New Delhi: Since when has raising one’s voice or giving an opinion has become a crime in a secular nation?
Such has become the scenario in India where a professor from Bihar was allegedly thrashed by 20-25 people after his Facebook posts of former PM Vajpayee offended a group of people, Indian Express reported.
Recalling the scenario, the victim professor Sanjay Kumar said: “I don’t remember much of what happened when I was being assaulted. People were landing blows and I was defending myself as well as I could. It’s all a big blur, but it was clear they wanted to kill me. They were calling me deshdrohi (traitor) and asking if I wanted to become Kanhaiya Kumar. That I clearly recall.”
The assistant professor from Motihari’s Mahatma Gandhi Central University, Bihar (MGCUB) was assaulted by a group of 20-25 people on August 17 for his FB posts in which he had said the death of former PM marked the end of fascim.
Responding to his his post critical of Vajpaye, BJP’s IT cell member Rajan Srivastava from Motihari said: “MGCUB ke professor mahoday abhi aapne Champaran walon ka muhabbat dekha hai ab latkhurdam dekhne ka samay aa gaya hai (Mr Professor of MGCUB, you have so far seen only the love of Champaran residents, now get ready to see their muscle power).”
The professor says before the assault he got calls from three people warning him that he will be good as dead and soon after the mob landed on his doorstep.
“Those were my views, which I expressed rather respectfully. I also wrote that he had left for his heavenly abode and said RIP. I have the right to my opinion; I don’t know why there was a big hullabaloo about it,” he says.
Kumar who comes from Bihar’s Saharsa viilage has a six-month-old son, wife and mother.
“Ever since the attack, my mother has been crying from worry. My son is very young. I feel helpless that I’m stuck here,” he says.
Meanwhile, Bihar Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi rather than bringing the mob to justice, accused the assistant professor Kumar of exaggerating his “superficial injuries” making efforts to “evoke sympathy of media and left liberals”.
But Kumar says the mob was cruel towards him. “I can’t see properly with my left eye. My neck, back and thighs hurt all the time. They did not even spare my private parts,” he says.
He also said that, “The services of two teachers were terminated last year, I was the first to publicly speak about it. I also spoke about administrative corruption in the university. I was attacked for my activism. The post is just an excuse. They thought they would instil fear in other people by assaulting me.”
Speaking of the attacks he said: “It’s organised, like we have seen all over the country. Whoever is telling the truth is anti-national.”
Now the professor is fearing for his life and questioned who is going to hold responsibility of his security. “The police are not doing their job properly. How can I feel safe? Unless I get police protection, my existence is threatened in Motihari.”