JNUSU Announces Torch March Against Revised CPO Manual Restricting Protests

The JNUSU has said that it will also launch a signature campaign to ensure that the restricting nature of the revised CPO manual reaches every student of the campus.

JNU Revised CPO Manual Row (Representational Image) ( Image Source :Getty )

The Jawaharlal Nehru Students Union (JNUSU) on Saturday announced that it will hold a torch march on December 23 to register their protest against the proctorial inquiries initiated against students organising demonstrations on the university campus. The JNUSU also said that it would start a signature campaign to ensure optimal awareness on the revised CPO manual among varsity students that has restricted staging students from staging protests at selected areas of the campus, news agency PTI reported. 

Furthermore, the union has also decided to kick off a non-cooperation movement with the varsity administration, if the latter fails to address the demands of the union. The students union has also claimed that the university administration has initiated proceedings against students in cases as old as five years, and has demanded withdrawal of all disciplinary actions against students. 

Notably, the JNU administration released the revised CPO (Chief Proctor Office) manual earlier in November drafting stringent measures like penalising protests in select areas of the university campus. The revised manual has thereafter received strong criticism by various student organisations. The revised JNU CPO Manual underlines penalising with up to Rs 20,000 or even expulsion for staging dharnas within 100 metres of the academic buildings of the university. Furthermore, the manual also states that any "anti-national" act will attract a Rs 10,000 fine. 

Terming the manual as dictatorship and anti-student, various student organisations demanded withdrawal of the manual and also submitted a memorandum to the vice-chancellor seeking action. "To resist this attack on the democratic functioning of the university, JNUSU along with other student outfits will hold a mashal juloos (torch march) on December 23 on the campus," JNUSU joint secretary Md Danish told PTI. 

"We will also start a door-to-door signature campaign to spread awareness about the CPO manual as many students are still unaware of the stringent curbs outlined in the manual," he added while alleging the administration to cover up the ban on protests by clarifying that protests are banned only at designated spaces inside the campus. "Why is there a need to ban protests anywhere on the campus at all? It's the sole medium of students to let their voices be heard which is being strangled by the administration," he further said. 

(With inputs from PTI)