“Who is the real freeloader here?”: JNUSU issues open letter after VC’s remarks

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Reacting to the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit’s statement on overstaying students and illegal guests on campus, the JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU), on Monday, April 22, issued an open letter to the VC, accusing her of failing to address “slanderous narratives” of certain films targeting the varsity.

Addressing the VC’s  “freeloaders on campus” remarks made during her interview with news agency PTI, the union accused her of “conveniently” ignoring the “lavish perks enjoyed by certain politically favoured groups on campus” and said she is the “freeloader”, and not the students.

The open letter, issued late on Monday by the JNUSU, reads, “Who’s the real freeloader here? Is it the students and faculty striving for academic excellence, or perhaps it is you who is occupying the VC’s office, earning a salary from the taxpayers’ dime while failing to fulfil your responsibilities to the university community?”

Pandit in an interview with PTI had said the JNU has a problem of “freeloaders”, referring to overstaying students and illegal guests, and the administration is now tightening the noose on them.

The JNUSU, which is currently held jointly by the Left Alliance and Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students’ Association (BAPSA), urged the VC to introspect and reconsider her statement on the characterisation of students as “freeloaders”.

‘Favouritism on campus

The union also accused Pandit of favouritism and allowing Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-backed events on campus.

“It is concerning that while you accuse students of being freeloaders, RSS-affiliated events enjoy unrestricted access to campus facilities, including classrooms, auditoriums, convention centre, lawns without so much as a penny exchanged. This double standard is glaring, especially when students have to protest merely to access basic resources, only to get issued proctorial notices,” the letter read.

“Our VC proudly claims to be an alumni of JNU, and she finds no shame in speaking to the media about certain ‘freeloaders’ in the campus who are wasting taxpayer’s money. She conveniently ignores the lavish perks enjoyed by certain politically favoured groups on campus,” the union retorted.

The JNUSU further accused Pandit of recruiting substandard faculty and asserted, “We are not freeloaders. You are wasting taxpayers’ money by recruiting substandard faculty and not ensuring a conducive environment for us (students) to study.”

‘Silent on films targeting JNU’

It also criticised Pandit for being “silent” on defamatory films targeting JNU students such as Bastar and Jahangir National University which allegedly show the varsity in a negative light.

“It is shameful that you, being an alumni of this university yourself, have allowed the screening of Bastar on campus; a film that openly calls for killing JNU students in full public sight. These films not only misrepresent our community but also perpetuate harmful stereotypes and prejudices. As the custodian of our university’s reputation, you have failed to address such slanderous narratives,” the students’ body said in the letter.