Anti-national sloganeering at JNU

Anti-national sloganeering at JNU – Student’s emotions or Politics?

Introduction:
On February 9, the student’s organization DSU (Democratic Student’s Union) initiated a dialogue meeting to commemorate the judicial killing of Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhat. Their meeting was to support the democratic rights to self-determination for people of Kashmir. DSU being a leftist group was immediately condemned by the right wing group ABVP (Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad) who tried to stop the meeting. DSU received support from Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union, SFI (Students Federation of India) and AISA (All India Student’s Association).

The meeting was attended by Kashmiri students from JNU as well as from outside the campus. When ABVP tried to interrupt the meet, these students lost their calm and started the so called “anti-national sloganeering.”


The arrest of JNU student and Union president Kanhaiya Kumar on charges of sedition is still being debated. It is yet to be confirmed whether or not he uttered Anti-National or Pro-Pakistan slogans. The waywardness of BJP legislators beating students and media people also spurred debates. Amid all these imbroglio, the main agenda to conform what led to the anti-national sloganeering is somewhere getting blurred. Was it politics that made a simple debate grow large or is it the real emotions of students?

Student’s emotions:
1. Kashmiri Students: It is totally being ignored that the slogans to free Kashmir were raised by the large group of Kashmiri students that gathered in the meet. These people, who have long been under the wrath of AFSPA, were annoyed to see the right wing trying to be authoritative. It is their own pleas and protests for the hardships that their home is facing since independence. These are the people whose home has not known peace for long. It is their right to engage in dialogues to vent out their emotions.

2. The hanging of alleged terrorists: People across our country in large numbers had protested the hanging of Afzal Guru. It is not a news that people have been against this judicial decision for many reasons. They believe that hanging this one man isn’t enough. Killing one of these people who believe that the freedom of Kashmir is their only solution is not the solution to make these people understand that India isn’t an enemy to Kashmir.

3. Adding fire to sparks: The slogan debate happened from both sides. The right wing student’s group also called out slogans like “those who support Afzal will meet the ends like Afzal” and “the graves of naxalites will be dug on JNU’s soil.” Anger spurred from both sides. Venom spilled in measured and unmeasured quantities. The violent sloganeering did happen from both sides as recounted by eye-witnesses in JNU. Arrest on sedition charges to the leader of one group agitated students clearly.

4. Accepting different views: Students engaging in violent sloganeering is bound to create wrath. They are not willing to listen to each other or hear what the other person has to say. They are simply growing with the ideology planted in their own minds. It is extremely satirical that the right wing celebrating the likes of Hitler and Godse names someone sympathizing with a terrorist as anti-national while their pro-killing-of-Gandhi attitude still makes them a patriot.

Politics:
1. Leftist v/s rightist: The entire incident that led to the arrest and sedition charges on Kanhaiya Kumar spurred out of the clash between the right and left wings of students union. The rightists tried to stop the leftists from having the meeting to commemorate the judicial hanging of Afzal Guru. They received support from the administration of JNU for the political support they can garner. The leftists in turn got agitated and conducted the meet in any way they deemed fit.

2. Poisoning the young minds: The students of a university come to the campus to study and build their career rather than getting involved in the politics. However, for the vote bank politics, the seasoned politicians try to lure the young minds with position, power and money & make them generate such moments which can stir the national politics.

3. Judicial System: The pro Afzal Guru slogans were actually against the judicial system which heard the case and awarded the punishment. The common man would not go out on the streets and campaign against the highly respected top court without a political support.

Conclusion:
People are slowly becoming programmed robots who work only according to the programs fitted into their system/brain. If one is leftist, he/she is only programmed to blame Modi for everything that happens, even if the hanging of Afzal Guru happened during the UPA government. If one is rightist, that gives him/her the ultimate right to judge, punch and kick anyone that talks in support of leftists.

It is us who have to take a rational view and see that we do not fall prey to any anti-national activities and propogandas.