What Gauri’s murder tells us about her killers

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September 13, 2017

The greatest tribute one can pay to this courageous woman is to ensure that the rich legacy she has left behind will never die

Image: PTI

The celebrated German playwright, poet and fierce anti-Nazi critic Bertolt Brecht once wrote:
“in the dark times,
will there also be singing?
yes, there will also be singing
about the dark times”.

Apt words, as we remember the celebrated journalist and human rights defender Gauri Lankesh, who was brutally gunned down exactly a week ago on the night of September 5^th in Bengaluru. Her murder has resulted in an unprecedented outrage of anger, shock and sadness from concerned citizens all over the world over.
Gauri represented the very best of a free and fearless India, which respects the rights of her citizens, which celebrates pluralism and above all, defends the highest values of democracy! Gauri had the courage to take on the Sangh Parivar and all communal-minded people, she abhorred the caste system, she fought for the emancipation of women, she took up cudgels for the poor and marginalized and she was a relentless crusader for the freedom of speech and expression! She spared none, when injustice was the issue!

The bullets of the assassins that fateful night carried some clear messages: that it is they who ‘apparently’ control the destiny of the nation; that the likes of Gauri, had no place in their scheme of things, that they brook no dissent, that they are cloaked with immunity and can obviously get away with murder. .

The murder of Gauri provides other insights into her assassins and the powers behind them too; these include:

They are spineless cowards; masked in anonymity, they gunned down an unarmed defenseless woman
They are violent; they have the muscle, the money and the clout to do away with violently anyone who does not subscribe to their fascist agenda. ‘Ahimsa’ obviously means nothing to them
They lack the intelligence, the conviction and the staying power to debate or write objectively on critical issues plaguing the country and our people today. Gauri consistently wrote and spoke about these issues.
They are afraid of the Truth; when courageous and upright journalists like Gauri expose their evil deeds and other nefarious activities, they are just unable to accept them, leave alone swallow the facts
They are adept in defocusing and divisiveness; Gauri’s estranged brother conveniently speaks about ‘Naxalite’ involvement. Some TV channels with their stooge anchors vomit the same possibility The Central government in a manipulative manner asks the state government as to why Gauri was not given protection from the Naxalites!
They are good in sweeping other issues under the carpet. Gauri’s chilling murder is naturally headlines; but at the same time other major issues are quickly turned from the pages of people’s memories like the deaths of children in UP, the official report of the fiasco of demonetization, the institutionalization of corruption, the thousands affected by floods in several parts of the country and the official inability and apathy to respond to those affected, the crimes of ‘godmen’ against women like the Dera Chief and Asaram Bapu, the mob lynching of people; the list is endless.
They do not care about the rights and freedoms guaranteed in the Constitution of India; for them, journalists who speak truth to power, human rights defenders, right to information activists and for that matter, any one from civil society who dissents, is termed as ‘anti-national’; and needs to be done away with. The trolling and the venom spewed on Gauri in social media by the ‘bhakts’ of PM Modi is a clear indication that freedom of speech and expression is not something that they cherish. Gauri believed in the Constitution and passionately defended the rights of citizens until the very end!

The above are just some ways fascist forces in India operate today. There is no denying the fact that the cold-blooded, pre-mediated murder of Gauri has political patronage at the highest level. All this has been witnessed before, in the Gujarat Carnage of 2002; the ‘fake encounters’ which followed; in the gruesome killings of rationalists and intellectuals like Dabholkar, Pansare and Kalburgi; in the murders of several other journalists, human rights and RTI activists all over the country.

That there is an overwhelming outrage over Gauri’s murder from several sections of society, speaks volumes that all is still not lost for the country. Gauri’s death has brought together women and men from all walks of life in a show of strength and unity against the emerging fascist forces. Rallies, demonstrations and public meetings have been held in practically every major city and town. Her murder has found significant space in some of the most respected newspapers and magazines in India and abroad. On September 12^th, more than 50,000 people gathered in Bangalore in a rally to protest the killing of Gauri.Shouts of “Gauri Lankesh amar rahe!”(Long Live Gauri!) rent the air.

