Cautioning against any interference in the legal system, JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar in an interview on Friday, said he had full faith in the country’s judiciary and hoped it is not influenced by the RSS.
“Those who were burning flags earlier are now standing with the same flags asking people to show their nationalism certificates. I have faith in judiciary and Constituion but what they should do should not be decided in Nagpur at RSS headquarters,” Kanhaiya said.
The 29-year-old research scholar, who walked out of Tihar on Thursday on interim bail after being lodged there for 18 days in a sedition case, said his agenda is not to be a politician but to be a teacher.
“I am an activist as a student and I will be an activist as a professor as well five years down the line. I do not have any intentions to join mainstream politics. Neither I want to use the kind of support I have got from public at large for petty political gains,” he said.
According to Kanhaiya, the entire row about the university being allegedly branded as anti-national has created a particular image of the varsity which is affecting the students.
“I was inside, what was happening outside jail, I was getting to know only from news reports. It’s not just Left supporters which stood by me but also those who haven’t been able to decide whether they should hold the left flag or the right are also coming out in support of JNU,” he said.
“I am being told students are finding it difficult travelling in trains if passengers get to know they are from JNU, autowallahs are refusing to ferry them. This is the sad part of this controversy, rest all is a fight which will go on,” he added.
Defining his idea of politics, Kanhaiya said, ” politics has two centres- one in parliament and another on roads. The former one needs struggle while the latter one needs strategy. I believe there should be a two-way traffic between both”.
Asked whether the controversy will affect his relationship with the students on campus who are affiliated to ABVP, Kanhaiya said, “My room in hostel is next to the president of JNU’s ABVP unit. This is what is the beauty of JNU. It is a fight between two idelogies and not individuals”.
“Those who are bothered about the tax-payers money being spent on anti-nationals should rest assured about their investments. Their money is also being used for developing businesses of a select few, may be it’s time to bother about those investments,” he said.
Jawaharlal Nehru University is caught in a row over an event on the campus to commemorate the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, where “anti-national” slogans were allegedly raised.
Besides Kanhaiya, two other students–Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya are also in custody in connection with the case.
“Our primary focus is to get them released but one thing I am sure of is if I adopt this ideology of raising our voice these trips to prison will become a frequent thing,” he said.
While the varsity administration has been under criticism from teachers and students over their alleged mishandling of the row, Kanhaiya refused to comment on the same maintaining he has not been approached by anybody from the authorities.
PTI