A Deputy Chief Proctor at the South campus of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in Mirzapur district was booked on charges of promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, caste, etc., after she allegedly removed a RSS flag from the university’s playground Tuesday, The Indian Express reported.

A case by a local RSS office bearer, Chandramohan, was filed against Kiran Damle for allegedly removing a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) flag from the campus. She resigned the same day, following protests by a group of students and local RSS workers.

Station House Officer (SHO), Kotwali Dehat, Abhay Kumar Singh, said a case was registered against Damle under IPC sections 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief).

What transpired?

Chandramohan, head of RSS’s Mirzapur district wing, claimed, “On November 12, the daily Sangh shakha was being held at the stadium on BHU South campus as it has been for the past seven years. Around 7 am, Kiran Damle uprooted a saffron flag and threw it on the floor. All swayamsevaks present there told her that the flag has importance for religious reasons. After this, Damle verbally abused Swayamsevak Neeraj Dwivedi and others present there. She also said that despite the country accepting the Supreme Court’s verdict on Ayodhya, she does not.”

However, deputy chief proctor (South campus), BHU, Kiran Damle, told The Indian Express,”On Tuesday, when I went to the university playground, I found an orange-coloured flag hoisted there. I asked my attendant about who put it there but he said he did not know. I then asked the students present at the playground, nobody replied. After no one took responsibility, I took out the flag, gave it to my attendant and told him to keep it in my office.”

She added, “Later, some students came to me and said the flag is of the RSS. I told them that I did not know because nothing was written on it. I told them that they could conduct their activities, but should not put the flag as it is a sensitive time. Later in the afternoon, a protest was held at the university demanding my resignation. Most of the protesters were from outside [the varsity]. I told the students and protesters that I made a mistake and even apologised to them. They said an apology won’t be enough and that I should resign. I told them that if that is what will make you people calm down, I will resign. I gave my resignation Tuesday from the post of deputy chief proctor. Then, some people told me they would also lodge an FIR against me. I was silent because I didn’t do anything wrong.”

Political twist

While SP Dharamvir Singh said removal of the flag has hurt the sentiments of ‘swayam sevaks’ and Damle should instead have explained and prevailed upon them for getting it removed, local Congress leader and former MLA, Lalitesh Pati Tripathi questioned the interference of RSS office bearers in the workings of the university and said that ‘shakhas’ should not be held on educational institutions.

It is ironical that the RSS which is an ally of the BJP refuses to accept the tricolor as the only flag of India, which is the same for every religion and every person. The RSS has always implicitly rejected India’s constitution by rejecting the tricolor and instead propagate its saffron flag called the ‘Bhagwa Dhwaj’. They consider this flag as the Guru and donations are made to this ‘guru’ with beneficial results before the tax authorities. It is regarded as the symbol of “nationalism” — ie Hindu, not Indian, nationalism.

Related:

Fact Check: The RSS Had No Role in India’s Freedom Struggle

The RSS Doublespeak: Bhagwa for Itself, Tricolour for the ‘Others’

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Bhopal-based Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication (MCNUJC) is apparently being turned into an “RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) propaganda laboratory”.Several people connected with the RSS have allegedly been preferred in appointments to the varsity over deserving candidates.

Under career advancement scheme, the university recently promoted five associate professors to the post of professor. But the appointments, allege students and teachers, were made violating the guidelines of the University Grants Commission (UGC).

The new appointees allegedly do not fulfil the UGC’s minimum qualification criteria.

“Sanjay Dwivedi, who was associate professor in the Mass Communication Department, was promoted as professor without having a PhD. Dr P Shashikala, who teaches at New Media Technology Department, does not have an experience of three years as associate professor. But she too has been promoted as professor. The appointment of Dr Avinash Vajpayee, posted at Media Management Department of the university, was already surrounded in controversy. His API (academic performance index) score is not according to UGC’s 2016 guideline. His PhD is also not in relevant subject,” Avinish Mishra, a student of Electronic Media Department, told NewsClick.

He said all of them in addition to two others are associated with RSS and therefore, they were given preference over other deserving teachers who were in the queue.

The Government of India’s gazette notification says a person being to promoted or appointed as professor must have doctorate and served as associate professor for at least three years.

But MCU Rector Lajpat Ahuja argues that it is not necessary to have a PhD to be promoted to the post of professor.

