“Kanhaiya’s Politics Are Left-Wing, Certainly Not Anti-India”

JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar’s friends and teacher-guide say with emphasis that his politics is not anti-Indian.

Jawaharlal Nehru University student leader Kanhaiya Kumar, arrested for sedition, has never made anti-national remarks and in fact, opposes all forms of extremism, fellow students and his PhD teacher-guide say.

Those who know him well in JNU as well as those who have known him from his younger days in Bihar insist that his politics are left-wing, pro-poor but certainly not anti-India.

And those who were present at the controversial 9 February meeting on Kashmir at the JNU campus say Kanhaiya did not raise any of the anti-India slogans blamed on a section of students and outsiders.

He can never even think of anything anti-India because it is against his understanding of politics and society.

Amrita, friend of Kanhaiya and fellow PhD student

Amrita and Kanhaiya have been friends for over a decade. Two other students – Rahila Perween, a PhD student, and Piyush Ranjan Jha, an MPhil student – both of whom were present at the 9 February event said that Kanhaiya “did not raise any anti-national slogans”.

Kanhaiya – Objective, Meritorious and Analytical

The first president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Student Union (JNUSU) from the CPI-affiliated AISF, Kanhaiya faces charges of sedition for allegedly raising the slogans. He has denied the charge.

“He is objective, analytical, empathizes with social issues and is against all forms of extremism,” said Amrita on Wednesday, a day when Kanhaiya was sent to judicial custody till March 2 after being roughed up by lawyers opposing him.

Amrita and Kanhaiya pursued their bachelor degrees in geography from the College of Commerce in 2003 in Patna. She said he was always a meritorious student and a good orator with an in-depth knowledge of world affairs.

He has great organizational capabilities. He deeply understands politics and is the kind of student and citizen one would be proud of.

Amrita, friend of Kanhaiya and fellow Phd student

Kanhaiya, now in his late 20s, is pursuing his PhD in African Studies at JNU under Professor SN Malakar.

One should know about the history of the AISF, and then you will realise that Kanhaiya can never make anti-national remarks.

SN Malakar, JNU Professor

‘Kanhaiya Went There to Prevent Clashes’

Rahila Perween, who has known Kanhaiya for 13-14 years, was also present at the 9 February event.

He did not raise anti-national slogans. We are at the forefront of raising various issues. We are being targeted for this.

Rahila Perween, friend of Kanhaiya and eyewitness

Piyush Ranjan Jha said Kanhaiya arrived at the venue to prevent clashes between student groups on 9 February.

Some people were present at the venue who are not from the university. He was there just to pacify the students. He did not make any anti-national remarks.

Piyush Ranjan Jha, MPhil student

A resident of Bihat village in Bihar, Kanhaiya’a father is a farmer and mother a health worker in Begusarai district, said Biswajit, general secretary of the AISF, the student wing of the Communist Party of India.

His elder brother works for a private company, his younger brother has just completed his masters in commerce and his elder sister is married and lives in Bihar.

Kanhaiya won the JNUSU president’s post in September 2015. It was the first time the AISF won the post though it had held other positions in the student union in the past.

Biswajit insisted that Kanhaiya was a patriot.

When the Indian government held events to commemorate the 1857 uprising, Kanhaiya represented his college and won an award as well. There is no way he can say anything anti-national.

Biswajit, general secretary of the AISF

(Priyanka can be contacted at [e-mail]. This article has been published in a special arrangement with IANS.)