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A huge gathering of students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) assembled in the open space in the vicinity of the varsity’s School of Social Sciences-II building for a discussion on JNU alumnus Umar Khalid’s book, Fractured Communities: Adivasi Histories and the Politics of Power on Monday (August 10), after the university cancelled permission to organise the discussion in an auditorium.

Khalid has been incarcerated for five years without trial and his book is based on his Ph.D thesis accepted by JNU which conferred the degree on him.

Extraordinarily, discussion of his book in spite of the denial of a hall to do so by JNU authorities is reminiscent of the Tennis Court Oath of June 20, 1789, preceding the historic French Revolution anchored on Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. Like the authorities of JNU denying a hall to its students to exercise their constitutional and academic freedom to discuss Khalid’s book, the French king refused to allot a room in Paris for meeting of the Constituent Assembly in 1789 for framing a Constitution.

So the exasperated people met in a tennis court and took oath to resolutely remain together to complete the framing of a Constitution for France disregarding all difficulties. Eventually the Tennis Court Oath has become an invaluable reference point in the history of constitution making in the world.

When Nehru........

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