On the eve of Mother’s Day, Kanhaiya Kumar wrote an emotional open letter to India’s HRD minister posing multiple questions to her. I am not very sure whether she would reply or not, but then as someone who has been closely following KK and his rise as India’s newest face of anti-establishment crusade, I thought of asking few questions back. I am very sure these questions are in the mind of millions of people like me who witnessed his sudden ascend and amazed at how quickly he is catapulted into the ‘A league’ of Indian politics. This is the original letter from him:
Dear Madam Smriti Irani – self-declared mother of all varsity students,
I wish you a happy Mother’s Day on behalf of all university students.
We are trying hard to study in the warmth of your motherly love. Under your reign, we are learning how to study despite police canes and hunger.
Today, a friend sent me this image and asked how under Mr Modi’s regime – where besides our own mother, we also have Mother Cow, Mother India, Mother Ganges and Mother Smriti – could Rohith die. I am asking you this because I have no answer. The same anti-national friend also said that Mother Smriti’s ministry sent several letters to punish Rohith and was also responsible for withholding Rohith’s fellowship for seven months.
In a great country like India, can a mother force drive her child to suicide? Can a mother accept punishments on her children based on doctored videos and a biased probe? Your children, starving for 11 days, are asking you this question. Please reply, if you find the time. The friend who sent this image calls you the “anti-rational mother of anti-nationals.” I hope you will prove this allegation false in your factual reply.
It is a mother’s duty to teach her children to call a spade a spade and raise their voice against injustice. That’s why several mothers of JNU have come out to encourage their children on hunger strike today. These even include an 80-year-old mother in a wheel chair. We are waiting for you.
In expectation of your reply,
Kanhaiya Kumar,
JNU, Delhi
The first thought that came to my mind after reading this letter was how fantastically someone could use words/ statements to suit personal argument. Not only the letter lacks clarity and fact but very elegantly it sensitizes people much like our Indian media. Hence I thought of writing back to him, about few things that he needs to hear straight up from people having a rational mind and zero political affiliation.
Dear Kanhaiya Kumar Bhaiya – self-proclaimed leader of underprivileged,
Let me start by introducing myself: Kanhaiya ji, I am one of those numerous people who increased viewership of the channels telecasting your speeches and added revenue to the media houses printing news about YOU – the latest face of left-liberal-rebellion of this country. Actually, I am from West Bengal, yes that very state who trusted left for a little more than three decades, only to find themselves languishing at the bottom of all the important tables, apart from the obvious ones like total number of students who left the state for jobs or total number of industries leaving a state, where we always finished on the podium. Anyways, you have nothing to do with that, so just let that go.
Honestly speaking, I loved the way you took jibes at the establishment and your sarcasm filled oratory skills did impress me. But then, you were more like those Hollywood CGI flicks, where I would be so impressed during the movie and then after leaving the theatre I would ponder upon the sheer lack of logic in it. Anyone, I mean almost anyone, including me who enjoys a cushy job can come up with the problems of this country and you Kanhaiya Ji just did the same, highlighting some age old problems and targeting a 2 year old government for it. In your speech, you advocated for the fact that the ruling party shouldn’t be deciding the fate of the country since they only got about 31% vote, what you forgot in the process is that by the same yardstick, Left/CPM has been out-rightly rejected by the country as they could manage a paltry single digit. People have shown your party the exit, state after state, year after year. Leftists now require support from Scamgress to fight the worst CM in India’s history, such is their moral fibre, and such is their political aptitude. Bhaiyaji, WAKE UP; please agree that Left has left, and for good. I mean I could go on and on about how stupid I felt after I evaluated the content of your speech, minus your earthy charisma, but let’s do that some other day.
Okay, enough of introduction, let’s come straight to your open letter or should I say your latest gimmick to be in limelight of TRP hungry media. Kanhaiya Ji, I liked the way you picked up the occasion, directed the letter to one of India’s most vocal politician in recent times, and took references of a ‘friend’ to take that dig at her. What’s funny is that now you need the help of a friend to talk about these things, I guess 10-12 days of prison does that to everybody. Nonetheless, in your inimitable style you have drafted a very emotional letter raising your questions about Rohith’s death, about how his fellowship was withhold for months, about how punishments for you and your colleagues have been given based on doctored videos and biased probe etc. etc. But I am afraid, Kanhaiya Ji, these are your just presumptions and there is a gap big enough to let a truck in between your belief and facts. Nothing has been proved so far. On the contrary, even the apex court of this country has given you a ‘conditional’ bail and the judgement letter does not talk too high of our methods let alone belief system.
What is equally appalling is your choice of words. Just to prove yourself as a representative of marginalized people, you used the word ‘starving’, whereas what exactly happening is a hunger strike. People starve Kanhaiya Ji, when there is no food, but what you are referring to is a mechanism of protest to undo a decision which has not gone in your favour. But then, you are a PHD scholar from one of the best institute of this country. So you knew that already and there is no point questioning your vocabulary. Hence it leaves me to question your intent. What is your exact purpose Bhaiya?
You have mentioned in one place that you have “learnt to study despite police canes and hunger”. But what you should have mentioned is that you have successfully learnt to study despite your packed travel plans all throughout the country for meeting political personalities and delivering politically motivated speeches. And, as far as hunger is concerned, I am sure if you could manage I-Phone and air travel, you could also manage some food. So tell me, why so much of fuss? You could have easily become a political pawn with way less effort.
Kanhaiya Ji, You expected a factual reply; now that is so freaking strange. If you are a fan of facts, you should have known the extent of corruption one of our ex railway minister from your own backyard inflicted on us and yet we could see pictures of you taking blessings from him. I am surprised here, care to explain Kanhaiya Bhaiya?
I agree with one thing in your letter, It’s time we call spade a spade and understand what you are doing is nothing else than to gain political momentum just like someone with a surname of Kejriwal did few years back.
In expectation of your reply,
Bemused Indian citizen, India
P.S Next time you are planning to go to Pune from Mumbai, take a cab which are available just outside Dadar station. At about 400 bucks, you reach Pune under four hours. Saves a lot of money and also time wise it is almost the same if you include the check-in time and all that involved with air travel. Just an afterthought, since you talked about rationality in your letter.