Teachers’ body slams seminar held at JNU for legitimising anti-Muslim prejudice
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The Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) has called out the university’s seminar on illegal immigration to Mumbai, held on November 11, as an attempt to legitimise anti-Muslim prejudices in the context of the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections, misusing academic spaces for ideological purposes.
Concerns were also raised about Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit’s involvement in the seminar, as she had previously attended the release of the interim report related to the study at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences on November 5.
JNUTA argued that the report, presented at the seminar, unfairly labelled all migrants in Mumbai as illegal, overlooking evidence indicating that international migrants constitute only a small proportion of the city’s migrant population.
A nationwide group of health practitioners, scientists, and social activists has echoed these criticisms, accusing the report of attempting to polarise public opinion and vilify marginalised communities. The group pointed out that the interim study relied on a sample of just 300 participants out of a planned 3,000, leading to what they described as methodologically unsound and ethically flawed conclusions.
The report allegedly portrayed Muslim migrants, particularly those identified as Bangladeshi and Rohingya, as threats to national security, social stability, and economic well-being. It also linked them to terrorism and organised crime without presenting credible evidence, exacerbating harmful stereotypes and fostering divisive narratives.
Activists criticised the use of inconsistent data visualisation in the report, calling it an example of demographic alarmism and communal bias.
This controversy comes amid a broader pattern of academic restrictions. JNU’s School of International Studies recently cancelled a seminar featuring the Iranian ambassador, while events with representatives from Palestine and Lebanon have been postponed. Additionally, Gurugram University cancelled a seminar on the Palestinian struggle that was to include former JNU faculty member Zoya Hasan.
JNUTA and activists view these developments as part of a troubling trend of suppressing academic freedom, accusing academics associated with the seminar of undermining the principles of teaching and research by aligning with divisive ideologies. The association stressed that such actions erode the ethical foundation of scholarly work and jeopardise the dignity and rights of vulnerable populations.