For 8 students punished by Delhi University over BBC documentary, futures at stake

A committee formed by DU to look into the incident had barred two students — Lokesh Chugh and Ravinder Singh — for a year, and recommended punishment against six others, including Sneha Sarahshaji, Anshul Yadav, Dinesh Kumar, Mishab, Ashutosh, though it did not specify what this was.

DU V-C Yogesh Singh Tuesday said the punishment for the six students was to write a letter to the administration expressing that they are sorry and won’t repeat the act again.

Students The Indian Express spoke to said notices were then sent to them and their parents, who were requested to present themselves in the proctor’s office.

“I come from a lower middle class family and education at DU is the only one I can afford as private colleges are too expensive. I convinced my family by telling them that DU could give me a bright future,” said Anshul, who recently finished his Master’s in Sanskrit from Kirori Mal College.

He is also the vice-president of KMC and is affiliated with the NSUI, the Congress’s students wing. He hopes to one day become a professor and give his family a better life.

Anshul, 24, hails from UP’s Etawah and comes from a family of farmers. He got first division in both undergraduate and postgraduate, and is currently preparing to apply for his PhD at DU.

“A letter went to my family regarding this entire issue, which scared them. They were asked to come to the proctor’s office but they couldn’t make it to Delhi. I have already written a letter to the administration explaining everything and now I am awaiting their response, hoping there won’t be any delay in my Master’s degree,” said Anshul.

Dinesh, 21, a first-year Master’s student at KMC and general secretary of NSUI, is also in the line of fire. “My parents got scared when they found out that a case has been registered against me. They are not as literate and don’t understand much. I gave them confidence that I will handle things here,” he said.

He hails from Jalore district in Rajasthan and comes from a family of farmers. He said he was the school topper, and is the first student to come to Delhi to pursue higher education from his village. Dinesh dreams of becoming a politician and making a change in society.

Lokesh and Ravinder, from the Anthropology and Philosophy departments respectively, have been barred from participating in all university activities for a year.

“My parents were worried about my future when they found out about this. My family has great expectations that their son will be awarded a PhD from DU and I am the first in my whole family to reach this educational level. Ever since this news, their energy levels are down,” said Lokesh (30), a PhD student.

He has grown up in Delhi and comes from a business family. His ambition is to become an academic, but he has been passionate about politics since a young age. He is currently the national secretary of NSUI and has been associated with the outfit for 12 years now.

“I did not participate in the screening but I believe there is nothing wrong in welcoming someone’s opinion that is different from ours. I re-appealed to the university yesterday and am worried that two years might get wasted… I am awaiting a response,” he said.

Ravinder, 24, who hails from Ganganagar, is a first-year Philosophy student and is affiliated with Bhagat Singh Chatr Ekta Manch (BSCEM). He comes from a farmers’ family and was earlier a law student, but switched to philosophy. His ambition is to become a politician.

“I have not yet told my family about being barred from the university as I don’t want them to worry. BSCEM is an independent organisation and is not affiliated with any party. We came forward with other parties only on the day of the protest to express our dissent,” he said.

Mishab, 22, a second-year Master’s in History student who hails from Kerala, said he hopes to become a civil servant one day. He is also in DU’s crosshairs, but says he did not participate in the screening: “I had nothing to do with the protest, I was detained by police just because I was passing by the premises. I was given a minor punishment from the university. Notices have been sent to me and my family and I have submitted a written response to the administration. Now I am awaiting their response.”

Sneha, 23, hails from Kerala and recently finished her Master’s in Political Science from DU and is associated with the NSUI. Hailing from a business family, she is now preparing for her PhD and aims to write a thesis on a public administration subject. “My parents received a letter from the admin and were very worried. They were asked to be present in the proctor’s office in 15 days but they couldn’t travel to Delhi on such short notice,” she said.

She said she has written a letter to the administration: “I am yet to get my Master’s certificate but I am scared that I might not receive it. I don’t know what will happen next. It was my dream to study at a central university like Delhi… but it has been a bittersweet experience for me.”

Ashutosh, who is associated with BASF, told The Indian Express that he does not have any intention to write an apology to the administration. “I believe we have not done anything wrong. I will give my response to the administration as they have asked us to, but I won’t apologise. We want to save the campus and my family supports me in my intention,” said Ashutosh, a final-year Commerce student at Satyawati College who hails from Moradabad, UP, and comes from an agricultural background. He wants to become a lawyer.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, a DU alumnus, meanwhile, tweeted: “As a @Delhiuniversit alum committed to academic freedom & independence of thought, I am appalled by this shocking decision. To suspend a student for two years for watching a documentary in a democracy is a disgrace & a betrayal of everything a university should stand for. Shame!”