Event on 70 years of Independence at DSE cancelled

NEW DELHI: Fear of tussle between student political wings compelled authorities at Delhi School of Economics (DSE) to deny permission for a classroom discussion to commemorate 70 years of Independence.

The programme, 'DU Conversations: Celebrating 70 years of Indian democracy', was supposed to be held on Wednesday at DSE.

The event was supposed to have two 15-minute discussions on 'DU concerns', including the February violence after a seminar in Ramjas College and songs of the freedom movement by Sumangala Damodaran, a professor at Ambedkar University, and granddaughter of India's first Communist Chief Minister EMS Namboodiripad.

A statement from the organisers, including sociology professors Satish Deshpande and Nandini Sundar, Hindi professor Apooravanand and students from several Delhi University colleges, revealed that the permission granted on August 17 was withdrawn.

Sources said that the Director phoned the Head of Sociology Department, about absence of written communication from the SHO of Maurice Nagar police station.