This visible and vocal unity must continue. Many people are convinced that though they ‘killed’ her, Gauri’s spirit will never die! The greatest tribute one can then pay to this courageous woman is to ensure that the rich legacy she has left behind will never die; that all will be done to protect the democratic and pluralistic fabric of our great country! Above all, to be reminded of the words of Pastor Martin Niemoller, who during the Nazi Regime wrote:

“First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me”.

LONG LIVE GAURI!!!!

(Fr. Cedric Prakash sj is a human rights activist. Contact:cedricprakash@gmail.com)

Dalit writer Kancha Ilaiah receives threats over his book, lodges police complaint

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September 12, 2017

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Well-known Dalit writer and intellectual Kancha Ilaiah has on Monday launched a police complaint alleging threat to life over his book on the Vysyas caste.

According to his complaint registered at the Osmania University police station, Hyderabad, he received abusive and threatening calls from unidentified persons over his book ‘Samajika Smugglurlu Komatollu‘ (Vysyas are social smugglers).

The police have registered a case under section 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and have begun investigations.

Protest meetings have been held in Hyderabad by various Arya Vysya associations according to whom the title of the book and some of its contents were “derogatory and demeaning” to the community. They have lodged a police complaint against Ilaiah but no case has been registered as the police is looking into the plaint.

In his complaint Ilaiah has said, “I feel terribly threatened with their abuses, phone calls and messages. They are doing fearful activities against me on the streets.”

Muslim women will not tolerate interference in Shariah: Women’s Wing of AIMPLB

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September 12, 2017

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Plan to flood offices of the President, PM, Chief Justice, Law Minister and Law Commission with resolutions passed at Muslim conferences all over India opposing any change in Muslim Personal Law

Image: Inquilab Urdu

At a public meeting of the women’s wing of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) held in Bhopal on Monday, it was “unanimously” resolved that any interference in Shariah laws is unacceptable to Muslim women.

Signed copies of the resolution passed at the women’s meeting in this regard were handed over to the AIPMLB president, Maulana Rabe Nadvi and general secretary Maulana Wali Rahmani.

The Times of India has quoted a Board member, Maulana KR Sajjad Nomani as saying the AIMPLB may hold a “referendum” to seek Muslim women’s views on instant triple talaq. According to the maulana, this is in response to the observation by the constitutional bench that a majority of Muslim women were opposed to instant triple talaq.

On Monday, the concluding day of the three-day meet of the executive committee of the AIMPLB it was noted that while on one hand the constitution bench of the Supreme Court affirmed constitutional protection to Muslim personal law, on the other it has set aside instant triple talaq practice which is an integral part of the Muslim Personal Law.

Responding to the separate judgment of Justice Kurian Thomas who held that instant triple talaq was “un-Quranic”, the Board members claimed that one, the Quran does talk about triple talaq and two, Shariah is based not on the Quran alone but rests on four pillars: Quran, Hadith, Ijma (consensus) and Qiyas (analogical reasoning).

A resolution passed at the Board’s concluding session said: “While respecting the verdict of the Supreme Court the AIMPLB is constrained to state that this verdict is not in accordance with Muslim Personal Law. Besides, the verdict also impacts negatively on the freedom of religion which the Indian Constitution guarantees to followers of all religions.

“In view of this, the AIMPLB has decided that because the issue concerns women, it will organise small and large conferences across the length and breadth of the country to familiarize women and men who are unaware about Shariah laws. At each such conference, resolutions will be passed copies of which will be posted to the President, Prime Minister, Chief Justice of Supreme Court, Union Law Minister and the Law Commission”.

The resolutions will state and affirm that Muslim men and women have full faith in Shariah laws and because talaq is also a part of Shariah laws they consider any external restrictions on it as a denial of their right to religion. In addition, the resolutions will demand that the currently existing right to follow and practice Muslim Personal Law be not meddled with in any manner.

Before the passage of the Board’s resolution, following a public meeting of Muslim women at Bhopal’s Iqbal maidan, a 50-member delegation led by Dr Asma Zahra presented a copy of the resolution passed at their meeting to the AIMPLB president, Maulana Rabe Nadvi and general secretary, Maulana Wali Rahmani.

