President, PM urged to rein violence in educational institutions

A group of 232 sociologists has urged President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to rein in violence in educational institutions across the country.

These sociologists from different universities and prestigious colleges and other institutions have written to the president and the prime minister on the issue.

The signatories to the letter brought up an incident at Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh on February 23, where Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarathi Parishad activists allegedly disrupted violently an event at which Vivek Kumar of Jawaharlal Nehru University was invited to speak.

"They attacked Professor Vivek Kumar," the sociologists said in the letter to the president.

They said the activists also abused and threatened Professor Rajesh Misra of the Lucknow University for his Facebook post.

"The constitution of India guarantees to all citizens the right to their beliefs and to peaceful expression of these beliefs, but we are deeply disturbed by the ongoing events in the country and feel the urgent need to make a public statement," they said.

"We are, therefore, deeply concerned at the growing attacks on students, faculty and staff of various universities by organisations which seem to have the backing of the authorities and the police," the academics added.

The group includes teachers and professors from renowned institutes like the Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi University, Jamia Millia Islamia, St. Xavier's College, Guwahati University, Mumbai University and many others.