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<p>The physical violence that happened at the campus of the reputed Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi is horrifying, yet it’s not surprising. Going by the level of polarisation in campuses along ideological lines, and going by the resultant vitiation in the academic environment, a showdown of this nature is only logical. In this context, isn't this the high time that student unions in college campuses are thoroughly depoliticised and any affiliation of student bodies with any political party is outlawed?&nbsp;</p>

<p>Rampant politicisation of student bodies in universities is the biggest ailment that plagues our educational institutions and poisons our academic environment.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Student politics in academic campuses have mostly resulted in the opposite of what was originally intended behind creation of student unions – creation of leaders in society who could bring about harmony among divergent thoughts and ideas through debates and discussions, and who could promote critical thinking among the young generations to take the legacies of democracy and pluralism forward; it further intended to promote a culture where right to question and dissent - the cornerstone of all human progress - could be respected.&nbsp;<br />
However, our experiences tell that over the past few decades, the student union's politics has done more harm to the cause of students than benefitting them. In reality, it has brought academia in bad repute by poisoning and criminalising the academic environment.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
In JNU, a group of masked men and women wielding lathis, sharp weapons and sledgehammers entered hostels on Sunday and allegedly carried out a targetted attack on students, faculty members and guards and damaged vehicles before vanishing from the scene. The cops arrived on the scene following written permission from the JNU administration. However, till the time, the script had been played out, leaving a ransacked campus and terror-struck souls that may take years to repair.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But, is the incident just one-off clash to be brushed aside as a mere law and order problem that may be set right through proctorial interventions or is it symptomatic of a deeper malady afflicting the student politics across India?</p>

<p>This incident in JNU is said to be preceded by a series of skirmishes that had broken out earlier on the New Year’s Day and also on Saturday, between the members of the left and ABVP, in which the president of the JNUSU is said to have played an active role. The Sunday attack is said to be the culmination of such skirmishes.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As it emerges, a fight had broken out over non-functioning of the registration servers on which the new students were supposed to register for the new session. The pro-registration students alleged that the left-dominated student union, under the leadership of its president, Aishee Ghosh, had locked the server room and disrupted servers to prevent registration of students willing to join new classes. The Leftists, long on protest against fee hikes, have been boycotting classes and hence any registration by new students and resumption of academic activities would mean the defeat of their strategy. Hence they allegedly devised the conspiracy to disrupt new registrations.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This just reflects the degree of politicisation prevalent in the university campuses across India leading to a culture of conspiracies and the mutual distrust among the inmates.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
As usual, the incident drew swift battle-lines and the civil society players took positions, firing salvos as per the ideological ground they stood across the divide. Even before the police had taken over the scene of crime, Congress had begun a frontal attack on the Prime Minister and the Home Minister of India, implicating them directly in the incident. Soon enough, tweets, laced with ideological insinuations, and innuendoes aimed at inflaming passions and inciting the youth, flew thick in the air. &nbsp;</p>

<p>The barter of charges on political and ideological lines would go on for aeons but the larger picture is that the student politics in India has much degenerated in today’s times, turning the university campuses into full-blown political constituencies as far violent showdowns are concerned. The modern university campuses have become the microcosm of the wider political universe displaying all the quirkiness of the nationwide politics.</p>

<p>Right to protests and to indulge in union politics, both are fundamental to the students’ campus life. Right to protest within the university campus is a right available to each student as a part of their fundamental right under Article 19(1) of the Constitution. But, thanks to rampant politicisation of campus lives, protests are becoming horrible and, most of the times, they cross all limits of decency.</p>

<p>As part of the mainstream protest practices in campuses, faculty members are heckled inside and outside the classrooms, are subjected to consistent slogan-raisings and are catcalls on their way to work; faculty and administrative officials are gheraoed, subjected to physical violence or threats of it, and locked from outside or prevented from using washrooms etc till demands are met. Such innovative ideas of protest don’t stop here as the students even go to storm the homes of the officials, scaring their family members who, while terrified and tormented, have no solace available than to keep praying for their safety.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On March 26, 2019, Vice-Chancellor of the JNU, Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar, had shot a panicky tweet, “Yesterday when students broke into my residence terrorising my wife who was alone at home, it was the wives of JNU faculty members who rescued my wife with the help of security guards and took her to hospital. Grateful to them for their kindness.” When the Vice-Chancellor of a prestigious university like the JNU is not safe what can be said about smaller universities and their staffs?&nbsp;</p>

<p>Are such things just and fair in the names of protests? Protest is a fundamental right, but protesting with the intention of insulting and terrorizing innocent officials isn’t. It’s a violation of someone else’s fundamental right and hence criminal. However, the students dare to breach the lines of discipline and indulge in such criminal modes of protests only because they enjoy complete protection of the political class, who frustrate all attempts of the administrators within the campus to enforce discipline.</p>

<p>Last month, the Governor of Bengal, who also happens to be the Chancellor of all Universities in Bengal, was prevented by angry students from entering the campus of the Jadavpur University. Similarly, on another occasion, Babul Supriyo, a central government minister, was manhandled and pulled by his hairs inside the same university campus by students belonging to the left-wing and the TMC camps. Protesting with the aim of intimidation and of jeopardising the national interest can never be the objective behind the creation of Unions and their activities within campuses.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In January 2017, activists of the Student's Federation of India (SFI) had snatched principal's chair from her office inside the 144-year-old prestigious Maharaja College in Kochi - boasting of alumni like politicians AK Antony and Vayalar Ravi, the former Chief Justice of India, KG Balakrishnan, and figures like, Swami Chinmayananda and actor Mammootty - and burnt it at the main entrance of the campus, as a 'warning' during their 'symbolic protest' against her 'moral policing', because the Principal, NL Beena, tried to introduce a dress code on the campus.</p>

<p>Do such protests go to train and create a breed of the responsible citizenry for running a civilized democracy or do they create a bunch of bullies learning the knack of having their way by threats and jeers?</p>

<p>Democracy is not always about protests; it’s mostly about the art of striking consensus and harmony through collaboration and dissent management. In the Constitution of the Delhi University Student’s Union (DUSU), promotion of mutual contact, democratic outlook and a spirit of oneness among the students of the University of Delhi is mentioned as one of the aims and objects of the Union. However, the kind of democracy that the student unions promote inside the university campuses is all about coercion and bullying that can only lead to tyranny and disorder, not democracy.</p>

<p>Student unions are mostly populated with students having criminal mindsets who use money and muscle power to win elections that are fought with the active support of major political parties. The lure of money, power, recognition and of perceived respectability sucks in ambitious youths into campus politics who look into it an opportunity to launch themselves in the real political world.</p>

<p>Student politics and their success give the young generation an instant feel of power. But this power is like riding a tiger; the moment the delicate balance is upset, one is certain to become a victim of this power, instead of being the master.</p>

<p>University campuses are live theatres for training the youths and preparing them for the future so that they could take the socio-political legacies forward. Thus, a certain amount of authority must be vested in the administrative functionaries to enable them to inculcate a sense of discipline among the future citizens of the nation. The Principals, the Vice Chancellors, etc must have certain inherent authority - of course, the bare minimum and accountable - under their command so that necessary discipline in institutions could be maintained. &nbsp;</p>

