enowned economist Prabhat Patnaik, who was served two warning notices by the JNU administration for having addressed a public meeting organised by the JNU Students Union (JNUSU), has responded with a stinging letter.The JNUSU’s public meeting on “The Idea of A University: Democracy, Resistance and Future Challenges” was held on 4 August 2017. Apart from Prabhat Patnaik, It was addressed by former JNU professor and Hindi author Chaman Lal, historian Harbans Mukhia, and former Rajya Sabha TV Executive Director Urmilesh.

Patnaik, who taught at the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning (CESP) at JNU for more than two and a half decades, was served the first notice after the JNUSU’s programme was announced. The letter, dated 3 August 2017 and signed by University Registrar Pramod Kumar, asked Patnaik to not address the public meeting. It claimed that the venue of the meeting “falls in close vicinity of the Administrative Block, which is a prohibited area within the University Campus for such activity”.

The letter quoted rules to argue that gheraos, sit-ins or any of their variations are prohibited, and says that hunger strikes, dharnas and other “peaceful and democratic forms of protest and group bargaining” should be conducted at a distance of 20 metres away from the Administrative and Academic complexes.

The letter, however, did not explain how JNUSU’s public meeting on the Idea of the University was in violation of the quoted rules.

Patnaik replied to the letter, pointing out that if the meeting is being held at a venue where it should not be held, it is a matter that the administration should take up with the students. He said that he shall go ahead to speak at the meeting since he had agreed to speak at the meeting which has been called to discuss an important academic issue.

Here is the full text of Prof. Patnaik’s reply to the Registrar:
 

Dear Dr. Pramod Kumar,
I did not know where the meeting on the 4th was going to be held. But if it is being held at some venue where it should not be held, then that is a matter for you to take up with the students and not with me. Since I have agreed to speak at the meeting which is to discuss an important academic issue, namely the idea of a university, I shall do so. I am not an organizer of the meeting, and I am a retired professor with no regular contact with the students’ union. It is not for me to tell the students where they should hold their meetings. You should take up the matter with them and not with me. With regards,
Prabhat Patnaik

The public meeting went ahead as scheduled and witnessed a large turnout of students. However, Patnaik received another letter from the Registrar on Thursday, 10 August, this time framed in an even more hubristic tone.

The letter said that the meeting was “convened by Mr. Mohit Kumar Pandey who is currently not even a registered student of the University”.

Mohit Pandey, the JNUSU President, had been fined Rs. 20,000 and slapped with hostel transfer for having led a protest demanding justice for Najeeb Ahmed, a JNU student who has been missing since October 2016. He and other JNUSU office-bearers were the hosts of the event.
The Registrar accused Prof. Patnaik of not having cared to respect the rules of the University, and warned him not to repeat “such violation of rules” in the future.

The letter is given below.

 
The Prabhat Patnaik’s reply to this thinly veiled threat was polite, but firm:
 

Dear Registrar,
 
Thank you for your mail. I would like to remind you that I am not a salaried employee of the university but only a professor emeritus, whose relations with the university authorities of any particular time are governed by mutual courtesy, and not by obedience to these authorities. Your letter which demands obedience is clearly based on a misconception. I shall be grateful if this is conveyed to the competent authority.
With regards,
Yours sincerely,
Prabhat Patnaik

Ever since M. Jagadesh Kumar took charge as the JNU Vice-Chancellor in early 2016, the JNU administration has taken a number of steps to curtail the culture of vibrant discussions in the University. As such measures elicited massive protests from students and teachers, the administration has increasingly tried to restrict spaces where protests can be held in the campus. The administration block has been particularly targeted for such restrictions ever since last year’s Stand With JNU movement. The space, which has been for many years the main area where protests in the campus are held, earned the name ‘Freedom Square’ as it became the key gathering space for students during the movement.

The JNU administration’s latest attempt to muzzle debates and discussions in the University has come in for severe criticism.

“Such a letter to a Professor is atrocious”, said Satarupa Chakraborty, General Secretary of the JNUSU. “Prof. Patnaik has been singled out, and the second letter amounts to threatening him”, she said. “We will stand our ground to engage in critical questions with more vigour. Such threats can cow down cowards, not those who fight for ideas”.

