New Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has canceled three seminars on the West Asia conflict that were to feature the Iranian, Palestinian, and Lebanese ambassadors to India, citing “unavoidable circumstances.”
The decision came just hours before Iranian Ambassador Dr. Iraj Elahi was scheduled to speak on Thursday. An email was sent to students by seminar coordinator Sima Baidya early that morning, notifying them of the cancellations.
The university had planned additional events on November 7 and 14, with Palestinian Ambassador Adnan Abu Al-Haija and Lebanese Ambassador Dr. Rabie Narsh, respectively, addressing ongoing violence in Palestine and the situation in Lebanon. However, university sources told The Indian Express that concerns over potential campus protests led to the cancellation.
In a message to department heads, Dean of the School of International Studies (SIS), Amitabh Mattoo, advised faculty to involve the Dean’s office in planning any events featuring foreign diplomats to ensure protocol and academic standards are upheld in a “charged global atmosphere.”