However, experts rubbished the rector’s arguments adding that gone are the days when research works used to be considered equivalent to PhD.         

Meanwhile, when NewsClick visited the university campus on September 5, students were busy celebrating the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi and were carrying out a procession outside the campus ahead of the customary immersion of Ganesha idol.

They future journalists were raising controversial slogans like ‘Har Ghar Bhagwa Chayega, Ram Rajya Phir Aayega’; ‘Ek Hi Nara, Ek Hi Naam, Jai Shri Ram, Jai Shri Ram’; ‘Ram Lala Hum Aayenge, Mandir Wahin Banayenge’; and ‘Qasam Ram Ki Khate Hain, Mandir Wahin Banayenge’.

The university is already marred in controversy after its decision to build a ‘gaushala’ (cowshed) at its new campus, which is being built in Bishankhedi on the outskirts of Bhopal. The proposed 50-acre campus will have a cowshed on two acres, which is “low-lying where no construction is possible”.

Though Vice Chancellor BK Kuthiala refused to talk to us despite our repeated requests, he had earlier told Indian Express pointing out merits of having a cowshed in the campus, “Milk and curd will go to students living in hostels and the staff living on the campus. Also, fuel from a biogas plant will come in handy.”

He said ancient centres of learning such as Nalanda and Takshashila were self-sufficient and had cowsheds on their campuses. He was not sure if any modern university has one, though.

The VC was widely criticised for implementing the ‘RSS agenda’ in the university after media reported the proposed move.
 
Ramsharan Joshi, former director at the university’s Noida campus, expressed his anguish on Facebook. “When people can come up with ideas like putting tanks in JNU campus to invoke nationalism, why are we astonished over opening of a cowshed in the campus?” he wrote on the social media platform.

“Places like Rashtrapati Bhawan, Vice-president house, Nehru Museum and Indira Gandhi Kala Kendra have ample space. I humbly request to open cowsheds in these places as well…after all we have to make a ‘New India’,” he added.

He took a dig at the VC saying, “Cabinet ministers and bureaucrats own big bungalows. Why shouldn’t we rear some cow mothers out there? Even the VC could be appointed as their OSD (Officer on Special Duty) to perform this job.”

A student of Mass Communication, who did not wish to be named, considers the decision as a case of “misplaced priorities”. “The university has failed to build its campus. It has failed to provide even basic infrastructure required for media students. Clearly, it is a case of misplaced priorities,” he said adding that “no one is against the idea of gaushala but we are questioning this Sangh-parivar backed administration”.

This is not the first time when the university is being accused of “toeing the RSS agenda”.

A few years ago, the university had reportedly conducted a written examination that had questions like “who was the founder of the Jan Sangh”, “who conceptualised integral humanism’’ and “which political leader was born on December 25”.

The Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication was set up by an Act passed in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly in 1990 and inaugurated a year later.

The university runs 21 courses in journalism, communications, management, printing, graphics and multimedia, film production and computer applications, among other subjects.

Courtesy: Newsclick.in

The post Gaushala & Ram Mandir Slogans: Is MP’s Makhanlal Chaturvedi University Turning Saffron? appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Venkatraman Ramakrishnan    Image: Indian Express

On the university’s move, he wrote: “Instead of giving prominence to these real contributions [by people like (C V) Raman, S N Bose, J C Bose and (Meghnad) Saha and the invention of  zero and the positional number system in the past], it is disappointing that the university chose to print an official diary that ascribes to figures from religious scriptures discoveries that belong to modern science, such as nuclear technology, airplanes and cosmetic surgery. The people who did this may think they are being patriotic, but in fact they are bringing disrepute to the university and to India generally. I urge the university to renounce these features in the official diary and consider reprinting the diary.”
 
The Indian Express today reported
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/msu-diary-with-sadhus-as-inventors-brings-disrepute-to-india-ex-student-nobel-laureate-venkatraman-ramakrishnan-4583018/ that a MSU diary with such content drew this criticism.
 
Ex-student, Nobel Laureate
 
According to Ramakrishnan, who won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2009, such depictions bring “disrepute” to the university and the country.

