JU's Graffiti Row: 'Azad Kashmir' Slogan Erased as Campus Tensions Smolder

Jadavpur University (JU)'s campaign of erasing graffiti once again ignited fires on campus yesterday, bringing to the fore issues of political contestation and free speech. The administration did erase the flammable "Azad Kashmir" slogan, affirming Registrar Indrajit Banerjee, acting on behalf of the university, on a broader programme of campus beautification recently. Banerjee reported that the move was taken in March and was among efforts to sanitize all campus walls, though he conceded there were delays in following through.

The campaign, which was launched on March 24, initially focused on slogans against education minister Bratya Basu, following violent clashes on March 1. Among the earliest to be removed were graffiti featuring injured student Indranuj Roy and former student Sahil Ali, who was arrested in connection with the violence. Students took back walls within days of their removal, painting over the destroyed messages with new slogans, making it clear that they wanted their displeasure out in the open.

Interestingly, the next "Azad Kashmir" graffiti was to be followed by the administration opting to suppress less inflammatory slogans in weeks to come. The latest round of sanitizing, however, saw even the newer slogans painted over, denoting a clampdown on campus expression. One JU TMCP member termed the removal a "moral and political win," citing the factional quality of campus politics.

This graffiti cycle of erasure and re-emergence points to a deeper struggle at JU, wherein walls have long served as backdrops for ideological battles and student activism. While the administration would frame the clean-up as a value-free beautification effort, ongoing student resistance speaks to an ongoing struggle over who will define the narrative—and hold space—on the university's historic grounds