Former JNUSU vice-president Anant Prakash Narayan, who was one of the six students initially charged with sedition, has written to the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), asking it to take action against Zee News for a “defamatory media trial” that has put his life in “grave danger”. “I would like to bring to your notice and cognizance a deeply problematic, dangerous and defamatory media trial that I have been subjected to over the past one month. I am a Dalit student, and have overcome several obstacles to come to JNU to pursue higher education. I have also served as the vice-president of the JNU Students’ Union in 2014-15, and in this capacity have been part of several initiatives to ensure social inclusion and justice in JNU,” Narayan wrote in his letter, addressed to the chairperson, on March 17. [related-post] “Since February 9, I have been subjected to a slanderous campaign by several media channels, especially Zee News. The details of this programme are of course a matter of public knowledge now. A group of students (of which I was not a part) organised a programme in JNU on February 9. At the very last minute, the JNU administration cancelled the permission for this programme. Several JNU students, including myself, reached the venue to protest against the arbitrary cancellation,” he further wrote. Narayan said the “malicious campaign” was then started by Zee News, among other media channels. “Since then, Zee News ran a malicious campaign against me. Much like the campaign against Rohith Vemula, I was called a ‘traitor’, a deshdrohi, a terrorist sympathiser and anti-national. And this vilification went on for several days on prime time shows on national media,” he wrote. “I appeal to you to take cognizance of this media campaign. It has not just vilified me, but put my entire life. in grave danger. Such campaigns, which have declared myself and others as ‘anti-nationals’ and ‘traitors’, have encouraged lynch mobs to intimidate and threaten JNU students such as myself. I therefore appeal to you to take action on this dangerous and irresponsible media reportage, especially Zee News,” he further wrote.
