JNU professor Zoya Hasan’s Independence Day address at Delhi school cancelled

The Independence Day address by JNU professor emerita Zoya Hasan at Sardar Patel Vidyalaya in Delhi was abruptly cancelled on Friday due to security concerns. A group of 10-15 individuals, believed to be associated with a right-wing organization, gathered outside the school premises in protest. The school subsequently deployed additional police personnel for protection.

Hasan, the scheduled chief guest for the school's Independence Day programme and scholarship award ceremony, was invited to hoist the national flag and address students. The school's decision to cancel Hasan's participation was attributed to security issues, although the administration did not clarify if this was due to police direction or their own decision.

Despite the cancellation, no disruption occurred at the event, which took place at the school's auditorium. Hasan, a political scientist, had been invited on August 14, with school principal Anuradha Joshi maintaining contact with her over the following weeks. She was set to speak about the importance of pluralism to the students.

Academics expressed disappointment over the cancellation, with some alleging that the police had prevented Hasan from speaking and forced the school to cancel the event on security grounds.