Skip to content Skip to navigation

American scholars condemn state's violence against #CAA protesters

New Jeysey, USA based The Rutgers AAUP-AFT (American Association of University Professors and American Federation of Teachers), has issued a soliderity statement with Student Protesters in India.

The Rutgers AAUP-AFT stands in solidarity with students, faculty, and protesters at Jamia Millia Islamia University, Aligarh Muslim University, and elsewhere across India who are protesting the passing of The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (now Act) 2019 (CAA). We condemn unjustified police violence against peaceful protesters.

The police have perpetrated violent reprisal against students who have dissented and several students have suffered serious bodily harm. This is a dissent from the newly instituted criterion for citizenship, the CAA which contradicts the secular basis of Indian democracy and the Indian constitution. Citizens across India are protesting the CAA as it is part of a legislative drive to target and isolate Muslims. CAA must be seen in conjunction with the National Register of Citizens (NRC), a proposed nationwide scheme (already ongoing in the state of Assam) that is set to render innumerable citizens of India, and Muslims in particular, stateless.

These measures have come even as the Government of India has kept Kashmir under total lockdown since August 5, 2019. Kashmiris have had no access to internet or free press and have been detained in unknown numbers. And now several other states are locked down under Section 144 that criminalizes protest meetings.

As such, we reject the logic of second-class citizenship and majoritarian rule behind these measures. We support the rights of unhindered free assembly and academic freedom that are fundamental in a democracy, and demand the removal of police from all university campuses. There are protests by students in universities across the length and breadth of the country and we stand with them.

Add new comment

Random Stories

NO BJP vote in RS poll

24 May 2013 - 8:41pm | AT News
Assam BJP legislators will abstain from voting in the Rajya Sabha polls on May 30.Party president Sarbananda Sonowal said that the MLAs would not vote as the party did not support any of the...

16 killed in West Khasi hills

26 Feb 2017 - 1:58pm | AT News
At least 16 people were killed at a tragic road mishap in Meghalaya on Sunday. The accident took place in West Khasi hills district in the morning where all these 16 people were killed on the spot...

Power Grid engineer kidnapped

16 Feb 2013 - 10:20pm | AT News
Unidentified miscreants kidnapped an engineer of Power Grid Corporation from Baksa district on Saturday even as security forces are on rescue operation.  The engineer, Santhala Taidy Raju, was...

Bangladeshis: AJYCP observes Black Monday

4 Aug 2008 - 11:57pm | editor
Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad says they will not allow Assam to be the heaven for the illegal Bangladeshi people.The student body leaders have observed Monday as a black day demanding...

Other Contents by Author

Guwahati: WWF-India Assam State Office marked the International Day for Biological Diversity on 22nd May with an engaging awareness program held at the Aquaculture and Biodiversity Centre, supported by the Zoology Department of Gauhati University. The event aimed to educate students from various colleges and universities about the significance of biodiversity conservation. Mrs. Archita Baruah Bhattacharyya, the State Coordinator of WWF-India Assam State Office, delivered a warm welcome address to the participants, which included students from esteemed institutions such as the Department of Environment Science, Gauhati University, National Law University & Judicial Academy, Assam...
The North-East Forum for International Solidarity (NEFIS) has strongly criticized the Manipur state government for its inability to maintain peace and normalcy in the region. NEFIS demands the immediate resignation of the Chief Minister of Manipur on moral grounds, holding the government accountable for its failure to ensure peace in the state. The organization has called upon all communities in Manipur to prioritize communal harmony amidst the current atmosphere of communal rift, urging them to engage in dialogue to resolve their differences. NEFIS expressed concern over the role of the state government in sowing animosity among different communities for cheap political gains. The...
The National Federation for New States (NFNS) has expressed deep anguish and concern regarding the ongoing violence in Manipur. The organization has called for an immediate end to the mindless acts of violence which have caused immense suffering to vulnerable sections of society, including the elderly, women, and children. Additionally, the NFNS strongly condemns the destruction of homes, properties, and places of worship. While acknowledging its longstanding relationship with the Kuki State Demand Committee (KSDC), the NFNS appeals to all people groups involved to abandon violence and instead seek peaceful and democratic means to find a lasting solution. The organization believes...
NEHU Campus, 20th April, 2023 - The National Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB), Department of Science and Technology (DST), GoI, has kicked off the Entrepreneurship Awareness Camp (EAC) at the North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) campus. The three-day program, organized by the Department of Biomedical Engineering, NEHU and sponsored by the Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI), Ahmedabad, aims to equip over 75 students from diverse backgrounds with the knowledge and skills required for entrepreneurship. Esteemed experts from both industry and academia have gathered to interact with the participants, shedding light on crucial topics such as...
Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty, a veteran journalist, will receive the Parag Kumar Das Journalism Award 2023. The award includes a cash prize of Rs 25,000, a citation, and a memento. The award ceremony will take place on May 17. Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty currently serves as the National Affairs Editor for the digital news publication 'The Wire.' The Parag Kumar Das Journalism Award was established to honor the courageous journalist Parag Kumar Das, who lost his life while fighting for the truth. The award recognizes and encourages journalists who tirelessly uncover the truth and bring it to the public.  
The Incubation and Enterprise Support Centre (IESC) at IIM Shillong recently organized a sponsored bootcamp aimed at nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit among the youth of the North East Region (NER). The five-day residential program, held on the picturesque campus of IIM Shillong, concluded successfully on May 5th. The bootcamp, attended by 55 ambitious and energetic participants from both within and outside the region, focused on equipping them with essential skills in entrepreneurship, innovation, business modeling, market dynamics, and leadership qualities. As part of its commitment to the development of the NER, IIM Shillong's IESC initiated this funded bootcamp to provide aspiring...
A Special Leave Petition under Article 136 of the Constitution of India has been filed in the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India by advocate Arif Jwadder. The petition appeals against the Gauhati High Court's disposal of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking an independent investigation into all fake encounters that took place from May 2021 onwards. The petitioner's counsel, Prashant Bhushan, filed the petition. The Assam government had admitted to 171 police encounters in its affidavit dated 29.09.2022, wherein 56 people died and 145 were injured from May till August 2022. The death toll has increased since then. Despite the material placed on record, the Gauhati High Court didn't...
Mizoram University and Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham have partnered to launch science, technology and innovation (STI) hubs in the Aizawl and Serchip districts of Mizoram. Funded by the Indian Department of Science...
On 12th December 2022, a devastating fire broke out suddenly at the village called Upper Sonowal of Majuli district in Assam, leaving a trail of destructions among the affected people. The crisis had pushed the affected into an extreme grim situation as they lost everything in the fire. The tragedy had affected vulnerable communities who are also the victims of recurrent floods and river erosions of the island. Following a Rapid Need Assessment (RNA) at the affected community, NEADS had activated its fire tragedy response among the affected communities of the crisis-ravaged areas. With funding from Start Fund, NEADS had undertaken the humanitarian assistance among the affected peoples,...
The Assamese community in Chennai celebrated the Rongali Bihu festival on Sunday, 16th April, 2023 with great zeal and enthusiasm. The event was organized by the Assam Association Chennai (AAC) and was held at the Blue Lagoon resort located at ECR, Chennai. The Rongali Bihu festival is an important cultural event in the state of Assam, which marks the start of New Year and agricultural season for the community. It is celebrated with great fervor and enthusiasm by the Assamese people, who come together to celebrate their culture and traditions. The Assamese community in Chennai, gathered at the Blue Lagoon resort to celebrate the festival, where various games were organized, including...