Prabhat Patnaik is an economist and thinker respected worldwide, and has been among those who made the most significant contributions in building up JNU as one of the top Universities in the country.

Patnaik was part of a four-member high-power task force of the United Nations, chaired by Joseph Stiglitz, set up to recommend reform measures for the global financial system in 2008. He served as the Vice-Chairman of the Kerala State Planning Board from 2006 to 2011.

The JNU Registrar’s haughty missive is widely seen as having crossed all limits of civility, and Professor Patnaik’s sharp response is now being extensively shared on social media.

Watch Prabhat Patnaik’s speech at JNU Students Union’s 4 August public meeting here:

Courtesy: Newsclick.in
 

The post Prabhat Patnaik Responds to JNU Admin Threats: You have Crossed All Barriers of Civility appeared first on SabrangIndia.

So Now, the JNU VC, an RSS Man Wants an Army Tank on Campus

The JNU Students Union, in a statement issued today, has strongly condemnded efforts by the current Vice Chancellor, Jagadesh Kumar, an RSS man, to militarise the JNU campus. JNUSU general secretary, Satarupa Chakraborty has said that, ” JNU, or for that matter any University is an Institutional space to further develop ideas and deliberate on issues. Army tanks are not for spectacle. Nationalism cannot be infused through beholding instruments of war. The Vice Chancellor and his idea of a tank in University is not needed to instill patriotism. Patriotism is not to be enforced upon.”

It was the commemoration or celebration of ‘Kargil Divas’ that had seen the strange spectacle on campus. Two Union ministers, a cricketer whose bat no longer talks, an author accused of plagiarism and military veterans who are laughed at within the fraternity for being loudmouths—basically all Right-wing worthies, self-proclaimed deshbhakts (patriots) and Hindutva posterboys—came together to create quite a disturbing spectacle at JNU on Sunday (July 23)

Please sample some of the enlightening remarks made at the event to observe “Kargil Victory Day” three days before the actual anniversary. 
The Vice-Chancellor requested the government to install a battle tank on campus to “instil love for the Army” among JNU students. Cricketer Gautam Gambhir spoke about the freedom of expression debate but said some things are non-negotiable. “No one should comment against the army,” he said. Then the talk about enemies and traitors started. Union minister VK Singh talked about how India was always invaded with the help of traitors. US-based engineer turned RW evangelist and social scientist Rajeev Malhotra warned about an “internal war” in the country. He said the event at JNU was “much like a victory over Kargil. Every student has to be a Kshatriya in this internal war”.

Major General G D Bakshi (Retd), who had famously burst into tears on Arnab Goswami’s TV gig, congratulated everyone for the “victory over JNU” and credited the VC for it. He then proclaimed, “There are many forts like Jadavpur and Hyderabad university which our army will capture.” It seems universities are enemy territory that need to be captured by the Army.  But the famous last words were by another retired fauji, B K Mishra. He said, “We will create a situation where people will love the nation. And if they don’t, we will force them to love it.” 

The use of force for anything is a classic trait of fascism. It’s but a natural outcome of the “dear leader” cult that’s been growing. Sometime ago, a Union minister had told us that there is nothing called marital rape, implying that a husband’s use of force is natural. Now this.  University campuses are not for militaristic jingoism. That a hollow man is at the helm of affairs, you have hollow people running riot everywhere. This is not India’s finest hour.

Further the statement of the JNUSU on this affair states, “The administration, instead of protecting the the university from the false propaganda of RSS to malign the image of the university, is proactively spreading the lies and propaganda of RSS saying “students are anti-army”. This remark was made by the associate Dean of Students, Mr. Buddha Singh.

What is important for a university and its students is its academic environment, intellectual space for debate -discussions, good academic and infrastructural facilities. A university doesn’t need any army tanks, but, needs to ensure all its students get registration, continue with their academic activities without any intervention from the administration. A university needs to ensure scholarships, hostels and other facilities for students. I wish, Mr. Jagadesh Kumar has the ability to understand what a university stands for.”

