more-in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Vice-Chancellor M. Jagadesh Kumar has said the university will observe ‘Surgical Strike Day’ on September 29, calling the UGC advisory a “welcome move”. “JNU is very closely related to the defence forces. When our alumni go and fight for us at the borders, as an university, we must recognise their contribution,” said Prof. Kumar. He added that JNU was proud that officers who graduate from India’s six major defence institutes are JNU alumni as JNU provides them with their degrees. Commenting on observing September 29 as ‘Surgical Strike Day’, the JNUSU said the V-C may hold whatever functions he wants to, but pointed out that the real surgical strikes were actually being carried out in JNU by him by destroying the university. JNUSU president Sai Balaji said: “The V-C over the past two years has carried out surgical strikes to finish the Gender Sensitisation Committee Against Sexual Harassment, cut seats and has also attacked the democratic nature of the university. His latest strike is against the admission system of JNU by bringing in the online test mode for admissions.” Views against move Outside the walls of JNU, there were many who are against observing ‘Surgical Strike Day’. “It is unfortunate that higher educational institutions are being asked by the UGC in its circular to observe the ‘Surgical Strike Day’. It infringes on the right to have a different view on the surgical strike that took place,” said Srinivas Burra, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Legal Studies, South Asian University. The professor added that it is much more disturbing because it intends to impose the views of the government on higher educational institutions in general. “Higher educational institutions should encourage free thinking and freedom to disagree, including disagreeing with government’s policies. These kinds of circulars go against those values,” said Prof. Burra. Rudra Pratap Singh, student, Faculty of Law, Delhi University, said: “The surgical strike we are talking about was perhaps not the first one. Even the previous governments claimed to have executed successful strikes in their era. Due to this, it would be wrong to term September 29 as the second anniversary of the same. “Sending our soldiers for such an operation, is tantamount to suicide. As even sociological thinker Durkheim has suggested that such events are termed as altruistic suicide.” (With inputs from Ivjyot Singh)

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