<p>The matter of strengthening the administrative powers of the principals and vesting punitive authorities in them has been examined by the High Courts and the Supreme Court at different occasions and they've made decisions in its favour.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Referring to various such decisions, a division bench of the Kerala High Court, during a hearing on a college student who was debarred from taking his second-year BA examination by the Principal on account of shortage of attendance, had ruled in 2004 that, “The Head of the institution should in law be presumed to possess an inherent right of such acts as are necessary in his opinion to maintain discipline in his institution.”&nbsp;</p>

<p>The HC upheld the decision of the Principal to disallow the student from taking the examination.</p>

<p>As his non-attendance from classes was primarily due to his participation in the union activities of the college because he was a member of the area committee of the Students Federation of India (SFI), the student accused that the action of the principal was politically motivated and in his appeal petition, raised the following points for consideration of the High Court: (i) whether an educational institution could legally prohibit political activities within the college campus and forbid the students from organising or attending activities other than official ones within the college campus? (ii) Whether a student who is admitted to the college is bound by the code of conduct laid down by the educational institution? And (iii) Whether such restrictions laid down by the educational institutions would violate the Fundamental Rights guaranteed under Article 19 (1) (A) and (C) of the Constitution of India?</p>

<p>After considering the matter at length, the Kerala High Court had ruled that “Article 19 of the Constitution of India is not a carte-blanche enabling any citizen to exercise a fundamental right so as to encroach upon similar rights guaranteed to other citizens.”</p>

<p>On the issues under consideration, the HC had ruled, “Guidelines banning political activities within the campus and forbidding the students from organising or attending meetings, other than the official ones, within the campus is not designed to prohibit any of the fundamental rights of the students guaranteed under Articles 19(1)(A) or 19(1)(C). The Right to Admission not being absolute (meaning, it's revocable if the conditions are breached), there could be regulatory measures for ensuring educational standards and maintaining excellence in education.”&nbsp;</p>

<p>Therefore, the court had ruled that “It was open to the educational institutions to prohibit political activities within the college campus and forbid students from organising or attending meetings other than the official ones within the college campus and such a restriction would not violate Article 19(1)(A) or (C) of the Constitution of India.” (Kerala Students Union vs Sojan Francis, 20 February 2004)</p>

<p>Enforcing discipline in an academic environment is not only important rather it's mandatory in order to strengthen the prestige of the education system. The majority of the students want to focus on their studies so that they could find their feet in the highly competitive world outside, but a minuscule minority of them keeps spoiling the academic environment on issues hardly related with students' genuine interests. Therefore, the administrative authorities must be vested with sufficient powers so that those devoted to their studies and careers should not be disturbed by those handfuls of bad apples. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Beset with constant and increasing caste-based violence in the campuses, the state of Karnataka under Chief Minister Veerendra Patil had banned all student union elections during 1989-90. And, the ban is still in place enabling the state to provide conducive academic environments in colleges and universities within its jurisdiction. Although some colleges have student councils with class representatives, direct election of union office-bearers, as elsewhere in the country, stands totally banned in Karnataka. Many states have temporarily or for longer periods have imposed university-specific bans to contain growing trends of violence in campus life.</p>

<p>An old observation made by the UGC Committee in its report in 1983 on students politics is still relevant and is worth a mention here:</p>

<p>“Political activity in the universities is natural because the university is a community of thinking people, of those who are exploring the frontiers of knowledge and of those who criticize and evaluate every idea before accepting it... We, however, regret to say that much of "political" activity which we noticed and sensed on the campuses is of a degenerate nature...It is a "politics" of expediency, opportunism...that is most advantageous for the doer (but) a disruption of educational activities for all... It is also a politics of corruption where money or other attractions are used to achieve an end, be it victory in an election, or hiring of goondas to harass the functionaries or disrupt a meeting or examination.... In a situation when the leadership of a young group of a few hundred agitators can be grabbed on seemingly "democratic" or "'humane" grounds, the temptation to give a political backing becomes irresistible....” &nbsp;</p>

<p>On the matter of framing guidelines for student union elections in universities, the Government of India, Subsequent to an order of the Supreme Court in 2005, had constituted a six-member committee under the retired CEC, Mr J M Lyngdoh, with the mandate to make "recommendations on aspects that are required to be observed to maintain academic atmosphere in the educational institutions”.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The committee submitted a detailed guideline as part of its recommendation in 2006 that was accepted in toto by the SC, which directed all college and universities to adopt the Lyngdoh committee guidelines for conducting union elections. (University of Kerala Vs Council, Principals, Colleges, Kerala and others, 2006)</p>

<p>The Lyngdoh Committee report had suggested sweeping electoral reforms along with freeing the student bodies from the influence of political parties and their dirty money. The guidelines strongly recommended disassociation of student elections and student representation from political parties, as it mentioned, “During the period of the elections no person, who is not a student on the rolls of the college/university, shall be permitted to take part in the election process in any capacity.” Further, it also recommended that candidates contesting the union elections must possess certain minimum levels of discipline and academic abilities, such as - at least 80 per cent attendance in the previous year and she/he should have passed all the examinations of the course undergone.</p>

<p>However, the Lyngdoh committee has been denounced by the student bodies who consider it as restrictive and violative of the rights of students. But, there is no denying of the fact that involvement of political parties with student bodies have resulted into degeneration of the campus environment. The undue political interferences and patronizations have only promoted indiscipline and lumpen disregard of authorities among the students.</p>

<p>Furthermore, political parties regularly prevent independent candidates, who don’t conform to the prevalent political ideology, from contesting union elections and such contestants are forced out from the fray. Loss of an independent voice is a loss for the campus.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Moreover, the party-based student unions, sitting on the heap of cash and resources, violate the right of many other students to remain apolitical or to exercise their right to choice by not being any union member. However, the student bodies manage to suck in many unwilling students by patronising them or pressurising them or by luring them through various freebies and lavish ‘cultural events’.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Student unions are an important aspect of campus life, as such unions happen to be the legitimate mediums to voice the collective concerns of the student community and to protect their genuine interests. However, balancing the interests of campus democracy with the larger interest of maintaining academic atmosphere, discipline and public order within the universities and the college campuses is necessary. Any disruption in campus activities due to union violence plays with the futures of thousands who come to universities seeking academic excellence and not political indoctrination.&nbsp;</p>

<p>All human progress starts with critical thinking. Dissent is the key to the existence of human life, and debate, discussions and discourse is the way to go forward for students in the academic campuses. Debates make bridges to get over differences and discussions promote understanding to explore the other's viewpoints. However, when dissent is manufactured on political lines and debates are substituted with hooting and physical violence, promotion of democratic values takes the back seat. The biggest drawback of politicising the student unions is that the unions impose political agenda of their parties on campuses, the real issues of students are lost in the din.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Hence, though some kind of protection of unions is necessary for students in the campuses in order to safeguard their rightful interests, such union must always be an apolitical, independent body free from the clutches of political parties and their interference.<br />
<br />
Unless this is done, it would be difficult to end the eternal cycle of violence and confrontations of political nature on the campuses that is a must for transforming our academic institutions into centres of excellence. So, doesn't the JNU violence present us the perfect opportunity to completely ban the student unions from having any political affiliations or association in any form?"<br />
<br />
<em>(Views expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)</em></p>


The physical violence that happened at the campus of the reputed Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi is horrifying, yet it’s not surprising. Going by the level of polarisation in campuses along ideological lines, and going by the resultant vitiation in the academic environment, a showdown of this nature is only logical.