It was at this event on Sunday that the JNU Vice-Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar on Sunday requested union ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and General V K Singh to help in “procuring an Army tank” that could be displayed at a “prominent place” on campus to serve as a “constant” reminder to students of the sacrifices the Army makes.
The idea of showcasing a military tank to “instill nationalism” was first brought up in the aftermath of the February 9, 2016 event on campus, where the alleged raising of anti-India slogans led to students being arrested for sedition.

Kumar was speaking at the first ever celebration of Kargil Vijay Diwas on the JNU campus, organised by the university administration and Veterans India. Besides Pradhan and Singh, cricketer Gautam Gambhir, Major General (retd) G D Bakshi and author Rajiv Malhotra were part of the event, which began with a Tiranga March from the main gate to the Convention Centre, carrying a 2,200 foot-long tricolor.

“It’s an important day for us to remember the sacrifices made by men in the defence forces to keep the safety and security of this country… We would like to request V K Singh and also Pradhan ji to help us procure an Army tank so that we can put it in a prominent place in JNU. The presence of the Army tank will constantly remind thousands of students who pass through this university about the great sacrifices and valour of the Indian Army,” Kumar said.

It was cricketer Gautam Gambhir spoke about the February 9 controversy, and said respect for the tricolor should be non-negotiable, and that the Army had the right to take extreme decisions. “Those standing on the borders are the real heroes, not cricketers or Bollywood celebrities. Standing in JNU, it takes me back to when there was a lot of talk about freedom of speech. Freedom of speech is important, but there are certain things which are absolutely non-negotiable. One is the respect for the tricolor,” Gambhir said.

“There are people sitting in AC rooms and comfortable positions should never try and make a comment about the defence forces. People who stay in extreme conditions and risk their lives should be given all the rights to take extreme decisions… Some time back, people said that the decision (to tie a Kashmiri man to the front of a military vehicle to deter stone-pelters) taken by Major (Leetul) Gogoi in Kashmir was very wrong, but I always maintained that people w’o’re in extreme conditions should have all the right to protect themselves, their men and the country,” Gambhir added.

MoS External Affairs V K Singh said the Indian Army had the “best record” on human rights across the world.

Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that in no other country was the Army undermined in the way some people did in India. “JNU is always making headlines. But I am happy that under the current VC, the university has installed the Wall of Heroes and organised this Tiranga March where slogans of Bharat Mata ki Jai reverberated,” Pradhan said.

The post So Now, the JNU VC, an RSS Man Wants an Army Tank on Campus appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The JNU student community “makes a fervent appeal” to the administration “to desist from the unlawful occupation and blockade of” top administrative posts in view of the fact that these posts are established to serve public interests and not for gaining political mileage and fuel personal egos.

Fifteen days have passed since “the students who have been sent by their parents from different parts of the country to study and research in JNU” have been engrossed in a blockade to protest against the May 2016 UGC Gazette; however, the Vice Chancellor has not addressed the students even once! Despite several letters from Teachers and Students requesting a meeting, the Vice Chancellor has refused to engage in any dialogue and instead of communicating a concrete time and date for such a meeting, he has only engaged in creating a facade of appeals and requests by misusing the university website, student mailing lists and the media for personal media attention!

The student community feels that the Vice Chancellor and his counsel must step down in view of the confusion they are creating through their appeals. In one appeal (14-2-2017), the Vice Chancellor claims: “Any individual faculty member or student interested in meeting the VC and the JNU administration are most welcome to meet and share their views”. However, when so many students of his university express their desire of “meeting and sharing their views with the VC”, his registrar says in the next appeal (21-2-2017) that “The best of dialogues can take place only between student representatives and Administration officials. But the agitating students are insisting that the Vice Chancellor must come and answer questions at mass gathering of students!” He goes on to call this desire to meet “unreasonable and quarrelsome”: “It is like asking for public trial of the Vice Chancellor for seeking to implement the UGC Gazette notification on M. Phil/PhD admission!”(23-2-2017) The JNU Student community is “aghast” at these attempts at playing victim and creating unnecessary panic. The “laughable” appeals are “condemnable” as it is already clear to the student community that rather than engaging in any productive dialogue to resolve the present crisis, the administration is more interested in staging a drama to show fake concern over the dysfunctioning of the administrative block!

