Scientists, academics write to JNU VC, express 'deep disappointment' over students' arrest

The signatories of the letter expressed their "deep disappointment" with the actions of the JNU Vice Chancellor Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar and called on him take "urgent corrective steps to ensure that the police releases the arrested students, and also to ensure that it drops the unsubstantiated charges against them."

Prominent academicians and scientists from many of India's prestigious institutions on Wednesday expressed their dismay on the recent events that threw the academic atmosphere at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi to the winds. The spate of violence both within and outside the campus have gripped the entire nation's attention on the nationalist versus anti-nationalist debate.[caption id="attachment_2630884" align="alignleft" width="380"] Jawaharlal Nehru University Vice Chancellor Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar. Image courtesy JNU website[/caption]"A total of 379 Indian scientists and academics have written a letter to the VC of JNU expressing their dismay at the recent events there," said Suvrat Raju, faculty member at the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences. The signatories of the letter expressed their "deep disappointment" with the actions of the JNU Vice Chancellor Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar and called on him take "urgent corrective steps to ensure that the police releases the arrested students, and also to ensure that it drops the unsubstantiated charges against them."Raju said that the fact that so many members, of what is otherwise an apolitical community, signed this letter within about 24 hours indicates the level of outrage that these events have generated. JNU Letter to VC