Students of Ambedkar University Delhi (AUD) Kashmere gate campus on Tuesday, April 8, continued to stand in solidarity with Professor Kaustav Banerjee, a faculty member of the School of Global Affairs.
Professor Banerjee has been issued a show-cause notice by the university administration for addressing students at a public gathering organiaed by the All India Students' Association (AISA), where he voiced his opposition to the recent suspension of students from his department, including Comrade Mantasha, stated a report by The New Indian Express.
The notice, issued almost a week after the public meeting, raised serious concerns about the administration's attempt to intimidate and silence critical voices within the university.
"This action is especially troubling as it persists even after the suspension of Comrade Mantasha was revoked-suggesting a disturbing pattern of targeting individuals who speak out against the university's increasingly draconian policies," said one of the student leaders.
AISA leader further added, "The administration's move to penalize a faculty member for standing by his students is a direct attack on democratic values and academic freedom. It is an attempt to erode the culture of teacher-student solidarity that forms the backbone of any progressive academic space."
Meanwhile in an official statement, AISA stated, "We unequivocally demands the immediate withdrawal of the show-cause notice issued to Professor Banerjee and calls upon the administration to cease all forms of intimidation and disciplinary actions aimed at faculty and students who exercise their right to dissent. These actions represent a broader assault on the progressive voices that have long upheld the democratic ethos of AUD."
"We stand firm in our belief that universities must be spaces of open dialogue, critical thought, and collective action. The repression of dissent has no place in a democratic academic institution," the statement further read, according to the report by The New Indian Express.