Recognising that academic, financial and other academic work (related to fellowships, PhD Viva, Mark sheets and Degree Certificates, salary bills, and essential services like medical bills) were getting affected due to the blockade, the students decided to open the Ad block phase wise till the 2nd March. However, the Vice Chancellor directed the staff to not enter the premises till he and his counsel are allowed to enter. The Student Community is quite amused to see this display of egoism which just shows that the VC is himself interested in continuing the blockade and delaying important work and decisions to gain media mileage as a victim of agitating students!

This only pushes the student community to wonder: Does the Vice chancellor even “care for the thousand plus contractual labourers who have suffered” because of his silence on the UGC Gazette issue? Does he wish to resolve this issue or just wants to “continue shedding crocodile tears by invoking “social justice” arguments” in his appeals? Does he worry at all “when the university has lost huge sums of money, that that are actually the country’s taxpayers’ money” due to his silence on the UGC Gazette issue and his unprincipled blockade of communication and democratic procedures? Does his office “respect academics, when official papers of faculty and students related to their academic engagements in India and abroad are not processed” due to his denial of communication with agitating students? Who will be responsible when students from marginalised communities will not be able to apply to JNU because of the implementation of the UGC Gazette? Who will be responsible when the three part exam will completely dilute the quality of research in JNU? Who will be responsible when the high viva-voce weightage will continue to encourage discrimination against students from different social backgrounds? All these repercussions “are ironically not considered law and order problems” by the JNU Administration!

Hence, the JNU Student Community is of the opinion that the Vice Chancellor and his office have made a mockery out of all ‘democratic’ procedures and modes of communication. They are only interested in spreading myths about democratic dialogue while being absolutely rigid and resolute to pursue their own agenda, that is, ignore the Abdul Nafey Committee recommendations and implement the anti-student May 2016 UGC Gazette. In the past 15 days, they have only insulted adult, conscientious students of their university by calling them “unruly”, “unreasonable” and their demands “ridiculous”, “illogical”, “mindless” and “unwarranted”.

“Before the students, teachers, staff and karamcharis of the university lose their current level of tolerance and patience” at an administration that is so unresponsive to their demands, the Vice Chancellor should abandon the unlawful path of conceit and accept their demands in a reconvened Academic Council meeting:

– Implement the Nafey Committee Recommendations
– Scrap the draconian UGC Gazette Notification
– No seat cut at any level of admission
– Roll back fee hike
– Reject 3-level qualifying exam for M.Phil/PhD. admission
– Implement minority deprivation points
– Implement reservations in direct PhD. Admission
– Implement OBC reservations in faculty posts

“JNU has been a great source of inspiration to millions of students and teachers of other educational institutions of the country for decades”. “But the mode of…” administrative highhandedness that the Vice Chancellor and his counsel have been demonstrating for close to a year “…is anything but inspiring”! It has only pushed students to engage in strong forms of protest like gheraos, protests and blockades and the administration is solely responsible for creating such an environment. Hence, the JNU Student community yet again makes an appeal to the administration to keep the interests of students above narrow political gains, personal media mileage, alleged victimhood and opportunism and pay heed to the demands of students from diverse social and economic backgrounds, and immediately end the occupation and blockade that the administration is hell bent on imposing on different levels of higher education!

“JNU Student Community”
*This appeal simply reworks the numerous appeals issued by the administration towards a more truthful account of what has been happening in JNU since 10th Feb 2017. All the quotations are from appeals on www.jnu.ac.in.
 

The post Dear JNU VC, Don’t Manipulate: Respond to Students’ Demands Or Resign! appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Student activists in the campus are planning another round of protests  against the JNU Administration, which on last Tuesday released a notice expelling 10 students who allegedly barged in during the Academic Council meeting going on in the Convention Centre on Monday, December 26 to raise their demands of reduction of viva marks from 30 to 10, rollback of fee hike and implementation of minority deprivation points. The Administration claimed that they had broken the locks of the door and disrupted the meeting; the Academic Council meeting is the highest decision-making body of the varsity.

