JNU, NATIONALISM AND FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

JNU, WHERE ANTI-NATIONALISM IS FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION.

JNU row was clearly anti-national as several videos in circulation and with police demonstrate this. The loud slogans were i) anti-Indian ( bharat tere tukde honge, insha allah, insha allah/India will go into pieces, God willing, God's willing; jung rahegi Kashmiri azadi tak, Bharat ki barbadi tak/fight/war will continue till Kashmir is freed and India destroyed; India murdabad, maovad jindabad/India down down, long live Maoism; India go back, India go back) ) and ii) pro-Afzal Guru ( Afzal hum sharminda hain, tere katil jinda hain/Afzal we are ashamed that your killers still alive; Afzal tum hamare armanoko manzil tak pahuchavoge/Afzal, you will take us to the fulfilment of our dreams/of Kashmir freedom;  naara e takdir - Allah hu Akbar/say loud Allah hu Akbar ). 

The slogan shouting chorus occurred in a JNU Student Union gathering in the campus, having obtained sanction from authorities for it as for 'cultural' event but in actual fact it was to screen a pro-Afzal film. At the very centre of the event is the president of the Student Union Kanaihya Kumar and the organiser Umar Khalid. If it were for the cultural evening or academic discussion even on Afzal Guru, there could not and should not be any objection as University campus must vibrate with debate and discussion on diverse matter with diverse opinion. Any outside intervention against it including the entry of police is certainly an interference in the autonomy of the University. When it turns out to be a chorus of vigorous  slogan shouting with hateful speeches and mannerisms, it amounts to incitement of hatred which may even turn into violence and hence it is highly objectionable.

Soon, the politicians took over, Congress and Communist in particular. Rahul Gandhi visiting them is indeed politics of the worse kind. After all, it was the Congress government that was in power when Afzal Guru was hanged, the cabinet would have recommended to the presidential pardon, having failed to do so, he now comes in support of pro-Afzal group. 

 Pro-Afzal group say the death of Afzal is a 'Judicial killing' as they feel that there was no evidence that deserved hanging and in fact the Judgement says it too and yet the sentence has to be passed on the basis that the 'collective conscience of the society will only be satisfied if the capital punishment is awarded' which according to this group is extra judicial. Yet, who is this Afzal Guru? A man allegedly involved, nay a mastermind, in the terrorist attack on our Parliament House when the session is in full swing there which killed ten of our own security men. Any person who may even remotely connected to such a  heinous crime deserves severest punishment. After all no one commits such acts providing full evidence to catch him! He is also a 'Separatist' wanting Kashmir separated from India. 

Is there any other reasons to be pro Afzal? Is he an extraordinary person indulging in people welfare activity? Great writer, artist, scientist? If so, one may find some justification in saving him even though he is connected with the terrorist attack. I always remember this case of Jean Genet (1910-1986 ), a French Novelist, Playwright, Poet, Essayist, Political activist and who was also a convicted criminal, homosexual of that time and sexual pervert. Life sentence was levied on him after ten convictions in 1949. It was J P Sartre, the great philosopher, novelist and writer and P Picasso, a great Artist and other eminent men in France successfully petitioned French President Charles de Gaulle to have sentence set aside because although Genet was a worse criminal, he was also a great creative person and the society should not lose him. In fact, Sartre wrote a biography of Genet and titles the book as Saint Genet (1952). Is Afzal Guru anywhere near that?

I know for some so called elite in India denigrating or making a ridicule of anything Indian is a fad or fashion. Some years ago, a group of celebrities from Bollywood in a party hosted by Dawood in Dubai sang and danced making fun of our National Anthem. Of course the then Congress Government both at  the state of Bombay and Central Government was unmindful of it, did not take any action. However, what has now happened in JNU is a much more serious matter cutting at the very root of unity and sovereignty of the Country. It is backed by their own philosophy and dogma.  JNU professors too coming on TV and marching within the campus supporting pro-Afzal activity as freedom of expression shows how deep is the malady there.  Any divisive forces including the terrorist operating within the country must be dealt with severely and soon. Further, steps must be taken more vigorously to harness global support to act against terrorist and the countries harbouring terrorism.