A JNU student's viewpoint

A lot of answers are here. The only weird thing is not one of them is from a JNU student or who witnessed what happened on that controversial day and yet everyone has such strong opinions about the whole incident from people calling everyone studying in JNU as terrorists, jihadis and naxals to asking for the university to be completely shutdown!

I am a JNU student studying right now and also happen to be a witness from distance for some events that happened on that controversial date - 9th February 2016. So, that kinda renders me more legitimate to answer this question than people who only know about it through Zee News and Times Now.

On 9th February 2016, a student organization DSU, short for 'Democratic Students Union' had called for a cultural meeting of a protest against what they called 'the judicial killing of Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhat' and in solidarity with 'the struggle of Kashmiri people for their democratic right to self-determination.' A lot of Kashmiri students from inside and outside the campus were to attend the event.

'Democratic Students Union(DSU)' is an ultra-leftist group in the campus that believes in the ideology of Maoism. It's a very small group of very well read students. They are not terrorists or naxals by any means. I have been in the campus for more than 2 years and never have I witnessed or heard of them committing a terror activity as much as of throwing a stone, let alone overthrowing the state!

Now, first things first.

Did they do something wrong in organizing a meeting over the issue of Kashmir? Is the issue of Kashmir so sacred to us and our brains so brainwashed with the idea of nazi-like nationalism that we are not even ready to hear about the issue of Kashmir from Kashmiris themselves?

Do I support the secession of Kashmir from India? No.

I am not even aware of the exact nuances of the political matter, but I am ready to hear, learn and debate all sorts of opinions, especially from the inhabitants themselves.

Now, did the organizers of the meeting do something wrong in calling Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhat's execution 'judicial murder'? And was it the first time somebody raised an objection on capital punishment and the judgement of a court?

After Afzal Guru was hanged, a lot of human rights group condemned the hanging. The political party PDP with whom BJP has formed a government in Jammu and Kashmir itself called Afzal's hanging 'travesty of justice'. Arundhati Roy condemned it. Shashi Tharoor called it wrong. Markandey Katju has severely criticized it.

Praveen Swami, Indian journalist, analyst and author specialising on international strategic and security issues wrote in The Hindu,
"The Supreme Court’s word is not, and ought not to be, the final word. Indeed, the deep ambiguities that surround Guru’s case are in themselves compelling argument to rethink the death penalty."
Former Delhi High Court chief justice, Justice AP Shah, said that the hanging of Afzal Guru and Yakub Memon were politically motivated.

Now were all these people anti-nationals, terrorists, jihadis?

I have faith in your wisdom to answer that.

Now coming to next issue - the shouting of 'anti-national slogans'.

Now 20 minutes before the meeting was going to start, ABVP, who consider themselves to be the sole harbingers of nationalism, wrote to the administration asking it to withdraw the permission of organizing the meeting as it was 'harmful for campus' atmosphere'. The administration, feeling afraid of clashes, denied the permission. Now, for those who do not know, JNU is a beautiful democratic space where all voices are heard, all opinions however radical, respected. And ABVP was scuttling that space.

DSU asked for help from JNUSU (Jawaharlal Nehru Students' Union) and other left student organizations like SFI(Students Federation of India), and AISA(All India Students Association) to gather in support of their right to democratically and peacefully hold meeting and mind you, NOT in support of their ideology or their stand on Kashmir. DSU, JNUSU, and other student organizations decided they would not let the administration and the ABVP scuttle their hard-earned democratic space to debate and discuss, and decided to go ahead with the meeting.

The administration sent security guards to cover the badminton court where the meeting was supposed to happen, and denied the permission to use mics. The organizers agreed.
They decided they would continue the meeting around the dhaba itself and without the mics. However, the ABVP mobilized its cadres and started threatening and intimidating the students and organizers. They started shouting cliched slogans like

'Ye Kashmir Hamara hai, saara ka saara hai.'
The organizers as a response to them, and to create solidarity among the students attending the meeting started shouting,

"Hum kya chaahte? Azaadi!"

Do you think there was something highly inflammatory and dangerous in this statement? Think about it. Nations break all the time. We were chanting the same slogan under Britishers. Soviet Union disintegrated. Secession is neither good nor bad. It depends on the precise circumstances of the place. And mind you, I don't support the secession of Kashmir. I claim to have insufficient knowledge of the situation and conditions of the people residing in that region. Hence, I am neither for nor against it. Hence, I have no problems with a group of students simply shouting slogans in support of a particular region's freedom. They were not planning a conspiracy to overthrow the government and seize Kashmir from India. They were simple students who read, travel and learn about socio-political issues and have a stand about it.

Next slogan -
"Tum kitne Afzal maaroge, har ghar se Afzal niklega!"