The students—eight of them presently studying in different centres of the University,: Rahul Sonepimple ( Student Union Presidential Candidate, BAPSA), Bhupali Kusum Vitthal (BAPSA), Dawa Sherpa (DSU), Mulayam Singh Yadav (United OBC Forum), Dilip Yadav (SFS), Shakeel Anjum (Former Student Union General Secretary from AISA, independent activist currently), Prashant Kumar and Mrintunjay Singh have denied disrupting the meeting but have claimed that they wanted their demands to be heard by the Administration, which they called “has turned authoritarian, just like the government.” Two other students—Birendra and Praveen have been listed as outsiders though the students said that they are pursuing their PhD and are in their third and first semesters respectively. The students are facing an academic suspension and removal from hostel “with immediate effect.”

Not insignificantly,most of the students belong to marginalised sections such as SC, ST and minority category and hail from far-flung and backward areas of the country. The JNU Students Union, led by representatives from AISA and SFI has said that they stand in solidarity with the suspended students and shall fight hard to get the suspensions revoked.

However, the students from Ambedkarite and extreme-left parties have declined to fight the movement under the Union which they claimed to be “Brahminical just like the Administration and the Teachers’ Union.” Rahul Sonepimple from BAPSA  commented, “both the Administration and the Union condemned our protest as undemocratic…both of them collectively passed the decision of fee hike, the AISA-SFI led Union failed to show up for the protest as well. They [AISA-SFI] must close their shops of solidarity and enjoy a cup of Brahminical impunity with casteist JNUTA and JNU Administration.”  Shehla Rashid had earlier in the day tweeted that BAPSA’s “actions were just political positioning.” A wave 0f comments and rebuttals from Ambedkarite fractions had condemned the statement

Around a hundred students had gathered at the iconic Administration Building, or Freedom Square—a moniker coined by the left-leaning students, to protest against the move. The Union was absent, raising further questions about the unity of the student movement on a campus that has seen turbulent months since the February 9 incident when several students of the campus were arrested for allegedly raising “anti-national” slogans, all of them were later granted bail. The students with tambourines and posters called for a revocation of the order and called upon the Vice Chancellor to speak to the students. Few teachers had also joined the protest. After sloganeering for about half an hour students from across schools took turns to voice out their opinions. Birendra Kumar, a student at Centre of Historical Studies said that the decision was an “attack on the
Later in the day, sources confirmed that a section of teachers called upon the protesting students and the Student Union representatives and persuaded them for a united fight as opposed to sectarian protests that are “against the spirit of JNU.” However, an all-organization meeting could not be convened.  

JNUSU later decided for a protest march “Fight Back JNU” from Ganga Dhaba; the march did not see the participation of any political group apart from AISA and SFI.  The Students Union has urged the students to join the “march of social justice” and “give united rejection to al tactics of the sanghi Vice Chancellor.” Till wee hours in the morning, messages kept pouring on various JNU debate pages and groups on Facebook and other social media with students with different political orientations arguing on the further course of action. ABVP, however, seemed disinterested.

Courtesy:The Informer 

The post As VC Expels Ten Students, Another Student Movement Stirs the Campus Again appeared first on SabrangIndia.

नया भारत बनाने की लड़ाई इस समय देश के विश्वविद्यालयों में लड़ी जा रही है।
क्योंकि एकलव्य ने द्रोणाचार्य से कह दिया है कि अँगूठा नहीं दूँगा। तुम बदमाश हो।

सैंकड़ों संगठन JNU के SC, ST, OBC और माइनॉरिटी के छात्रों के साथ एकजुटता दिखा रहे हैं।

यह आवाज़ नागपुर से आ रही है। दीक्षा भूमि से।

RSS को ये खेल बहुत महँगा पड़ेगा।
JNU में SC, ST, OBC माइनॉरिटी के छात्रों पर यूनिवर्सिटी प्रशासन द्वारा किए गए हमले के खिलाफ बिहार के उप-मुख्यमंत्री तेजस्वी यादव का बयान:

