On Nehru Day, JNU calls for books on Deen Dayal, Ambedkar

New Delhi: For a book exhibition on Jawaharlal Nehru’s birth anniversary, JNU had some advice for participating publishers — display literature relating to Deen Dayal Upadhyaya and B R Ambedkar.

The Dr B R Ambedkar Central Library of the Jawaharlal Nehru University sent a mail to all participating publishers on November 10, advising them to display only books published in 2016-17, apart from any book on Ambedkar and Udadhyaya, published anytime.

“All books on and about B R Ambedkar and Pandit Deen Dayal, published anytime, may also be displayed,” said the letter signed by the library’s professional assistant Rishabh Jain, a copy of which is with PTI.

JNU had organised the day-long exhibition on November 14. Librarian Ramesh C Gaur, however, said the exhibition had nothing to do with Nehru’s anniversary, and denied that any guidelines were given to the publishers.

Gaur said this was the first time that such a large exhibition had been organised by the university. Sixty vendors and publishers took part in it, he said. One of the publishers who participated in the exhibition told PTI that he had received an official e-mail from JNU which advised them to display books on the Hindutva icon and the Dalit social reformer.

“There was an official e-mail from JNU to all participating publishers telling us to display books on Deen Dayal Upadhyaya and B R Ambedkar,” the publisher said. Another official from the library, who sought anonymity, said over 500 books on Ambedkar and Upadhyaya were recommended for procurement by the library.

“Over 1,000 books on social sciences, languages, and international studies were also recommended,” the official said. JNU-NSUI state president Vikas Yadav, an M.Phil student, said the university showed respect to Nehru by organising the book fair on his birth anniversary, but “disregarded Nehru’s ideology” by specifically asking for books on Upadhyaya.

“Deen Dayal’s ideology is completely in contrast to that of Nehru’s,” Yadav said.