News Delhi: JNU is one of the few universities of this country which enjoys international fame. It produced noted bureaucrats, intellectuals, Journalists, teachers and policy makers. The incident which took place on 9th February night is known to everybody. This incident was covered by a TV channel painting with communal colour. We all know this. President of Students’ Union of JNU, Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested and sent to jail under the charges of sedition. The way in which the saffron tainted lawyers assaulted him is also known to everybody. He was released on interim bail for 6 months after the imprisonment of 20-days since the court had no concrete evidence against Kanhaiya Kumar. After his release, Kanhaiya Kumar narrated him experiences and the way in which he delivered his speech depicted his line of thinking and grief. On the night of 3rd March, during his speech, he expressed his thoughts amongst thousands of students of JNU. The points he raised during his speech might have shaken the conscientious politicians and common citizens. In his speech, in clear terms, he mentioned that “We don’t want freedom from India but in India”. The way he raised slogans clearly depicted that he is desirous of freedom from corruption, communalism, inequality, hatred of casteism and poverty are these facts wrong? He also told that “the soldiers who are in the army are from the poor families. They sacrifice their lives for the sake of country. Is the son of any bureaucrats or politicians desirous of joining the army? ”. In it, there is cent percent truth. A cursory glance at the statistics would reveal that the number of soldiers hailing from the poor families is more. Kanhaiya Kumar also told that “My ideal is not Afzal Guru but Rohith Vemula, who raised his voice against the discriminatory system and sacrificed his life.” Is it not true that there is an atmosphere of discrimination in the political system of this country? Politicians have the hatred on the basis of caste. This fact cannot be denied by anyone.
Kanhaiya Kumar in his speech also mentioned his experience in the jail. He said that he questioned a security personnel that he has to perform his duty for 10-12 hours. Does he get any overtime allowance? The security guard told him that he gets Rs. 160. Kanhaiya Kumar said that in this amount, one cannot get even the undergarment. Doesn’t the system have any lacuna? He asked the security guard how does he manage his expenses. The guard told him that he has to take bribe. On his Kanhaiya Kumar told that “We are fighting for the freedom from corruption”. The security guard asked Kanhaiya Kumar that why do they raise the slogan “Lal Salam”. Kanhaiya Kumar asked him whether he understands the meaning of “Inqilab Zindabad”. The security guard replied that BJP activists also raise this slogan. Kanhaiya Kumar told him that what you call “Kranti” is called “Inqilab” in Urdu and “Lal Salam” is the synonym of “Inqilab”.
After listing to the entire speech of Kanhaiya Kumar, it was felt that he has the grief of the entire country, the grief of the poor, concern for the youths and agony of the unemployed youths. Without taking the name of Narendra Modi, he told many things. Referring to Modi’s, mention of Mussolini, he recalled that he should have mentioned the name of Hitler also. He also mentioned the issue of black money, “Sab ka Sath Sab ka Vikas” and other political jargons which cheated the innocent people of this country. He also told that this Govt. has been in power for the past two years. The country has to bear this Govt. for another three years.
Another fact which he mentioned and that which did not attract the attention of the media and also the people did not give much importance to it is that he said “The person who is born in the month of Savan, treats the flood of Bhadoon bigger”. In fact it was a taunt on the style of functioning of Modi Govt. Without taking the name of Rajnath Signh, he mentioned the imaginary tweet which was linked to Hafiz Sayeed. He mentioned that 60% girls seek admission in JNU. It is very difficult to get admission in JNU. It is equally difficult to forget the students of JNU. He also admitted the fact that it is very great thing that media presented the students of JNU in Prime Time.
The way in which Kanhaiya Kumar spoke in JNU on 3rd March depicts the entire scenario of international politics, Indian political scenario, social atmosphere and economic condition of the country. His speech made him more popular. He has even become the ideal of hundreds of students. Even after coming out of prison, he exhibited such bravery and courage that there is no wrinkle on his face. The frank manner in which he presented his thoughts depicts that he performed the task of presenting the whole mileau of the country. The agony which a 29-year-old youth has in his heart is laudable. The country needs such youths who are ready to go to any extend for revolution but the thought of sedition cannot be tolerated by any citizen.
Kanhaiya Kumar gave an example and the manner in which he presented it, made him popular overnight at international level.
Noted journalists, Barkha Dutt wrote a letter to PM in which she mentioned the incident of JNU and very bravely, she targeted Mr. Modi. The caption of her letter is like this “A letter to PM Modi from ‘Anti-National Sickular Presstitute’ Barkha Dutt”. At the beginning of her letter, Barkha Dutt mentioned communal riots of Gujarat of 2002 which she had reported at that time. She had written in clear terms that “I am from among those journalists who totally dislike him (Modi). I read the news this week that which you had told while addressing the opposition parties that ‘I am the PM of the entire country not of BJP alone’. I thought I should invite your attention as a citizen of this country to the promises you made. Modiji I want to recall those days when you had not become the CM of Gujarat. At that time you were more inclined toward English media. At that it was easy to meet you since you were the General Secretary of BJP and I was in the initially stage of my Journalistic career. I am told you never forget (or forgive) – you would recall that I first cut my teeth as a journalist reporting a war from the frontline in Kargil in 1999. I was still in my 20s, and the intimacy and immediacy of that overwhelming exposure would make me a life-long admirer of our military. Over the past two decades, I have done hundreds of news programs devoted to the Soldier – the discrepancies in hardship allowances between jawans and bureaucrats, the shameful mountain of government litigation against disabled soldiers who are dragged to court for pensions, the pending promise of One Rank One Pension, the bottlenecks in defense procurement, and the many sacrifices of our men and women in uniform. I would submit that the binaries that spokespersons of your government have created (aided by the hyper-nationalist drum-beating of channels like Times Now and News X) are absolutely false. It is entirely possible to deeply respect the military and feel ashamed of the multiple manipulations, doctored videos, police excesses, government heavy-handedness, brazen hooliganism and ominous environment of intimidation that the crackdown on JNU has revealed. I wish there was half as much outrage when your good friend Jayalalithaa’s photograph was placed on the coffin of one of the Siachen soldiers by her minister, who was then proudly photographed with it.”
In her letter, Barkha Dutt have framed many questions which put a question mark on the functioning of Modi Govt. mentioning Kanhaiya Kumar, she wrote that the slogans of freedom which he raised were not for getting freedom from India but within India and the freedom from Hunger, Inequality, Communalism and the society which discriminates caste. Won’t the Govt. apologize for the allegations which it leveled on Kanhaiya Kumar? Since this kind of ideological difference, is not bearable to Govt. of India. It therefore arrested the students.
A devotee of the Govt. bitterly criticized the letter of Barkha Dutt and he termed her as anti-Modi. He also targeted her for mentioning those TV Channels which broadcast the videos of Kanhaiya Kumar. He also targeted Barkha Dutt for her soft corner for Islamist Fundamentalists. He wrote in clear terms the TV coverage she did on 26/11 affected our national security.
At the end of her letter, Barkha Dutt wrote BJP wanted to get political targets by exposing JNU issue in which it utterly failed. It is therefore necessary for the PM to consider this issue seriously and make an attempt to read the writing on the wall. He should take initiative to take back all the criminal cases against the students. He should tell the police and his ministers to rectify their mistakes and to apologize. He should also instruct JNU management to deal with this issue. Only this would be better for the Govt.
JNU issue has become so sensitive that a panic has been created among the political parties. Central Govt. should know that this spark which has emerged from JNU has the potential of changing the political scenario of the entire country.
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