K B Jandial
The happenings in JNU on 9th February and its aftermath must perturb, at least, those whose hearts beat for India. Eulogizing terrorists is not a new phenomenon as it was witnessed in some parts of the country marred by terrorism and separatism like J&K, Punjab, Tamil Naidu, Andhra Pradesh, Manipur etc. But then the  nation across political spectrum had opposed it and stood as a rock against such fissiparous tendencies.

straight talk

Today, the narrative appears to have changed to the dismay of a huge silent majority of people of India cutting across party, region and religious lines. The nation has sadly seen in the last fortnight, brazen display of visible and fast growing signs of acceptability of acts which once, and most of us still treat as anti-national. More distressing is the growing trend of  defending these by almost entire class of  intellectuals, political commentators, columnists and all pervading  TV channels, barring a few who stood “discredited” for being ultra-nationalist. Word “nationalist” is being painted as a slur. Political parties which took lead in this new unhealthy and dangerous discourse made it anti-Modi campaign which suits them on the eve of Parliament’s Budget session which is bound to be washed out.
More painful is that Nationalism and Patriotism have taken a back seat. In fact, these are reduced to mere words that do not convey anything to a new class of people. Moreover, these are made synonym (with contempt) to BJP and painted as unacceptable attributes of saffronization.  Nationalism cannot be the monopoly of Sangh parivar but why use of these words provokes negative reaction in other political and social groups? The definition of nationalism has changed from “feeling of love and pride for the country” to respect for those working against it.
An anti-national act in JNU has snowballed in to a major controversy across the country threatening its peace and unity. Intriguingly, it is condoned by making it as a part of new debate on “right of dissent”. The delayed Delhi Police action against the JNU Student Union President Kanahaiya Kumar is made out as draconian act of the State, reminiscent of days of emergency. What a comparison! Yes, Delhi Police acting unprofessionally provided an escape route to the organizers of anti-national event by slamming unwarranted sedition charge against him.
There were host of outrageous slogans on 9th February in JNU at a well attended unauthorized event to observe third anniversary of the hanging of parliament attack convict, Afzal Guru. Blood boils on hearing slogans like Bharat Ke Barbadi tak- Jang rehege Jang rehege; Kashmir Ke Azadi tak- Jang Rehege Jang Rehege; Bharat Tere Tukde Honge- Inshallah Inshallah; (reminiscent of Bhutto’s 1000 years war against India & Hafiz Sayeed’s 1000 cut on India); Afzal Ne Kaha -Azadi, Tihar Ne Kaha -Azadi; Maqbool Ne kaha- Azadi; Tum Kitne Afzal Maroge- Ghar Ghar Se Afzal Niklega. But these had no adverse impact on participants including Kanahaiya. Why?
Another set of slogans had a message to Kashmiri mainstream leaders: Mufti bhe sun leye-Azadi; Mehbooba bhe sun leye -Azadi; Omar bhe sun leye- Azadi.
If still they were not disturbed or pained by these slogans, and on the contrary, justify as “voices of dissent”, they have no love for the country even though they continue to be Indian. Many are championing the freedom of speech of students and under its garb, the “cause” of Kashmir to secede for which two of their “martyrs” went to gallows and whose “martyrdom” observed with full backing of JNUSU and its President. The “tamasha” unfolded there later got support of major opposition parties, whose leaders made a beeline to JNU to show solidarity with protesting students and created an environment in the country for “acceptability of the anti-India acts” and encouraged secessionists.
Our leaders have brought political discourse to all time low, unmindful of its long term serious implications. Rahul Gandhi, crown prince of Congress, jumped into the “sedition debate” during his rabble-rousing speech to express solidarity with the JNU students, he remarked, “What is anti-national? The most anti-national people are the people (means Modi Govt. & BJP) who are suppressing the voice of this institution.” Isn’t he walking on egg shells?
Rahul preferred to identify himself with the students, some of whom had either chanted or raised despicable anti-India slogans and thus stood for a wrong cause. Did he realise that JNU, named after his great grandfather, surely stands for much more than defending the rights of the radical, left and secessionist groups who have personified themselves as the voice of this institution? Now, which is the voice Modi is blamed to suppress? Is it “Bharat Ke Barbadi Tak Jung Rehege”?
It is a travesty of politics that Congress Vice President went to show solidarity for both Kashmiri terrorists- Maqbool Bhatt and Afzal Guru, who were hanged in Tihar  jail during the Congress rule. Both got fair trials and exhausted all legal options under the law before hanged on Court orders.
