“Empty vessels make the most noise”, a proverb which has been etched in the minds of every person since their schooling days. Today, to see a bunch of hoodlums from JNU making a complete mess in the national capital reminds me of the same proverb. There are umpteen instances where these people who claim to be students, have wrecked havoc in the capital, especially their campus. In my opinion, each student of this university ought to be given a diploma in rioting and sloganeering on their graduation days, if at all there will be one.
That the education of students at JNU is subsidized by Indian taxpayer money is no secret. The PhD ‘scholars’ here are given Rs. 28,000 a month by the government in order to facilitate their research. We did a piece in which we exposed what the topics of ‘research’ in JNU are these days varying from ‘Savita Bhabhi’ to ‘sexual relations in Mughal India’, to the ‘leisure-time activities of students in the colleges of Delhi.’ Disappointing, to say the least. Not to mention that these are causing an outrageous wastage of taxpayer money.
Any normal student in college usually has the urge to earn a nominal amount of money to support themselves at a crucial stage in their lives. Whether it be interning, or a part-time job, students do anything to have a source of income for themselves, to reduce the burden on their parents. In JNU, students seem to be least interested to do the same. Why work at all, when next to free education is being availed by them at the Indian taxpayer’s expense? The shameful fee structure at the university is a throbbing pain for students of other universities and colleges who have to pay much more for similar studies. Many find the JNU administration at fault here, for not reforming the fee structure on-time and giving just anyone a free platform to showcase their antics for as long as they want to.
However, India’s digital space has delivered democracy to the last man standing. For every foolish show-of-muscle which the JNU students indulge in, there is an equal uproar across the minds of countless hard-working Indians, who refuse to subscribe to the ideology of hooliganism. As mentioned before, many people during their college days looked to earn a nominal amount for themselves, to sustain their demands and not be a pressure on their parents. Today on Twitter, a handle which goes by the name @AndColourPockeT put out the following tweet:
people, please mark your attendance under this tweet If you did part time work to support your studies because parents were unable to afford it and now you are paying taxes to the government so they can fund these Chu of JNU.
— 🦁 (@AndColorPockeT) November 19, 2019
What followed was a flurry of responses from Twitterati, which also included TFI founder Atul Mishra, who revealed that he was suspended from a semester for indulging in ‘netagiri’. As a result, he started writing articles in the technology genre and soon became the most-sought after writer in the field. How he then founded TFI in 2012 and changed the right-wing scene in India is something we all are aware of.
Back in my Engg days, I was suspended for a semester (for doing netagiri). When I returned, I stopped taking money from my parents (out of guilt), enrolled on digitalpointforum and started writing tech content. I became one of the most sought after tech writers in India soon.
— Atul Kumar Mishra (@TheAtulMishra) November 20, 2019
Another user, Pulkit Vashist shared his story. “I assembled gaming PCs, wrote assignments, taught subjects while doing engineering to take out my expenses.My younger brother topped Univ, earned scholarships and went to Germany for Masters without being a burden on the parents. You can either find a way or make excuses.”
https://twitter.com/Modern_Monk719/status/1196809448716505088?s=19
Indresh Kochar said that he worked as a part-time accountant for small shops in Bikaner, Rajasthan while he prepared for his final CA examinations. He, back in the time, earned around five thousand rupees and is currently settled in California, USA.
27, Worked as part time accountant for small shops in Bikaner, Rajasthan while preparing for my CA Final exams (Apart from Articleship).. used to get Rs 5000.. now a successful CA, tweeting this from California, USA..
— Indresh Kochar (@IndreshKochar) November 19, 2019
Aastha Verma says she started her own business when she was in 11th standard, to lessen the burden on her mother. She took tuitions, interned at TOI as a paid contributor.
https://twitter.com/AasthaVarma/status/1196821161528545281?s=19
Another user, @Kuttan_Thambra said, “I went through college doing catering work for weddings and events , as a masonry & carpenters assistant , & whatever I could do during my free time so that I could support my parents. By the time I graduated LLB 5 years ago , I had opened 3 new businesses that employed 25 people.”
I went through college doing catering work for weddings and events , as a masonry & carpenters assistant , & whatever I could do during my free time so that I could support my parents
By the time I graduated LLB 5 years ago , I had opened 3 new businesses that employed 25 people
— കണിമംഗലം ജഗന്നാഥൻ 🇮🇳 (@Aaraam_thambran) November 19, 2019
These are just some of the stories which have been shared here. The multitude of experiences which people have had during their early adulthood can be an inspiration for the students of JNU, who are freeloading and protesting at the thought of a much-deserved fee hike. One should rather have the capability to support oneself financially.
If these students cannot work to even pay for their own fees at JNU, there’s really nothing much they can be expected to do. All the taxes which the hard-working people in India pay today, having seen what real struggle and grind looks like, find it extremely disappointing to see JNUites outraging for no reason. While the other demands can be protested against, one just cannot protest against the fee hike. This should also serve as a reminder to the JNU administration, to not buckle under hooliganism and their pressure tactics.
Finally, lets have a look at the creator of this heart warming thread, and his story.
I used to teach neighborhood kids when I was in 10th, taught programming to students haven't taken money from parents since 11th and paid all the fees myself.(Though real source of earning was commision on donation that rich parents used to pay for admissions in private colleges) https://t.co/ZewxxXbEkP
— 🦁 (@AndColorPockeT) November 19, 2019
To all the freeloaders and good-for-nothings at JNU, stop your drama and get a job!