By Mahmood Asim, Two Circles.net,
New Delhi: Often referred as a Red Fort and political bastion for the left ideology Jawaharlal Nehru University is witnessing cracks in its stronghold because of the a political force other than left. Buzzing with crowd that one rarely witnesses, brimming with hopes and inspirations students of JNU come to listen and discuss the idea of India 2.0.
The public meeting was called by Students for Swaraj (NYSS) , student wing of Aam Admi Party on 4th of march at 9:30 pm that lasted unusually up to 2:00 am, ranging from the issues of AFSPA, Communalism to the Corruption and idea of nationalism here at Tapti hostel in JNU campus. Amidst fierce questions and comments from audience the speakers gave no way to be despair and hopeless.
While argument and cross questioning from several students political activists of the campus, other audience silenced the voice of angers saying the poor condition of JNU today is because of your wrong political methodology and stagnant ideology. Shouting from the behind -time and again- students urge to let the speakers conclude their answers before cross questioning.
Answering a question by TwoCircles.net that why several professors of JNU left the Left politics and join the AAP? The answer was that we are actually redefining the Left politics by enlarging the scope of it instead of conventional image. “We were Left, we are and will continue to be Leftist,” says Kamal Chenoy, a professor of International Studies at JNU who officially quit CPI and joined AAP recently.
However several student activists were critical of the very idea of AAP. “By quoting Nehru and Gandhi you are nothing to offer new. Your contradictory policies make us believe that you are just one of them, nothing different,” said a Research Scholar Banojyotsna Lahiri to Yogendra Yadav.
“Your position on AFSPA and Kashmir has been problematic though you support Irom Shirmila but only doing lip services,” Wondered a student from Kashmir, Shehla Rasheed Shora to the speakers. “You can’t go ahead without letting people know about several basic issues such as communalism and Muslim position when you differentiate between riots of Gujarat and riots of 1984 against Sikhs,” asked Aftab Ahmad Maneri.
Professor Anand Kumar who is associated with JNU since 1972 and considered one of the national leaders of AAP expressed his astonishment saying seldom we witness such a huge crowd in JNU. It is symbol that youth of this campus also want to contribute in the formation of India 2.0. Taking the position on communalism he accepted that it is one of the biggest threats posing to us. Taking digs on Congress and BJP both he said that they made hostage to the Muslim Community on ransom of security not basic needs and employment. “We certainly not proclaim the same secularism of Congress and BJP,” Professor Anand added.
Prof.Yogendra Yadav delivering the keynote address focused on three points i.e. democracy, diversity and development in the country. Elaborating his view he said that we as Indian set the example in democracy and diversity but in a country where malnutrition, unemployment and illiteracy is rampant we can’t claim any development on the ground. when asked whether emergence of AAP and its success should be taken as the failure of Left he replied “personally I do not agree with the point that AAP got success and left failed, what AAP has done is nothing but very minor achievement but yes, certainly we should learn from the mistakes of left as our forthcoming generation will learn from ours”.
When similar question asked by Two Circles.net from several students of JNU that whether Left politics is losing ground in JNU and they need to introspect their policies the reply was a mix of minuses and pulses. “Their intellectual labour and practical work is limited to the calculation of votes and only thing they wish to is to maintain the hegemony in the election,” argued P.Kumar Manglam, a PhD scholar in Spanish language to TwoCircles.net.
“The recent attack on protesters by ABVP goons and reluctance of JNUSU to launch any sustainable campaign against right wing is something to be worried about,” added Manglam.
When asked why AAP wave in JNU increasing the simple reply of Pranveer Singh, who is also PhD scholar in social sciences was because of “ AAP’s liberal, simple and uncomplicated approach”. “Left is doing ideal politics instead of practical one but in fact they are not losing the ground in the campus” Singh added.
Professor Uday Arora, Professor Anuradha Chenoy, Sanjeev Jha and many other teachers of JNU were part of the gathering and some of them also addressed the audience. Students were all ears to listen to the speakers because most of them hail from the same university. Contribution of JNU in political arena was applauded by the speakers and hoped the chance will given to them as well in upcoming Lok Sabha election in April- May.