The women’s resolution stressed that they fully abide by Shariah laws and any change in the same is not acceptable to them. Dr Zahra told the media that the proposed meetings of Muslim men and women across the country will be executed with the same fervor as the earlier signature campaign opposing any change in Muslim personal law.

Journey into Rakhine: A Dhaka Tribune Exclusive

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September 12, 2017

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A Dhaka Tribune world exclusive brings you an eye-witness report from the first journalistic incursion into Rakhine since the area was sealed to outsiders by Myanmar.

Hundreds of Rohingya line the narrow path that leads to Teknaf Syed Zakir Hossain/Dhaka Tribune

On Thursday September 7, I decided to go into Myanmar following the same routes the Rohingya were taking to escape to Bangladesh.

My journey started from Lomba Beel, a remote village in Howaikong union in Teknaf. From here, it takes an hour to walk to the Naf, where the three hour-long boat journey begins, ending with another hour spent trudging through the boggy coast of Myanmar.

Hundreds of Rohingya line the narrow path that leads to Teknaf | Syed Zakir Hossain/Dhaka Tribune

Thousands of Rohingya swarmed the roads, desperate to find shelter. They had haunted expressions and downcast, fearful eyes, aching to tell their stories of being chased away from their lands. Everyone had a story to tell, to anyone who would listen.

The march from the Naf to Lomba Beel is a stern testimony to the horrors that have driven over 270,000 people over two weeks.

Nothing like a humanitarian crisis to get rich quick

On the banks of the Naf, the fleeing Rohingya arrived in groups of ten to twelve on small fishing boats. The boats shook tumultuously, even ten people too much for them.

But there were too many boats with well over a dozen passengers each. It comes as no surprise that there are so many Rohingya reported dead during the crossing.

They are operated by Bangladeshi boatmen who have found a lucrative niche in this corner of the world.

The boatmen charge Tk10,000 ($122) per head to ferry each Rohingya from Rakhine to Teknaf.

When asked about the exorbitant rates, a boatman glumly replied: “Our humanity compels us to help our fellow human beings. If we did not provide a route to escape, they would never be able to escape to Bangladesh.”

The humanity is there, but it does not come cheap. The sympathy of the boatmen doesn’t extend to offering the fleeing Rohingya a way across the river for free.

After a boat arrived with a dozen Rohingya, including a month-old baby, all from Buthidaung, I asked the boatman to take me to Myanmar. At first he refused, but the incentive of cash encouraged him to oblige my request.

The Rohingya refugee have but one aim in mind, to survive the onslaught they have left behind | Syed Zakir Hossain/Dhaka Tribune

The boatman pushed away from the coast with all his might leveraged with the oar. He quickly rowed to get to the other side. I asked him what his hurry was. He replied it was to get into the Myanmar waters and away from Border Guard Bangladesh patrols.

As we cruised into international waters, a flotilla of boats, perhaps over a hundred boats – of the same size as the one I was on – filled the horizon. Thousands of Rohingya were huddled on these boats in their desperate attempt to escape the violence in Rakhine.

On my right, a BGB trooper stood like a sentinel atop an outpost, looking out over the flotilla.

After over 40 minutes of sailing, the boat slowly drifted into a canal flanked by border fences in Myanmar. The heart of the canal was crowded with empty boats, ready to ferry the Rohingya to Bangladesh, for a hefty price.

On Myanmar soil

The land of pagodas and fleeing minorities

“You do not need to be worry about their Border Guard Police or the Tatmadaw here. This area is under the control of Harakat al-Yaqeen (the former name of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army),” my boatman tells me.

He points towards an outpost and tells me it used to belong to the Myanmar BGP until August 25. ARSA had captured it and driven the BGP away. I gazed at the concrete structure in awe. This is what sparked the wildfire that was consuming the lives of hundreds of thousands.

The much vaunted Myanmar border outpost now overlooks Rohingya fleeing the country | Adil Sakhawat/Dhaka Tribune

It was hard to tear my gaze away from the outpost. But as I did, I saw hundreds of people scrambling for the boats. In the light of the setting sun, the lines of hardship on their faces seemed to be getting more and more distinct.

A small bridge arched over the canal connects the two village tracts of Shilkhali and Kurkhali. Two men carrying staves stood guard over the bridge. The boatmen pointed towards them and whispered: “They are ARSA.”

