NEW DELHI: The Students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (NU) came to blows last week when a section forcibly prevented a seminar on Kashmir from being held on the university campus,

The seminar, organized by Progressive Democratic Students Union (PDSU), was on “withdrawal of Army rule from Kashmir.”

For a university which took pride on the culture of debate, last week’s incident has come as a rude shock, and in the words of a student, “an assault on freedom of speech.

The JNU Students Union has condemned the incident and in the words of its president Chandrasekhar, “It reflects the desperation of fascist forces and the JNU community will give a befitting reply.”

All the Left student organizations have decided take out a torch-light procession to condemn the incident. ‘The sordid drama, that tasted for nearly two hours, ‘culminated in physical injuries, broken watches, torn Sweaters, stunned silence and finally angry Outbursts. According to unconfirmed reports, two students and a doctor from Safdar jung Hospital, Dr. Vikas Bajpal, were seriously injured.

 Among the speakers were Justice “V.M. Tarkunde, Dr. V.K. Patole and MR. Satyendra Ranjan, However, 2 ‘section of the students of the newly formed organization, JNU Patriotic Forum (JNUPF), locked the building gates of the School of Social Sciences, the seminar’s venue.

The forum members included a sizeable section of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (AB YP) activists. ‘These students alleged that the seminar was being organized by anti-nationals and ISI agents. Mr. Batiilal Bairwa, Secretary of the Students Federation of India, said, “We told them that they should it the speakers voice their opinion and then raise their opinion and then raise their issues in the subsequent discussion. However, when they refused, it was decided that the seminar would be held on the grounds outside the building and some students also formed a human chain.”

However, eyewitnesses said, as soon as the first speaker began his speech, these students started shouting slogans like“’Khoon lenge, Khoondengo, Kashmir mango bhoon denge” and “ISI agents, bharat chodo.” Astudent, Ms. Vijaylakshmi Bajpai, said,”“After three rounds of fisticuffs, it was decided to call off the meeting. The ABYP activists broke the branches of a nearby tree and started beating students with that. And later when we were talking amongst ourselves, some of them asked us to keep quiet and leave the place. What kind of lumpenism is this?”

University sources said that trouble started brewing since Saturday when Progressive Democratic Students’ Union (PDS), put up posters around the campus saying: “Withdraw Army from Kashmir.” Reacting to this, JNUPF was formed, which pasted posters that said: “Capture Pakistan occupied Kashmir.” ‘The PDSU also issued a pamphlet criticizing the presence of the Army in the Kashmir valley.

JNU unit ABYP president Pushkar Mishra, displaying his determination not to let the seminar’s organizers and participants enter the committee room, said “They are demanding the “national liberation” of Kashmir. This proves that they are anti-nationals. And the nationalist JNU students will not allow any such anti-India activity ‘on the Campus.”

Asked if it was not a denial of a person’s fundamental right to freedom of expression, Mr. Mishra said freedom did not give anyone the license to go against the nation’s interest. However when the determined organizers decided to hold the seminar in the open, the other group tried its best to prevent it and the situation soon became out of control, in the ensuing melee, all arguments took a backseat and students belonging to the two camps started beating each other.

The university security personnel ‘who were present at the site could not prevent the situation from turning ugly, throughout this drama, Dr. Patole continued to give his speech. Justice Tarkunde, who was prevented from addressing the meeting, said “This is not the right thing to do. National matters like the Kashmir issue should be decided by healthy and open discussions.”

Article extracted from this publication >>  February 14, 1996