Students, teachers join celebrations at JNU
As JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar was released Thursday after spending 23 days at Tihar Jail in a sedition case, the Delhi police, fearing a serious threat to his life, provided unprecedented security to him. Kanhaiya was taken out of the high-security prison via a residential colony and then to a nearby police station before he went back to the JNU campus, and greeted there by hundreds of his supporters. The AAP government’s magisterial inquiry too didn’t find any evidence of Kanhaiya raising any anti-national slogans at the controversial February 9 event at JNU, the allegation on the basis of which he was slapped with sedition charges and arrested by the police. The probe report said three of seven videos on the JNU event had been edited. Of the three edited videos, two were reportedly doctored.
The AAP government probe, headed by district magistrate Sanjay Kumar, said no witness or any other evidence had been found showing Kanhaiya indulged in “anti-India” sloganeering. On the contrary, the magisterial report said many outsiders of Kashmiri descent were seen shouting “anti-India” slogans. The report said: “They should be immediately identified for further investigation. Possibly two of these students are from JNU and the administration will be working to bring them to book.” During his inquiry, the DM also examined the JNU V-C, the university’s internal inquiry report, the security staff, students and eyewitnesses. The report said the inquiry panel also sought to question three other students — Umer Khalid, Anirbhan Bhattacharya and Ashutosh — who did not turn up and had sent a “thank you note”.
Earlier on Thursday, a magisterial court ordered the JNU Students Union president’s release after he furnished a personal bond of '10,000 and one surety of like amount as directed by the high court on Wednesday. A JNU faculty member, Prof. S.N. Malakar, stood surety for him. The high court granted him interim bail for six months after imposing conditions that include an undertaking that he will not take part in any unlawful or anti-national activity.
Soon after Kanhaiya came out of Tihar at around 6.40 pm, the entire JNU campus began celebrating, with students and teachers seen hugging each other, some even applying colours on each other and many offering sweets to mark the occasion. “This is just the beginning of our fight. Now we will raise our voice against the sedition charges for which Kanhaiya and two other students were booked,” said a M.Phil. student of the university.
After having dinner, Kanhaiya along with other students and teachers took out a “victory procession” from Ganga Dhaba within the campus. He visited different hostels to thank everyone in the JNU community for their unilateral support to him. The procession culminated at the JNU administrative block. Kanhaiya reportedly told some students he was victimised in a “media trial” and that he would soon write down his own story. The JNU Teachers Association also welcomed Kanhaiya’s return to campus. JNUTA general secretary Vikram Aditya Singh said he was now concerned over two other university students who face sedition charges. He reiterated his demand that JNU registrar Bhupinder Zuthi be removed for having mishandled the entire issue.
The celebrations were not limited to the JNU campus. In his native place in Bihar, Kanhaiya’s family and villagers rejoiced over his release by bursting crackers and putting gulal on each other. His father Jaishankar Singh told PTI: “We got much relief from tension and anxiety for the first time since the arrest of my son Kanhaiya Kumar on charges of sedition. Though he should have got a clean chit as no evidence of him indulging in anti-national activities has been found, still the courts have their own wisdom.”
The Delhi police, fearing the possibility of “clashes” after Kanhaiya’s release, issued an advisory to all districts and traffic and PCR units to maintain strict vigil, particularly in all areas around JNU and Delhi University campuses. The advisory said there was a possibility Kanhaiya may visit places like Jantar Mantar, JNU and DU with a large group of his supporters, including student groups like AISF and AISA, and members of some political parties.
The advisory warned that the ABVP and some right-wing groups, as well as some political leaders, may oppose such gatherings and there was a possibility of clashes among these groups. “Keeping in view the sensitivity and gravity of the matter, a sharp vigil and adequate arrangements by the local police with sufficient women staff, PCR and traffic personnel are suggested to avoid any untoward incidents.”