The area is less of an insurgency camp and more of a getaway hub for fleeing refugees | Adil Sakhawat/Dhaka Tribune

These two haggard-looking men in shirts and lungi looked more like farmers or fishermen than armed insurgents. But the wooden sticks they carried would at least help them shepherd the Rohingya away from the violence, if not combat the armed forces outright.

It was an endless stream of people. Desperate people. Frightened people. A people without a land. For all their bonds to their homes in Rakhine, they were now forced to flee to Bangladesh.

My boatman introduced me to one Rashid Ahmed, an ARSA member, and took off, pleading his urgency to ferry another boatload of Rohingya refugees to Bangladesh.

Where the army fears to tread

Rohingya refugees trudge across the mudplains to get to the shores of the Naf to embark on boats to take them to Bangladesh | Adil Sakhawat/Dhaka Tribune

Rashid told me that the bridge is a crucial point for ARSA and the Rohingya alike. The two villages it connected were controlled by ARSA. The canal was one of the major, if not the only, point of contact for the boatmen and the refugees.

I asked him how he felt about the conflict. He responded that the Rohingya had been oppressed by the Myanmar government for decades and the armed struggle was the only way they could resist. He hinted about another possible ARSA attack soon, but refused to reply to any further queries along these lines once he realised his slip.

I inquired about how far the Myanmar forces are. He confidently replied they were three kilometres away.

Those who have money, can purchase their crossing to Bangladesh. Those who do not, are stranded | Adil Sakhawat/Dhaka Tribune

“They do not have the courage to stand where you are standing right now,” he said.

I walked two kilometres upriver along the border fence, and found no end to the stream of Rohingya refugees. It was exhausting, to even see so many people arrive at the shores ragged and weary.

After all the perils they had braved, too many people remained stranded because they could not afford the Tk10,000 to make the crossing. But at least they were safer here, in ARSA territory, than their villages which burned on the horizon.

My excursion to Myanmar was over. I sought a boat to take me back to Bangladesh.

As the sun began to set behind me, I could not help but wonder how many of the fleeing Rohingya will ever see another sunset in Rakhine.

Republished with permission from Dhaka Tribune.

“We will not put our pens down…”

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September 12, 2017

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Writers Respond to Threat from Hindu Aikya Vedi

K P Sasikala, Kerala state president of the Hindu Aikya Vedi has, according to media reports, threatened writers who are opposed to the RSS. “Pray to stay alive,” she has advised secular Indian writers. She has suggested that they conduct a puja to avoid an untimely death like that of Gauri Lankesh. The Vedi is a platform of several groups part of, or sympathetic to, the Sangh Parivar.

The Indian Cultural Forum asked writers to respond to this most recent and open threat from the rightwing.

Shashi Deshpande:
Killing writers is like trying to pluck the golden rod. Their works remain. Hasn’t the woman seen how writers, despite censorship, have spoken up for freedom? Hasn’t she seen how writers’ words illuminate our lives?

Githa Hariharan:
The Sangh Parivar trolled Gauri Lankesh even after her murder. The Hindu Aikya Vedi’s threat is the next logical obscenity. Threatening writers is a direct attack on democracy, freedom of speech, our culture and, indeed, everything India stands for. We will not out our pens down.

K Satchidanandan:
Sasikala’s speech, as ambiguous, inconsistent, yet calamitous as her speeches inevitably have been, is meant to work like a double entendre. On the one hand, it feebly attempts to deflect the charge that the RSS is behind Gauri Lankesh’s murder, putting the onus on the Congress party and the Government of Karnataka. On the other hand, it is intended to serve as an indirect warning to all writers, including journalists, and especially the writers in Kerala who are known for their shared secular vision. They are, almost without exception, the inheritors of a tradition of communal harmony and secular culture. They have kept the communal extremists at bay in a state that has so far proved invincible for the Sangh Parivar, despite some infiltration in certain pockets. This is clearly worrying their followers, and also their leaders, who have recently given Kerala the appellation, ‘killing fields’. No doubt the large community of fearless writers and independent journalists in Kerala, as well as the whole country, will treat Sasikala’s words for what they have always been: venomous buffoonery. Such attacks will only strengthen our resolve to fight the communal elements who are trying to destroy the very social fabric of our diverse nation — built by the sacrifices of freedom-loving people from every community. It just gives us one more reason to resist the destruction of our culture by the divisive dispensers of hatred.

