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OPINION
DILEMMAS
HUMRA
QURAISHI
The Delhi-based writer
and columnist’s books
include Kashmir: The
Untold Story. She co- D after arresting several
authored a series of
writings with the late
Khushwant Singh and
her short stories are
part of anthologies.
The views expressed
are her own
Who is a terrorist
in today’s world?
State-unleashed savagery is on to such an extent that even the ma-
drasa students, many of whom orphans and hail from very modest
backgrounds, are not spared in Uttar Pradesh
ouble standards are stark goons from attacking students and ran-
and blatant. The Uttar sacking the university premises?
Pradesh government is In fact, when Swaraj Abhiyan presi-
said to be all set to ban the dent Yogendra Yadav reached the univer-
PFI/Popular Front of India, sity gates, he rather too openly men-
tioned the name of one particular BJP
of its key members, but does not even politician who was leading the attackers
contemplate to ban any of the right-wing right inside the campus. Soon after Yadav
communal brigades known to be more mentioned that BJP politician’s name,
than participating in violent rioting Yadav was roughed up and manhandled
and extractions and targeted assaults. by the ABVP students standing there
Hindutva outfits have been even holding in full strength. Quite obviously, those
arms training camps for its members, rightwing affiliated students did not want
where they are rather too openly trained the mastermind’s name to be revealed on
to shoot the ‘other’ — dummies of men national television!
wearing skull caps! Not that it would make any difference,
Hindutva outfits are now attacking because political rulers of the day are
students in university campuses. In fact, calling the shots; they can get anyone
the brutal violence on Sunday even- beaten or killed or paraded naked or
ing inside the campus of the Jawaharlal even sexually abused by the official
Nehru University, more than relayed that machinery under their direct control.
the Right Wing was more than involved. Perhaps, orders are dictated by the key
It got clear after goons who’d entered the political rulers, whom to target and
campus without any hindrance started whom to shield.
shouting and raising slogans — Desh me With this fascist scenario spread-
gaddaron ko goli maro — whilst destroy- ing out in the capital city and also in the
ing the university property and attack- other parts of the country, it’s going to
ing students and the teachers with iron be rather effortless for the Right-Wing
rods, cricket bats and lathis …Where were goons to target us, the secular us, the non
the security guards at the gates of this - Sanghis! Nah, not a soul to protect us as
university who otherwise are there in full the policing force is either stuffed with
attendance with a huge register together their chosen lot or with those who are
with the typical round of questioning — under pressure to follow fascist dictates.
whom to meet and why and the con- When the police force wants it can enter
nected queries. any University campus, fire at even the
Quite obviously the university’s secu- peaceful students protestors or arrest
rity guards were threatened or ordered even the bystanders.
to get going, to be away from the scene! Double standards are all the way. After
Also, why wasn’t the police not taking on all, all those speeches of the right-wing
the attacking goons? Was this because rulers that they want to reach out to the
right-wing men were leading the pack young India are turning out to be down-
of attackers? Was it because they were right bogus. A complete sham! Instead
instructed not to stop those Hindutva of our students studying they are either
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