The event was scheduled for August 10 from 3 pm to 6 pm at the School of Social Sciences-I auditorium. NEW DELHI: The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has cancelled a student-organised discussion on a book authored by former student Umar Khalid, scheduled on campus on Monday, citing “non-disclosure of the full facts” about the programme.

The discussion was centred on Khalid’s book “Fractured Communities: Adivasi Histories and the Politics of Power”, based on his PhD thesis submitted at JNU’s Centre for Historical Studies in 2018. Khalid has been in custody since September 2020 in connection with the larger conspiracy case related to the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots, in which he is facing charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

The event was scheduled for August 10 from 3 pm to 6 pm at the School of Social Sciences-I auditorium. “JNU is a democratic and decentralised institution.

The permission was given by Dean, SSS who has taken action as well in cancelling the event. The booking of the auditorium SSS-1 stands cancelled because of non-disclosure of the full facts about the programme which is going to take place on 10th August 2026 from 3 pm to 6 pm.

All concerned to pay attention please,” the university said. The post tagged the Prime Minister, Vice-President, Union home minister, external affairs minister, finance minister and education minister.

According to the poster circulated for the event, the discussion was being organised to mark the “International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples” and was centred on Khalid’s recently published book. The speakers listed for the discussion were academics Prof Prabhu Mahapatra and Prof Uma Chakravarti, writer Shuddhabrata Sengupta, activist Harsh Mander and Banojyotsna Lahiri, Khalid’s partner.

Documents related to the auditorium booking show that the event had gone through the formal booking process. A booking form submitted to the School of Social Sciences mentions the purpose as “Public Talk for Adivasi Diwas (Book Discussion)”, with the date, time and venue specified.

The form names SSS professor Avinash Kumar as the faculty representative who would be present at the programme. The booking was approved by the Dean of the School of Social Sciences on August 7.

The organisers had also requested that the venue fee be waived, stating in a handwritten note that the event was being organised by students. “The booking of the Auditorium SSS-I stands cancelled because of non-disclosure of the full facts about the programme,” the notice issued by Joint Registrar M K Pachauri said.