"JNU में दलित-बहुजन छात्रों पर Vice Chancellor की दमनात्मक कारवाई से भाजपा और संघ का असली घिनौना चरित्र उजागर हो गया है। दलित-बहुजन छात्र लोकतांत्रिक तरीके से अपने हकूक के लिए संघर्ष कर रहे हैं। जेएनयु को इलीट मनुवाद का अड्डा बनाने की साज़िश बेनकाब होनी चाहिए।

मैं माँग करता हूँ कि छात्रों का निलंबन तुरन्त वापस लिया जाए।

हम सब जानते है कि सामाजिक न्याय और प्रगतिशील विचारों से संघ और भाजपा का वैमनष्य पुराना है। वीसी को JNU जैसे प्रगतिशील संस्थान में मनुवादी-सामंतवाद और दक्षिणपंथी अधिनायकवाद के हाथ की कठ्पुतली ना बनकर छात्रों की मांगों को स्वीकार करना चाहिए।"

JNU से निकाले गए इन रिसर्च स्कॉलर्स में अगर कोई ब्राह्मण या भूमिहार होता तो इस समय वह TV चैनलों में पैनल डिस्कशन में हिस्सा ले रहा होता।

चैनलों के हिसाब से अभी जो निकाले गए हैं, उनमें वह "ख़ास बात" है ही नहीं।

भारत दरअसल जातीय गिरोहों का जमावड़ा है। इसलिए बाबा साहेब ने भारत को "Nation in the making" लिखा है।

पढिए बाबा साहेब का संविधान सभा में भाषण। 26 नवंबर, 1949.

ये फुले, शाहू, बाबा साहेब की संतानें हैं।
यह संविधान की फ़सल है

संविधान में मिले अधिकारों की वजह से ये एमफिल और पीएचडी कर रहे हैं। वरना शास्त्रों के हिसाब से तो उन्हें दूध दुहना, खेती करना, बर्तन बनाना, चमड़ा उतारना था।

पहले चंद लोगों का शिक्षा पर, गुरुकुलों में 100% आरक्षण था। संविधान ने उस आरक्षण को ख़त्म कर दिया है।

इसलिए RSS इतना बौखलाया हुआ है।

शकील अंजुम।

सामाजिक न्याय की बुलंद आवाज़। अब JNU से निलंबित। वाइस चांसलर के आदेश पर SC, ST और OBC छात्रों के साथ इनका सामाजिक बहिष्कार।

Jnu से अब तक किनको निकाला गया है – 4 OBC, 2 SC, 1 आदिवासी, 1 मुसलमान। बाक़ी चार के नोटिस रास्ते में हैं।

वाइस चांसलर ने क्या ग़ज़ब दलित-बहुजन-माइनॉरिटी एकता बनाई है। इन्हें आपका समर्थन चाहिए।
 
JNU से एक चिंताजनक समाचार आ रहा है।

वहाँ के SC, OBC और माइनॉरिटी के 8 स्टूडेंट्स का सामाजिक बहिष्कार का आदेश जारी हुआ है। वे न तो हॉस्टल में रह पाएँगे, न लाइब्रेरी में पढ़ पाएँगे, न क्लास जा पाएँगे, न सेमिनार अटैंड कर पाएँगे।

बिल्कुल वही आदेश जो एक साल पहले ठीक इसी दिन रोहित वेमुला और उनके चार साथियों के खिलाफ जारी हुआ था।

इंटरव्यू का वेटेज घटाओ आंदोलन।

The post नया भारत बनाने की लड़ाई इस समय देश के विश्वविद्यालयों में लड़ी जा रही है appeared first on SabrangIndia.

A vice-chancellor who will not step out of his office, walk down 40 steps to talk to students on an indefinite strike at the iconic Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) makes clear where his allegiance lies, from whom he draws inspiration (RSS), whose instructions he follows (the BJP-dominated NDA government. For proof, read on.

