For more than half a century, these walls have never been bare. They often spoke about the ideologies of Karl Marx, Ambedkar, Periyar and Bhagat Singh. They told the university about what was happening in the world. In a way, these walls were the news bearers for everyone who lived on campus.
But that's history. For the past two weeks, since the new batch's registration began, the posters on the university walls have been ripped off, in an attempt to beautify the campus. This has created a lot of hue and cry among the students, faculty and alumni. Protesting the same, the JNU Students' Union is conducting a mass poster and banner making competition on campus on Monday. They're also marching across the campus and sticking the posters on the walls on July 23.
"The walls of JNU are the publishers of the poor. They brought ideas into the streets — everyone felt empowered, educated and connected." says N Sai Balaji, President, JNUSU. "What will happen on Monday and Tuesday are symbolic protests. The administration may tear those posters away. They may expel us. But the point is, they can't take away the canvas of the poor," he adds.
Balaji says that the posters are being taken down under The Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property Act. "How is speaking our minds defacement? Are Bhagat Singh's ideas defacement?" he asks. "Our walls are our Mandelas. They're a symbol for resistance for everyone," he says.
