JNU students protest after assault on campus; demand 'immediate arrest'

NEW DELHI: Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Students Union staged a protest demanding the reinstatement of the Gender Sensitisation Committee Against Sexual Harassment (GSCASH) following an attempt to rape against a JNU PhD student inside the campus, on the road between Ring Road and VC gate. The students marched to the Vasant Kunj police station on Tuesday evening to demand that the police "immediately arrest the culprit".

"It was revealed that at around 11.45 pm on Monday, a PhD student was taking a stroll in the campus. When she was walking on the East Gate Road of the university, a man came on a bike from inside the campus and tried to molest her," the deputy commissioner of police, Gaurav Sharma confirmed.

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The All India Students Association (AISA) has appealed to all students to join JNUSU’s protest against the JNU administration to reinstate GSCASH. “Even after such a grave incident took place in the campus, the JNU administration has not yet issued any official statement in support of the survivor. The DCP’s statement is casual in nature. This reveals the disregard and careless approach of JNU administration and Delhi police when it handles gender-related crimes,” said AISA in a statement.

JNU Delhi: JNU students, JNUSU protest for the arrest of the accused and reinstatement of GSCASH (image source: AISA)

“Increased instances of such offences on JNU campus shows the ineffectiveness of the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC). ICC has indulged in victim-blaming many times and sided with the assaulters. Hence, it is important to reinstate GSCASH. The removal of GSCASH was done with the intention to protect assaulters as the efforts of the committee often continuously attempt to discourage complaints,” it said.

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AISA demanded the arrest of the accused and asked the JNU administration and the campus security force CYCLOPS to take responsibility for the incident. It also extended solidarity to the survivor in the statement.