Clashes erupted again on the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus in the early hours of Monday morning between the Left-led student union and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), with each accusing the other of violence and stone-pelting. The incident has not only highlighted the issue of student discipline at the prestigious university, but also how repeated clashes are turning the space into a space for student dissent.
Controversy to confrontation
The issue began about a week ago when JNU Vice Chancellor Shantisree D Pandit shared her thoughts on the podcast while discussing the 2026 Equity (Anti-Discrimination) Regulations proposed by the UGC, which aims to address caste-based discrimination in higher education institutions.
According to ANI, a clip circulating online she was heard saying that Dalits and Blacks "cannot progress by being permanently a victim or playing the victim card," triggering sharp reactions from student groups. VC Pandit said she had not made any statement against Dalits but was speaking against what she termed "wokes" who use such identities politically.
"I am against anybody being made into a permanent victim or a permanent oppressor. That is my position," she said.
The JNU Students' Union condemned what it termed "blatantly casteist statements" and demanded Pandit's resignation. Reacting to the student groups, VC Pandit said, “These student organisations do not want to deal with the question of vandalism, violence, rustication and the slogans raised against the Prime Minister and the Home Minister, which were totally unacceptable in any civilised society. Instead, they have chosen to take my remarks out of context.”
"In fact, I am a double beneficiary -- I was among the first batches when OBC reservation was introduced, and I am also a woman. But I do not want an inequitable society where someone is judged or punished purely because of their birth identity. You do not choose your caste, religion or where you are born. It is a primordial identity. Why should anyone be punished for that?" she said to ANI.
The whole issue has highlighted the sharp divergence in positions reflected a deepening trust deficit between sections of the administration and student bodies — a factor that often shapes the tone and trajectory of campus protests.
Emerging trend in campus politics
The incident of JNU VC vs students union in February was not the only one in which right-wing and left-wing students clashed with each other. In October 2025, student groups clashed during a General Body Meeting linked to student union elections. It’s not JNU, across universities in India; confrontations frequently emerge around administrative decisions or political issues.
Focus shifts, when…
The main consequence of such student union clashes is a shift in public and institutional focus. Protests that begin with a specific issue become law and order situations after violence is reported. This not only dilutes the original demands but also affects the educational losses of students. These clashes also influence administrative responses, prompting strict security measures and restrictions on assemblies. However, this is seen by student unions as limiting democratic space.
The biggest challenge for the university administration is to strike a balance between ensuring students' safety, upholding the right to protest, and continuing education.
The larger question for campus politics
Undeniably, institutions and universities historically served as spaces for debate and political engagement. But the protests in recent times, confrontation and counter-allegations raise questions about how dissent is evolving.
If the story of campus mobilisation is to be defined by conflict and competing claims of violence, there is a danger that the very legitimacy of the protest itself will come into question, irrespective of the cause. The events at JNU, therefore, are symptomatic not merely of an instance of unrest but of a broader challenge to institutions of higher learning: how to maintain spaces of vigorous disagreement without letting them tip into conflict.
The views expressed in this article are personal. The opinions and facts in this article do not represent the stand of EdexLive.