Kumar was appointed as VC in January 2016 after the Visitor of the University, President Pranab Mukherjee chose Jagadesh Kumar over a panel of four selected for appointment to the prestigious post. On his appointment, the RSS-affiliate, Vijnana Bharati was quick to claim him as their own. The Indian Express has reported that scientists VK Saraswat, Anil Kakodkar and Vijay Bhatkar are patrons of Vijnana Bharati. Around the time of his appointment, Kumar was quoted on his vision for JNU. Barely four months ago, Kumar had said, “JNU is among the best universities in the country and I want to take it further. If selected, I will first interact with students to seek their feedback on improving campus facilities. I also want to ensure that JNU becomes the best centre of scientific research, one which is relevant to the country’s needs”.

The VC's deeds, however, do not seem to match his words. Students have been protesting the report of the 'High Level Committee' meeting out harsh punishments to many students without following due process. The students have resorted to an indefinite hunger strike and the VC who promised to interact with students has yet to step out of his office to meet them.

SabrangIndia has accessed a document which clearly indicates that the VCs soul lies with the Sangh (RSS). The document in question is an article written by HV Sheshadri, former all-India general secretary of the RSS on the 'Relevance of the RSS in our National Life'. Kumar was sufficiently inspired by this RSS self-eulogy to forward it to others for inspiration. Here is the text he circulated.

(1). Authored by HV Sheshadri, All India General Secretary of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh; Suruchi Prakashan.
 

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Dear Prof. Jagadesh Kumar,

We are writing, as a group of academics, to express our deep disappointment with your actions in the events leading up to the arrest and detention of several students last week.

We understand that last Tuesday, a student group organised a rally to commemorate the death anniversary of Afzal Guru. The police alleges that some of the students voiced controversial opinions. The police then proceeded to arrest the president of the JNU Students Union, Kanhaiya Kumar, and charged him with sedition. This has been followed by a number of further detentions. What is most disturbing is that the JNU administration appears to have defended and aided these repressive actions by the police, rather than defending the students who were involved in a non-violent activity.

The arrest of the president of the JNUSU is especially troublesome since he was not even an organiser of the rally but merely present to express his solidarity. However, even as far the organisers and the speakers at the event are concerned, we hope that you recognise that expressing controversial views in a peaceful forum cannot be equated with sedition. For example, many people believe that Afzal Guru was let down by a lack of appropriate legal representation in his trial, and that his execution was therefore a grave miscarriage of justice. One may agree or disagree with this viewpoint — and, indeed, signatories to this letter hold different positions —  but we are unanimous that students should have the right to freely discuss this issue. This is such a basic pillar of academic ethics that we were dismayed by the statement made by the registrar of JNU, Mr. Bupinder Zutshi, who reportedly said, “The government of India hanged him [Afzal Guru] after declaring him a terrorist. How could we allow them to organise an anti-Indian programme?” This indicates a complete lack of appreciation of the concept of academic freedom.

India is a vast country, and no one group can define what it means to be “nationalist” or “anti-national” is, in specific terms of positions to hold and causes to support. The country’s fabric is strong enough to accommodate a plurality of views. It is the attempt to suppress differing viewpoints that is genuinely damaging for the country’s democratic ethos. Further, we believe that creativity in all branches of knowledge – surely in the interest of our nation – finds highest expression in a milieu that does not put constraints on the freedom of thought.

It is ironic that this attempt to suppress dissent occurred at one of the country’s leading Universities. A University is a site where contesting ideas are explored and where students should be able to freely debate and discuss various views, including controversial ones, without the threat of state action.

Senior members of the government have aggressively targeted your students. The JNU administration should have protected its students against these attacks and charges that have also vitiated the police investigation. We are deeply disappointed that you have failed to carry out this responsibility.

We hope that you will take urgent corrective steps to ensure that the police releases the arrested students, and also to ensure that it drops the unsubstantiated charges against them. We also hope that, in the future, you will take steps to protect freedom of speech on the JNU campus.

The individuals listed here have signed this letter in their personal capacity. Institutional affiliations are listed for purposes of identification, and this letter does not indicate the official positions of these organisations. Names are arranged in alphabetical order.
 

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