Ambedkar University Delhi witnessed student protests on March 24 following the suspension of a final-year postgraduate student, Mantahsa, over her criticism of a speech made by the Vice Chancellor during the Republic Day celebrations organized by the university.
However, the All India Students Association (AISA), of which the student is a member, has alleged that this is a targeted attack, as the student—a Muslim woman—was “singled out because of her identity.”
“The statement for which she has been targeted was released by AISA after the Vice Chancellor’s speech. Other student organizations had also put out statements, and multiple students had come forward and said that the speech was shameful. Then why was she the only one suspended?” asks Saiyed, a bachelor’s student at the university and the Secretary of AISA on campus.
The speech and the statement
Vice Chancellor Anu Singh Lather, in her Republic Day speech, made statements such as “The Babri Masjid demolition was a movement of 525 years and not recent,” also claiming that “Christianity originated in India” and blaming the Dalit community for making a “miniature of Ambedkar’s stature.”
These comments led to opposition from students and student organizations, who put up statements in the Ambedkar University student email chain, which is used for campus-related communications.
AISA, in its statement released on January 28, called the comments “communal, casteist, and ahistorical,” adding that “this is not the first time that the AUD VC has used the platform of the university to parrot the false casteist and communal narratives of the RSS,” calling this a “grave attack on education.”
This statement was reshared by many students in the email chain, including the suspended student, who is pursuing a Master’s in Global Studies at the university.
However, on February 17, she received a show-cause notice accusing her of sharing a statement containing “derogatory and disrespectful language against the Hon’ble Vice Chancellor,” stating that she had thereby violated the Student Code of Discipline. The notice gave her until February 24 to file a reply.
Meanwhile, her student email ID, through which all university-related communications are conducted, was also disabled by the administration.
In her reply, sent on February 24, Mantasha denied the allegations, arguing that the statement falls under “academic and constructive discourse and should not be construed as an act of indiscipline.”
She also requested that the show-cause notice be withdrawn as it violates her freedom of speech, while demanding clarification on the clauses she allegedly violated under the Student Code of Discipline and the restoration of her university email ID.
However, on the evening of February 27, Mantasha received another email asking her to appear before the Disciplinary Committee the very next day.
“An email was also sent to my father. He was also called by people in the administration, saying that his daughter has been talking about communal politics and Ram Mandir on campus,” the student told Maktoob.
Her father was also asked to come to the university to receive a physical copy of the notice summoning her to the Disciplinary Committee.
“This is the administration’s way of intimidating students from marginalized sections,” said Saiyed. “They used a similar strategy during the protests at Jamia Millia Islamia. The administration at AUD felt emboldened after the suspension of students at JMI,” he added.
Moreover, it is mandatory to give students at least 24 hours to appear before the Disciplinary Committee. In this case, an email was sent to her at 6 PM, asking her to appear at 12 PM the following day.
The disciplinary committee and suspension order
The Disciplinary Committee consists of four to five members, including the Proctor and Deans of various departments.
“The administration of Ambedkar University has been largely shifting towards a right-wing character. Such instances never used to happen. In fact, this is the first time a student has been suspended over something as simple as sharing an official statement,” Saiyed said.
Additionally, the committee had only one female member, who joined online during the first half of the meeting.
Following this, Mantasha was asked to write an apology letter, which she refused. Instead, she wrote a response letter stating that the trial was not fair and explaining how it had violated her privacy.
Almost a month later, on March 21, she received another email stating that she was suspended for six months and barred from all three university campuses.
“I am in the final lap of my dissertation, which is due in mid-May. My university ID is blocked, and I have no access to my professors, campus facilities, or academic resources. If the suspension is not withdrawn, I will not be able to submit my dissertation on time and will lose an entire academic year,” Mantasha told Maktoob.
She also pointed out that the six-month suspension is a calculated move by the university, as it would force her to lose an entire year and continue next year with her juniors.
The student has decided to file an appeal with the Vice Chancellor and Chancellor. If the suspension is not withdrawn, challenging it in court will be the only remaining option.
“This is going to be a long process, and I am not sure whether I have enough time,” she added.
The protests that followed
In response to the suspension, the All India Students Association (AISA) staged a protest in front of the Vice Chancellor’s office on March 24. The students were met with complete disregard from the administration, which called the police to campus to “handle” the situation.
“We were demanding that the suspension be revoked and that a date be given for a meeting between the affected student, the student councillors, and the Vice Chancellor,” said Saiyed.
However, the Registrar allegedly verbally threatened them, saying that he would call the police. “Tum logon ko utha lenge yahan se, detain karwalenge” (You people will be taken and detained), he said, adding that students should come to the university to study, not to protest.
Around 5 PM, almost forty police personnel, including female officers and a police van, entered the campus. “They clearly intended to detain us,” Saiyed said. The police allegedly formed a human chain and escorted the Vice Chancellor’s vehicle out of the campus.
“Even though we stayed on campus until 10 PM, nobody from the administration was willing to address our concerns. All we wanted was a proper dialogue,” Saiyed said. He added that AISA will continue its sit-in protests until their demands are met.
AISA has also called for an indefinite strike from 1 April onwards until the revocation of Mantasha’s suspension. “We encourage the student mass to rise in rage against the draconian measures taken up by the admin and participate in the indefinite sit-in,” AISA leaders said.
