A stitch in time saves nine — a proverb that newly-appointed Jawaharlal Nehru University Vice-Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar and his colleagues are realising after an event by a group of students on Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru spiralled out of control.
All hell broke loose across the country after a video of the February 9 event “A cultural evening — The country without a post office” to commemorate Guru’s hanging, in which students were seen raising “anti-national” slogans, was telecast on prime time TV channels.
Based on the FIR, filed by BJP MP Mahesh Giri, the Delhi Police arrested JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya Kumar. The university, on its part, had debarred eight students, including the JNUSU president from academic activities “until the probe is ended”.
Following the arrest, the JNUSU called for an “indefinite strike” demanding his release. Further, the arrest of Kanhaiya Kumar on charges of “sedition and criminal conspiracy” on February 12 stirred huge debates and protests by students, academics and political parties across the country.
Though the JNU administration had denied permission to the students for holding the event on the campus after receiving a complaint from ABVP member and JNUSU Joint Secretary Saurabh Kumar Sharma, but it completely failed in controlling the event which occurred on that evening. The entry of “outsiders” and “media” left the university into a long standing chaos.
“While the JNU community upholds the right to free debate on campus, the university strongly condemns its use as a platform for activities that violate the Constitution and the laws of the land. However, there could be aberrations where fringe sections misuse the freedom provided,” said JNU V-C M Jagadesh Kumar.
On the other side, JNUSU vice-president Shehla Rashid Shora, who has been leading the protests against the “police crackdown” in the university and Kanhaiya’s arrest, said, “We are not going to cow down at any cost. Yes, we do study on the tax payers’ money and that is why we are responsible towards this country. Our protest will continue till the release of Kanhaiya.” Addressing the students outside the JNU administration block, she also said that the administration has not responded to address the protesting students.
“The university administration is in control of the campus. The police have nothing to do with the matters inside a university but it is the administration that allowed this witch-hunt of students,” Shora added.
The JNU administration has formed a high-level enquiry committee to probe into the matter, the report for which is expected to be delivered on February 25.
“We have formed a three-member committee with all the members from Science background and no political aligning considering the fair probe... It will take appropriate action as necessary,” said JNU Registrar Bhupinder Zutshi, while the V-C appealed to the students to go beyond this incident and help the campus return to “normalcy”.
However, the administration’s appeal backfired on it as the protesting students and JNU Teachers’ Association (JNUTA), accused them to be “hand-in-glove” with the Government and also questioned the committee. “The Registrar and the V-C are both working on the pretext of the Government. At the first place they should have not allowed the police on campus,” said a senior JNU faculty Ayesha Kidwai.
The JNUSU and JNUTA had asked the administration to add members from different centres, including Dalits, in the enquiry commitee, which the university refused.
The high-level committee appealed to the seven absconding students to appear before them for questioning to help in the probe. “letters have been sent twice to these seven students directing them to appear and now third communication would be made and if they do not respond, the committee will submit its recommendation on basis of evidence available,” a university official told The Pioneer.
While JNUTA called for one-day strike, they have been continuing their support to the JNUSU against the arrest of Kanhaiya and allegation against other seven students. In the on-going crises, the university was branded as “anti-national” by various TV channels and politicians in response to which the protesting leftists have organised live-open classes on nationalism.
The political parties, including the AAP, the Congress, the CPI and the CPI(M) went all out to corner the BJP-led Central Government. From a university event to “anti-national” slogans to a political slugfest, the JNU issue has attracted attention from the world over. The debate whether a university should be allowed to practice political freedom to that extent or not is becoming more difficult by the day.
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi even visited the campus and expressed solidarity with the protesting students. He accused the NDA Government of “suppressing” students’ voice. Rahul’s campus visit was marred by protest as members of the ABVP held a counter-protest, shouting slogans, “Rahul Gandhi go back”.
The saffron brigade, including the Bajrang Dal and the ABVP have been putting up counter protests demanding “stringent” action against the “anti-nationals”. The ABVP and its supporters shouted slogans like “bharat ke gadaron ko, goli maro saalo ko (the traitors of nation, should be shot at)” and set ablaze “Pakistani flag” outside the main gate of JNU.
Hitting out at Rahul and other Opposition leaders, who have criticised the arrest of Kanhaiya, the BJP alleged that they were speaking in the voice of terror outfit leT which was an insult to the martyrs and would boost the morale of anti-national forces.
left leaders, including Sitaram Yechury, had met Home Minister Rajnath Singh demanding release of the JNUSU president.
The JNUSU, with support from JNUTA, has garnered support from various other corners, including the Delhi University and academia abroad to protest and lead the save JNU campaign. For how long the strike on the campus will continue will depend on the decision of the High Court to Kanhaiya’s bail plea and also on the way police deals with the seven other absconding students.