The physical violence that happened at the campus of the reputed Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi is horrifying, yet it’s not surprising. Going by the level of polarisation in campuses along ideological lines, and going by the resultant vitiation in the academic environment, a showdown of this nature is only logical. In this context, isn't this the high time that student unions in college campuses are thoroughly depoliticised and any affiliation of student bodies with any political party is outlawed? Rampant politicisation of student bodies in universities is the biggest ailment that plagues our educational institutions and poisons our academic environment. Student politics in academic campuses have mostly resulted in the opposite of what was originally intended behind creation of student unions – creation of leaders in society who could bring about harmony among divergent thoughts and ideas through debates and discussions, and who could promote critical thinking among the young generations to take the legacies of democracy and pluralism forward; it further intended to promote a culture where right to question and dissent - the cornerstone of all human progress - could be respected. However, our experiences tell that over the past few decades, the student union's politics has done more harm to the cause of students than benefitting them. In reality, it has brought academia in bad repute by poisoning and criminalising the academic environment. In JNU, a group of masked men and women wielding lathis, sharp weapons and sledgehammers entered hostels on Sunday and allegedly carried out a targetted attack on students, faculty members and guards and damaged vehicles before vanishing from the scene. The cops arrived on the scene following written permission from the JNU administration. However, till the time, the script had been played out, leaving a ransacked campus and terror-struck souls that may take years to repair. But, is the incident just one-off clash to be brushed aside as a mere law and order problem that may be set right through proctorial interventions or is it symptomatic of a deeper malady afflicting the student politics across India? This incident in JNU is said to be preceded by a series of skirmishes that had broken out earlier on the New Year’s Day and also on Saturday, between the members of the left and ABVP, in which the president of the JNUSU is said to have played an active role. The Sunday attack is said to be the culmination of such skirmishes. As it emerges, a fight had broken out over non-functioning of the registration servers on which the new students were supposed to register for the new session. The pro-registration students alleged that the left-dominated student union, under the leadership of its president, Aishee Ghosh, had locked the server room and disrupted servers to prevent registration of students willing to join new classes. The Leftists, long on protest against fee hikes, have been boycotting classes and hence any registration by new students and resumption of academic activities would mean the defeat of their strategy. Hence they allegedly devised the conspiracy to disrupt new registrations. This just reflects the degree of politicisation prevalent in the university campuses across India leading to a culture of conspiracies and the mutual distrust among the inmates. As usual, the incident drew swift battle-lines and the civil society players took positions, firing salvos as per the ideological ground they stood across the divide. Even before the police had taken over the scene of crime, Congress had begun a frontal attack on the Prime Minister and the Home Minister of India, implicating them directly in the incident. Soon enough, tweets, laced with ideological insinuations, and innuendoes aimed at inflaming passions and inciting the youth, flew thick in the air. The barter of charges on political and ideological lines would go on for aeons but the larger picture is that the student politics in India has much degenerated in today’s times, turning the university campuses into full-blown political constituencies as far violent showdowns are concerned. The modern university campuses have become the microcosm of the wider political universe displaying all the quirkiness of the nationwide politics. Right to protests and to indulge in union politics, both are fundamental to the students’ campus life. Right to protest within the university campus is a right available to each student as a part of their fundamental right under Article 19(1) of the Constitution. But, thanks to rampant politicisation of campus lives, protests are becoming horrible and, most of the times, they cross all limits of decency. As part of the mainstream protest practices in campuses, faculty members are heckled inside and outside the classrooms, are subjected to consistent slogan-raisings and are catcalls on their way to work; faculty and administrative officials are gheraoed, subjected to physical violence or threats of it, and locked from outside or prevented from using washrooms etc till demands are met. Such innovative ideas of protest don’t stop here as the students even go to storm the homes of the officials, scaring their family members who, while terrified and tormented, have no solace available than to keep praying for their safety. On March 26, 2019, Vice-Chancellor of the JNU, Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar, had shot a panicky tweet, “Yesterday when students broke into my residence terrorising my wife who was alone at home, it was the wives of JNU faculty members who rescued my wife with the help of security guards and took her to hospital. Grateful to them for their kindness.” When the Vice-Chancellor of a prestigious university like the JNU is not safe what can be said about smaller universities and their staffs? Are such things just and fair in the names of protests? Protest is a fundamental right, but protesting with the intention of insulting and terrorizing innocent officials isn’t. It’s a violation of someone else’s fundamental right and hence criminal. However, the students dare to breach the lines of discipline and indulge in such criminal modes of protests only because they enjoy complete protection of the political class, who frustrate all attempts of the administrators within the campus to enforce discipline. Last month, the Governor of Bengal, who also happens to be the Chancellor of all Universities in Bengal, was prevented by angry students from entering the campus of the Jadavpur University. Similarly, on another occasion, Babul Supriyo, a central government minister, was manhandled and pulled by his hairs inside the same university campus by students belonging to the left-wing and the TMC camps. Protesting with the aim of intimidation and of jeopardising the national interest can never be the objective behind the creation of Unions and their activities within campuses. In January 2017, activists of the Student's Federation of India (SFI) had snatched principal's chair from her office inside the 144-year-old prestigious Maharaja College in Kochi - boasting of alumni like politicians AK Antony and Vayalar Ravi, the former Chief Justice of India, KG Balakrishnan, and figures like, Swami Chinmayananda and actor Mammootty - and burnt it at the main entrance of the campus, as a 'warning' during their 'symbolic protest' against her 'moral policing', because the Principal, NL Beena, tried to introduce a dress code on the campus. Do such protests go to train and create a breed of the responsible citizenry for running a civilized democracy or do they create a bunch of bullies learning the knack of having their way by threats and jeers? Democracy is not always about protests; it’s mostly about the art of striking consensus and harmony through collaboration and dissent management. In the Constitution of the Delhi University Student’s Union (DUSU), promotion of mutual contact, democratic outlook and a spirit of oneness among the students of the University of Delhi is mentioned as one of the aims and objects of the Union. However, the kind of democracy that the student unions promote inside the university campuses is all about coercion and bullying that can only lead to tyranny and disorder, not democracy. Student unions are mostly populated with students having criminal mindsets who use money and muscle power to win elections that are fought with the active support of major political parties. The lure of money, power, recognition and of perceived respectability sucks in ambitious youths into campus politics who look into it an opportunity to launch themselves in the real political world. Student politics and their success give the young generation an instant feel of power. But this power is like riding a tiger; the moment the delicate balance is upset, one is certain to become a victim of this power, instead of being the master. University campuses are live theatres for training the youths and preparing them for the future so that they could take the socio-political legacies forward. Thus, a certain amount of authority must be vested in the administrative functionaries to enable them to inculcate a sense of discipline among the future citizens of the nation. The Principals, the Vice Chancellors, etc must have certain inherent authority - of course, the bare minimum and accountable - under their command so that necessary discipline in institutions could be maintained. The matter of strengthening the administrative powers of the principals and vesting punitive authorities in them has been examined by the High Courts and the