Sriperumbudur-based Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth and Development labels the students anti-national
CHENNAI – Just a day before their final exams, three Muslim students from Kerala have faced the wrath of the Sriperumbudur-based Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth and Development (RGNIYD) in Tamil Nadu, for allegedly painting “Free Palestine” and “Jai Bhim” on a wall of their hostel.
The students, pursuing their final year of Master’s in Social Work, were labelled anti-national and rusticated from the institute last week.
The rustication order alleges “gross misconduct” and involvement in “spoiling hostel premises with anti-national content.” Students, Aslam S, Sayeedh MA, and Nahal Ibnu Abullaise, were suspended after the institute authorities expelled them from their hostel.
The rustication order restricts students from appearing in any public examination for one year. Their hall tickets were blocked on Friday, and by 8 pm on a Saturday, despite being a non-working day, three of them were given rustication orders on the grounds of writing “anti-national” content.
The students, however, denied the allegations and said this was a targeted attack.
“They have only asked Muslim students to appear before the disciplinary committee. We are being clearly targeted,” Aslam was quoted by The Observer Post as saying.
The students claimed that the disciplinary action was taken without following any norms.
“Our Head of the Department (HOD) notified us through WhatsApp that three of us should report to the disciplinary committee. Only three of the Muslim students were asked to appear before the committee at 4 pm. We were informed of the meeting only a couple of hours earlier. Neither were we given any notice, nor given a chance to prove our innocence,” Aslam was quoted as saying.
Earlier, following a flash inspection of the hostel, targeting only five or six rooms, seven final-year students from the MSW department were expelled from the hostel. Those suspended were accused of painting “Free Palestine” on hostel walls, a claim contested by the students.
During the inspection, the team found no concrete evidence but an unusable roller in one room. The students said that they used it for one of their field projects and have evidence of using it to accomplish the project.
Seven of them were served notices, and they were stuck on the hostel walls and premises as well. However, only three Muslim students were asked to appear before the disciplinary committee.
The students allege that the inspection specifically targeted them in association with their recent protests on the campus against a senior official of the institute, against who a rape case is registered in Chandigarh. The students organised the protests, demanding that the official be removed till the pending of the case.
Aslam, a member of the student council, said that after the painting appeared on the wall, there was outside pressure on the institution for action.
Students maintain that the “witch-hunting” against a few of them was a vendetta against the protests.
The disciplinary committee asked them questions like, “Do you know who has written ‘Free Palestine’ on the walls, and did you know about the checking?”
“We were mentally harassed during the process and asked if we doubted anyone else, and told to find the one who did this,” Aslam alleged.
The students have garnered the backing from several quarters, who called the disciplinary action “biased” and based on rumours. Asserting their solidarity with the victim students, they also asserted that writing ‘Free Palestine’ or ‘Jai Bhim’ does not make anyone anti-national in any legal or constitutional regard.
Safiya, president of Fraternity Movement Chennai, said the action is condemnable and demanded immediate revocation of the “arbitrary and targeted suppression.”
The affected students have contacted V Sivadasan, Rajya Sabha member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), and other leaders, appealing to them to facilitate rescheduling of the exams, allowing them to write them.
“The exams can be conducted by June 4. We are appealing to the administration to let us write the exams. If there is no progress by tomorrow, we plan to file a writ petition at the high court. We will also move the Human Rights Commission against this mental harassment,” said Aslam.
