‘Fight Back DU’ campaign from Khalsa College to Arts Faculty
NEW DELHI: Days after the violence at Ramjas College, largely blamed on the RSS-backed ABVP, definitions of ‘Azadi’ and ‘nationalism’ seem to have dominated the protest march held in Delhi University on Tuesday.
The protest march was organised by students and teachers of Delhi University and was supported by the faculty and student groups of JNU and Jamia Millia Islamia University under a ‘Fight Back DU’ campaign from the Khalsa College to the Arts Faculty against ‘gundagardi’ and to ‘save’ the varsities from the ‘onslaught of ABVP and curbing of dissent’.
While many students held posters with messages like ‘Your nationalism is not above our democracy’, students of left forums like AISA, shouted slogans ‘ABVP Go Back’ and ‘Azadi’ as the march made its way through the roads of North Campus of Delhi University.
According to Kanishk Bhargav, a second year English (Hons) student at Ramjas College, the ‘assault’ on students and teachers in the name of ‘nationalism’ is a blatant violation of freedom of speech.
“We do not necessarily agree with Umar Khalid’s views, but we had the right to listen and debate his ideas,” adds Ayan Mrinal, a second year student of history at the college.
VANDALISM, HOOLIGANISM
Caught on the back foot an accused of vandalism and hooliganism in its attempt to disrupt a seminar held at Ramjas College last week, JNU students’ union vice-president Khalid was invited for a discussion on Bastar, ABVP continued to draw a thick line on what constituted nationalism.
“We are open to inviting Khalid in DU provided he is willing to acknowledge that Kashmir is an integral part of India,” said Saket Bahuguna, national media convenor of ABVP.
FOR THE ABVP
Defending the ABVP on the act of violence at Ramjas, Bahuguna added there were clashes at both ends but the violence precipitated with certain outsiders joining the clash. “We have documentary evidence of a university girl being molested by Leftists during that clash, how is that acceptable,” he asked.
Teachers and faculty members present at the protest march claimed that the ABVP’s hooliganism has increased recently after the BJP came to power.
Nandita Narain, a professor of mathematics at St Stephens’ college and President of the Delhi University Teachers’ Association said that the violence at Ramjas has to be condemned.
The protest march was organised by students and teachers of Delhi University and was supported by the faculty and student groups of JNU and Jamia Millia Islamia University under a ‘Fight Back DU’ campaign from the Khalsa College to the Arts Faculty against ‘gundagardi’ and to ‘save’ the varsities from the ‘onslaught of ABVP and curbing of dissent’.
While many students held posters with messages like ‘Your nationalism is not above our democracy’, students of left forums like AISA, shouted slogans ‘ABVP Go Back’ and ‘Azadi’ as the march made its way through the roads of North Campus of Delhi University.
According to Kanishk Bhargav, a second year English (Hons) student at Ramjas College, the ‘assault’ on students and teachers in the name of ‘nationalism’ is a blatant violation of freedom of speech.
“We do not necessarily agree with Umar Khalid’s views, but we had the right to listen and debate his ideas,” adds Ayan Mrinal, a second year student of history at the college.
VANDALISM, HOOLIGANISM
Caught on the back foot an accused of vandalism and hooliganism in its attempt to disrupt a seminar held at Ramjas College last week, JNU students’ union vice-president Khalid was invited for a discussion on Bastar, ABVP continued to draw a thick line on what constituted nationalism.
“We are open to inviting Khalid in DU provided he is willing to acknowledge that Kashmir is an integral part of India,” said Saket Bahuguna, national media convenor of ABVP.
FOR THE ABVP
Defending the ABVP on the act of violence at Ramjas, Bahuguna added there were clashes at both ends but the violence precipitated with certain outsiders joining the clash. “We have documentary evidence of a university girl being molested by Leftists during that clash, how is that acceptable,” he asked.
Teachers and faculty members present at the protest march claimed that the ABVP’s hooliganism has increased recently after the BJP came to power.
Nandita Narain, a professor of mathematics at St Stephens’ college and President of the Delhi University Teachers’ Association said that the violence at Ramjas has to be condemned.