Now, I did not study the case closely, and hence, would believe in the courts of India and therefore, I believe Afzal Guru was a terrorist. Though principally I am against capital punishment.
However, this group of students believed that he did not deserve capital punishment and also have their skepticism about his involvement in the parliamentary attack. I am picking up this from wikipedia -
"It has to be noted, that in its judgement of 5 August 2005, the supreme court admitted that the evidence against Guru was only circumstantial, and that there was no evidence that he belonged to any terrorist group or organisation."

And this directly from the Supreme Court judgement:
"The incident, which resulted in heavy casualties, had shaken the entire nation and the collective conscience of the society will only be satisfied if the capital punishment is awarded to the offender."
So, a group of students believe that Afzal Guru was framed, had no role in the attack on the parliament and his capital punishment was wrong. Big deal?

And were therefore shouting, "Har ghar se Afzal niklega!"

And mind you, these people are not carrying any arms, all they are carrying are ideas.

So, in such a case, what should the state do? Charge them for conspiracy against the state? Or maybe merely try to engage with them, debate with them about a difference of opinion?
And was this some secretly organized meeting about overthrowing the government smuggling in bombs and grenades? No, this was a public meeting. Everyone was invited. You were free to disagree with them. They are not doing it in hiding. If they were terrorists they would not come out in public! But didn't you see them all at your TV channels courageously defending themselves and their right to have a difference of opinion? Tell me, which traits of terrorists do you find in them?

Hellsangel wrote:Commie rats!

Marathadi-Saamiyaar wrote:

Hellsangel wrote:Commie rats!

???

More like Paki-agents masquerading as commies.

BTW, who hires these students when they graduate?

Hellsangel wrote:

Marathadi-Saamiyaar wrote:

Hellsangel wrote:Commie rats!

???

More like Paki-agents masquerading as commies.

BTW, who hires these students when they graduate?

Commies in India are the worst kind of anti India loonies, starting with the China war.

southindian wrote:But....

....but nobody feels India is intolerant when commies and others shout Anti-India slogans and slogans to destroy India.

I mean, "Slogans to destroy India"!!!! 

Does anyone have right to get angry after this?

One asshole here (on SuCH) even said, "Who cares? Who cares if Kashmiri Pandit's voice is not heard for Kashmir.

RNIs do not amaze me. What amazes me when so-called educates (teachers) ignore rhetoric by Anti-Indians.

brie wrote:

Hellsangel wrote:

Marathadi-Saamiyaar wrote:

Hellsangel wrote:Commie rats!

???

More like Paki-agents masquerading as commies.

BTW, who hires these students when they graduate?

Commies in India are the worst kind of anti India loonies, starting with the China war.

100 percent agree. that's why i say, bomb jnu out of this world!

confuzzled dude wrote:

southindian wrote:But....

....but nobody feels India is intolerant when commies and others shout Anti-India slogans and slogans to destroy India.

I mean, "Slogans to destroy India"!!!! 

Does anyone have right to get angry after this?

One asshole here (on SuCH) even said, "Who cares? Who cares if Kashmiri Pandit's voice is not heard for Kashmir.

RNIs do not amaze me. What amazes me when so-called educates (teachers) ignore rhetoric by Anti-Indians.

Did you care for Andhra people's voice? Does that make you an asshole?

southindian wrote:

confuzzled dude wrote:

southindian wrote:But....

....but nobody feels India is intolerant when commies and others shout Anti-India slogans and slogans to destroy India.

I mean, "Slogans to destroy India"!!!! 

Does anyone have right to get angry after this?

One asshole here (on SuCH) even said, "Who cares? Who cares if Kashmiri Pandit's voice is not heard for Kashmir.

RNIs do not amaze me. What amazes me when so-called educates (teachers) ignore rhetoric by Anti-Indians.

Did you care for Andhra people's voice? Does that make you an asshole?

Nope it does not. 

I'd sure care and put their arguments as well in a discussion. I will never say, "Who Cares".

You are neither a Kashmiri Muslim nor a Kashmiri Pandit, yet you only support one side of the argument. Why?

confuzzled dude wrote:

southindian wrote:

confuzzled dude wrote:

southindian wrote:But....

....but nobody feels India is intolerant when commies and others shout Anti-India slogans and slogans to destroy India.

I mean, "Slogans to destroy India"!!!! 

Does anyone have right to get angry after this?

One asshole here (on SuCH) even said, "Who cares? Who cares if Kashmiri Pandit's voice is not heard for Kashmir.

RNIs do not amaze me. What amazes me when so-called educates (teachers) ignore rhetoric by Anti-Indians.

Did you care for Andhra people's voice? Does that make you an asshole?

Nope it does not. 

I'd sure care and put their arguments as well in a discussion. I will never say, "Who Cares".

You are neither a Kashmiri Muslim nor a Kashmiri Pandit, yet you only support one side of the argument. Why?

Haha! I thought you'd get the sarcasm; "Who Cares" was in reference to Govt's actions.