A huge gathering of students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) assembled in the open space in the vicinity of the varsity’s School of Social Sciences-II building for a discussion on JNU alumnus Umar Khalid’s book, Fractured Communities: Adivasi Histories and the Politics of Power on Monday (August 10), after the university cancelled permission to organise the discussion in an auditorium.Khalid has been incarcerated for five years without trial and his book is based on his Ph.D thesis accepted by JNU which conferred the degree on him.Extraordinarily, discussion of his book in spite of the denial of a hall to do so by JNU authorities is reminiscent of the Tennis Court Oath of June 20, 1789, preceding the historic French Revolution anchored on Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. Like the authorities of JNU denying a hall to its students to exercise their constitutional and academic freedom to discuss Khalid’s book, the French king refused to allot a room in Paris for meeting of the Constituent Assembly in 1789 for framing a Constitution.So the exasperated people met in a tennis court and took oath to resolutely remain together to complete the framing of a Constitution for France disregarding all difficulties. Eventually the Tennis Court Oath has become an invaluable reference point in the history of constitution making in the world.When Nehru invoked tennis court oathIt is educative to note that when Jawaharlal Nehru moved the Objectives Resolution in the Constituent Assembly of India on December 13, 1946, he invoked Oath of Tennis Court and recalled how French people in defiance of that decision of the King took a vow in a tennis court of never separating until a written constitution had been established for France.Nehru stated that like people in France taking an oath to remain united for framing the Constitution of that country, “we, too, whether we meet in this chamber or other Chambers, or in the fields or in the market-place, will go on meeting and continue our work till we have finished it.”The spirit of the Tennis Court Oath of 1789 and those ringing words of Nehru resonated in the actions of the JNU students who convened themselves in open space to reflect on Khalid’s book by not succumbing to the decision of JNU authorities who withdrew their earlier permission to hold the event.The Tennis Court Oath constituted a revolutionary act and expressed the exertions of authority of people’s choice against the imposition of the will of a monarch which eventually gave way for the Revolution.Students upheld constitutional moralityThat is the reason why JNU students, in summoning courage and conviction to carry forward the constitutionally enshrined rights, to discuss a book of Khalid has upheld constitutional morality which B.R. Ambedkar flagged in the Constituent Assembly and urged people to cultivate it on a recurrent basis because it never could be acquired like many other natural sentiments.The heroic act of JNU students to discuss the book in open air in face of withdrawal of the permission and uncalled for protests of students belonging to Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), a student wing of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Singh (RSS), captures the enduring spirit of Tennis Court Oath and Nehru’s vision of a university which he had articulated in 1948 when the Constitution was being framed by the Constituent Assembly.He said, “A University stands for humanism, for tolerance, for reason, for the adventure of ideas and for the search of truth. It stands for onward march of the human race towards ever higher objectives. If the universities discharge their duties adequately, then it is well with the nation and the people.”Students Upheld Gandhi’s Idea of SwarajThe discussion on the book represented the “adventure of ideas and for the search of truth” and resolved to preserve, protect and defend the ethos of JNU marked by clash of ideas as part of the confluence comprising different streams of persuasions in quest for truth.It is tragic that a few days before celebration of 80th anniversary of India’s independence JNU authorities did not allow its own students to avail of a room to discuss the book of Umar Khalid. Such retrograde step was taken so that students would not be able to exercise their academic freedom and fundamental right to express their views on a publication. But the students performed their duty of resistance and assembled in open space to discuss the book.What they did, represented the meaning of Swaraj defined by Mahatma Gandhi in Young India on 17th April 1924. He wrote, “I have repeatedly observed that no school of thought can claim a monopoly of right judgment. We are all liable to err and are often obliged to revise our judgments. In a vast country like this, there must be room for all schools of honest thought. And the least, therefore, that we owe to ourselves as to others is to try to understand the opponent’s view-point and, if we cannot accept it, respect it as fully as we expect him to respect ours. Its is one of the indispensable tests of a healthy public life and, therefore fitness for Swaraj.”That uplifting idea of Swaraj being trampled upon by JNU authorities is refreshingly upheld by its students by organising a discussion on Umar’ book in open space. It augurs well for our Republic witnessing spontaneous movement of students across the country for the cause of quality education and integrity of the examination process.S.N. Sahu served as Officer on Special Duty to President of India K R Narayanan.