The JNU administration revoked the academic suspension of JNUSU President N Sai Balaji and several other student activists on Friday. The students had been 'academically suspended' a week ago and Balaji had written an open letter to the VC a few days ago requesting for his suspension to be revoked.
The students were summoned to the Chief Proctor's office today and made the students sign a letter saying that they would comply with all the enquiries that are conducted against them. "I have so far complied with all the rules and the enquiries that the administration had initiated against me. There was only one instance, where I could not be physically present so I sent in a written deposition," Balaji told Edex. The student leader said that at no point did he not comply with the administrative rules regarding enquiries.
Balaji said that the Chief Proctor asked him why he had chosen to write an open letter and address it to the VC, instead of him. "He asked me why I had taken to social media about the matter and why I had not tried to get in touch with the Proctor. I was not given a notice about why I was suspended, no reason at all. So that's why I decided to write the letter. And social media is my private space, I should be allowed to say whatever I want to say in my private account," Balaji said.
Balaji invoked the recent news about MHRD asking students to link their social media accounts, so they would be able to share news more easily. "This is just a way of keeping students in check," he said.
However, the students decided to submit the letter that the Proctor was demanding, "I mentioned that I have always complied with the rules and will continue to do so and that I will attend enquiries conducted freely and fairly. We're in a vulnerable space right now and we have no resources to fight. So we write the letter and they unblocked us from paying the semester fee," he said.
Balaji also used the opportunity to ask the Proctor why his MPhil degree had been blocked and that he was finding it difficult with pursuing his academic career. "But they said they would discuss that tomorrow and not today. He spoke to us a lot of legalities and rules but didn't want to address this issue," Balaji told Edex.
"As soon as we went in, I said hello and was about to sit down and he told me not to sit. Then immediately he asked me to sit down and I didn't sit. We are not puppets but that is what they want us to be — puppets. Just nodding along," the student leader said.
When asked if he believes that things will go back to normal, Balaji said he's sure they will be facing these problems again but is grateful that his suspension had been revoked. "My mother will not worried anymore at least. I'm grateful to the media, they really supported me and it is because of the support that I got from people that the administration was forced to revoke the suspension. So I want to thank all the people who stood by us," he said.
