Eminent personalities decry attack on JNU students

Eminent personalities on Monday condemned the violence at Delhi's Jawarharlal Nehru University and said the "cowardly act" bears testimony that those in power are afraid of student protests.

Demanding that the perpetrators be brought to book, noted filmmaker Aparna Sen wondered whether the country has turned into a "goonda raj".

"JNU students being beaten up by ABVP goons. Live on TV! How much longer are you going to look the other way? Or r u spineless? Yes I AM a liberal! Yes, I AM secular! And proud to be so if THIS is the alternative. Shame! Shame on ABVP & the police who are aiding & abetting them," Sen said in a tweet.

On Sunday, a mob of masked young people stormed the JNU campus in south Delhi and systematically targeted students in three hostels, unleashing mayhem with sticks, stones and iron rods, hitting inmates and breaking windows, furniture and personal belongings. They also attacked a women's hostel.

At least 34 people, including JNU Students' Union president Aishe Ghosh, were injured as chaos reigned on the campus for nearly two hours.

"Ok, so who are these masked goons? Allegedly ABVP? Allegedly backed by RSS? Even if we say we don't know, the question still remains: How can our universities be under attack? What is the Delhi police doing? What is happening in our country? Has it become a 'Goonda Raj?'," she said in another tweet.

The ABVP has denied being responsible, and in turn, blamed Ghosh's Left-supported union of stage managing the violence.

Writer Shirshendu Mukhopadhaya also denounced the incident and said the "brazen attack" on students is unacceptable.

"It is expected that the student community will protest. But such kind of retaliation from a students group supported by those who are in power is unacceptable. Students have every right to protest," he said.

Actor Kaushik Sen said the JNU attack is proof that those who are in power are afraid of student protests.

"The repeated attack on students shows that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are scared of such protests. Students have every right to question and protest. From Jamia Milia University to Aligarh Muslim University to JNU, the Centre is committing one blunder after another," Sen said.

Poet Joy Goswami said he was pained to witness the violence unleashed on students, but said such attacks will not deter them from continuing the fight against "injustice".