JNU Cancels Seminar On West Asia By Iranian, Palestinian And Lebanon Ambassadors (image-facebook/Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) New Delhi)
Renowned Jawaharlal Nehru University’s (JNU) Centre for West Asian Studies canceled three seminars addressed by Iranian, Palestinian and Lebanese envoy to India amidst the ongoing tensions in West Asia. As per an Indian Express report, just hours before the commencement of the seminar by Iranian Ambassador Dr. Iraj Elahi on “How Iran sees the recent development in West Asia” at 11 am, the seminar coordinator Sima Baidya sent an email to students at 8:09 am announcing the cancellation citing the reason to be of “unavoidable circumstances.”
Along with this, she also informed the cancellation of the other two seminars as well. On November 7, the university had scheduled to conduct a seminar with Palestinian Ambassador Adnan Abu Al-Haija regarding Palestine as well as a November 17 session with Lebanese Ambassador Dr Rabie Narsh that focussed on Lebanon.
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The University has not attributed any specific reason for the cancellation. However, as per reports, the senior faculty had raised concerns regarding potential threats such seminars could provoke by dealing with polarizing issues.
“We are living in a charged global atmosphere, where sentiments can get easily inflamed. This is to request you take the Dean into confidence before you invite any diplomat to the School for any public event. Please also ensure that any individual faculty initiative in this regard is routed through you. We also want to ensure that every visitor to the School, especially at the Ambassadorial level, is accorded proper protocol. SIS has always stood for maintaining the highest standards of academic freedom and excellence while ensuring that the integrity of our platforms is not violated or exploited by vested interests,” read a message sent by the School of International Studies Dean Amitabh Mattoo to chairpersons of all SIS Centres on Thursday.
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On the other hand, Sameena Hameed, chairperson of the Centre for West Asian Studies had said to Indian Express that the seminar with the Iranian ambassador was postponed on Wednesday while the other two were “officially scheduled” by the center. She further reassured that the campus has a long history of engaging with the Ambassadors and will continue to do so.
