JNU teachers must overcome fear to protect the idea of a university

In fact, our middle-class existence is centred on fear - fear of losing our jobs, fear of being deprived of some extra privilege or power and fear of 'risks'

Sometimes, my own practice surprises me. I am not a ‘political’ person – political in the sense of being part of an organised party – nor am I an ‘activist’. Seldom do I participate in any social movement. I am not fundamentally different from any other middle-class professional concerned primarily with my safety, security and comfort. Yet, these days I have begun taking an active interest in ‘politics’ – by which I mean the movement initiated by the teachers’ union of my varsity for restoring the idea of a university.

Recently, the Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers’ Association called for a