The Hindu : New Delhi News : `Casteist' leaflet causing unrest at JNU

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 16, 2006

New Delhi

New Delhi

`Casteist' leaflet causing unrest at JNU

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: Taking umbrage at a leaflet circulated by Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Youth For Equality (YFE) - which alleges that a group of pro-reservation students at JNU pulled down a banner and refers to them "sub-standard and undeserving" -- the All-India Students' Association (AISA) has described the leaflet as the worst kind of racist propaganda.

A complaint has been filed with the SC/ST Commission as well as the JNU Vice-Chancellor and Equal Opportunity Office according to AISA's JNU unit president Satya Venkata Siddartha.

"Dalit students battle discrimination and oppression in order to make it to Universities to study. Such leaflets vitiate the socially sensitive atmosphere of the campus, and create a threat to the dignity of every Dalit student studying in JNU. This is why stern action is needed to put a stop to such anti-Dalit abuse," stated Mr. Siddartha.

AISA JNU unit's vice-president Sandeep Singh said: "While YFE uses the banner of equality, its leaflet shows their real casteist face which wants to keep social inequality alive." The YFE leaflet dated June 12 alleges that pro-reservation group destroyed their banner. It states that by their act of "inferior activities" they were strengthening the cause of YFE.

Referring to pro-reservationists as "inferior mortals", the leaflet states that they don't deserve a seat in an institution like JNU.

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