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Letters

JNU Movement
JNU student movement against sudden and heavy increase in room rent and mess charges, etc. was of course spontaneous in the beginning but not so later on.

Well, the days of Rs 10 per month room rent are gone forever and that cannot be allowed unless the government decides to provide free higher education with all attendant facilities too to one and all. In a country like India that is a far, very far cry and the best one can do is to concentrate on providing free primary education (up to X Class) with all attendant facilities to all—without distinction of caste, class and creed. One should note that nowadays a cup of tea costs not less than Rs 10.

One suggestion Rs 100 for single seat in a double room and Rs 150 or Rs 200 per a single room exclusively in the hostel [all per month] would be quite good and students should negotiate and can achieve that. Also other tuition fees, mess charges, security deposits etc. have to be moderated but some can be increased (tuition fee of just Rs 350 is ridiculous, that should immediately be made Rs 1000 at least and other charges and fees should not be excessively increased and any excessive increases should be reduced).

If one compares with other Universities, even in Delhi, JNU students are enjoying more facilities at very low rates till now and that cannot go on forever. Fees and charges should be streamlined and as far as possible made uniform or similar in all Universities.

In Osmania University, where students from more backward sections come and study, they pay many times more fees, charges, etc. than JNU students. Then one can also compare the relative fees and charges in various Universities in Kolkata and West Bengal.

It is said the students gheraoed the VC and even did not let an ambulance come to pick up his ailing wife and this is quite condemnable.

If the agitation has not already died down on its own, it is better the students also learn some sense and moderation, and negotiate with the administration to strike a deal which the administration and the VC might be quite willing to strike.
I Mallikarjuna Sharma, Advocate
& Editor, Law Animated World

Recalling JP
This is the time to remember the Gandhian socialist leader, Loknayak Jayprakash Narayan who changed the country's political course in post independent India. This selfless people's leader displayed a saint like detachment from holding public office or joining electoral politics. In his own words, "My interest is not in capture of power but in control of power by the people". From his student life, he had a "natural affinity towards the working class which remained all through his life. JP was a deeply sensitive man and always strove for the well-being of fellow human beings". That's why he shared, "True politics is about promotion of human happiness". "This people's leader, social activist and versatile personality was devoted himself for the cause of sufferings of this country. He struggled and organised movement for equity and justice. Thus, he called a movement considered as "Total Revolution" against injustice and inequity. On 5th June 1974, he addressed a large crowd at Gandhi Maidan, Patna and declared, "After 27 years of freedom, people of this country are wracked by hunger, rising prices, corruption... oppressed by every kind of injustice... it is a Total Revolution we want, nothing less". He protested against high inflation, unemployment and lack of supplies of essential commodities, and he devoted himself for social justice.

After the 74th year of independence, the issues against which JP struggled have been turned into more severe condition. Only the ruling political part has been changed from right to fascist. Severe economic crisis of the country is pushing into a great depression and unemployment are increasing daily. Unemployed youth is in depression and anxiety. They are mishandled by different political parties. Therefore, what would be the future of the nation. Further, about 34% people of this country are in hunger and a large section is not getting health care and other survival facilities in this democratic nation. But government has no initiative to tackle it. It is happy enough to serve the corporate only. The government is very busy to enact NRC and abolition of 370 and 35 A. Further, in a secular country, it is sponsoring the religious disharmony, conflict, and violence.

It is ashamed that present ruling government and its party have forgotten JP who was once hopeful, "RSS alone has the capacity to transform society, end casteism and wipe the tears from the eyes of the poor. I have great expectations from this revolutionary organisation which has taken up the challenge of creating a new India".

Is it not a betrayal to JP's hope? Therefore, there is urgent need of furtherance of JP's "Total Revolution" for better future of this country. But who would lead this revolution? Nowadays, every movement is politicised, and it has the particular purpose of holding power. Every sensitive citizen should come forward and join together with the mantra of JP to save democracy and democratic nature of the nation.
Harasankar Adhikari
jaoyal23@yahoo.co.in

'Pakistan'
Narendra Modi's (and Amit Shah's) frequent references to Pakistan (and sometimes Bangladesh) only speak of their scare at being faced with nationwide protests regarding NRC and CAA. They tried to portray a false picture of the protests, saying that protesters are only Muslims. A recent report from the Murshidabad district of West Bengal suggested that some protesters with fez caps and lungis were throwing stones at a railway engine and another person was taking video photographs of the scene. After they were caught by the villagers and handed over to the police, it was found that one was a Saha and another a Sarkar, and both were associated with Hindutva outfits. The video cameraman managed to flee. There is no reason to disbelieve the report published in two newpapers run by a large print media group, because it was in the tradition of these bigots to dress their chelas in traditional Muslim clothes and attack Hindus so as to incite communal riots. Rajendra Prasad reportedly wrote to Patel on such happenings. The effort to lend a communal colour to the disturbances has, however, failed this time.
A Reader, Kolkata

NRC Dilemma Continues
With the rise of anew dawn, comes with it a whole new set of questions in relation to the government's all India implementation of the NRC. What was seemingly in far-off Assam in now at everyone's doorstep. However with CJP's meticulous on-ground experience and procedural knowledge on the entire citizenship question, laws, procedures and dilemmas of India's, battling a bureacracy in Assam during the controversial NRC process and also navigating dreary Foreigners Tribunals, people are not conducting multiple meetings in Mumbai, Pune, Malegaon, Nasik. Some of these include the Nagrikta Bachao Abhiyan and HGMA Educational Trust to address the citizens concerns for NRC.

After 28 reported deaths in Assam's detention camps, to find them being built with similar questionable facilities in our own backyard in Maharashtra, Karnataka and West Bengal only compounds the NRC plight for the socio-economically weaker section across all other states as well!

On November 30, CJP's Teesta Setalwad spoke at a meeting on the NPR-NRC issue. The meeting was organised by Pahel Foundation at Banegar English High School in Mumbai's Mira Road. This is the latest in a series of meetings and trainings conducted by CJP in Mumbai since October 2019.

CJP sent a complaint to TV Today (October 17, 2019) but when it failed to elicit response, a complaint with the NBSA was filed. Even thereafter, the broadcaster did not, in view.
Citizen for Justice and Peace (CJP)

Who is in Charge?
Going by a report by Sandeep Phukan in the "Hindu" newspaper of 2 December 2019, Shri Rajnath Singh said in the Lok Sabha that the government was "ready to make more stringent provisions in law". Was the Defence Minister acting in place of the Home Minister or the Law Minister or, perhaps, the Minister for Women and Child Development? Is there someone else to handle howitzers and military aircraft?
Mukul Dube, New Delhi

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Frontier
Vol. 52, No. 29, Jan 19 - 25, 2020