Nobel Laureate Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, who is an alumnus of Vadodara’s Maharaja Sayajirao University (MSU), has urged its administration to consider reprinting its diary and planner, which credited sages from ancient India for their “contribution to science” — from “developing nuclear technology” to “discovering rockets and aeroplanes”. According to Ramakrishnan, who won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2009, such depictions bring “disrepute” to the university and the country.

The Indian Express had reported on March 9 that the MSU’s annual diary and planner for this year, which was released recently, hailed nine Indian sages for work ranging from “discovering rockets and aeroplanes” to pioneering cosmetic surgery.

The paper reports that in an email sent Thursday to The Indian Express, Ramakrishnan wrote:
“India has produced many great discoveries in the past. ***The most striking example is the invention of zero and the positional number system, which transformed arithmetic and mathematics in general. There were also many great discoveries made in the 20th century by people like (C V) Raman, S N Bose, J C Bose and (Meghnad) Saha.*** [Emphasis added.] In fact, the Science Museum in London is planning a special exhibition on Indian contributions to science and mathematics in connection with the 70th anniversary of Indian independence.”

On the university’s move, he wrote: “Instead of giving prominence to these real contributions, it is disappointing that the university chose to print an official diary that ascribes to figures from religious scriptures discoveries that belong to modern science, such as nuclear technology, airplanes and cosmetic surgery. The people who did this may think they are being patriotic, but in fact they are bringing disrepute to the university and to India generally. I urge the university to renounce these features in the official diary and consider reprinting the diary.”

Ramakrishnan was responding to a request seeking comment from this newspaper. The request was sent after Professor A C Sharma, dean, Faculty of Science, MSU, told the university senate during an ongoing debate on the diary that he had received an email from Ramakrishnan on the issue.

As The Indian Express reported, the diary hails Sushrut as the “father of cosmetic surgery”; Acharya Kanad as the one who “developed nuclear technology”; Kapil Muni as the “father of cosmology”; Maharshi Bhardwaj as the one who “discovered rockets and aeroplanes”; Charak Rishi as the “father of medicine”; and, Garga Muni, as the “scientist of stars”. The sages share space with eminent scientists like J C Bose, Vikram Sarabhai and C V Raman.
 
With the issue being raised at a senate meeting Thursday — the diary was not on the agenda — Prof Sharma told the gathering: “We know that this university has great alumni and many people who are associated with us. All of them don’t agree with our activity. Nobel Laureate Venkatraman Ramakrishnan has made a comment in this regard.”

Sharma, quoting Ramakrishnan, said, “Though I fully agree with all those who have sentiments for our history but before making anything public, we should have concrete evidence and whatever we are writing should be scientifically proven facts.”
 
During the debate, professors of the Faculty of Science contested the claims of senate member Jigar Inamdar, who referred to the Constitution to defend the representation of sages in the diary.

Inamdar produced pages from a reproduction of the Constitution, which depicted illustrations from Ramayana and Mahabharata, asked why an issue was being made about attributing the scientific inventions to sages.

“The Congress party has been objecting to the presence of sages in our diary saying that we are insulting the sages and our Constitution. But on Page 6 of the Constitution, we have a picture depicting the Ramayana and on Page 18, a picture of Mahabharat. So what is wrong with paying a tribute to the sages through the diary?” he asked.

Inamdar holds various positions in the university, including honorary executive director of the Institute of Leadership and Governance; Gujarat government-nominated syndicate member; elected senate member from the donor’s constituency, and, regional director of Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).

When contacted, Inamdar told The Indian Express that he did not agree with Ramakrishnan’s suggestion. “I personally respect Venki (as Ramakrishnan is popularly known). But just because he is a Nobel Laureate, whatever he says does not become true. He has the right to object. It is my right to say that the MSU diary should have these details about the sages, and it is his right to object to it. But just because he is a Nobel Laureate, we cannot accept whatever he says as truth,” he said.

“It is India’s misfortune that the British introduced the education system in India through (Thomas Babington) Macaulay. They destroyed our existing education system and kept the Western culture in mind. They taught the wrong history to all of us for all these years. Our Hansa Mehta library (in MSU) has several books related to astronomy that prove Indian scientific research. I am proud to be a BJP member and an RSS worker as the party is working hard to bring to light the actual Indian culture. The Congress regime has only pushed forward the Western education agenda.”

