The violent attack unleashed by the extreme right on the students and teachers of Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, on January 5 has brought the escalation of repression that is being deployed by India’s ruling party into sharp relief.

The students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) have been agitating against unprecedented fee hikes for more than two and a half months, part of a growing popular resistance to the policies of the Modi government. That evening, in response, masked gangsters brutally assaulted students and teachers of the university. Aishe Ghosh, president of the JNU Students’ Union and a leader of the left-wing Students’ Federation of India (SFI), was among the injured. She received head injuries which required several stitches, and images of her profusely bleeding went viral, shaking the conscience of the country.

Scores of students suffered serious injuries and were admitted to the hospital. Several teachers who were part of a demonstration for peace were also attacked and injured. Images of Professor Sucharita Sen, who suffered head injuries, similarly reached social media. The assailants put into action a well-planned operation in the cover of the night, with the seeming support of the JNU administration, the Delhi police (which is controlled by the central government), and the security personnel deployed on campus. Streetlights were switched off to allow the thugs to have a free run.