According to the latest reports, one student–Shah Alam–was admitted to the emergency ward of Holy Family Hospital while five students were taken to the local medical centre for treatment.

Shah Alam admitted at Holy Family Hosptial. Photo courtesy: Jamia World

According to students, the goons who attacked them were hired by the college authorities and the local security staff acted as mere spectators. “When we asked the security people as to why they were not helping us, they said they cannot do anything,” said a student. “The goons were carrying wooden sticks and branches broken from nearby trees and beating everyone in sight including women,” said another student.

The Jamia administration, meanwhile, denied any wrongdoing and instead blamed the protesting students for the unrest. Ahmad Azeem, PRO-cum-Media Coordinator, Jamia Millia Islamia said allegations that the students were attacked by hired goons were a “totally false allegation.” He blamed student groups for fermenting trouble on the campus and said that the security guards were trying to stop the students.

“Today a group of students backed by some student organisations gheraoed the Vice-Chancellor office, laid siege to the office complex and physically blocked all the gates of exit. A group of senior teachers and officials of the university met the agitating students and listened (to) their concerns patiently and requested them to lift their siege on the administrative complex. Teachers also assured them that their demands given in the memorandum will be discussed at the highest level but they refused. Teachers also requested the students to send some of their representatives for (a) talk but they refused,” said Azeem in a WhatsApp response to this correspondent.

Students protesting against Jamia administration

Protests in Jamia began when five students were issued a show-cause notice for protesting against the visit of delegates from Isreal during an event. Jamia students organised a symbolic protest against the same and showed their solidarity with the struggle of the Palestinians.

After the protests, two students were beaten up by the guards, who when confronted, manhandled the students. confronted the staff. Five students were issued a show-cause notice by the administration, following which protests have been brewing in the campus for over a week.

Courtesy: Two Circle

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Image Courtesy: Business Standard

The abrogation of Article 370, a constitutional provision that gave special provisions to the state of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) has been followed by meticulous micro-management on the ground by the cadres of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to stifle all discussion and possible dissent around the issue. Now an incident at the Satara Law College yesterday reveals how local persons owing allegiance to the riling BJP threatened the authorities.

A program called “भारतीय राज्यघटनेतून 370 कलम हद्दपार: राष्ट्रीय व आंतरराष्ट्रीय परिणाम”, to discuss the actions of the Government of India around the abrogation of the Article 370 and the subsequent lockdown and curfew, was organised on August 29 in Ismailsaheb Mulla Law College of Satara. Satara falls in the Western Maharashtra region.’

Earlier, some persons allied to the BJP had objected to the program. An activist, on the condition of anonymity said, “These persons from the BJP said that if the program has any ‘anti-national’ content then we will disrupt (bawal) it. We will video shoot the whole program.”

The law college is affiliated to Rayat Shikshan Sanstha and was founded by the late Karmaveer Bhaurao Patil. Bhaurao Patil was a leading social activist and educator from Maharashtra. He was a strong advocate of mass education and had founded the Rayat Education Society.

Bhaurao played an important role in educating backward castes and people belonging to low income groups by coining the philosophy earn and learn. He was a prominent member of Satyashodhak Samaj (Truth seeker’s society), founded by Mahatma Jotirao Phule. The people of Maharashtra honoured him with the sobriquet Karmaveer (King of actions) and the Government of India awarded him with Padma Bhushan in 1959 in India.

The program was organised by various progressive groups. Upon hearing about the program, it is reported that these ‘activists’ approached the Principal Dr. Sujata Pawar and asked her to cancel the program. The Principal strongly objected to this and didn’t give in to their demands. She informed them that the college authorities will not cancel the program. The program was scheduled for today, August 29 at Satara.

Later, it was learnt that the BJP goons had demanded from the college authorities to allow one speaker on behalf of BJP so that “they could counter the claims” being made in the program.They were able to coerce the college administration with the help of police and reportedly compelled the college authorities to give them space in the program. The activist said, “Why was it necessary for them to demand to be a part of this program? Why could they not have a separate program?”

The program took place today and had Communist Party of India (Marxist)’s senior leader from the region, Vasant Nalavade as the main speaker. Nalavade is also a retired air-force officer. Reportedly, Nalavade could speak only for ten minutes in the midst of disruption and sloganeering. The BJP cadres apparently shouted “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and other slogans.  While two others, Praveen Deshpande Kolhapur and Anand Okh from the BJP, occupied the dais for a longer period.

While the number of students was around 50-60, the program saw a huge presence of BJP cadres and police personnel. Clearly, this ‘mass mobilisation’ was orchestrated to ensure dissent and discussion is crushed into silence.

By such moves, which are arguably coercive, a controversial decision of the government is being normalised through such micromanagement.
That a college can, in 21^st century India, be coerced into re-shaping discussions and seminars by political forces in power, signals the death knell for intellectual activity and democratic debate. It also is telling that all educational institutions are being watched by rogue and right leaning elements and whenever they would feel a threat to their ideology, they will resort to threats and intimidations. In the immediate aftermath of the announcement, the Home Minister Amit Shah had directed various state units to organise programs to hail the decision. Following this several programs have been held across the country, including one on “Akhand Bharat” in Mumbai few days back.
 
 

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Here he is with the stalwart Lal Krsihna Advani

Chauhan has also posted pictures of him standing next to senior-most BJP leaders such as JP Nadda, Nirmala Sitharaman, Anurag Thankur, Sushil Modi, Dharmendra Pradhan and Kailash Vijaywargiya.

A  post on the page is in Hindi, dated October 26, 2015 announces that he has a filed a writ petition in the Delhi High Court against what he calls the “media’s provocative and misleading strategy”. He calls on readers to post instances of the media promoting news in a wrong light. “Har jagah gandagi phaila rakha hai in logon ne, aayo inko sabak sikhayen (These people have defiled the atmosphere everywhere, let’s teach them a lesson),” he goes on to add.

Here are the interesting pictures

Meanwhile, a  lawyers’ body in Delhi district courts today virtually came out in defence of the attackers in black robes in the Patiala House courts, including Vikram Singh Chauhan who was garlanded in Karkardooma courts, to whose bar he belongs. Claiming that certain “outsiders” in lawyers’ robes indulged in violence, the Cordination Committee of all District Court Bar Associations demanded a “fair” inquiry into the incidents. In a shameful expression of defiance in the Karkardooma courts, lawyers held a candle light march for national integrity and against “victimisation” of lawyers. Chauhan, who has been bragging on social media about how the lawyers had taught “anti-nationals” a lesson in Patiala House complex, was reportedly garlanded.
 

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