According to Inamdar, the debate should only be about whether the sages had been able to prove their research or not. “Who can prove that these Indian researches were not proven in their own time. I staunchly believe that Lord Ram travelled in the Pushpak Viman. There were no Wright brothers at that time. But the Pushpak Viman existed.
 
We need to prove this now."

The post ‘Sadhus as Inventors Brings Disrepute to India : Nobel Laureate & Ex-student to MSU, Vadodara appeared first on SabrangIndia.

UPDATE: A copy of the JNU Committee Report is available here

Even as students of the Jawaharlal Nehru University prepared for their  "People's March to Save Democracy" and gathered at the gates to board a bus for Mandi House in Delhi today, there was disquiet by widespread media reports on the reported recommended rustication of eight students.

 
The march is a protest against the BJP-led government’s attack on universities, from the Hyderabad Central University (HCU) to Allahabad to the FTII to JNU. The demands/slogans include, Stand with Social Justice   and Secularism, ensure Justice for Rohith Vemula and Enact the Rohith Act; Release JNU students, Umar and Anirban;  Drop all charges against JNU students; and last but not the least,  HRD Minister Smriti Irani must resign
‪#‎StandWithJNU
‪#‎JusticeForRohith
‪#‎MarchForAzaadi

All major national newspapers, quoting from a report in the Press Trust of India today (March 15, 2016) had said that the report of the internal JNU Committee appointed to go into allegations of ‘anti-national slogans’ has recommended that Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid and three other students should be expelled for their alleged role in a February 9 event to mark the anniversary of the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, where allegedly 'anti-India slogans' were raised.

Interestingly though the conclusions of this internal report have been leaked widely to the media by the vice chancellor Jagadesh Kumar, his claim that the deans of the colleges had been shown the report has been denied. None from the faculty have seen the report. Several students have however received show cause notices to reply to allegations by March 16. The notice however does not anywhere clarify what the alleged offences committed by the students are.

It may be recalled that a Judicial Inquiry into the incident, ordered by the Delhi government had reached significant findings, not the least being that three of the seven videos used to mobilise public opinion through telecast by three television channels had been doctored. SabtangIndia had carried a detailed story on the DM's Report on March 8.
 
Major Findings of the Report of the District Magistrate (DM):

1. Nothing adverse could be found against Kanhaiya Kumar. No witness or video available to me could support allegation against him.
2. Umar Khalid was visible in videos. His support for the role of Afzal Guri is known and he was the organizer of the event. His role needs to be further investigated (Page 1 ) The Magistrate further says that after a close watching of the videos, he “did not hear any slogan from the mouth of Umar Khalid” (Page 23)
3. Three out of seven videos which were sent for verification were found to be doctored including one news clipping of a News Channel found on You-Tube

Importantly, the district magistrate Sanjay Gupta concludes in Chapter 4 (Sequence of events) that “the event was not organised with prior permission. Hence it would not be right to say that the JNU administration withdrew the permission after granting the same. Although the JNU administration is taking the stand that permission was withdrawn, “Signatures of the rector were not found on the performa permission form regarding the event by the senior security officer.

The DM's report further states:

• Three of the seven videos examined by the Truth Labs, Hyderabad to ascertain whether they were doctored or not, were found to have been doctored. The television channels that telecast these doctored videos have not been named in the report.
• The reporter and cameraman of Zee News were invited onto the campus at 5.20 p.m. by Saurabh Sharma of the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) who is general secretary of the JNUSU, on February 9, and it is after the telecast by Zee television of the doctored videos the next day that the local police station lodged the FIR. The FIR, filed under section 124A of the Indian penal Code (IPC) did not name any students as offenders.
• While Zee News/television willingly gave the CD of the video recording of the news telecast that led to the registration of an FIR to the police, the same news channel, despite repeated requests did not make available any recording for the purpose of the magisterial inquiry. This amounts, in law, to suppression of evidence and non-cooperation with a judicial officer.
• Several of the security officers under the administration gave contradictory statements to the district magistrate and the internal inquiry committee.

On March 12, 2016 reports that suspensions had been revoked had done the rounds.

