Casteist Slurs on JNU Hostel Walls: What Do Students Have to Say?

New Delhi: Walls at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) have been discovered dirtied with highly offensive casteist and communal slogans. On Saturday, July 20th, inscriptions such as 'Ch***r Bharat Chhodo' (a derogatory term for Dalits), 'Dalit Bharat Chhodo', 'Brahmin-Baniya Zindabad', and 'Hindu-RSS Zindabad' were found on the walls of Kaveri Hostel. This revelation has ignited considerable outrage among students, prompting them to voice their strong disapproval and organize a march later that evening.

Upon visiting Kaveri Hostel to investigate further, The Mooknayak team observed that the walls had been hastily painted over. Hostel residents informed us that, following the viral spread of these images on social media, the university administration took immediate action to obscure the offensive graffiti.

"The slogans have been scrubbed from the walls, but how do we expunge such prejudiced ideologies from people's minds?"

Kunal Kumar, General Secretary of NSUI at JNU, conveyed to The Mooknayak that the administration responded by painting over the walls as soon as the incident was reported.

He remarked, "This incident is of grave concern and should not be trivialized. Since the current government assumed power, those with Manuist and Brahmanical ideologies have been afforded protection. While the slogans may have been eradicated from the walls, the question remains: how do we cleanse such discriminatory mindsets from our society?"

JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) President Dhananjay remarked, “The JNUSU strongly condemns the incident at Kaveri Hostel and stands firmly against it. The same forces that are entrenched in the country’s power structure are also present on the JNU campus. These forces continue to pursue an agenda against Dalits, Adivasis, Bahujans, Muslims, and women, aiming to make the campus a space where these groups are excluded. However, we have built JNU together, and it will always remain a place of equality and justice. We will continue to fight against such forces and are well-equipped to do so.”

Chetan, a resident of Kaveri Hostel, expressed, "We are deeply disturbed by the recent events in the hostel, where casteist slurs and slogans such as 'Brahmin-Baniya Zindabad' and 'RSS Zindabad' were used. These slogans clearly expose the Brahmanical and Manuist nature of RSS and its supporters within our university. This also reveals their hatred towards certain communities." He further added, "At such times, it is crucial for the administration, especially the warden of Kaveri Hostel, to take immediate and strict action against those spreading hatred and casteism."

Abul Kalam, a member of the Kaveri Hostel Committee, said, “We condemn such acts. Students from various regions and communities come to study at the university. Such incidents spoil the campus environment and disrupt social harmony.”

The Senior Warden of Kaveri Hostel issued a notice urging students to inform the hostel administration about any individuals responsible for the act. The notice also mentioned the installation of CCTV cameras in the hostel and advised students to remain vigilant.

Swati, a resident of Sabarmati Hostel, commented, “This is not the first such incident on campus. Recently, ABVP organized posters for Parashuram Jayanti that read, ‘We the Brahmins of JNU’... This indicates the extent to which students are being divided. While the installation of CCTV cameras is being discussed, it won’t change students' mindsets. I believe there is a need to sensitize university students.”

Previous Incidents and Administrative Inaction

Such incidents of offensive comments and slogans on walls have been reported in JNU before.

Last year, similar offensive slogans were found on the walls of the School of International Studies. The images went viral on social media and were widely covered by national media, prompting JNU Vice-Chancellor Shantishree Dhulipudi Pandit to assert that those responsible would not be spared. A committee was formed to investigate the recurrent ‘anti-national’ slogans on the campus, but there has been no public update on its findings.

Previously, JNU conducted workshops to sensitize students and staff during admissions, but these have nearly ceased, leaving such programs as mere formalities. Nowadays, it is quite common for students to engage in casteist and communal comments in casual conversations and to use derogatory terms in public spaces on campus. Students from BAPSA have reported that whenever they put up posters related to their organization's activities, they are often defaced with vulgarities and casteist comments. Such incidents reflect a deep-seated regressive mentality that persists even among students.

The increase in targeted slogans, posters, and offensive writings in recent years on campus is alarming, particularly as the university administration has taken no concrete steps to address these issues. The ongoing occurrence of such incidents in one of the country’s most progressive and esteemed universities, coupled with the administration’s passive stance, is indeed concerning.