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The convocation of the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) was cancelled after an attempt to coerce the graduating students into issuing a statement publicly inviting Chief Justice of India Surya Kant to the graduating ceremony failed. The demand to issue a public invite to the CJI came days after the CJI himself met a group of students.
The NLSIU Registrar issued a statement on Thursday, August 27, announcing that the convocation scheduled for September 12 was being cancelled due to “unavoidable circumstances”. However, the statement gave no explanation beyond that.
On August 15, NLSIU students issued a statement expressing solidarity with NALSAR Hyderabad graduates after Bar Council of India Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra threatened to prohibit their enrolment in the bar. NALSAR students and faculty had objected to CJI Surya Kant and the BCI chairman attending their convocation. In their statement, NLSIU students said they expressed their “strong disapproval of the CJI attending the convocation of NLSIU for the same reasons.”
Following this, on August 17, the graduating students were informed that the CJI, as the Chancellor of the University, was interested in meeting with students from the graduating batches to understand their position on the controversy. It is unclear where this meeting took place.
NLSIU students who spoke to TNM said that the students who had met the CJI did not wish to speak to the media.
Two students however, confirmed to TNM that a small group of students from the graduating batches were flown to Delhi to meet the CJI and that the meeting lasted about 90 minutes.
After the meeting, the graduating batches were asked to vote if they were amenable to attending a convocation with the Chief Justice present. They were also told that they could not protest or disrupt the event in any manner.
On August 23, the students of the graduating batches voted on the issue, and a majority of students were “amenable to such an arrangement” as the alternative would be the cancellation of the convocation. After this vote, the students were told that the BCI Chairman would not be attending the convocation.
But on August 25, the students were told that they were required to release a statement publicly inviting the Chief Justice to their convocation. This was a new condition which had not been mentioned previously. .
It is learnt that the students were taken aback at this new demand, and it was also conveyed to them that the public invite would be vetted and could not mention that the BCI Chairman’s would not be present.
Over the next couple of days, the matter was again discussed by the graduating students and one batch voted against issuing such a statement.
Kiran*, a student from one of the graduating batches told TNM on condition of anonymity that they were not aware of where exactly this demand came from. “There was a lot of back and forth between the students and the CJI through the university. But this is what we were told,” Kiran said.
Another student told TNM on condition of anonymity, “Many people felt that issuing such a statement would be a retraction of the statement expressing solidarity with the NALSAR students. But for many students cancellation of the convocation was also about finances and parents. For many first generation learners, it’s a big deal. People had made travel arrangements to get here for the convocation.”
NLSIU had announced on August 3 that the convocation ceremony would be held on September 12.
Kiran, who voted against issuing a letter inviting the CJI, said the whole episode was disappointing.
“Fair criticism of a public official is being treated in such a manner. But I think this is also a good chance to realise what’s at stake today. Even the most privileged people in the country are being affected (by the chain of events triggered by the NEET protests). It’s a wake up call.”
Another student Shashi (name changed) told TNM, "The CJI always had the option of nominating someone else to attend the convocation on his behalf. This is a well-established precedent. Even last year, Justice Surya Kant attended on behalf of the then CJI Gavai. Several years before, CJI Lahoti deputed Justice Hegde. The refusal to nominate another judge is absolutely disproportionate and meant to punish students."
(With inputs from Anjana Meenakshi)
