Dispute over political graffiti arises at JNU following incident at Jamia

Student protests at Jamia Millia Islamia continue due to the demand for the restoration of student union elections. Meanwhile, the university administration, citing safety concerns, has moved all courses to an online format. This decision has caused significant dissatisfaction among students.

Following the closure of in-person classes, the atmosphere on campus has intensified. Serious unrest occurred at Gate No. 7 of Jamia on Sunday when a large number of male and female students gathered for a demonstration outside the campus.

Student discontent with the administrative measures grew after the announcement of the shift to online learning. The entire campus and surrounding area have become a zone of tension. A constant state of anxiety persists both inside and outside the campus.

To restore control over the situation, significant police forces and female officers were deployed to the scene. Police attempted to remove the students gathered at the gate, but despite the attempts to disperse them, students continued to chant slogans from inside the campus. Videos have emerged showing female police officers forcibly placing female students into a police vehicle.

It should be noted that the situation escalated further on Friday after some controversial and offensive slogans appeared on the campus walls. Based on concerns for student safety, the registrar's office issued a notification on October 24. According to this notice, all courses must immediately transition from in-person to online mode until further instructions are issued.

The order, issued on behalf of Registrar Professor Mohammad Mahtab Alam Rizvi, mandated that department heads, faculty members, and students conduct classes online to prevent disruption to the academic process. Nevertheless, the students do not appear satisfied with this decision.

This protest, which has been ongoing for fourteen days, is linked to the demand for the reinstatement of the student union (JMISU) within the campus. Protesting students state that their movement will not cease under any circumstances until the university administration meets their demands and announces the dates for the student union elections.

An incident occurred during the Garba event in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, which sparked controversy among festival participants. A demand was made for Muslims and representatives of other faiths to leave the dance floor. This incident triggered active discussions on social media. Following this, the renowned folk singer from Gujarat, Aditya Gadhvi, publicly distanced himself from the statement.

This incident took place on October 14th at the 'Rang Morla' Garba event in Ahmedabad. Aditya Gadhvi was performing as the main artist, with RDD Akash Trivedi as the host. According to reports, during a break in the program, the host addressed him with a call for non-Muslims and Muslims to vacate the venue.

The statement also mentioned the presence of activists from the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP). Furthermore, Garba attendees were asked to report any suspicious individuals via a special hotline number. Video recordings of this announcement quickly spread across social media, escalating the dispute significantly.

When disagreements arose, Aditya Gadhvi clarified his position, stating that it was not his message. In an Instagram post, he emphasized that he was not involved in the events that took place at the gathering. According to him, some people had occupied the backstage area and used his stage to voice statements that he does not support.

In his message, Aditya mentioned the spirit of Garba, noting that Garba never asked anyone their surname. He stressed that for generations, people of different religions in Gujarat and all over India have participated in Garba together, and this is its beauty. He added that anyone who comes with love and respect for the goddess is welcome.

The public also reacted with anger on social media. Many users questioned the demand to leave based on religious affiliation. Some argued that if there are concerns about someone's behavior, the behavior should be discussed, not the person targeted because of their religion.

Nevertheless, a VHP representative from Gujarat, Hitendra Singh Rajput, defended such actions. According to PTI, he stated that activists from the youth wing of VHP, Bajrang Dal, attend Garba events in the state and demand that organizers do not allow non-Muslims. He also reported that at some events, people are marked with a tilak on their forehead, and suspected individuals are removed.

Garba is a traditional dance associated with the worship of Goddess Durga during Navratri. In December 2023, Garba from Gujarat was inscribed by UNESCO on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Thus, this event in Ahmedabad once again raised the question of how to preserve the spirit of universal unity at collective festivals like Garba, between faith, traditions, and religious identity.