Colleges cannot become hotbeds of separatism
The Ramjas College narrative has taken a direction that seeks to divert public attention from the core issue at hand: That of the spread of anti-nationalism by sections of students (in educational campuses) patronised by not just the left-liberals but also by elements who work for the disintegration of India. We saw this happen last year at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) when a bunch of students mingled with outsiders who brazenly called for the break-up of the country and ‘freedom' of Jammu & Kashmir from Indian sovereignty. Politicians of various non-BJP hues had visited the campus and lend their support to the erring students, and they justified their act on the pretext that they were backing freedom of expression. It didn't matter to them that such freedom does not extend to calling for the nation's destruction. We also witnessed a similar incident happen in Jadavpur University in Kolkata. The Ramjas College ruckus has its roots in an invite that a group of students from the college extended to the dubious Umar Khalid who is said to have been a participant in the JNU incident too. Khalid has never hidden his desire to disrupt Indian sovereignty over Kashmir and he has mingled with all sorts of characters who are working in that direction. The invite to him was a clear provocation by the left-liberal elements in the college. The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) objected to it on the ground that anti-national elements cannot be given a platform to spew venom against the country. Violent clashes thereafter happened, and the story took a different direction. From this episode emerged a new face for the so-called free speech campaigners — Gurmehar Kaur. The daughter of a martyred Indian Army officer, she became a pawn in the hands of the pro-azadi gang. The threats she allegedly received have to be condemned, but she ought to have understood the gameplan of the anti-nationals. In any case, the focus unjustifiably shifted from the larger issue of national integrity to personalities.
One reason why the disruptionists in various educational institutions have become active is the assumption of power by the BJP at the Centre. Before that happened, these students, with support from outside, had been pretty much having their say, organising events that were bordering on sedition. The Congress-led UPA Government had a soft corner for them and created no obstacles in their way. However, with the Modi regime in place and the ABVP gaining ground in campuses in Delhi, the dynamic has changed. The Centre has taken an unequivocal stand against anti-national activities, be it inside educational institutions or outside. And it has been far from apologetic about the issue. Suddenly, the group of students backed by separatist elements finds itself confronted, perhaps so strongly for the first time, by those who refuse to compromise with nationalism. The pro-azadi students and their patrons also have another agenda: To discredit the Modi Government by projecting it as ‘anti-free speech' and anti-youth', and place complications in its functioning — even if it means playing politics with the death of a young student (as they did in the Rohith Vemula case) or sharing the stage with anti-nationals. It's a dangerous trend which must be checked firmly.
