JNUSU to proceed with Umar Khalid book discussion despite venue cancellation

The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) announced that a scheduled discussion regarding Umar Khalid's book, "Fractured Communities: Adivasi Histories and the Politics of Power," will proceed despite the university administration cancelling the original venue booking.

The university administration revoked the booking for the School of Social Sciences-I (SSS-I) auditorium, claiming that organizers had not disclosed the "full facts" about the program. In response, the JNUSU described the decision as "arbitrary and authoritarian," stating, "cancelling a room does not cancel a conversation."

The event, held to mark the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, has been moved to an alternative venue outside the SSS-II building. The discussion is expected to feature several academics and activists, including professors Prabhu Mahapatra and Uma Chakravarti, writer Shuddhabrata Sengupta, and activists Harsh Mander and Banojyotsna.