– Vidya Bhushan Rawat
The police assault on Jamia Millia Islamia University Campus is unwarranted as it has itself said that students were not involved in the violent protests. The students have a right to protest and peaceful protest are part of our democratic right. Rather than addressing the issue, the ruling party is deliberately trying to create tense situation in the institutions like Jamia Millia as well as Aligah Muslim University so that police get an opportunity to enter there and suppress the peaceful democratic protest violently.
The tragedy is that our police are not well trained to handle with peaceful protests and they only know to beat up innocent mercilessly. The real villain in the entire game are the politicians who are playing with fire and creating unrest to enable them vilify the Muslims who are duly agitated as their concerns are not addressed.
How can the police enter into a University campus without the permission of the administration ? Are we becoming a police or a militarised state ? Is this the way to handle a genuine protest which has disturbed the peace of mind of India’s 20 crore population. Does the government think that keeping the 20 crore people on toes will help them politically ?
This is disgraceful to say the least. Even if the politicians play with their petty politics, the police and bureaucracy need to follow the constitution of India and need to be committed to that. It must handle the situation with care and not treat students as criminals.
We know there are manuwadi media reporting from the ‘battle ground’ and which has already decided that the students are ‘criminals’ and police is the savior.
The video and pictures of student being forced out of campus with a position of ‘surrender’ is most inhuman and barbaric. Like what happened many years ago when the criminals of the Uttar Pradesh police fired on the innocent people of Maliana and Hashimpura, in Meerut, this picture send shivers in your spine. This is not a way to treat to the young students, who are the future of India. You cant make the university campuses a militirised zone.
We must condemn all forms of violence. All students and their associations must understand that there are forces with in and outside who are ready to defame them. It is therefore important for them to remain vigilant when in the protest. Keep the vigil and do not allow fire brand speeches which raises blood pressure of people.
These are issues which need to be seriously thought and one thing is clear that no Indian should be worried about his citizenship. The amended act does not snatch anybody’s citizenship but is a cover to help the illegal infiltrators or refugees who are non Muslims. But the bill can not take away the citizenship of our Muslim community. Yes, a national NRC is bound to harass them and is a deliberate attempt to keep them on toes. We hope most of the state will not allow the NRC to be done in their states.
We hope that the Supreme Court will look into these matters. Political parties must protest and so are agitated citizens but at the same point of time, we also need to be clear about it. We must not allow rumours to over our heads.
As Indian citizens, we stand together in our fight for justice and against all forms of discrimination, oppression and injustice. The Delhi government must order an inquiry into the Jamia incident of violence and all students who have been injured must be provided medical support and campus must be brought back to normalcy.
Jamia and AMU have a great history and we need to respect their sentiments. Any attempt to criminalise the students and their leaders must be condemned. The rightful concern and grievances of the Muslim community and its youth must be heard with care. When our political parties fail, the people rise in protest and it is spontaneous. It is time for the government and the party in power to think of its action which are disturbing peace all over the country. It is time for the government to assure the people of its intent. Will it do or will it allow the situation to escalate to reap the political benefit of a polarised polity ?
