Resurrection of JNU

D K Kotwal
Much has been said and written about the controversial event organized on Jeb 9 ,2016. on the campus of JNU. The organizer had sought permission for holding a cultural event and the death anniversary of parliament attacker Afzal Guru was celebrated hoodwinking the concerned authorizes of the university. . The fact that some students appear to have raised slogans in support of Kashmir’s Azadi and also celebrated Afzal Guru, those critical of the event were quick to label it an institution that encourages and nurtures separatist elements and therefore the interior university was a den of antinational activities. Some have gone to the extent of suggesting that it should be shutdown
However those justified their action   were  also large in number. Universities everywhere have students and faculty with a range of political opinions and occasionally they do come to confront each other or the authority. Unless there is   violence   such cases of indiscipline are dealt with by internal process of inquiry and punishment. Despite to its charged political atmosphere rarely we have heard of any violence being reported from JNU. What was then need to not allow the university to sort out its issues internally? But there was a need to interfere into the affairs of the university as the problem was discussed threadbare in the parliament debate by the HRD minister with evidences that a fact finding committee of faculty members   had recommended the suspension of 8 students from the academic activities with their stay in the hostels for their antinational activities. These students have been slapped with the charges of sedition, if we analyze the issue in depth, will find that the objectionable sloganeering and other antinational activities may prove disastrous to the integration and harmony of the nation. As of   now , the voices of Azadi  were heard at Delhi and spurt of fire was travelling` from Kashmir to the heart of the country therefore in no case it can be ignored without giving it a serious thought for it solution. Such activities are really threat to the state.
Universities and institutions of higher study are supposed to be nurseries for higher goals of life, not just centers  generating jobs. “Therefore there should be assimilation of ever extreme and non-conforming ideas , ” says Sengupta. A large section of people with liberal opinion from India and abroad has also spoken in support of and against it. They are not all Leftists or uncritical of antinational tendencies .They have pointed out to legitimate role of the university in allowing political disagreement and dissent of all kinds as long as they do not resort to violence. If not in a university ,where else could we discuss and debate  differences; it is true but at the same time we to see that such activities are not threat to the integrity of the state.
The popular opinion outside the campus views JNU as a den of leftists  ,where   all the students subscribe to the communist  ideology. It is also a fact that faculty also subscribes to the political opinions and most of them have communist political ideology. The number of those who follow the Right-wing politics is also large whereas. JNU indeed has a large number of left wing groups who compete with each other and also with others, the free thinkers, the Congress and the AAP affiliated student bodies and the AVBP. Now the question arises, the students and teachers are aligned with one or the other political parties and the political leaders are directly involved in the politics of the university, the campus is a field of a political battle. If such activities are legally allowed then we have to be patient till there is trespassing of red line and action be taken otherwise the antinational elements  get    moral boost and will prove harmful for integrity and security of the state. How shameful it is to openly indulge in antinational sloganeering such as Bharat teri barbadi hogi and Afzal tera katal zinda hai are clearly negative in nature, a parliament attacker is being glorified and even a finger has been raised towards the judiciary. Therefore it was necessary to arrest the accused to nip the evil in the bud. Now the matter is in the court and it is to decide who is innocent and who is culprit? It appears that such activities are not the result of a days’ development but are manifestations of many years and remained hither to unexposed.
We know that the institution is not an antinational one but only a handful  of them are engaged in such activities and they need careful handling and counseling so that their mindset is transformed towards positivity. Intellectual section of the society is of the opinion that over indulgence of the political parties in JNU affairs is detrimental for the positive growth and development of it because the politicians are using this work force for their vested interests and are hardly mindful about the security and integrity of the state. I carry your mind back to the history to tell you that it was the liberal policy of BORIS Yellstin  that was responsible for break -up of former USSR into its segments. Had Indra Gandhi not ordered the Blue-Star operation the result would have been disastrous for the integrity of the country and similarly Jagmohan in the capacity of J and K governor had not acted well in time the things could have been entirely different as it is well said ,”A stitch in time saves nine” .In the aftermath of the ugly event in the JNU the fallout of it is equally condemnable. The thrashing   of scribes   at the patiala court house.by the group of lawyers who are the custodian of law; the assault upon the accused  JNU students union leader  kanhiya kumar and beating up of a Marxist worker by a BJP lawmaker and adding salt to the injury is the inaction of  the police who were mere spectators and did not swing into action. The visit of politicians  like vice president of congress-Rahul Gandhi and AAP leader Arvind kejriwal too was uncalled for .Instead of putting out the fire of disenchantment with state they added fuel to it justifying the celebration of Afzal guru and giving a clean chit to the alleged seditionists .  Now   an FIR has been filed against these leaders who have shown  the  full support and solidarity with the students .What nation can expect from such short vision leaders?
If we have a look at the past record of JNU, we can easily say that it has done a commendable job in the building of nation. It gave students  who entered it many things. It gave them opportunity , if we were to do a roll call of bureaucrats , journalists ,artist, translators, writers, activists, professors, vice chancellors  , heads of important institutions and politicians. Ask any one of them what JNU gave them , and they will tell you it broadened their outlook and perspective introduced to them their ideas , even dissenting one, prepared them for competitions, gave them self confidence and fired them up with the making of a just India,  it made them realize that dissent could be a virtue. In addition JNU gave them networks, anyone who understands   success will know that networks are essential for success as a merit. Dissent is the hallmark of a democratic society but it has not to cross the limit. It is suggested by the moralists that there is a gigantic society work for the students of universities and other higher study institutes   waiting in wings. The capitalism is on ever  rise, the chasm between have’s and have nots  is increasing enormously , the political dispensations  are  encouraging communalism, casteism, regionism and other social evils  are raising their obnoxious heads. Besides these there is a rampant  corruption all around us eating out vital tissues of our society. Who will address all these issues? It is only the students who are tomorrow’s leaders and bureaucrats and everything and the responsibility  of  addressal of these issues lies on them.
I interviewed a cross section of a society and came to know that they wanted that right kind of education based upon morality be imparted to students that makes them good human beings. To immune the JNU from outside interference of dirty politics some measures are to be taken on the pattern of the steps taken in some states for their universities and colleges. In Punjab in 1980s students elections have been banned and the violent era of 1980s-90s in which a section of students was engaged in separatist activities, is a thing of the past.
No ruling dispensation has taken steps to revoke the ban. A closer look give us the impression that  the students are allowed to enter in debates on politics, social, economic, modern state apparatus and structural changes in economy, in UP the Mayawati government in 2007 imposed a ban on elections for states 13 universities and 242 degree colleges. On a writ petitions by a Lucknow university students, the lucknow bench of Allahabad high court has stayed the elections. In Maharashtra elections to students   councils were scrapped after a student D’souza from the national students union of India was murdered in 1992.since then colleges nominate members of students councils  on the basis of their academic performance. While end of student politics brought peace it also ended dissent and dialogue on the campus. “there are no passionate debate and intellectual arguments in most colleges now”,said  Abhishek  Mujumdar  a  prof. In a  Mumbai  college. Even elections have been banned   in HPU and its 110 affiliated colleges for the last two  years  for  fear of violence more ever there has been a serious talk of banning teachers from  taking part in political activities.
On Wednesday JNU students union leader has got a bail and supportive students were planning  to take out a victory march and such a step could enrage the rivals leading to violence .Such an action  needs a check.  Now the news is coming that the forensic lab report states that of the seven video clippings,two were doctored if it is so the criminals must not go unpunished.
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