While the government has managed to forge a feeling of solidarity across campuses in the country through its repressive measures, the discourse sidelines some key uncomfortable questions.
Among the many conversations that I have had with Umar Khalid, PhD scholar at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), and the ‘dreaded anti-national’, the one that came to my mind soon after the news of his surrender was on his relationship with the members of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on campus.
“I was sticking posters when this ABVP guy came to me with a smile and told me how asli ladaayi (the real fight) is always between them and us [Democratic Students Union (DSU)]. He was telling me how there is no fun in fighting the other organisations,” he had said.
Umar, then a member of DSU, often recounted DSU’s frequent altercations with the ABVP, and even as he narrated his disagreements, there was always a sense of decorum. Khalid might have disliked the ABVP to his heart’s content but that never stopped him from talking to them.
So on 9 February, 2016, when Umar and nine other JNU students organised a cultural evening titled ‘A Country without a Post Office’, to condemn the ‘judicial killing of Afzal Guru’ and in support of Kashmir’s right to self determination, the most that the organisers expected was an internal inquiry. “We did expect a proctorial inquiry since we were sure that the ABVP would file a complaint against us but noone ever thought that this would go beyond that,” one of the organisers told me later.
For a university campus like the JNU, proctorial inquiries weren’t a big deal since it could happen at the behest of a complaint registered by any student on campus. However, matters soon escalated and by 10 February, JNU was trending on Facebook.
When I woke up that day learning that some of the organisers and student activists had appeared on prime time TV, notably the TRP driven News Hour debate with Arnab Goswami, I had spoken to one of the organisers asking why they had committed this blunder.
ãã®èšäºã¯ Tehelka ã® March 15 2016 çã«æ²èŒãããŠããŸãã
7 æ¥éã® Magzter GOLD ç¡æãã©ã€ã¢ã«ãéå§ããŠãäœåãã®å³éžããããã¬ãã¢ã ã¹ããŒãªãŒã9,000 以äžã®éèªãæ°èã«ã¢ã¯ã»ã¹ããŠãã ããã
ãã§ã«è³Œèªè ã§ã ?  ãµã€ã³ã€ã³
ãã®èšäºã¯ Tehelka ã® March 15 2016 çã«æ²èŒãããŠããŸãã
7 æ¥éã® Magzter GOLD ç¡æãã©ã€ã¢ã«ãéå§ããŠãäœåãã®å³éžããããã¬ãã¢ã ã¹ããŒãªãŒã9,000 以äžã®éèªãæ°èã«ã¢ã¯ã»ã¹ããŠãã ããã
ãã§ã«è³Œèªè ã§ã? ãµã€ã³ã€ã³
Why Did Ratan Tata Feel Compelled To Take Charge Again?
Did Cyrus Mistry fall victim to an ossified corporate culture or did he violate Tata Sons’ ethos and culture? MG BanGa tells the story so far.
Misguided Youths Or Trained Terrorists?
As part of a dangerous trend emerging across the world, homegrown ISIL sympathisers are willing and attempting to carry out deadly terror attacks without any comprehensive support system.
Indian Railways: Living In Dreams
Indian Railways is changing track, giving up its separate Budget and experimenting with surge pricing on three popular trains. That leaves the behemoth with no funds to replace ageing assets and encourage further investments.
Priyanka Gandhi Agreed To Play Bigger Role In UP
Further delay in decision making could be detrimental to the party’s goal to rejuvenate its prospects in the State Assembly elections.
Mission 2019: Banega Swachh India?
Two years ago, Modi kicked off a cleanliness drive in a spectacular way. Showing the contrast between world cities and Gurgaon, MG BANGA suggests ways in which the mission can be accomplished by 2019.
The Goodwill Enjoyed By Mehabooba Mufti Has Been Erased!
Mehbooba Mufti risks losing her popularity and irking her party ranks by using New Delhi’s rulebook to deal with the unrest in Kashmir.
Is China's Support To Pakistan, Big Threat To India?
New Delhi needs to be cautious as in Pakistan’s scheme of things, strategic ties with China can serve as a powerful weapon to deal with adversaries like India.
Panama Papers: Nawaz Sharif'S Troubles Escalate
After his name surfaced in the Panama paper leak following several other charges of money laundering filed against him, there is pressure on Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif to resign.
This Potus Will Make The World Go Bust
The man who believes global warming is a hoax and has a short attention span will now preside over the affairs not just of the United States but of the whole world. A daunting prospect.
Reel-Life Bohemians, Real-Life Hyprocrites
ADHM vs Palm Grove Heights: In cinematic life, two strangers Ranbir and Anushka meet in a pub in London and go on a kissing spree while in actual life back in India, a woman from Barcelona was evicted from her male friend’s home in Gurugram. Is cinema really a mirror of society?