Ashok Vajpeyi
This is outrageous and should be condemned by all sane citizens of India. It is a not a veiled threat to Indian writers, the majority of whom are secular, or respect all religions equally. This is an open invitation to murderers and assassins, and we demand immediate legal action against this person.

Ganesh Devy:
The statement is an insult to Gauri Lankesh who lost her life last week. It is an insult to the community of writers. It is an insult to the values enshrined in the Constitution. It is an insult to the rich literary tradition of Kerala. It is an insult to the ancient practice of yagna.
The statement is so ludicrous, it is best ignored. It deserves no serious attention.

Keki Daruwalla:
Sasikala’s statement, incoherent, illogical and vicious, should be treated with contempt. Notice there isn’t a word of remorse for the murder of Gauri Lankesh. It is of a piece with the vulgar and obscene trolling that some of the right wing lumpens have indulged in. But we should take notice of the threat. Writers are not going to be cowed down. If ninety percent writers are against the RSS, as she claims, the RSS should take note and introspect.

Courtesy: Indian Cultural Forum

UN High Commissioner “dismayed” by rise of religious intolerance in India, “deplores” govt’s bid to deport Rohingyas

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September 12, 2017

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“The complete denial of reality is doing great damage to the international standing of the Myanmar government”

Image: Reuters

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad al Hussein, has “deplored” India’s plan to deport Rohingyas “at a time of such violence against them in their own country.” He was equally “dismayed by a broader rise of intolerance towards religious and other minorities in India”. He was addressing the Human Rights Council on the opening day of its 36^th session on the human rights situation in 40 countries.

The current wave of violent, and often lethal, mob attacks against people under the pretext of protecting the lives of cows is alarming,” said al Hussein. “People who speak out for fundamental human rights are also threatened. Gauri Lankesh, a journalist who tirelessly addressed the corrosive effect of sectarianism and hatred, was assassinated last week. I have been heartened by the subsequent marches calling for protection of the right to freedom of expression, and by demonstrations in 12 cities to protest the lynchings”.

“Human rights defenders who work for the rights of India’s most vulnerable groups should be considered allies in building on India’s achievements to create a stronger and more inclusive society. Instead, many are subject to harassment and even criminal proceedings, or denied protection by the State” the High Commissioner.

Deploring the systematic attack on Rohingyas possibly amounting to crimes against humanity, the high commissioner said, “The Myanmar government should stop claiming that the Rohingyas are setting fire to their own homes and laying waste to their own villages. This complete denial of reality is doing great damage to the international standing of a government which, until recently, benefited from immense good will. I call on the government to end its current cruel military operation…”

The high commissioner expressed appreciation over the Bangladesh government’s “constructive engagement” with the office of the UN High Commissioner on Rohingyas who have sought refuge in Bangladesh.

On a more general note the high commissioner bemoaned the “hypocrisy” of States which “defend the rights of humans elsewhere… while at home they openly deny the rights of their own people?”

“Does it not occur to the many Governments who engage in intimidation and bullying, and commit reprisals against human rights defenders and NGOs which work with the UN human rights mechanisms – do they not realise that this only confirms to us, and to the world, how much oppression and injustice they exercise in their own countries? This is not a shared future; it is the theft of their peoples’ inalienable rights.”

The high commissioner urged the president and members states on the UN’s Human Rights Council “to develop a stronger, more unified voice in world affairs on behalf of human rights”.

“I also suggest consideration be given to the need to exclude from this body States involved in the most egregious violations of human rights,” he added.

Read the full text of the High Commissioner’s Opening Statement.

Zulm Tumhara JNU Hamara: Women Bag leadership Positions, JNUSU

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September 11, 2017

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“For us women leaders, the win is exhilarating. As women we have to work doubly harder to prove that we can work as hard, be as responsible, especially as political beings. This election was a first in so many ways because across the board women candidates fought. We won.” : Geeta Kumari AISA.

