Renowned figures like Ramachandra Guha and Nivedita Menon released a signed statement condemning the alleged attack on the professor and emphasising the need to protect university spaces and democracy. Team Clarion NEW DELHI – In a show of solidarity, more than 500 academics have joined forces to support Prof. Sameena Dalwai of O.P. Jindal Global University in Sonipat in Haryana, who is allegedly facing persecution based on her Muslim identity and political beliefs.
The professor, affiliated with the Centre for Women, Law, and Social Change at the Jindal Global Law School, has recently come under scrutiny with an online campaign and an FIR lodged against her.
The FIR, lodged by Sonipat police, accuses Dalwai of ‘outraging women’s modesty’ for using the dating app Bumble as a teaching tool. In response, the academics, including renowned figures like Ramachandra Guha and Nivedita Menon, released a signed statement condemning the alleged attack on Prof. Dalwai and emphasising the need to protect university spaces and democracy.
The controversy also stems from a lecture by political scientist Achin Vanaik on the Israel-Palestine conflict, which Dalwai defended in an email to faculty members. Expressing concerns over the decline of academic spaces, Dalwai cited incidents such as the chanting of “Jai Shri Ram” slogans on the campus and the hosting of right-wing events.
Criticism is also directed at the university administration for issuing a show-cause notice to Prof. Dalwai without conducting an inquiry or providing an opportunity to her to defend herself. The signed statement argues that such actions set a worrying precedent for academic freedom.
The controversy traces back to an email exchange in November discussing the Palestine issue, during which Prof. Dalwai was labeled “Hindu-phobic.” Despite advocating for tolerance of opposing views within the university’s safe space, she faced backlash.
The charge from the Haryana State Commission for Women, accusing Dalwai of ‘harming the dignity of women,’ is denounced in the statement as a travesty, given her consistent commitment to social justice. The academics conclude by condemning the disregard for legal procedures and alleging political motivations behind the actions taken against Prof. Dalwai.
