Universities are 'laboratories of thoughts': US envoy on JNU row

Amid raging debate over the arrest of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students' union president for allegedly organising an event in which anti-national slogans were raised, US ambassador to India Richard Verma on Monday said that student campuses are laboratories of thoughts.

Further lauding India's diversity, Verma said that different viewpoints are bound to emerge in a country as diverse as India.

"It is hard to find a country more diverse than India. I have had the great honour to travel to 17 states and 44 cities in the last 15 months. That is a great attribute of this country. It is what will propel India forward in the next century is this diversity. With diversity come different view points, and that is also part of both of our democracies," he said.

"Particularly on college campuses, it is something both our countries have celebrated and welcomed over years, and these are laboratories of thoughts..Those traditions are important for both our countries," he added.

Meanwhile, on Monday the Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers' Association (JNUTA) and the Jawaharlal Nehru Students Union (JNUSU) submitted a memorandum to vice chancellor Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan, demanding restoration of normalcy on the campus.

The associations said they wanted the situation to improve as the atmosphere is unstable. They also submitted a letter to the inquiry committee, saying the associations should be kept in the loop while making any decision.

The JNU Teachers Association said all criminal charges like criminal conspiracy, sedition should be dropped.

An internal inquiry mechanism is needed, they said, adding that police should not be allowed to enter and arrest any student.