Members of international universities and various teachers associations released a statement on Saturday in support of 48 JNU teachers against whom disciplinary proceedings were initiated by the varsity for participating in a one-day strike last year.
Professors Apoorvanand and Manoj Jha, social activist Harsh Mander and others released the statement endorsed by close to 2,000 teachers, students and citizens from all over the world.
The 48 teachers of Jawaharalal Nehru University have been "charge-sheeted" by the JNU administration on the basis of Central Civil Service (Conduct) Rules (CCS Rules) for raising their voice against its anti-teaching and learning policies.
The statement said that this action stifled their legitimate right to protest the repeated violations of the JNU Act and Statutes and that imposing CCS Rules on universities in effect "introduces censorship as a condition of service."
Decrying the "chilling effect on free speech" that this would have, the statement demanded that the chargesheets issued to the JNU faculty be withdrawn, and the attempt to impose CCS rules on college and university teachers across the country be halted forthwith.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
