New Delhi: The night-long presidential debate at JNU on Wednesday ahead of the student union polls saw six contestants debate on topics not just related to the university, but to the country as a whole.
The elections will be held on Friday. Independent candidate M.D. Farooque Alam stole the show with his witty speech and scathing attacks on political outfits in the varsity for indulging in ideological wars. Clearly the crowd’s favourite, he tore into the political parties for not being sensitive to student issues in JNU.
Attacking the Left for ignoring the cause of differently-abled despite being in power in the JNU for a long time, Mr Alam said, “Left showed me a dream of azadi (freedom), but later told me I was wrong to dream about it.” Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students’ Association (BAPSA) played the spoilsport in JNUSU movement. Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) is known for its goon culture and imposition of nationalism,” he said, appealing to a large section of students to vote for him.
The much-awaited debate, which takes place during the poll season, began at 9 pm on Wednesday and went on till 2 am at the Jhelum Lawn with bands of various parties performing to keep the student’s attention from wavering.
Shabana Ali, the candidate from the Bapsa, started the proceedings by attacking the outgoing union for not being able to sustain any student movements on the campus. She alleged that in the ‘Justice for Najeeb’ movement as well as the opposition to the University Grants Commission seat-cut issue, the JNUSU failed to show results.
Pointing out the “ineffectiveness” of the placement cell of the varsity, ABVP candidate Nidhi Tripati assured to bring it to ‘life’, besides promising to get sanitary pad vending machines installed. Congress-affiliated National Studnts’ Union of India candidate Vrishnika Singh promised to fight for unity and a hospital in the campus.