Supreme Court at different occasions and they've made decisions in its favour. Referring to various such decisions, a division bench of the Kerala High Court, during a hearing on a college student who was debarred from taking his second-year BA examination by the Principal on account of shortage of attendance, had ruled in 2004 that, “The Head of the institution should in law be presumed to possess an inherent right of such acts as are necessary in his opinion to maintain discipline in his institution.” The HC upheld the decision of the Principal to disallow the student from taking the examination. As his non-attendance from classes was primarily due to his participation in the union activities of the college because he was a member of the area committee of the Students Federation of India (SFI), the student accused that the action of the principal was politically motivated and in his appeal petition, raised the following points for consideration of the High Court: (i) whether an educational institution could legally prohibit political activities within the college campus and forbid the students from organising or attending activities other than official ones within the college campus? (ii) Whether a student who is admitted to the college is bound by the code of conduct laid down by the educational institution? And (iii) Whether such restrictions laid down by the educational institutions would violate the Fundamental Rights guaranteed under Article 19 (1) (A) and (C) of the Constitution of India? After considering the matter at length, the Kerala High Court had ruled that “Article 19 of the Constitution of India is not a carte-blanche enabling any citizen to exercise a fundamental right so as to encroach upon similar rights guaranteed to other citizens.” On the issues under consideration, the HC had ruled, “Guidelines banning political activities within the campus and forbidding the students from organising or attending meetings, other than the official ones, within the campus is not designed to prohibit any of the fundamental rights of the students guaranteed under Articles 19(1)(A) or 19(1)(C). The Right to Admission not being absolute (meaning, it's revocable if the conditions are breached), there could be regulatory measures for ensuring educational standards and maintaining excellence in education.” Therefore, the court had ruled that “It was open to the educational institutions to prohibit political activities within the college campus and forbid students from organising or attending meetings other than the official ones within the college campus and such a restriction would not violate Article 19(1)(A) or (C) of the Constitution of India.” (Kerala Students Union vs Sojan Francis, 20 February 2004) Enforcing discipline in an academic environment is not only important rather it's mandatory in order to strengthen the prestige of the education system. The majority of the students want to focus on their studies so that they could find their feet in the highly competitive world outside, but a minuscule minority of them keeps spoiling the academic environment on issues hardly related with students' genuine interests. Therefore, the administrative authorities must be vested with sufficient powers so that those devoted to their studies and careers should not be disturbed by those handfuls of bad apples. Beset with constant and increasing caste-based violence in the campuses, the state of Karnataka under Chief Minister Veerendra Patil had banned all student union elections during 1989-90. And, the ban is still in place enabling the state to provide conducive academic environments in colleges and universities within its jurisdiction. Although some colleges have student councils with class representatives, direct election of union office-bearers, as elsewhere in the country, stands totally banned in Karnataka. Many states have temporarily or for longer periods have imposed university-specific bans to contain growing trends of violence in campus life. An old observation made by the UGC Committee in its report in 1983 on students politics is still relevant and is worth a mention here: “Political activity in the universities is natural because the university is a community of thinking people, of those who are exploring the frontiers of knowledge and of those who criticize and evaluate every idea before accepting it... We, however, regret to say that much of "political" activity which we noticed and sensed on the campuses is of a degenerate nature...It is a "politics" of expediency, opportunism...that is most advantageous for the doer (but) a disruption of educational activities for all... It is also a politics of corruption where money or other attractions are used to achieve an end, be it victory in an election, or hiring of goondas to harass the functionaries or disrupt a meeting or examination.... In a situation when the leadership of a young group of a few hundred agitators can be grabbed on seemingly "democratic" or "'humane" grounds, the temptation to give a political backing becomes irresistible....” On the matter of framing guidelines for student union elections in universities, the Government of India, Subsequent to an order of the Supreme Court in 2005, had constituted a six-member committee under the retired CEC, Mr J M Lyngdoh, with the mandate to make "recommendations on aspects that are required to be observed to maintain academic atmosphere in the educational institutions”. The committee submitted a detailed guideline as part of its recommendation in 2006 that was accepted in toto by the SC, which directed all college and universities to adopt the Lyngdoh committee guidelines for conducting union elections. (University of Kerala Vs Council, Principals, Colleges, Kerala and others, 2006) The Lyngdoh Committee report had suggested sweeping electoral reforms along with freeing the student bodies from the influence of political parties and their dirty money. The guidelines strongly recommended disassociation of student elections and student representation from political parties, as it mentioned, “During the period of the elections no person, who is not a student on the rolls of the college/university, shall be permitted to take part in the election process in any capacity.” Further, it also recommended that candidates contesting the union elections must possess certain minimum levels of discipline and academic abilities, such as - at least 80 per cent attendance in the previous year and she/he should have passed all the examinations of the course undergone. However, the Lyngdoh committee has been denounced by the student bodies who consider it as restrictive and violative of the rights of students. But, there is no denying of the fact that involvement of political parties with student bodies have resulted into degeneration of the campus environment. The undue political interferences and patronizations have only promoted indiscipline and lumpen disregard of authorities among the students. Furthermore, political parties regularly prevent independent candidates, who don’t conform to the prevalent political ideology, from contesting union elections and such contestants are forced out from the fray. Loss of an independent voice is a loss for the campus. Moreover, the party-based student unions, sitting on the heap of cash and resources, violate the right of many other students to remain apolitical or to exercise their right to choice by not being any union member. However, the student bodies manage to suck in many unwilling students by patronising them or pressurising them or by luring them through various freebies and lavish ‘cultural events’. Student unions are an important aspect of campus life, as such unions happen to be the legitimate mediums to voice the collective concerns of the student community and to protect their genuine interests. However, balancing the interests of campus democracy with the larger interest of maintaining academic atmosphere, discipline and public order within the universities and the college campuses is necessary. Any disruption in campus activities due to union violence plays with the futures of thousands who come to universities seeking academic excellence and not political indoctrination. All human progress starts with critical thinking. Dissent is the key to the existence of human life, and debate, discussions and discourse is the way to go forward for students in the academic campuses. Debates make bridges to get over differences and discussions promote understanding to explore the other's viewpoints. However, when dissent is manufactured on political lines and debates are substituted with hooting and physical violence, promotion of democratic values takes the back seat. The biggest drawback of politicising the student unions is that the unions impose political agenda of their parties on campuses, the real issues of students are lost in the din. Hence, though some kind of protection of unions is necessary for students in the campuses in order to safeguard their rightful interests, such union must always be an apolitical, independent body free from the clutches of political parties and their interference. Unless this is done, it would be difficult to end the eternal cycle of violence and confrontations of political nature on the campuses that is a must for transforming our academic institutions into centres of excellence. So, doesn't the JNU violence present us the perfect opportunity to completely ban the student unions from having any political affiliations or association in any form?" (Views expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

