Martyr daughter’s tweet war on ABVP goes viral

JALANDHAR/NEWDELHI: Gurmehar Kaur’s , 20, social media message against the violence on Delhi University campus over a literary fest at Ramjas College, has gone viral.

The English (Honours) student of Lady Shri Ram College is the daughter of late Capt Mandeep Singh, who died during Kargil war.. Kaur had launched a campaign against the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad with the hashtag #StudentsAgainstABVP.

Kaur said she had no idea that her message would find so much resonance with the users of social media and get massive support.

“I was not there at the spot where this horrifying incident happened, but when I got to know that some of my friends were injured during the clash and stones were pelted at them, I got so upset, I could not bear that and took to social media to register my protest,” Kaur told HT.

She rejected the notion that it was a fight for nationalism. “The students who were attacked by ABVP were Indians and they call it nationalism. What kind of nationalism is this?”

“I never thought that I would get such a support from everyone but there is a lot of hatred too and that is personal which is not acceptable,” she said.

Criticising some of the reactions that she is receiving over social media, Kaur in another tweet wrote: “Absolutely disgusted at the reactions in receiving from so called ‘nationalists’.”

In a series of tweets on Saturday, Kaur clarified that she supports Do I support people shouting anti- national slogans? No. Do I support pelting stones at innocent students because of that? NO

the freedom of speech but not anti-national slogans.

Kaur (@mehartweets) tweeted: “Am I fighting for people who support anti-nationals? NO! Who are fighting for? STUDENTS And our right to free speech, safe academic space.”

Kaur, on Wednesday, in a Facebook post wrote: “This profile picture is my way of protesting against the tyranny of fear. If you are a student in any Indian university, in any Indian state and you wish to protest against ABVP, then take a similar selfie and make it your profile picture. Use the hashtag #StudentsAgainstABVP and copy paste this message along with it.”

She has posted a profile picture holding a placard with a slogan: “I am a student from Delhi University. I am not afraid of ABVP.”