âUmar Khalid Link Not Disclosedâ: JNU Cancels Auditorium Booking For Discussion On Jailed Activistâs Book
News india âUmar Khalid Link Not Disclosedâ: JNU Cancels Auditorium Booking For Discussion On Jailed Activistâs Book âUmar Khalid Link Not Disclosedâ: JNU Cancels Auditorium
News india âUmar Khalid Link Not Disclosedâ: JNU Cancels Auditorium Booking For Discussion On Jailed Activistâs Book âUmar Khalid Link Not Disclosedâ: JNU Cancels Auditorium Booking For Discussion On Jailed Activistâs Book Published By, Last Updated: August 09, 2026, 13:58 IST Umar Khalid's book: Organised by the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU), the discussion was scheduled for August 10, at 3:00 PM Rapid Read Umar Khalid is in Delhi's Tihar jail. Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has cancelled the auditorium booking for a public discussion on former student activist Umar Khalidâs book, Fractured Communities: Adivasi Histories and the Politics of Power. The JNU administration cited ânon-disclosure" of program details and transparency issues regarding university spaces. Officials stated that the organizers failed to mention the book link in the initial venue request form, India Today reported. Organized by the Jawaharlal Nehru University Studentsâ Union (JNUSU), the event was scheduled for August 10, 2026, at 3:00 PM to mark the International Day of the Worldâs Indigenous Peoples (Tribal Day).
The booking was officially revoked for the School of Social Sciences (SSS-I) auditorium by the Dean of the department, said the report. The administration alleged that the program was camouflaged as a general discussion on Adivasi communities without revealing its connection to Khalid. Khalid has been in jail since September 2020 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with the 2020 Delhi riots case. WHO IS UMAR KHALID? Umar Khalid is an activist, scholar, and former student leader from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). He gained national prominence in 2016 during a series of high-profile student protests and has since been a prominent voice in Indian civil rights activism. He holds a PhD in History from JNU, focusing his research on the rights, history, and displacement of Adivasi (indigenous) communities in Jharkhand. As a prominent student leader at JNU, he was associated with the Democratic Studentsâ Federation (DSF) and frequently organized protests against state policies.
Khalid first entered the national spotlight in February 2016 for organizing a campus event protesting the judicial execution of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. He, along with former JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar, was arrested on charges of sedition for allegedly raising anti-national slogans during the event. The incident triggered a massive nationwide debate over free speech and dissent in university spaces. Khalid was later released on bail. Khalid was arrested by the Delhi Police in September 2020 under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Authorities accuse him of being one of the key âconspirators" behind the February 2020 Delhi riots, alleging that he made provocative speeches to incite communal violence during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). He remains incarcerated in Delhiâs Tihar Jail, as his multiple bail applications have been repeatedly deferred or denied by various courts. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author News Desk The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad.
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