Was told to cancel seminars of West Asian countries’ envoys: JNU official

PTI New Delhi: Following a controversy over the JNU allegedly cancelling seminars of ambassadors from West Asian countries, a former seminar coordinator of the university has filed a complaint against the Centre for West Asian Studies chairperson, claiming that she was pressured to call off the events. She has also demanded security from the JNU citing safety concerns, after her personal details were allegedly leaked by a university official. Three seminars by the Iranian, Palestinian and Lebanese ambassadors, who were to speak on the ongoing conflict in West Asia, were allegedly cancelled by the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) last month, without citing any reason.

The JNU’s School of International Studies (SIS), under which the Centre for West Asian Studies (where the ambassadors were scheduled to speak) functions, has set up an inquiry committee to look into the matter, after it received a complaint from the programme coordinator, who was replaced as she was blamed for miscommunication by the centre, leading to the cancellation of the events. Invitations to Iranian Ambassador Iraj Elahi for a seminar on October 24, the Palestinian ambassador on November 7 and the Lebanese ambassador on November 14 were confirmed by the respective embassies.

In a complaint to the Dean of SIS, Amitabh Mattoo, the replaced programme coordinator, Sima Baidya, has alleged that she was forced to cancel the confirmed events by the chairperson of the centre, Sameena Hameed, and was wrongfully replaced by a junior colleague after the move drew criticism. She has dismissed the statements given by the centre following the cancellation. The centre had claimed that the step had to be taken due to miscommunication on the part of the coordinator.