JNU Riots – Sedition Or Crushing Dissent ? A Wirally Report

Shahamat Hussain

Last week, Kanhaiya Kumar, the Students’ Union President at JawaharLal Nehru University, was arrested on sedition charges. He is accused of rising anti National slogans in the campus in context of Afzal Guru’s hanging. The hearing of this case took place yesterday at Delhi’s Patiala House Court.

Several students, faculties and journalists present at the venue were man-handled by the lawyers under the curious eye of the Police. The BJP leader and legislator, O P Sharma, was also seen in a video footage, beating a student. The JNU issue has turned out as a political upsurge in the country. Various political parties in the country are intervening in the matter and seeking their own advantages from the issue.

According to another perspective, JNU is being so targeted, in order to drift away from Rohith Vemula’s suicide case that still continues to burn at University of Hyderabad. While the government authorities have yet to provide a reasonable answer on the discriminatory practices and undue involvement in university campuses in reference to Rohith Vemula’s case, the arrest of JNUSU President, Kanhiya Kumar, has twisted the matters further and questioned the integrity of student body that voted for Kanhiya in the university elections.

Though the alleged charges on Kanhiya Kumar have yet to be proved in the court, but it clearly shows the fascism that the BJP Government is trying to impose on the students across the country. Any tone of voice against them is being termed as “Anti- National”.

The freedom of speech of students is curbed on the belief of sedition. According to the sec 124-A of the IPC(Indian Penal Code)
“Whoever, by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite dissatisfaction towards the Government established by law in [India], shall be punished with [imprisonment for life] to which fine may be added, or with imprisonment which may extend to three years, to which fine may be added, or with fine.”  

Kanhaiya Kumar, was not even present at the situation when slogans were raised but when the arguments on the situation got heated he was called up.  His arrest was targeted and attack on crushing the dissent.

The police intervention in the campuses, in both the cases, Rohith Vemula’s and Kanhiaya Kumar’s is foul. The university campuses should be left to solve their problems on own. The political interferences in the campus are branding the University as Anti-National spaces. University mechanism and their functioning are being threatened and are being made to admit defeat to the ruling government.

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