Three seminars that were going to be held at Jawaharlal Nehru University’s (JNU) Centre for West Asian Studies were canceled. The talks were scheduled to feature Iranian, Palestinian, and Lebanese Ambassadors and were nearly based upon the Israel-Palestine that is ongoing in the Middle East. With this, the JNU administration has foiled what could have otherwise turned out to be another outing for these diplomats to deliver anti-semitic seminars, considering their native countries’ stance against Israel in the Middle East crisis.
On 24th of October, hours before Iranian Ambassador Dr. Iraj Elahi was set to speak on the topic —“How Iran views recent developments in West Asia” — seminar coordinator Sima Baidya came up with a message and informed students of the cancellation, citing instructions from the university.
The other two seminars with the Palestinian Ambassador on November 7 and the Lebanese Ambassador that were scheduled on the 7th of November and 14th of November were also canceled.
The University took the decision to cancel the seminars without revealing any specific explanation. Speculations are being made that concerns over potential protests compelled the University to cancel the seminars.
SIS Dean Amitabh Mattoo advised faculty to consult with the Dean’s office before inviting diplomats, emphasizing the importance of protocol amid a “charged global atmosphere.”
Jawaharlal Nehru University which is considered to be the fortress of the Left has earlier also been in the news for organizing objectionable seminars and protests. While looking at the speakers and the topics that were going to be discussed in the seminar, it wouldn’t be wrong to speculate that Anti-Semitism would have occupied the whole campus. Assertions are made that maybe the leftists were trying to create a mirror image of what happened at Columbia University, USA this April.
Evidently, since 7th October 2023, when thousands of Hamas terrorists launched a surprise attack on Israel killing over 1,200 Israeli and foreign citizens, and kidnapped over 250, antisemitism has been on the rise even in academic institutions. The most evident case came to light from the ‘prominent’ institutions in the United States where pro-Palestine protestors made anti-semitic remarks, indulged in violent acts, and defaced several key locations while taking out pro-Palestine protests on the campuses.
What happened at Columbia University
On April 29, 2024, a late-night pro-Palestine protest turned violent as masked students at Columbia University forcefully entered and took control of Hamilton Hall. They draped the hall with a Palestinian flag and renamed it “Hind’s Hall.”
According to reports, they broke down security cameras and clashed with other students. Moreover, they held the staff members hostage. The protesters demanded Columbia University divest its financial ties to Israel. They also raised chants of “Free Palestine” and displayed “Intifada” signs.
Similar demonstrations erupted across Ivy League campuses, university officials faced mounting challenges. Columbia, alongside other universities like California State Polytechnic, urged students to shelter indoors amid “continuing criminal activity.” Some universities have reached settlements with protesters, permitting limited encampments, while Columbia advised students to avoid its main campus.
Following the chaotic scenes and rampant pro-Palestine protests in University campuses which became a den for anti-semitic events, concerned academic institutions faced backlash over the issue of allowing political and religious agendas to take over educational institutions in the garb of ‘freedom of speech’ and dissent.
Given this backdrop, it’s thought that the administration’s decision to cancel the events may have been a preemptive measure aimed at avoiding any possible escalation. By acting at the last minute to cancel or postpone the talks, university officials likely hoped to prevent any scenes of conflict or disorder that might have mirrored those in Columbia University.