THE JNU ATTACKS, ATROCITIES ON SUNDAY

THE JNU ATTACKS, ATROCITIES ON SUNDAY

In one of the darkest episodes that the capital witnessed on Sunday night during the unprecedented attacks on teachers and students of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), the rise of mob violence and mass maniac behaviour has come to question.

Where is the root problem? Who is incurring these spiteful emotions and fuelling the rage to fire? Is the capital in the state of absence of law or disregard to it, what is the Delhi Police doing in this entire scenario, there are a number of questions that have been rising among the people and yet while we sit at the third day, we have no answers.

This well-orchestrated undermining of an esteemed higher education institute comes across as a thoughtful ignorant act from the higher authorities and an ideal example of a weak economy and downfall of democratic power.

To put it down together, as and how the incident happened on Sunday; according to sources, there was vandalizing of property at JNU, the attackers came in mobs, they brutally beat up the students and teachers, terrorized them and continued the same through the night while there was no action taken on immediate basis by the concerned authorities. There was a generation of violence on a mass level, the university administration was not available at the situation and even while the police reached the university area, and they did not enter through the gates letting the mob continue their reign of terror. They kept restricted to the area outside the gates and turned blind to the fact that the media people and activists were also getting beaten up while slogans were being cheered on violently, not one person was arrested.

Kerala, in this havoc, stood by JNU and against the violence happening in the university. A number of students came out raising slogans against fascism in support of the JNU university students. Writer and historian ML Johnny stated, "Modi government has created a false image of good governance and now they are hitting the heads of people so that they lose their ability to think. Even during Emergency, people were tortured by rolling a rod through their thighs, but people now are being hit on the head."

One of the academics at the Kerala protests added, "Modi government has been telling nothing but lies. The government now has been trying to destroy the higher education institutions in the country, we should consistently challenge this." 

The Vice-Chancellor, M Jagadesh Kumar has failed his university and students in maintaining peace after the issue of fee hike, student security has been kept on stake, the police were not informed on time and was treated like university foes. The situation by the look of it has only gotten worse and there is an immediate need for action, there have been demands thrown at the VC for resignation for true justice and on moral grounds. The Delhi Police has been demanded to arrest the culprits and addressing grievances of students on priority is vital with an independent inquiry in place.

Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs said on twitter, "Horrifying images from JNU — the place I know & remember was one for fierce debates & opinions but never violence. I unequivocally condemn the events of today. This govt, regardless of what has been said the past few weeks, wants universities to be safe spaces for all students."

What has happened in the capital on Sunday is a clear picture of the fact that the country is still living in an era where the existence of an ideological difference in an educational institute will be murdered brutally while the one in power will do nothing but watch. We have sadly saturated into becoming a society that has learned to condone violence against learners and students who have only dared to voice their opinion in a free democracy or at least that's what they call it.