Jawaharlal Nehru University(JNU), located in the heart of India’s capital, has once again made headlines for the wrong reasons. On Thursday evening, a Durga Puja idol immersion procession led by ABVP students was violently disrupted near Sabarmati T-Point. Stones and wooden blocks were allegedly hurled by members of AISA, SFI, and DSF. Even women participants were attacked.
A Festival Turned Into a Clash
The clashes followed an earlier flashpoint when ABVP students burnt a Ravana effigy bearing the faces of Sharjeel Imam and Umar Khalid, both controversial figures accused of anti-India activities. This symbolic act enraged left-leaning student groups, who staged a protest and deliberately shifted it to the very route of the Durga Puja procession.
When the visarjan yatra reached Sabarmati T-Point, the protest quickly turned into a violent confrontation. ABVP students alleged that stones and wooden blocks were thrown at them, with even idols being targeted. “They wanted to stop us from celebrating our tradition. Girls were attacked. This was not protest, this was assault,” one ABVP member said.
Selective Tolerance on Campus
The irony is hard to miss. On the same campus where iftars and Eid gatherings are organised without disruption, Hindu festivals repeatedly face hostility. This double standard is not new. JNU’s history includes events like “Mahishasur Martyrdom Day,” where Hindu traditions were openly mocked. Now, even Dussehra celebrations and Durga Puja immersions are not safe.
If Hindu students cannot celebrate their festivals freely in India’s capital city, what message does this send about cultural freedom on campuses?
The Political Angle
ABVP has accused JNUSU president Nitish Kumar of orchestrating the violence, claiming the leftist groups relocated their protest precisely to provoke the clash. The administration has stepped in to restore order, but tensions remain high.
This incident is not just a campus quarrel. It reflects a deeper malaise, where leftist student organisations weaponize ideology to target Hindu festivals while hiding behind slogans of “freedom” and “democracy.”
The Way Forward
Every festival celebrated on a campus should foster unity, not division. Yet in JNU, Hindu festivals seem to invite attacks, while others pass without incident. This hypocrisy must be confronted.
India’s universities are meant to nurture debate, not violence. But when ideology becomes an excuse to assault faith, the line has already been crossed. Such hostility towards Hindu traditions cannot be dismissed as mere “student politics.” It is an assault on cultural rights, on dignity, and on freedom itself.
