I was getting late for my morning flight so I had to leave the gathering and meeting early. After a 15 Minute walk loaded with heavy thoughts to pen down this article, I reached the Gate No 1 of JNU. It was almost 3am at the night. To my surprise almost a huge herd of media persons with camera and boom were standing and trying to get some sneak peak of incidents happening inside JNU. Few of them were facing the camera to give a P2C (Piece to Camera). To my surprise among the few, I could recognise Rahul Kanwal of TV Today group was standing holding the boom and mike. At this odd hour, though it was unusual I could understand the importance of the situation and the dedication of the journalist.
I spent around 3-4 hours inside the campus and tried to get the feel of the JNU heat. Since the controversy has started. There has been a fight within us. Some of us support the ‘Anti Nationals’ being termed by a few so called ‘Nationalists’. Well, that’s a million dollar question who is a real Nationalist. To find an answer to this I took pain of watching more than 20 YouTube videos related to issue and also read more than 50 such most shared articles covering both the perceptions.
Some people we call rightist and some leftist. But there are a large number of people who are free thinkers. They decision is evidence based, logic based and mostly biased with first-hand information. They keep one foot on rightist philosophy and the other feet on leftist ideology to take a stand based on their own judgement. On the same note, being liberal and logical I took another step to go JNU and get in more details about it. The atmosphere there must guide me, was the idea which I am sure I can convey properly to all.
Image Courtesy : Indian Express
A fact has evolved now, the judicial authority in India being the court has now being partially transferred to people like Arnab Goswami and channels like Zee News. If the whole country is divided in the name of National and Anti-national, then this is not because we had anti national slogans enchanted by few students. Rather because the media trail led by Arnab Goswami and Zee News provoked the whole country to do so.
While walking along the deserted roads of JNU along few of my friends from JNU, I could hear the slogans from Ad block and we headed towards that. It was around 11.30pm at night. I was trying to overheard different conversations of students discussing in different groups amidst pro JNU slogans by JUNSU. I was trying to get the real sense of democracy and the gaps. Was it antinational and violation of democratic rights or fight against the hypocrisy?
What does our democracy teach us !! To question or to blame?
I do not buy the slogans of picturing Afjal as Martyr but questioning the trial of Afjal won’t make anyone anti-national. But who is there to take decision of sedition charges or booking someone as Anti-national; Arnab Goswami who in a way spreading hatred by his rudeness and biased media trial or Zee News, who produced the doctored video to get maximum TRP. Media as I have learned it from the best Media Institute of India, is ethical and it’s a service. Serving with facts and information is something media should be doing rather put forth the decision creating mass hatred which leads to Patiala House court incident.
Shehla Rashid started with addressing the legal complications that the JNU movement has been facing and this time her stand was much logical than before which I could see getting praised by the crowd. Mind it, this crowd is not the crowd pulled by any political party, rather gathered suo-motto in solidarity where, i could over heard, the ABVP crowd in the campus was having some DJ night in any one of the boys hostel.
My eyes were then on Umar Khalid, who said in his speech last night, ‘I am Umar Khalid and I am not a Terrorist”. Though an extreme leftist, he has also put very valid question on the media trial and without any court trial how can one be termed as Anti National. I am not at all defending him rather my views are towards the safe keeper of democracy. I was more interested to listen to Rama Naga, the GS of JNUSU originally hailed from Koraput, Odisha who is also accused of being an Anti-National. As he stated he is the only member in his family to go beyond matriculation. His anger and outrage got translated to his words and he started addressing ‘Sathiyon’ to the gathered crowd. With confidence, not very loud voice, he started and addressed the biggest question which many were asking since last few days. He made it clear, that they had not escaped. They were very much presence in the campus rather, they were avoiding legal complications.
Image Courtesy: Indian Express
Again Naga addressed with the basic idea of why the fight!!!! It is not about supporting Afjal or being Anti-National. It is being the fight against injustice. He was worried and he was concerned about his parents and family being targeted by media and others which, he has appealed not to do so.
Many people may not like me or dislike me after my this post, which may sound like pro-communist. But let me be very frank I believe in free thinking and liberal politics rather than biased decision making and fooling the whole country with miss-information which may harm the communal harmony in the country. The latest video by India Today exposing the Lawers who had beaten Kanheya and other journalists is just so pathetic in the name of patriotism.
I am amazed again to see the irresponsibility of Indian Home minister issuing false information believing on a fake social media updates. The stand of HRD Minister of putting flags all across Indian central universities and the most popular Mr Modi is silent on the issue. Where is the country heading and how the government is responding to the whole fiasco, along with unfair arrest of Kanheya Kumar has united the student mass. The #StandwithJNU tag is now trending and leading to unite more student groups all across India against the system and government.
There are questions unsolved, the release of kanheya, and trial of other accused students and so on. There is a challenge to be tolerant and face this issue. The social media fights have gone to a different level and the leaders are in making. The future of India seems bright. The leader of India is in Making. Inside the Tihar Jail.
While writing this piece inside the flight, I could see the silver lining in the sky and could feel ‘Achhedin aa gaye’.