The JNU controversy in a nutshell

• "The high-level committee that has reportedly recommended rustication of five students after its investigation over a month's time. PTI reports that the final call in this regard will be taken by the Vice Chancellor and Proctor's office," sources told PTI. None of the Teachers Association –JNUTA—nor the Dean have been shown a copy of the report that was shared with the media. SabrangIndia spoke to several persons from the JNU faculty.
• The university also sent a notice to 21 students, including Kanhaiya Kumar and Umar Khalid, for "violating the university's rules and norms" and asked them to give their explanation by tomorrow, March 16. "Disclose the evidence based on which action has been recommended," said Ajay Patnaik, the chief of the faculty association at JNU or Jawaharlal Nehru University. Students who have received the university's show cause notice have also asked for the report to be made public to NDTV. "The notice is very vague. It doesn't say what we have done. It asks us to clarify, but what should we clarify?" questioned one of the students, Anand Prakash. Mr Prakash alleged that the inquiry committee formed at the height of the controversy last month had shown bias in the past. "We were suspended 24 hours after the inquiry committee was formed," he said.
• The university's top officers including the vice chancellor reportedly met on Monday, March 14, 2016 and discussed the report for issuing notice to the students.
• Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya were arrested last month on charges of sedition. Mr Kumar was released on bail from Tihar Jail on March 3 while Mr Khalid and Mr Bhattacharya are still in judicial custody.
• The university had, on March 11, revoked the academic suspension of eight students including Kanhaiya Kumar following outrage and said that they would be banned from academic activities until the inquiry was over.
• In Mid-February when the Committee had been constituted the, Jawharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) had questioned the university’s decision to suspend eight students from academic activities, as recommended by a “high-level” enquiry committee formed to investigate February 9 incidents on the campus. The union, in a statement, had pointed out that although majority of suspended students came from marginalised sections, there was no member from such sections in the enquiry panel. The JNU Students Union has severe apprehensions about the neutrality of this committee. The committee, even before following due process, has debarred the eight students from all academic activity. When the case is already prejudged, how can the committee conduct any fair investigation? Through the memorandum, we also raised concerns about the constitution of the committee, which consists of former members of ABVP and the anti-reservation Youth for Equality, Shehla Rashid, Vice President, JNUSU was quoted as saying. This report can be read here. The students had then submitted a memorandum, signed by over 2,000 students, demanding the administration to take back the debarring of the eight students. The committee has professor Rakesh Bhatnagar, professor Himadri Bohidar and professor Suman K. Dhar as its members.
• To make the entire controversy over the Committee’s composition and its overall credibility murkier, one of the members of the Committee, Rakesh Bhatnagar was ‘awarded’ a Visitor’s Award just five days ago, on March 10, 2016. The report is here. NDTV reported that in the midst of a raging political row over sedition that has engulfed the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), the prestigious institution has bagged the President's award for excellence in research and innovation. Tezpur University in Assam has won annual Visitor's award for 'best university'. President Pranab Mukherjee is the Visitor of central universities. "Tezpur University has won the annual Visitor's award for the best university and professor Rakesh Bhatnagar (JNU)as well as the Molecular Parasitology Group of JNU have won the Visitor's awards for 'research' and 'innovation' respectively," a press release by Rashtarapati Bhavan had said. The award was presented yesterday, March 14.
• Meanwhile, in a related development, the Delhi Delhi HC dismissed a plea for action against Kanhaiya Kumar. The petition has alleged that after being released from judicial custody, Kanhaiya has again indulged in anti-national slogans and used the word "azadi" at least 100 times in his speech recently.Delhi High Court Tuesday refused to entertain a plea seeking action against JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar for allegedly making anti-national remarks after being released on interim bail in a sedition case lodged against him reported The Indian Express. Justice Pratibha Rani declined to give the direction sought by a social activist on the ground that there is law and order in place which will take care of if any anti-national slogans are being raised and the petitioner need not worry about the image of the nation. It also questioned the locus of the petitioner for filing the present petition seeking direction to take necessary action for the offence of sedition allegedly committed by Kanhaiya and to refer the matter for further investigation by Intelligence Bureau in the interest of justice. The court also sought presence of petitioner Dev Dutt Sharma so that he is aware of the cost which may be imposed on him for filing this writ petition. Following this, advocate Sugriva Dubey wished to withdraw the petition and the court treated it dismissed as withdrawn.
• JNU students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, arrested in the sedition case over a controversial event in the varsity’s campus, are presently in judicial custody. Today, March 15, 2016 their remand to judicial custody was extended by a further 14 days.

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