JNU violence: Politics must be outlawed at universities

<p>Several masked men entered the campus of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Sunday and attacked students in the Sabarmati hostel.</p>

<p>"People came from outside, armed with sticks and rods. The situation is grim in the University. So, I am leaving the campus for now," a student of JNU said.</p>

<p>Several students were injured in violence by the masked perpetrators and were rushed to AIIMS&nbsp;with cases of head injuries and bleeding.</p>

<ul>
	<li>According to the sources, the clash took place during a public meeting organised by the JNU Teachers' Association.</li>
	<li>In the late hours of Sunday, Delhi Police said it conducted a flag march and the situation was brought under control after it got a written request from the JNU administration to enter the campus.</li>
	<li>The Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers' Federation (JNUTF) said it was extremely concerned about the environment of fear and brutality created by some violent agitating students.</li>
	<li>Students from around the country protested to condemn the violence in JNU. Students from Mumbai and Hyderabad continued to protest into the early hours of Monday morning.</li>
	<li>JNUSU&nbsp;has demanded the resignation of Vice-Chancellor Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar.</li>
</ul>

<p><strong>Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/masked-goons-attack-students-teachers-on-jnu-campus-many-injured-272344">Masked men attack students, teachers on JNU campus, many injured</a></strong></p>

<p><strong>Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/jnu-violence-amit-shah-asks-delhi-police-commissioner-to-take-necessary-action-272347">JNU violence: Amit Shah asks Delhi Police Commissioner to take necessary action</a></strong></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch: Masked mob enters JNU campus, brutally beats students and teachers</strong></p>

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Several masked men entered the campus of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Sunday and attacked students in the Sabarmati hostel. "People came from outside, armed with sticks and rods.

Several masked men entered the campus of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Sunday and attacked students in the Sabarmati hostel. "People came from outside, armed with sticks and rods. The situation is grim in the University. So, I am leaving the campus for now," a student of JNU said. Several students were injured in violence by the masked perpetrators and were rushed to AIIMS with cases of head injuries and bleeding. According to the sources, the clash took place during a public meeting organised by the JNU Teachers' Association. In the late hours of Sunday, Delhi Police said it conducted a flag march and the situation was brought under control after it got a written request from the JNU administration to enter the campus. The Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers' Federation (JNUTF) said it was extremely concerned about the environment of fear and brutality created by some violent agitating students. Students from around the country protested to condemn the violence in JNU. Students from Mumbai and Hyderabad continued to protest into the early hours of Monday morning. JNUSU has demanded the resignation of Vice-Chancellor Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar. Read more: Masked men attack students, teachers on JNU campus, many injured Read more: JNU violence: Amit Shah asks Delhi Police Commissioner to take necessary action Watch: Masked mob enters JNU campus, brutally beats students and teachers ×

Jawaharlal Nehru University violence update: JNU students shout slogans against Delhi Police

<p>Delhi came to a standstill once again as JNU was attacked by goons clad with&nbsp;masks and hand-held weapons.</p>

<p>A <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/masked-goons-attack-students-teachers-on-jnu-campus-many-injured-272344">masked mob</a> on Sunday entered the Sabarmati Hostel of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/jawaharlal-nehru-university-violence-update-jnu-students-shout-slogans-against-delhi-police-272451">Jawaharlal Nehru University</a> and assaulted several students and professors with sticks, rods and even hammers.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EmergencyinJNU?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EmergencyinJNU</a><br />
ABVP terrorists from DU have entered campus in large numbers with iron rods, and they have been told to single out students' representatives. The JNUSU President, Aishe Ghosh, has been attacked. The Police and guards are aiding and abetting the attackers <a href="https://t.co/KoIge6xeaF">pic.twitter.com/KoIge6xeaF</a></p>
— JNUSU (@JNUSUofficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/JNUSUofficial/status/1213822439676887040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>President of the JNUSU - Aishe Ghosh was among those beaten up by the mob. At least 23 students were rushed to AIIMS with cases of head injury and bleeding.</p>

<p>The country woke up to see protests across the country. Students in Mumbai and Hyderabad held protests in solidarity with the students of JNU, condemning the violence committed by the masked goons.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Hyderabad: Progressive Democratic Students Union(PDSU) activists protest in Osmania University against yesterday's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JNUViolence?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JNUViolence</a> <a href="https://t.co/un69Gtl3vU">pic.twitter.com/un69Gtl3vU</a></p>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1214066673675694080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Mumbai: Actor Sushant Singh also reaches Gateway of India where students are protesting against yesterday's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JNUViolence?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JNUViolence</a> <a href="https://t.co/k0NEJZqgaJ">pic.twitter.com/k0NEJZqgaJ</a></p>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1214074533193211904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>Leaders of opposition raised their voices against the central government, demanding action to bring to justice the perpetrators of the violence.</p>

<p>Priyanka Gandhi on Twitter condemned the violence in JNU and claimed that the BJP government played a role in the violence.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">.. To add insult to injury, BJP leaders are all over the media pretending that it wasn’t their goons who unleashed this violence. The people are not deceived. 2/2</p>
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) <a href="https://twitter.com/priyankagandhi/status/1213888131818110977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>Asaduddin Owaisi joined the opposition in condemning the violence asking the central government for answers as to why the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-police-conducts-flag-march-in-jawaharlal-nehru-university-after-violence-272387">Delhi police</a> chose not to take any action.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">In solidarity with the brave students of JNU<br />
<br />
This cruel attack is meant to ‘punish’ JNU students because they dared to stand up<br />
<br />
It’s so bad that even Union Ministers are tweeting helplessly. Modi Sarkar must answer why cops are siding with goons <a href="https://t.co/H0kRQyy6a8">https://t.co/H0kRQyy6a8</a></p>
— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) <a href="https://twitter.com/asadowaisi/status/1213895494482612224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>The BJP also condemned the violence carried out in the JNU campus, claiming it an attack by anarchical forces. However, their condemnation was responded by the JNUSU,&nbsp;which categorically rejected the 'BJP's false condemnation.'</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">We strongly reject <a href="https://twitter.com/BJP4India?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BJP4India</a> and their false condemnation. This university, the students and professors were mercilessly attacked by ABVP goons, in the presence of <a href="https://twitter.com/DelhiPolice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DelhiPolice</a>. There was no violence in JNU. There was only an attack. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JNUAttack?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JNUAttack</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SOSJNU?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SOSJNU</a> <a href="https://t.co/JEIs4QnfaC">https://t.co/JEIs4QnfaC</a></p>
— JNUSU (@JNUSUofficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/JNUSUofficial/status/1213882615003922433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>The Student Union at JNU also went on to claim that the violence on their campus was in fact a 'planned attack' by the goons of the ABVP, controlled by the BJP, RSS and other such outfits.</p>

