Ravinder Jalali
“Next time any terrorist or terrorists, after strike in Delhi or in any part of India should enter JNU”, is a clear and loud message from the recent episode of JNU. It seems that JNU has become a Vatican, a place outside the Republic of India where the Constitution of India is barred from its operation and police or any Indian State authority needs permission or a sort of visa from the university authorities to enter university and nab the culprits or act against anti -national elements. It has become a new high-tech hideout and safe haven for the people who want to launch a crusade against the country. They will get all the facilities, infrastructure, logistic support, legal guidance, nutritious meals and network to have links with their masters any where in the world including across the border. They can hatch conspiracy to bring down the government and get expert advice on matters related to the disintegration of India under the able guidance of so called intellectuals, pseudo liberals and seculars.
I feel pity on the university teachers who make all efforts to protect these students who raise a banner of revolt against the nation and then plead their innocence in the name of freedom of speech. If this is the stuff being nurtured in universities likes JNU, Hyderabad University or Jadhavpur University, then we can understand what type of future India is going to have. If Hafiz Sayed is also invited in JNU it will not be a surprise, the way the administration is providing shield to these students. They will justify his presence in JNU in the name of freedom of expression and liberty. The students and the teachers of JNU have tarnished the image of the university as well as the nation. I can’t imagine any where in the world, students raising the anti-national slogans in the campus in the name of freedom of speech and simultaneously get protection from the administration. Rather the administration should have sought the police to apprehend the students but in our country it was unfortunate to see the desperation on the part of police force to have the permission of the VC to enter the JNU and nab the culprits. If the administration and the professors of such a reputed institute, which it is no longer now, behave in such a fashion, I am afraid that they be called intellectuals and it is better to be illiterate. What is the use and purpose of such a high level of education that they have become blind to the cause and existence of their motherland that supports their education? What a shame for those who curse and tear off their motherland. They have given legitimacy to the terrorism and their operation in India and gave them the address of new hideout in the capital of India.
It is the tragedy of the nation that any body speaking against the interests of the nation are called liberals. The anti-national slogans raised in the campus like destabilisation and disintegration of the nation gets approval and recognition in the name of freedom of speech quoting rhetorically article 19(1) of the Constitution. The protectors of these anti national students always misquote the Constitution just to suit their interests. I ask these teachers why they spread disinformation campaign and why they forget that there is also section 19(2) of the same Constitution which imposes reasonable restrictions on the exercise of the right in the interests of the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the State, public order, decency or morality or in relation to contempt of Court, defamation or incitement to an offence, which are being thrown to winds by such anti-national students.
What, if tomorrow any banned terrorist outfit like JeM or LeT, constitutes a student wing in different name and start operating in university campus? Will that wing not be treated a banned outfit? Even if terrorist holed up in JNU, is arrested later on, he has fair chance of getting released because the entire opposition will press for their release and hold the Parliament to ransom. They will have protest in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha in their favour and will question the Govt, in arresting them. They can go the extent of seeking bail for them.
I ask these so called intellectuals of the university, have they ever arranged a single seminar or held a single candle light protest in support of defence personnel or the army officers, who graduate from NDA and get certificate from the JNU, and are martyred while fighting the enemy and terrorists while defending the country.
Now the question is where they had gone during all these days? Had they gone out or were accommodated by the university authorities in the campus itself? It is surprising that it took about two weeks to apprehend, rather surrender, the perpetrators of the crime of raising anti-national slogans like Jehadis do. They held an event in support of the Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru on the campus of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi. Afzal Guru was hanged on 9th February, 2013 for his role in the 2001 attack on Parliament. On the same day in New Delhi Press Club of India, another event was held to celebrate the martyrdom of Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhat. The function was organised by former Delhi University lecturer S.A.R Geelani who was acquitted in Parliament attack case.
In US in the wake of 9/11/2001, the USA PATRIOT was signed into law on 26th October, 2001. The law was submitted to Congress by the Bush Administration on 24th September, just 13 days after the attack. Under the act, US Govt. may monitor religious and political institutions without suspecting criminal activity to assist terror investigations. Govt. may monitor federal prison jailhouse conversations between attorneys and clients, and deny lawyers to US citizens accused of crimes. Government may jail anyone indefinitely without a trial, including US citizens. Anyone may be jailed without being charged or being able to confront witnesses against them.
In Paris terror attack, French President declared a state of emergency within a week’s time of the incident. The country has not witnessed any curfew since WW-II. There was not a single opposition to the law.
JNU incident cannot be brushed aside as a stray incident. We need to go into the details of the incident and see who are these people? Who is supporting and funding them? They can not be said as belonging to any ideology. The organisers of the event are linked and associated with whom? The Govt. should carry a through search of the campus to see perhaps there may be some more separatists and terrorists holed up in the campus and the possibility of arms and ammunition in the campus cannot be ruled out, keeping in view the nature of slogans raised. If we don’t act now when the problem is small, but problem will grow in magnitude and then it will be big and we will be too small to handle it.
(The writer is a Social Activist and Convenor, Democratic Panun Kashmir).