ABVP true anti-nationals, says JNU professor

THERE WERE ALSO ALLEGATIONS THROWN ABOUT THE DELHI POLICE’S COMPLIANCE IN THE WHOLE INCIDENT

NEWDELHI:Students, scholars and academicians came down strong on ABVP and their alleged propagation of violence in campuses at the public meeting in Jawaharlal Nehru University on Monday, where some even branded the ABVP the “true anti-nationals” of India.

Human rights activist and professor at Delhi School of Economics’ sociology department, Nandini Sundar, kicked off the discussion by talking about the current political climate in India, which she likened to Nazi Germany and how universities had come under attack during the fascist regime. She said that just as “universities fell in line” in Germany, “we see a similar pattern” in India now.

“Unfortunately as teachers, the sixth pay commission is something that we find hard to give up... There is a large mass, which is silent. Students are often the only ones who are protesting because, in this class structure of the university, they are like the proletariat. They have nothing to lose,” she said.

Also speaking on the dominant discourse on patriotism versus anti-nationalism, she said, “I don’t believe that anybody here is anti-national. But if anybody was to be called anti-national, it would be the ABVP (and) the RSS, because they do not believe in the Constitution, they believe in a Hindu rashtra.”

The role of the media was also discussed, where speakers alleged that the media had chosen to frame the issue as a “clash” between ABVP members and the protestors, when they were allegedly “attacked” by the ABVP. There were also allegations thrown about the Delhi Police’s compliance in the whole thing.

“I don’t think this is about Umar Khalid or Shehla Rashid at all. This was about every person who dares to think and speak up. I am here because I want to be able to talk about Kashmir. I don’t want to feel that if I say Kashmir out loud, somebody will bash me up. I want to be able to talk about Bastar... I want to be able discuss about Rohith Vemula. Today, a safe space is being attacked by ABVP,” said Apurva Chaudhary, a journalist who was allegedly attacked on the day of the protest march.