Eight top universities in the UK including Oxford and Cambridge on Thursday came out in support of JNU, strongly criticising the police action in its campus as a “direct attack on dissent and debate”. A joint statement by entire centres of teaching and research on South Asia of leading universities said the February 12 police action against students threatened the varsity’s freedom of expression and democratic dissent, which they described as “hallmark of JNU’s history and reputation globally”.
“Institutes and centres with dedicated faculty members engaged in teaching and research on India and South Asia in universities in the UK are watching with increasing concern the events that are unfolding at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) including the detention and suspension of students,” it said.