Watching JNU developments with concern: University of Chicago

Top University official, however, says he will not judge recent actions of the students and the government

Amid the row over the arrest of a Jawaharlal Nehru University student on sedition charges, a top official of the University of Chicago has said he is watching the developments with "concern", but will not judge recent actions of the students and the government.

University of Chicago has academic collaborations with various Indian institutions, including JNU and the Delhi University.

"I am not going to judge recent actions by the schools, by the students or by the government, but you know I watch it (incidents at JNU) with concern because I care about the people there," University of Chicago's Vice-President for Global Engagement Ian Solomon told PTI.

There has been an escalating row in the wake of the arrest of JNUSU leader Kanhaiya Kumar over sedition charges, with the university's faculty members, among others, protesting against the move.

Solomon said the university values the collaborations and partnerships with various Indian institutions.

"... We value those collaborations, those partnerships very much. And we want those schools to continue to be leading institutions in this country and continue doing great research and being great places for teaching," he noted.

Currently, the University of Chicago has some 400 Indian students on its campus. Besides, a number of people with Indian roots are associated with the university, Solomon said.

RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan is also a professor at the university. Currently, he is on leave as the Distinguished Service Professor of Finance at the Booth School.

"At the University of Chicago, a fundamental principle is the freedom of students and faculty... (they need) to be allowed to say whatever they want... It (university) does not seek to stop them (students) just because we don't like what they say, just because it's obnoxious, immoral or wrong," Solomon said.

He emphasised that there is a right to debate on the university campus, which is also an important part of Chicago's culture and identity.

"We don't necessarily expect that has to be true for everyone, but for us, it's an important principle for our institution," he added.

Kumar was arrested on February 12 in connection with an event at JNU to protest against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru where anti-India slogans were allegedly raised.

About the Indian economy, Solomon said the country has made great progress and right now, it is the fastest growing among the large economies.

"Now, I have a feeling that the economy is doing well, but still there is a level of unease and uncertainty among the people I talk to. And they don't feel as good as the economy suggests they should feel," Solomon, who has also served as the US Executive Director of the World Bank Group, said.

Elaborating, he said it was not unusual as the US too has similar issues.

"The (economic) numbers are good, but people's sense of security, people's sense of economic stability... There is a perceptive vulnerability among people," he noted.

According to him, India still has a very large population and extreme poverty and the requirement of investment in infrastructure, education and healthcare, among others, is challenging.