On Wednesday, it was not a usual afternoon in the North Campus of Delhi University. The morning started with a demonstration by LEFT-affiliated AISA in front of the gates of Ramjas College. Everything was going on peacefully until AISA supporters started raising Pro – Aazadi slogans for Kashmir. These slogans were the on the same lines as the ones raised in JNU previous year. This time their demand of “Aazadi” included that of Bastar too. RSS-backed students of ABVP present there protested. What started with a verbal brawl soon escalated into a violent clash. Police was immediately deployed but the situations worsened and they had to resort to lathicharge. Students from both groups suffered injuries. Reports of man-handling of few media personnel by police also surfaced.
To understand this incident, we need to go through the backdrop of the episode that occurred on Tuesday. Ramjas College Literary Society had organised a two – day seminar on ‘Culture Of Protest’. Umar Khalid, a JNU student, was invited to deliver a lecture on ‘War in Adivasi areas’. He is the same Umar Khalid who was arrested on charges of sedition after he raised anti – India slogans in JNU on 9th February 2016. Currently he’s out on bail. He was to deliver the lecture on Tuesday (21st Feb ). Aware of his anti-India stand, Ramjas College Student Union (RCSU) lodged a protest in front of their principal. When their pleas went unheard, they sought support from Delhi University Student Union (DUSU), headed by RSS-backed student wing ABVP (Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad). DUSU was quick to respond.
DUSU, ABVP & RCSU raised slogans against breaking India forces and demanded principal of Ramjas College to immediately cancel the event that included Umar Khalid. After initial reluctance, the college administration had to call off the event.
Meanwhile the students from Left fraternity, who had gathered to listen to Umar Khalid, in utter desperation after event’s cancellation resorted to slogans of “Aazadi”. Together in a huge mob, standing right in the capital of India they shouted, “Kashmir Mangey Aazadi, Bastar Mangey Aazadi”. Another example of LEFT’s agenda of Naxalism and breaking India ambitions stood exposed. This was the same repetition of JNU’s infamous 9th Feb incident. These chants which had previously reached JNU from Kashmir, were chanted in DU as well. The same LEFT – backed AISA students organised a protest rally the very next day (Wednesday) against cancellation of Umar Khalid’s event. Slogans were raised here too. But this time, students from ABVP retaliated and demanded shut down of any such event asking for division of India. A heated verbal brawl sprouted between both groups which soon escalated into a massive violent clash. Police had to be called in. They resorted to lathi charge to control the students. Many students suffered injuries. Both ABVP and AISA groups accused each other for the clashes holding the other party responsible. But in the end, this anti-India procession could not move ahead.
It’s vital to mention here that Umar Khalid’s father, Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas was once an active member of the banned terror outfit, SIMI . And now here is Umar actively involved in spreading intellectual terrorism in India. He is presently out on bail for the anti-national slogans he raised inside JNU on 9th Feb last year along with likes of Anirban Bhattacharya, Rama Naga and Kanhaiya Kumar.
Ramjas College professor who invited Umar Khalid, citing his academic credentials, is an ex-JNUite himself. Umar has NULL achievements in life except for a few media appearances and his fact-less statements.
Hypocrisy of the elite self – proclaimed intellectuals once again got exposed when they took sides of Umar Khalid defending his Freedom Of Expression. These are the same bunch of people who cried day and night on social media condemning attack on Mr. Bhansali but refrained from posting a single tweet condemning man-handling of Tarek Fateh at Rekhta, an Urdu Literary Festival. These same bunch of bigots chose to maintain a “secular” silence when Baba Ramdev was not allowed to attend Vedanta festival at JNU in December, 2015 , or when Vivek Agnihotri was jostled at Jadhavpur University or when Rajiv Malhotra was pushed at TISS.
Interestingly, Umar Khalid‘s Freedom of Expression is more dear to our media and intellectuals than that of any other Indian. The source of this nexus between media and likes of Umar Khalid needs to be tracked down as soon as possible. Before the cancer spreads further, it should be treated immediately. A chemo is the need of the hour.