<p>Union Minister for Information &amp; Broadcasting - Prakash Javdedkar, has claimed that the opposition, specifically the Congress, the Communists and the Aam Aadmi Party are utilising the event to maximise their political opportunities and further a violent environment in JNU.</p>

<p><strong>Watch: India - Massive violence inside JNU Campus</strong></p>

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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Congress national spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala on Monday launched a scathing attack at the Centre accusing it of "sponsoring goondaism and terrorism" in JNU.</p>

<p>Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan&nbsp;on Monday said that the attack&nbsp;on the students and faculty is an appalling display of intolerance running amok.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The attack on students &amp; faculty of JNU is an appalling display of intolerance running amok. The scale of the attack reveals the extent of planning. Sangh Parivar must end this diabolical plan to silence universities with bloodshed. Remember, those students are speaking for all. <a href="https://t.co/xKPngu3W1n">pic.twitter.com/xKPngu3W1n</a></p>
— Pinarayi Vijayan (@vijayanpinarayi) <a href="https://twitter.com/vijayanpinarayi/status/1214026471150256128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>On Facebook, Vijayan condemned "The Nazi-style attack on the students and faculty of JNU".&nbsp; He also claimed that the attackers intend to create an atmosphere of unrest and terror in the country.</p>

<p>Union Home Minister <a href="Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday asked Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik to take necessary action following violence on the campus of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)..">Amit Shah</a>&nbsp;asked Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik to take necessary action following violence on the campus of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). The Lieutanent Governor of Delhi has been asked to arrange a meeting between all parties involved in the violence at JNU.</p>


Delhi came to a standstill once again as JNU was attacked by goons clad with masks and hand-held weapons. A masked mob on Sunday entered the Sabarmati Hostel of Jawaharlal Nehru University and assaulted several students and professors with sticks, rods and even hammers.

Delhi came to a standstill once again as JNU was attacked by goons clad with masks and hand-held weapons. A masked mob on Sunday entered the Sabarmati Hostel of Jawaharlal Nehru University and assaulted several students and professors with sticks, rods and even hammers. #EmergencyinJNU ABVP terrorists from DU have entered campus in large numbers with iron rods, and they have been told to single out students' representatives. The JNUSU President, Aishe Ghosh, has been attacked. The Police and guards are aiding and abetting the attackers pic.twitter.com/KoIge6xeaF — JNUSU (@JNUSUofficial) January 5, 2020 × President of the JNUSU - Aishe Ghosh was among those beaten up by the mob. At least 23 students were rushed to AIIMS with cases of head injury and bleeding. The country woke up to see protests across the country. Students in Mumbai and Hyderabad held protests in solidarity with the students of JNU, condemning the violence committed by the masked goons. Hyderabad: Progressive Democratic Students Union(PDSU) activists protest in Osmania University against yesterday's #JNUViolence pic.twitter.com/un69Gtl3vU — ANI (@ANI) January 6, 2020 × Mumbai: Actor Sushant Singh also reaches Gateway of India where students are protesting against yesterday's #JNUViolence pic.twitter.com/k0NEJZqgaJ — ANI (@ANI) January 6, 2020 × Leaders of opposition raised their voices against the central government, demanding action to bring to justice the perpetrators of the violence. Priyanka Gandhi on Twitter condemned the violence in JNU and claimed that the BJP government played a role in the violence. .. To add insult to injury, BJP leaders are all over the media pretending that it wasn’t their goons who unleashed this violence. The people are not deceived. 2/2 — Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) January 5, 2020 × Asaduddin Owaisi joined the opposition in condemning the violence asking the central government for answers as to why the Delhi police chose not to take any action. In solidarity with the brave students of JNU This cruel attack is meant to ‘punish’ JNU students because they dared to stand up It’s so bad that even Union Ministers are tweeting helplessly. Modi Sarkar must answer why cops are siding with goons https://t.co/H0kRQyy6a8 — Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) January 5, 2020 × The BJP also condemned the violence carried out in the JNU campus, claiming it an attack by anarchical forces. However, their condemnation was responded by the JNUSU, which categorically rejected the 'BJP's false condemnation.' We strongly reject @BJP4India and their false condemnation. This university, the students and professors were mercilessly attacked by ABVP goons, in the presence of @DelhiPolice. There was no violence in JNU. There was only an attack. #JNUAttack #SOSJNU https://t.co/JEIs4QnfaC — JNUSU (@JNUSUofficial) January 5, 2020 × The Student Union at JNU also went on to claim that the violence on their campus was in fact a 'planned attack' by the goons of the ABVP, controlled by the BJP, RSS and other such outfits. Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting - Prakash Javdedkar, has claimed that the opposition, specifically the Congress, the Communists and the Aam Aadmi Party are utilising the event to maximise their political opportunities and further a violent environment in JNU. Watch: India - Massive violence inside JNU Campus × Congress national spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala on Monday launched a scathing attack at the Centre accusing it of "sponsoring goondaism and terrorism" in JNU. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday said that the attack on the students and faculty is an appalling display of intolerance running amok. The attack on students & faculty of JNU is an appalling display of intolerance running amok. The scale of the attack reveals the extent of planning. Sangh Parivar must end this diabolical plan to silence universities with bloodshed. Remember, those students are speaking for all. pic.twitter.com/xKPngu3W1n — Pinarayi Vijayan (@vijayanpinarayi) January 6, 2020 × On Facebook, Vijayan condemned "The Nazi-style attack on the students and faculty of JNU". He also claimed that the attackers intend to create an atmosphere of unrest and terror in the country. Union Home Minister Amit Shah asked Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik to take necessary action following violence on the campus of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). The Lieutanent Governor of Delhi has been asked to arrange a meeting between all parties involved in the violence at JNU.

Nazi-style attack on the students and faculty of JNU: Kerala CM

<p>Indian President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday condemned the recent clashes between right-and left-wing student groups in the capital&#39;s Delhi University, saying there should be no room in the country for the &quot;intolerant Indian&quot; in a country that had advocated free thought, speech and expression since ancient times.</p>

<p>&quot;Freedom of speech and expression is one of the most important fundamental rights guaranteed by our Constitution. There must be space for legitimate criticism and dissent,&quot; the President said in an address to lawmakers.</p>

<p>He advocated free thinking in university campuses and said students and faculties must engage in &quot;reasoned discussion and debate rather than propagating a culture of unrest&quot;.</p>

<p>He also said it was tragic to see students caught in the vortex of violence and disquiet.</p>

<p>&quot;It is tragic to see them (students) caught in the vortex of violence and disquiet,&quot; President Mukherjee said. He was speaking at the sixth K S Rajamony Memorial Lecture in New Delhi.</p>

<p>Underlining ancient glorious culture of universities in the country, he said, &quot;Our premier institutions of higher education are the vehicles on which India has to propel itself into a knowledge society.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;These temples of learning must resound with creativity and free thinking,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>President Mukherjee&#39;s comments come amid the backdrop of the ongoing tussle between the right-wing ABVP and Left-backed AISA supporters in the Delhi University.</p>

<p>The President also cautioned against the &iacute;ntolerance&#39; against women.</p>