Incidentally, on both the occasions, National Conference was in power in J&K and Dr. Farooq Abdullah and his son, Omar Abdullah were the CM. J&K Govt’s clearance was accorded for hanging Maqbool Bhat while it was not warranted incase of Guru as act was committed outside J&K but the CM was informed about the hanging.
Manmohan Singh was the PM when Afzal Guru was sent to gallows on February 9, 2013 and Indira Gandhi was PM when Maqbool Bhatt was hanged on February 11, 1984. Maqbool was hanged for killing J&K Bank Manager, days after the JKLF kidnapped and killed Indian diplomat Ravindra Mhatre after Indira Gandhi refused to negotiate with the JKLF, which wanted Bhatt’s release for Mhatre. Strongest PM as she was, Indira believed in philosophy of “Nation First”.
So, when slogan was raised -“Afzal Hum Sharminda Hain, Tere Katil Abhe Zinda Hain” whom they call “killers”. Supreme Court or Congress PMs? What Rahul Gandhi and his congress party have to say on it?
Paradoxically, Congress and NC leaders are now supporting JNU students’ right to free speech (right to raise such slogans), and opposed to police action on accused students. Unlike Indira Gandhi, for them right of freedom of speech (and right to promote anti-India sentiments and acts) is First than the Nation. They have no qualms on promoting anti-India sentiments and allow BHARAT KE TUKDE TUKDE and BARBADI, presumably as long as they get ammunition to target Modi.
For them, glorifying the hanged terrorists and even according the status of ‘martyrdom’ to them is no issue. But they would not allow Modi to “stifle” such voices.
Politically, the country has been polarized into “nationalist “plank and defenders of anti-national sentiments. The opposition parties willy nilly ceded to Modi & BJP the entire nationalist plank on a platter.  A view is emerging that the Congress party is unmindfully “negating the preciously rich nationalist legacy of its countless freedom fighters and also Rahul Gandhi’s own forefathers- Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi”.
There is a silent majority in India who does not prescribe to the views of these intellectuals and a large section of media, that the right to indulge in anti-India campaign to the extent of glorifying terrorists is their right of dissent and freedom of expression. The sad day is that this majority does speak out or they do not have very articulate leaders. The only section of the society who raised the banner is the ex-servicemen, JNU’s alumni among them threatened to return their JNU’s degrees if anti-national activities are not put down. They took out a massive march from Rajghat to Parliament on Sunday for Unity of India for which their colleagues’ lay down their lives every day.
These academicians and intellectuals have no emotions to the sacrifices made by the gallant security forces everyday in defending borders and fighting terrorists who under a conspiracy to break India. What do India expects from these universities whose faculty is full of “progressive” ideologues who claim that “nationalism” is a ploy used by a political party to create divide and hatred by imposing their views forcibly on people. For them, diversity of the nation’s culture and sentiments of the people are more important than the nation.
In fact, they should learn lesson on nationalism from the families of security persons martyred in the fight against those very terrorists whose over ground supporters held event in JNU to glorify them, by selectively using Indian Constitution to get a right of freedom of speech but to “barbard” India. The first reaction of the father of young Capt. Pawan Kumar martyred during ongoing encounter in Pampore to this devastating news was “I had one child… gave him to the Army… to the nation. No father can be more proud than me.” Similar sentiments were heard from the family of another young martyr, Capt. Tushar Mahajan, a daring son of the soil. They took bullets on the chest for that India which some JNU students and their friends want to break.
Will such things touch those who in universities observe martyrdom of hanged terrorists, and not real martyrs, as matter of right? How would JNU justify organizing “celebrations” of martyrdom of 66 CRPF jawans in naxal ambush in Dantewara in 2010? Did any of these “progressive” intellectuals and student leaders of the like of Kanahaiya Kumar in these universities hold similar events to mark martyrdom of thousands of such brave hearts who sacrificed their lives, not for any of their rights but to safeguard India’s solidarity and unity? Did they ever light even a candle for these real heroes in JNU? They forget that it is these heroes who are defeating the designs of terrorists to destabilize our country and thus provide a safe environment for people including these intellectuals to live. They too owe their own safety to these martyrs and not to likes of Afzal Guru or for that matter, Kanahaiya Kumar.

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