A portrait of RSS architect Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was installed at the Students’ Union Office in Jawaharlal Nehru University, sparking controversy for disregarding due procedure and for its ideological and political undertones that Savarkar’s image holds.
The act was undertaken on May 28 by the ABVP Joint Secretary of the Students’ Union, Vaibhav Meena who displayed the portrait as part of the ongoing celebrations of Savarkar’s birth anniversary and the RSS’s emergence.
Meena stated that the recognition would not have been possible without the representation of ABVP in the students’ union. The ABVP JNU has shared a photo of the installation, taken in the presence of the Joint Secretary and ABVP councillors, amidst slogans hailing Savarkar.
Students came into conflict after the action was revealed, citing that the new joint secretary has not followed the conventional and formal procedure for using the Students’ Office or for making new additions.
The Students Union has taken notice of the incident, and the President of JNUSU, Nitish Kumar, and the Secretary, Munteha Fatima, have released a joint statement, opposing the action.
The statement released, states that a portrait cannot be installed without a proper consultation in the Council meeting and without a resolution being passed. The Union refrained students and organisations from installing any portraits without due process.
The Students Union in their X handle, also released a notice, informing all stakeholders that the booking of JNUSU will now be done through a register-based system to ensure “proper coordination and avoid conflicts”. The details of the person booking the office should also be recorded by the guard, including the purpose and all required information.
Savarkar is hailed as the leader and proponent of the Hindutva ideology, who has dedicated the latter part of his life to building a Hindu Rashtra. The British earlier jailed him during colonial times. After his release, he established the Hindu Mahasabha.
The discord between ABVP and other student organisations in University campuses has been a longstanding contention, often the clash resulting in ABVP assault against students.