<p>His comments came in the backdrop of the raging debate over free speech and nationalism following recent tweets of&nbsp;Gurmehar Kaur, a Delhi University student who faced threats of rape and death after she launched a social media campaign against the ABVP violence.</p>

<p>Gurmehar was also trolled on social media for her statement on Twitter that &quot;Pakistan didn&#39;t killed my father but the war did&quot;.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Pranab Mukherjee cautioned against the exploitation of &quot;fault lines&quot; in the society, intolerance and attack on women.</p>

<p>&quot;Protection and safety of our women and children must be a nationwide priority. The acid test of any society is its attitude towards women and children. India should not fail this test,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>In terse comments, Mukherjee said he does not consider a society or State to be civilised if its citizens&#39; behaviour towards women is uncivilised.</p>

<p>&quot;When we brutalise a woman, we wound the soul of our civilisation. Not only does our Constitution guarantee equal rights to women but our culture and tradition also celebrate the feminine as divine,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>The President said the country must be conscious of the fact that democracy required constant nurturing.</p>

<p>&quot;At no cost should we allow the exploitation of the fault lines. Those who spread violence must remember that Buddha, Ashoka and Akbar are remembered as heroes in history; not Hitler or Genghis Khan,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>The nation and the people must always come first, he said.</p>

<p>&quot;Let us strive to arrest the moral decline in our society and ensure that our core civilisational values find firm root. Let us exert ourselves to strengthen India&#39;s pluralism and diversity. Let us be uncompromising in rooting out violence, prejudice and hatred,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>President Mukherjee, who has been in public life for almost six decades, advised lawmakers and political activists to listen, engage, learn from people and respond to their needs and concerns.</p>

<p>He also asked lawmakers not to take people for granted and to raise issues of concern to the people as well as find solutions to their problems.</p>

<p>&quot;No one who holds any elected office has been invited by the voters to occupy that office. Each one has gone to the voters and pleaded for their votes and support. The trust placed by the people in the political system and those elected should not be betrayed,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>President Mukherji also criticised the ruckus in the Tamil Nadu state assembly during chief minister Palaniswamy&#39;s trust vote and said legislatures must not turn into arenas for combat.</p>

<p>&quot;Floor tests are not meant to be muscle tests. The opportunity to represent the people is not a right or entitlement but a moral obligation and duty. Our elected representatives owe it to the people of our country to act as models of exemplary conduct,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>He said if the Parliament and legislative assemblies became dysfunctional, it would result not just in the paralysis of those institutions but create an adverse impact across the system.</p>

<p>&quot;The debate and discussions which ought to take place in the open in the House of Parliament and assemblies cannot be replicated elsewhere. When they cease to function effectively, issues spill out onto the streets. The very basis of our democracy gets undermined,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>The President also raised an alarm about the frequent disruptions in Parliament, stating that interruptions had increased from 9.95 per cent in the 10th Lok Sabha to a shocking 41.6 per cent in the 15th Lok Sabha and about 16 per cent in the 16th Lok Sabha (up to the 10th session).</p>

<p>President Mukherjee said although the production of wealth must necessarily be one of the predominant objectives of state policy, it must be imbued with the principle of equality on which there can be no compromise.</p>

<p>&quot;An egalitarian society can only be created when growth is inclusive. It is important to ensure that there is justice and equality of opportunity and the state does not create conditions in which the privileged few gain at the cost of the multitudes who suffer endemic poverty,&quot; he said.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
(WION with inputs from PTI)</p>


His comment came in the midst of the ongoing tussle and clashes in Delhi University between left- and right-wing student groups

Indian President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday condemned the recent clashes between right-and left-wing student groups in the capital's Delhi University, saying there should be no room in the country for the "intolerant Indian" in a country that had advocated free thought, speech and expression since ancient times. "Freedom of speech and expression is one of the most important fundamental rights guaranteed by our Constitution. There must be space for legitimate criticism and dissent," the President said in an address to lawmakers. He advocated free thinking in university campuses and said students and faculties must engage in "reasoned discussion and debate rather than propagating a culture of unrest". He also said it was tragic to see students caught in the vortex of violence and disquiet. "It is tragic to see them (students) caught in the vortex of violence and disquiet," President Mukherjee said. He was speaking at the sixth K S Rajamony Memorial Lecture in New Delhi. Underlining ancient glorious culture of universities in the country, he said, "Our premier institutions of higher education are the vehicles on which India has to propel itself into a knowledge society." "These temples of learning must resound with creativity and free thinking," he said. President Mukherjee's comments come amid the backdrop of the ongoing tussle between the right-wing ABVP and Left-backed AISA supporters in the Delhi University. The President also cautioned against the íntolerance' against women. His comments came in the backdrop of the raging debate over free speech and nationalism following recent tweets of Gurmehar Kaur, a Delhi University student who faced threats of rape and death after she launched a social media campaign against the ABVP violence. Gurmehar was also trolled on social media for her statement on Twitter that "Pakistan didn't killed my father but the war did". Pranab Mukherjee cautioned against the exploitation of "fault lines" in the society, intolerance and attack on women. "Protection and safety of our women and children must be a nationwide priority. The acid test of any society is its attitude towards women and children. India should not fail this test," he said. In terse comments, Mukherjee said he does not consider a society or State to be civilised if its citizens' behaviour towards women is uncivilised. "When we brutalise a woman, we wound the soul of our civilisation. Not only does our Constitution guarantee equal rights to women but our culture and tradition also celebrate the feminine as divine," he said. The President said the country must be conscious of the fact that democracy required constant nurturing. "At no cost should we allow the exploitation of the fault lines. Those who spread violence must remember that Buddha, Ashoka and Akbar are remembered as heroes in history; not Hitler or Genghis Khan," he said. The nation and the people must always come first, he said. "Let us strive to arrest the moral decline in our society and ensure that our core civilisational values find firm root. Let us exert ourselves to strengthen India's pluralism and diversity. Let us be uncompromising in rooting out violence, prejudice and hatred," he said. President Mukherjee, who has been in public life for almost six decades, advised lawmakers and political activists to listen, engage, learn from people and respond to their needs and concerns. He also asked lawmakers not to take people for granted and to raise issues of concern to the people as well as find solutions to their problems. "No one who holds any elected office has been invited by the voters to occupy that office. Each one has gone to the voters and pleaded for their votes and support. The trust placed by the people in the political system and those elected should not be betrayed," he said. President Mukherji also criticised the ruckus in the Tamil Nadu state assembly during chief minister Palaniswamy's trust vote and said legislatures must not turn into arenas for combat. "Floor tests are not meant to be muscle tests. The opportunity to represent the people is not a right or entitlement but a moral obligation and duty. Our elected representatives owe it to the people of our country to act as models of exemplary conduct," he said. He said if the Parliament and legislative assemblies became dysfunctional, it would result not just in the paralysis of those institutions but create an adverse impact across the system. "The debate and discussions which ought to take place in the open in the House of Parliament and assemblies cannot be replicated elsewhere. When they cease to function effectively, issues spill out onto the streets. The very basis of our democracy gets undermined," he said. The President also raised an alarm about the frequent disruptions in Parliament, stating that interruptions had increased from 9.95 per cent in the 10th Lok Sabha to a shocking 41.6 per cent in the 15th Lok Sabha and about 16 per cent in the 16th Lok Sabha (up to the 10th session). President Mukherjee said although the production of wealth must necessarily be one of the predominant objectives of state policy, it must be imbued with the principle of equality on which there can be no compromise. "An egalitarian society can only be created when growth is inclusive. It is important to ensure that there is justice and equality of opportunity and the state does not create conditions in which the privileged few gain at the cost of the multitudes who suffer endemic poverty," he said. (WION with inputs from PTI)

