Universities are in the news, again for the wrong reasons. It seems February is cursed for us. Three years back it was Jawaharlal Nehru University, and now it is Aligarh Muslim University. Yet again, university campuses turn into grounds of political influence for political parties.
Concerning educational and cultural institutions of all kinds, the plan is simple. Put Sanghi loyalists into positions of control and authority in every way you can.
The central ideology of the BJP and RSS have no space and value for liberal thoughts. Education under such organisations can be called a kind of catechism. Therefore, educational centres that allow questioning and discussions are repugnant and have to be crushed.
It is not a coincidence that the aggressive posture of ABVP on campuses increased following the BJP government in states, added by the consolation of BJP government at the centre. In such cases, the university administrations have been silently watching. If they have stood against those targeted by BJP, and supported those voices, they are suppressed instead.
These incidents nullify the essential concept of universities as an autonomous space. University classrooms are not just for academic studies but there are many things outside classrooms which are essential for students: freedom of expression, exploration of ideas and advancement of knowledge are an integral part of the learning process.
There can be different views, but that can be tabled upon and discussed with mutual respect and no offence toward others. The attitude of ABVP and BJP backed parties is contradictory, as it seems to believe that those who don’t relate with them are against them, or anti-national. Everyone has the right to disagree; and disagreements should point questions, but cannot silence others.
On February 13, with respect to the upcoming general elections, AMU has been used as a source of national controversy. Reporters from Republic TV started reporting from AMU campus, indicting AMU to be involved in terrorist and anti-national activities leading to a clash between AMUSU members and members of the BJP. The Aligarh police booked 14 students under sedition charges. Did anyone even think how sedition charges can affect a student’s career?
UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath, had recommended the withdrawal of 38 cases against people accused of murder, rape, robbery during the Muzaffarnagar riots. The government justified that these people are very poor and cannot afford lawyers to defend themselves in court. Here my question to the Yogi government, can they justify sedition charges against students, who happen to be just students, in a similar way?
Not only are voices being suppressed, but the Sangh is also influencing educational institutions. The head of a university or institutional body is now empowered to determine the context of the textbooks in schools, cultural content and archival centres. In short, what the government is doing is rectifying biases to suit themselves.
A citizen journalist and YouTuber Musaib Hussain, when asked about this says, “We are witnessing a strong saffron network building from within the educational institutions. I feel that an ideology is being imposed on us. Education is very close to RSS, BJP and Sangh Parivaar. It is the easiest way to propagate their ‘cultural nationalism’, I believe that Hindutva is very dangerous, they are characterized by re-writing with school syllabus, history text books, also by indoctrinating young students through the network of RSS-run schools. What is the message that we are sending out to the growing child with these Hindutva misrepresentations, half baked truths and distorted history? I feel like we are under attack, we’re under threat.”
Featured image source: Haris H Khan/Wikimedia Commons.
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