Was pressured to cancel seminars of ambassadors of West Asian countries: JNU official

Following a controversy over Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) allegedly canceling seminars of ambassadors from West Asian countries, a former seminar coordinator of the university has filed a complaint against the chairman of the Center for West Asian Studies, alleging that she was under pressure was put on to cancel the meeting. events. She has also demanded security from JNU, citing security concerns, after her personal details were allegedly leaked by a university official.

Three seminars by the Iranian, Palestinian and Lebanese ambassadors, who were due to speak on the ongoing conflict in West Asia, were reportedly canceled by the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) last month without explanation.

JNU’s School of International Studies (SIS), under which the Center for West Asian Studies (where the ambassadors were scheduled to speak) functions, has constituted an inquiry committee to probe the matter after receiving a complaint from the program coordinator, who was replaced because she was blamed by the center for miscommunication, which led to the cancellation of the events.

Invitations to the Iranian Ambassador Iraj Elahi for a seminar on October 24, the Palestinian Ambassador on November 7 and the Lebanese Ambassador on November 14 were confirmed by the respective embassies. In a complaint to the dean of SIS, Amitabh Mattoo, the replaced program coordinator, Sima Baidya, claims that she was forced to cancel the confirmed events by the center’s chairperson, Sameena Hameed, and was then wrongly replaced by a junior colleague. the move was criticized.

“Regarding the cancellation of three seminars in our center, I would like to inform you… On October 22 and 23, 2024, there was a problem regarding the cancellation of three seminars on Thursday, organized by me as seminar coordinator. When the seminar was announced was released on Tuesday, October 22, 2024, I immediately received several calls from Prof. Sameena Hameed, threatening to cancel the seminar on October 24, 2024 at 11:00 am be held to cancel,” Baidya claims in her complaint, which states that she ultimately communicated the cancellation of the event following instructions from Mattoo.

She has rejected the center’s statements following the cancellation. The center had alleged that the step had to be taken due to miscommunication on the part of the coordinator and failure to follow security protocols.

“There was no miscommunication on my part as a seminar coordinator. There was no last minute arrangement. Moreover, there is no logistics involved in inviting the foreign/Iranian ambassador. Sameena Hameed painted such a distorted picture for you and you were in a hurry to to stop it,” Baidya said, adding that ambassadors from these countries and others previously addressed seminars at JNU without any security protocol explicitly designed by the university.

In her complaint, Baidya refuted this claim, saying: “I have documentary evidence that the other two seminars – by Palestinian and Lebanese ambassadors – were confirmed.” She states that the program coordinator may independently invite people and organize an event, without consultation with the center.

In a separate complaint to the Vice Chancellor and Registrar, Baidya has alleged that during an emergency meeting called by Hameed after the events were canceled, she was subjected to violent behavior by the chairperson and later, wrongfully replaced by a junior colleague, without to hold her. consultation with the center.

Baidya was replaced by the chair in October with a junior colleague, Vrushal T. Ghoble, according to an email sent to faculty members. Responding to the complaint, JNU VC Santishree D Pandit said, “There is no threat to anyone’s safety on the campus. The complainant had sought permission to organize an event on a different topic but later invited ambassadors to speak on the West Asian conflict The Center has already constituted a committee to look into the matter.” There was no immediate response from Hameed and Mattoo to the allegations.