No room for intolerant Indian in this country, says President Pranab Mukherjee

<p>Delhi Commission for Women has launched an inquiry into claims that female college students were molested by Delhi Police during violence at Delhi University&#39;s Ramjas College.&nbsp;</p>

<p>DCW has issued a notice to Delhi Police.</p>

<p>Ramjas College on Wednesday &nbsp;was the scene of an ugly&nbsp;fight between two student parties -- left-wing members of AISA and right-wing outfit ABVP -- after two Jawaharlal Nehru University students Umar Khalid and Shehla Rashid, considered by the right-wing as anti-nationals, were invited&nbsp;to address a seminar on &#39;Culture of Protests&#39;.</p>

<p>The invitation was later withdrawn by the college authorities following opposition by the ABVP.</p>

<p>&quot;We are of the view that these attacks on women protesters by policemen may also amount to molestation and need to be severely punished. The images of Delhi Police officers beating and misbehaving with women protesters are resonating across Delhi and India and have severely damaged the reputation of Delhi Police. It is a classic case of protectors turning abusers,&quot; said the notice issued to Joint CP, central Range.</p>

<p>&quot;Further, the Commission is aghast to read newspaper reports alleging that Delhi Police claims it does not know who ordered the lathi charge on the protesters. Such statements raise suspicions about politicisation of police and the matter needs to be investigated urgently,&quot; it added.</p>

<p>DCW Chief Swati Maliwal has pointed out in the notice that a similar &quot;manhandling&quot; of female students by policemen had happened last year when they were protesting in connection with the case of missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed.</p>

<p>The commission has asked police to respond within a week with information on &quot;number of police officers (male and female separately) deployed in and around Ramjas College for the said protest, names and designations of the Police cops clearly identifiable in the videos and photographs,&nbsp;who were seen punching and manhandling women protesters&quot;.</p>

<p>The Delhi Police had admitted &quot;unprofessional&quot; conduct on the part of some of its personnel during the clashes and suspended three policemen.</p>

<p>(WION with inputs from PTI)</p>


Students of the college claim that some of the female protesters were accosted by Delhi Police during the February 22 clashes

Delhi Commission for Women has launched an inquiry into claims that female college students were molested by Delhi Police during violence at Delhi University's Ramjas College. DCW has issued a notice to Delhi Police. Ramjas College on Wednesday was the scene of an ugly fight between two student parties -- left-wing members of AISA and right-wing outfit ABVP -- after two Jawaharlal Nehru University students Umar Khalid and Shehla Rashid, considered by the right-wing as anti-nationals, were invited to address a seminar on 'Culture of Protests'. The invitation was later withdrawn by the college authorities following opposition by the ABVP. "We are of the view that these attacks on women protesters by policemen may also amount to molestation and need to be severely punished. The images of Delhi Police officers beating and misbehaving with women protesters are resonating across Delhi and India and have severely damaged the reputation of Delhi Police. It is a classic case of protectors turning abusers," said the notice issued to Joint CP, central Range. "Further, the Commission is aghast to read newspaper reports alleging that Delhi Police claims it does not know who ordered the lathi charge on the protesters. Such statements raise suspicions about politicisation of police and the matter needs to be investigated urgently," it added. DCW Chief Swati Maliwal has pointed out in the notice that a similar "manhandling" of female students by policemen had happened last year when they were protesting in connection with the case of missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed. The commission has asked police to respond within a week with information on "number of police officers (male and female separately) deployed in and around Ramjas College for the said protest, names and designations of the Police cops clearly identifiable in the videos and photographs, who were seen punching and manhandling women protesters". The Delhi Police had admitted "unprofessional" conduct on the part of some of its personnel during the clashes and suspended three policemen. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Ramjas College violence: Women's body opens inquiry into police molestation claims

A 28-year-old student of Jawaharlal Nehru University, a prestigious educational institute in India, has accused a student activist of raping her on Saturday (August 20).<br />
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The woman, a first-year doctorate student, alleged that Anmol Ratan, who is also a JNU student, raped her in a hostel room on the university campus.<br />
<br />
Police lodged a case of rape and criminal intimidation against Ratan on Sunday (August 21).<br />
<br />
Ratan is a member of the All India Students&#39; Association (AISA), a left-wing student organisation.<br />
<br />
AISA, meanwhile, said it has expelled Ratan from its organisation.<br />
<br />
&quot;AISA takes serious note of the fact that Anmol Ratan, a leading activist of AISA, is facing a criminal complaint of sexual assault. He is, henceforth, expelled from the primary membership of AISA.&nbsp;We stand by the complainant in her fight for justice,&quot; Ashutosh Kumar, AISA Delhi State Secretary, said.<br />
<br />
The complainant told police that she had posted on her Facebook profile that she wanted to watch a movie named &#39;Sairat&#39; and asked if anyone had a CD of it.<br />
<br />
Ratan apparently messaged her saying that he had a copy. Thereafter, he picked her up on the pretext of giving her a CD of the film and took her to Brahamaputra Hostel, where he stays.<br />
<br />
She said in the complaint that he offered her a spiked drink and allegedly raped her. He also threatened her and asked her to not report the matter.<br />
<br />
(PTI)

Left-wing student organisation, All India Students' Association, which the accused was involved with, has announced his expulsion

A 28-year-old student of Jawaharlal Nehru University, a prestigious educational institute in India, has accused a student activist of raping her on Saturday (August 20). The woman, a first-year doctorate student, alleged that Anmol Ratan, who is also a JNU student, raped her in a hostel room on the university campus. Police lodged a case of rape and criminal intimidation against Ratan on Sunday (August 21). Ratan is a member of the All India Students' Association (AISA), a left-wing student organisation. AISA, meanwhile, said it has expelled Ratan from its organisation. "AISA takes serious note of the fact that Anmol Ratan, a leading activist of AISA, is facing a criminal complaint of sexual assault. He is, henceforth, expelled from the primary membership of AISA. We stand by the complainant in her fight for justice," Ashutosh Kumar, AISA Delhi State Secretary, said. The complainant told police that she had posted on her Facebook profile that she wanted to watch a movie named 'Sairat' and asked if anyone had a CD of it. Ratan apparently messaged her saying that he had a copy. Thereafter, he picked her up on the pretext of giving her a CD of the film and took her to Brahamaputra Hostel, where he stays. She said in the complaint that he offered her a spiked drink and allegedly raped her. He also threatened her and asked her to not report the matter. (PTI)

Student allegedly raped in prestigious Indian university

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