NLSIU students oppose CJI Surya Kant, Manan Kumar Mishra at their convocation; demand BCI apology to NALSAR

Over 700 students and alumni of National Law School of India University (NLSIU) have objected to Bar Council of India (BCI) Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra and Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant attending NLSIU's own convocation.

They have also demanded an unconditional apology from BCI to National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR) University of Law's student and faculty community.

The statement, signed by 165 graduating students, 409 current students and 128 alumni follows BCI's August 13 decisions to halt and, within hours, restore enrolment for NALSAR's graduating batch for objecting to CJI Surya Kant's proposed presence at their convocation.

The statement argues that Mishra does not represent the full BCI which comprises the Attorney General (AG), the Solicitor General (SG) and one member from each State Bar Council, and hence has no legal powers to unilaterally issue such orders. It notes that only the second letter stated it had the Council's approval, meaning the first did not, and called on the BCI to clarify its protocol for the Chairman's use of official letterhead.

Calling the BCI's actions a direct attack on free speech, the statement invokes Rabindranath Tagore's "Where the Mind is Without Fear" and called the BCI's directive to NALSAR to identify students and faculty behind the campaign "nothing less than a witch-hunt."

"The BCI’s actions create a chilling effect on free speech not only for the students and faculty members at NALSAR but for students and citizens across the country by sending them a clear signal that any act of dissent will be met with severe personal and professional consequences," it added.

It also took objection to the language used in the letter, stating that blaming "outsiders" for "misleading" and "instigating" "innocent" students was patronising and aimed at isolating those involved.

"The language used in the second letter, claiming that “innocent” students have been “misled” and “instigated” by “outsiders” is patronising, dishonest, and an insidious attempt to isolate certain students and faculty members. To be absolutely clear, we write this letter of our own volition and not under the influence of any amorphous “outsiders,” it said.

The statement also pointed to what it called a pattern of partisan conduct by Mishra, citing past comments in which he branded protesting students at Jantar Mantar "anti-social and anti-national forces" acting under the influence of foreign adversaries.

Framing a convocation as a milestone for students facing barriers of class, caste and gender in accessing legal education, that statement said that inviting dignitaries who had openly expressed disdain for protesting students made the ceremony feel humiliating rather than celebratory.

[Read Statement]