Known for intellectual discourse and debates on international issues, the Jawaharlal Nehru University has turned out into a full-fledged battleground with politicians of different hues accusing each other over the arrest of the JNU Students’ Union president Kanhaiya Kumar on charges of raising anti-India slogans within the campus premises.
The university is news for all the wrong reason of over an event in the campus against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru in which allegedly some anti India slogan were raised. Students feel that Saurabh Kumar Sharma, JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) joint secretary, has changed the rules of doing politics in JNU campus, a Left bastion for years, to make permanent space for right-wing groups.
One senior faculty member said that the JNU is only university known for its intellectual debate and discussion but some so the issue which are in public domain earlier never used to come up in public domain. “Scene has changed since September last year, when a right-wing candidate won for central panel. You may call it their political or ideological difference but he (Mr Sharma) has been able to raise the issues whether it is right or wrong. On going controversy become an issue of national debate only due to JNUSU joint secretary. In the last six months, he has been trying to break the dominance and control of Left students wing,” he added.
Another faculty member said that earlier the JNUSU managed everything as all the central panel office-bearers used to be from the Left parties. “But now with ABVP member as joint secretary that secret wall has fallen and thing are coming out in public domain, which now used by political parties to score brownie points,” he added.
The students alleged that Mr Sharma, on the instruction of the RSS and BJP leadership, was trying to create a controversy on non-issues. They feel that by doing so the RSS and the BJP will be able to force their ideology on the students.
Another students also claimed that after Mr Sharma arrival’s in the JNU political scene as an office-bearer of the JNUSU, the ABVP presence is prominently felt in the campus. Mr Sharma, however, denied the allegation.
“Mr Sharma and his masters are trying to damage the democratic and autonomous structure of university. Politics of JNU has still space for debate and discussion, but in last few months the JNUSU joint secretary on the instruction of his bosses is damaging the soul of the university,” said a research scholar at School of International Studies, Arun Oraon.
Another students also claimed that after Mr Sharma arrival’s in the JNU political scene as an office-bearer of the JNUSU, the ABVP presence is prominently felt in the campus. Mr Sharma, however, denied the allegation and claimed that anti-national activities used to happen in the campus, but in absence of a nationalist voice they used to be killed by the leftist forces.