Geeta Kumari and Simone Zoya Khan are two women leaders of the coherent and strong JNU Students Union (JNUSU). The first, Geeta Kumari hails from Panipat is the latest firebrand President of the JNUSU, from AISA, having won by a majority of 464 votes. A graduate from JNU itself in 2011 she studied at the Army School Allahabad. The second is Simone Zoya Khan, also from AISA, who won as Vice-President by 848 votes. Geeta Kumari is the fifth woman president of the JNUSU.

Geeta Kumari is today, tired and determined. Specialising in Modern History for her post graduation, she says she will work day and nights to fulfil her responsibility.

Speaking to Sabrangindia in an exclusive interview this evening, she says:

Your biggest challenge in the JNU of today?
“Our biggest collective challenge is to fight back the encroachment on democratic spaces by this Vice Chancellor (Jagadesh Kumar) who represents the worst policies of the Modi government. He has tried to curtail student representation, violated decisions of the Academic Council and the stay order given by the Court, insisted that dhabas close at 11 p.m., put a restrictions on protests..despite that we won!!! A United Panel of the Left won all seats. This is a huge vindication of the struggle.”

“We will work to make the administration accountable. The CBI and agencies answerable for the gross slips and lacunae in Najeeb’s disappearance.”

As a Woman Leader what does this mean for Women?
“For us women leaders, the win is exhilarating. As women we have to work doubly harder to prove that we can work as hard, be as responsible especially as political beings. This election was a first in so many ways because across the board women candidates were fielded and contested.. We won. “
[[Aparajitha Raja of AISF finished fifth with 416 votes]

Is there a sense of fear and intimidation ?
“I have been an activist for six years now. There is no fear as such but some concerns, will we be able to communicate with the Vice Chancellor? The fear is only a concern for the success of the struggle. We leave no stone unturned to get the anti-student, anti-democratic policies of the administration and government overturned.”

Message on the Protest Meeting on Journalist Gauri Lankesh’s Murder
Gauri Lankesh was an inspiration to us all. We have dedicated the United Left win at JNUSU to her. She was our friend. She recognised that the student leaders were the real opposition today. We upheld her legacy to this campaign. We salute her.”

Background
Rashmi Doraiswami from SFI, elected in 1983-84, was the first woman President of the Union. Albeena Shakil, also from SFI, became the second woman President in 2001-02. Mona Das from AISA, who won two times in 2004-05 and 2005-06, and Sucheta De from AISA who won in 2011-12, were the third and fourth women Presidents of the JNUSU.The 35-member JNUSU council consists of the Union office-bearers elected by all students in JNU, and 31 school councillors elected by students of the various schools in JNU.The number of votes cast in the JNUSU elections came down from 5138 last year to 4620 this year due to the seat cuts that have been imposed on the University.

Today
Duggirala Srikrishna from SFI was elected as General Secretary by a margin of 1107 votes, and Shubhanshu Singh from DSF won the Joint Secretary post by a majority of 835 votes. The four winning candidates polled 1506, 1876, 2082 and 1755 votes respectively.
The United Left has won a mammoth victory in the JNU Students Union (JNUSU) elections for the year 2017-18. The alliance won all four office-bearer posts in the Union – President, Vice-President, General Secretary and Joint Secretary – by huge margins.The United Left, an alliance of three left-wing student organisations – All India Students Association (AISA), Students’ Federation of India (SFI), and Democratic Students Federation (DSF) – also won 13 councillor seats in the Union and a majority in the JNUSU Council.

The All India Students’ Federation (AISF) was faced with a major disappointment as its President candidate The ABVP has won a majority in the JNUSU only once – in 1996-97, when it won the Vice-President, General Secretary and Joint Secretary posts and a large number of councillor seats. It has won the President post only once, in 2000-01, when the ABVP candidate won by just one vote. The very next year, however, the SFI-AISF alliance swept the polls, with the ABVP being trounced in all seats by huge majorities (the SFI-AISF’s President candidate won by 589 votes, then a record).

“We will not put our pens down…” Writers Respond to Threat from Hindu Aikya Vedi

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September 11, 2017

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“We will not put our pens down…”Writers Respond to Threat from Hindu Aikya Vedi