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The violent clashes between the right-wing ABVP and the Left-leaning student groups at Delhi University's Ramjas College are just a reminder of campuses turning into political battlegrounds, or are they also reflective of the premier educational institutions losing their academic freedom?
While the ABVP has drawn brickbats for the 22 February fierce clashes that left injured over a dozen people, including teachers and journalists, not just the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's student wing, but confrontational politics has created unrest in the campuses across the country.
The ABVP's bid to dominate campus life in the country has seriously infringed academic freedom, Delhi University Professor Apoorvanand Jha told IANS.
The incident at Ramjas College is not an isolated one, rather there has been a concerted campaign by the ABVP's student and youth activists to dominate campus life in India in the name of nationalism.
Enraged over the invitation to JNU student Umar Khalid – arrested last year on the charge of "sedition" – for a seminar, ABVP activists not just foiled the Ramjas College event, but went on a rampage assaulting students and others.
Jha says the BJP-RSS's politics of causing fear has robbed the campuses of their atmosphere of free debate, along with academic freedom.
"Today, my academic freedom has been curbed. As a teacher, I am apprehensive of giving my views on a subject. Would I be attacked or called an anti-national or an FIR be filed against me," Jha wonders.
DU Professor Rakesh Sinha, though squarely blames the Leftists for "vitiating" the campus atmosphere and says free speech at the cost of nationalism can never be allowed.
"Like violence, there is also no place on the campus for those who live in India, but talk about breaking it. These people are more dangerous than external forces. When the government is taking steps to strengthen national integration, these people who talk about Kashmir's 'azadi' are actually strengthening Pakistan's bid to internationalise the Kashmir issue," Sinha told IANS.
"RSS academicians have not been given space for the last 50 years, so who is curbing free speech? Are non-Leftist academicians invited to give their views in JNU?" he asked.
"It's the leftists who are intolerant. Opposed to their monolithic views, there is this alternative narrative emerging. When their feudalistic ideas are challenged, they are protesting, accusing, alleging and resorting to any other means in their bid to stave it off," added Sinha.
"The Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and also lays down restrictions. So, in the name of free speech or nationalism, violence cannot be tolerated. Surely it's the academics that suffers," he added.
"In the name of nationalism, people should not be made to kill other people or hate other people or promote prejudices. That is not nationalism, that is something dangerous," the professor told IANS.
"Nationalism is great when it is for promoting brotherhood and love for the country, but when it is used for communalising or spreading hatred, then that is not nationalism. Except for law, no one can call another unpatriotic or anti-national. It is for the judiciary to decide," he added.
(This article has been published in an arrangement with the IANS. Anurag Dey can be reached at anurag.d@ians.in. The views expressed above are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for the same.) )
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