Violent Clashes Erupt at JNU Over Dussehra Effigy Depicting Undertrial Activists as Ravan

New Delhi: Tensions flared into a violent confrontation at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Thursday following a controversial ‘Ravan Dahan’ event where effigies of former students and undertrial activists, Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, were allegedly depicted as the demon king Ravan. The incident, which occurred during the Hindu festival of Vijayadashami, immediately triggered a backlash and resulted in a scuffle between two prominent student groups on campus.

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), a student organization affiliated with the right-wing, reportedly organized the ‘Ravan Dahan’ as part of the Dussehra festivities. According to statements from the JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) and Left-affiliated student outfits, the effigy used for the ritual was plastered with pictures of Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam—both of whom are currently facing charges, including under the UAPA, related to the 2020 Delhi riots and other cases. The ABVP confirmed that the effigy was symbolic, representing the destruction of “Naxalism, Leftism, Maoist violence, and anti-national ideologies,” with the images of Khalid, Imam, and others like Afzal Guru and Charu Majumdar replacing Ravan’s traditional ten heads.

The JNUSU, primarily led by Left-affiliated organizations, swiftly and vehemently condemned the act, labeling it a “blatant and dastardly display of Islamophobia” and a deliberate attempt to “exploit religion and spread communal agenda.” They highlighted that Khalid and Imam are still under trial, and portraying them as Ravan amounted to conducting a “public trial on the streets,” which they argued weaponized a religious festival for political polarization.

The situation escalated into a clash near the Sabarmati T-Point when an ABVP-led “Visarjan Shobha Yatra” (idol immersion procession) was passing by the location where Left-affiliated groups were holding a counter-protest against the effigy burning.

Both sides have traded serious accusations regarding the initiation of the violence. The ABVP alleged that members of Left-affiliated groups disrupted their Durga immersion procession by throwing stones, shoes, and slippers at the participants, claiming that several students were injured in the assault. JNUSU and other Left-wing groups, however, rejected these claims, stating that their members formed a human chain in a peaceful protest and accused the ABVP of instigating the violence by raising provocative slogans and attempting to disrupt their gathering. The JNUSU also questioned why the ABVP chose to target the undertrial activists while not including figures like Nathuram Godse or Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in their symbolic effigy.

The controversy highlights the deeply polarized political atmosphere and the persistent ideological friction within the JNU campus. The depiction of political opponents and undertrial individuals in a religious ritual has drawn strong criticism from one faction, who see it as a communal act leveraging the long incarceration of the students, while the organizing faction defended it as a symbolic expression against what they term “anti-national” thought processes on campus.

The JNU administration has yet to issue an official statement on the exact details of the scuffle or the effigy burning. Police intervention was reportedly required to contain the two groups and prevent the situation from escalating further. The incident underscores the continued use of the JNU campus as a high-visibility battleground for national-level political and ideological debates.