the head
of the Department of History on the 25th afternoon. The attack by 8-10
robust hooligans, not belonging to the university, on absolutely
defenceless faculty members of the Department of History is a shameful
act in itself. Trying to force the faculty members to change the
curriculum of history which has been passed by the due legal process of
the University through the use of force is a clear act of fascism which
is not acceptable in a democracy. Freedom of expression is a
fundamental right of every individual and any encroachment on the same
is not tolerable. It is democratic structures and values which are
seriously threatened.
This is an appeal from the students
of history department to everyone in the University to raise
their voice against this vandalism and this fascist attempt
to scuttle the freedom of expression . We appeal to all students,
staff and teachers
To JOIN the Protest March at 10.30 a.m. at Vivekanand Statue, Faculty of Arts on the 26th of February, 2008.
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