People's Democracy

EVER since Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), one of the numerous tentacles of the Sangh Giroh registered its significant presence in the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) Elections in 1996 it has resorted to lumpenism and violence on the campus to settle scores against its opponents. They find the democratic environment of the JNU campus too stifling to carry on their reactionary politics and hence resort to undemocratic means. The year (1996-97), when ABVP had its majority in Students’ Union Council, saw an upsurge in the anti-social activities whether it was beating up of fellow student (mainly those coming from weaker sections of the society) or dhaba workers or sexually harassing girl students, ABVP cadres were involved in it. SFI relentlessly fought and exposed them and got the support of majority of students in subsequent JNUSU elections.

However, last year ABVP once again made a major gain when their presidential candidate won by one vote. Since then the JNU campus once again has been witness to violent and lumpen activities of the ABVP cadres. In all such instances the JNU administration has remained a mute spectator and has refused to take exemplary actions against them. It is to be noted that the JNU administration does not feel shy in taking actions against SFI cadres for their legitimate political activities. In turn the ABVP gives direct or indirect support to the administration in their attempts to privatise the university.

Recently during the month of March-April (every year during these months ABVP’s lumpenism increases; when majority of students are busy with their term-papers and end-semester examinations) the peaceful environment of the campus was once again vitiated by these lumpens. First, one of their cadres infamous for indulging in lumpen activities and a former GSCASH (Gender Sensitisation Committee Against Sexual Harassment) representative, Sumit Kumar along with some hired goons criminally assaulted ABVP’s former vice-president of the unit, Manish Chiranjeev (himself a history-sheeter) in the Badminton Court of the university. He was assaulted with knives, knuckles and chains in a pre-planned manner. He was so badly beaten that he had to be hospitalised for three days. It seems it was a revenge by Sumit Kumar to the incident last year when on the last day of withdrawal of nominations for the various posts of the JNUSU elections (2000) the intra-organisational rivalry within the ABVP over the choice of Presidential candidate spilled over to the streets and hostels of the campus. Throughout that whole night the two gangs of the ABVP fought openly against each other in the hostels and dhabas. And in that fight Mr Sumit Kumar was beaten up mercilessly by Manish Chiranjeev and others. Sumit also had to be hospitalised. The administration did not do anything saying this was an intra-organisational matter of ABVP!

In another instance another ABVP cadre Hemchand Jha beat up a child worker of Ganga dhaba in the most brutal fashion when the child worker showed his inability to provide him cigarettes at 4.00 am in the morning when the shops were closed. The poor child worker had to forego several days of his hard-earned daily wage to recover from the injuries inflicted upon him.

Raj Tiwari, another ex-office bearer of ABVP and a former vice-presidential candidate for JNUSU elections (eulogised in ABVP for his savagery), in a drunken state went to a food joint in the shopping complex of the campus and beat up the workers there, smashed the glass-panes of the refrigerator and threatened them with dire consequences when they demanded money for the food.

In another instance of lumpenism on the campus, two groups of students, one led by Amitabh Thakur, ex president of the JNU-ABVP unit, fought over a trivial issue at the dead of the night near Ganga dhaba and later burnt a motor bike. The matter had reached to such an extent that all these lumpens were arrested by the police and sent to Tihar Jail.

In all these instances the administration set up proctorial inquiries. However, they have refused to take stern deterrent action against the guilty. At the most the culprits have been evicted from the hostel. In one instance a terminal student, who in any case was leaving the university in a few days, was evicted from the hostel. In effect it meant there was no punishment; thus allowing these criminals to go scot-free. Whenever it comes to taking action against ABVP cadres the administration develops cold feet, bowing to the pressure from their saffron bosses. The RSS infiltration in JNU administration is complete.

After the NDA regime took power at the centre the educational system particularly the higher education has been facing twin attacks from the government. One is in the form of privatisation and another is saffronisation. JNUSU has been one of the centres of resistance against these policies. And hence all the arms of NDA regime, which includes the JNU administration (infiltrated by RSS) and the ABVP, are out to attack JNUSU. Last year the JNU administration came out with the "code of conduct" clubbing all legitimate political activities with the crimes like sexual harassment and gave immense power to the Vice Chancellor to deal with it thus making the VC a tin pot dictator. Similarly, the ABVP after winning the President’s post (last year) has not allowed a single council meeting to take place. Their contempt for debates/discussions and General Body Meetings has already been known to all. By adopting undemocratic means and by using lumpen and violent methods they think they can curb the voices of democratic and progressive opinions of the campus. They think they can succeed in their designs; they are living in fools’ paradise. The politics of ABVP breeds lumpenism and violence. Such politics have time and again been isolated in JNU, thanks to its unique democratic culture and ethos and the collective consciousness of the student community. The recent lumpenism and violence of the ABVP would also be given a fitting rebuff.