The arrest of JNUSU President KUMAR KANHAIYA on the grounds of sedition charges calls for deeper inquiry and introspection, looking beyond the obvious. This is not an isolated incident, when we look at the chain of events that are taking place in the prominent campuses of the country. Be it the case of Dalit scholar Rohit Vemula driven to suicide, or IIT Madras with the ban imposition on Ambedkar-Periyar Study Circle and all students forum engaging in political discourse in the campus; there seems to be a broader agenda of the right wing forces who impedes other ideology to germinate. Their forced diktats and many levels of fascism demand genuine inquiry; democracy, fundamental rights, freedom of speech now become a privilege to only fascist fans.
An event was organised on 9 February 2016 in Jawaharlal Nehru University on the merit of his hanging Afzal Gura. It turned out that, there was sloganeering, in which he was called ‘martyr’, an alleged anti-India slogan, wherein this incident was reported to police by ABVP and BJP lawmakers. What follows is amazingly swift response from Home Minister where he issues stern warning, saying they will not be spared. One should question, government’s over enthusiasm in the issues inside the campus, even in Hyderabad central university case. It is possible that students could have expressed their sentiments more maturely but to charge them with sedition and conduct a witch hunt in the campus, to lynch them from campuses at nights is against the fundamental ethos of this great country. There were instances where male police personnel raiding girls’ hostels in the precise of national securities.
There are a lot more questions raised than being answered, and it calls the citizens of the country to truly look beyond the surface and to draw a clear picture; the idea of India, nationalism and everything which is in integral to the nation. The fascist raids continues from kitchens in search of God’s meat, cutting down on budget to kill farmers in coming years, and many degrees of discrimination in most campuses….Wondering when will this cease, and when will Indians wake up with the present fascist onslaught? And to what extent? ……anything against ruling class is anti-national? Or is it that “We, The People…” are susceptible to fascist aggression.
