The Country likes to Know:
Who Kills the Future of India?

Bhaskar Majumder

I decided not to write for I overestimated power of my pen, for I raised my questions on a number of issues, though sympathetically to draw the attention of the history makers – as I understood over decades to have my country India that is Bharat on the trajectory where my sons and daughters may be safe. Alas! It was not to be and barbaric occurrences in JNU on 05th January, 2020 proved it. No, it was not Kanhaiya Kumar – he is a boy of the memorable past – now the victim was Ayshi Ghosh. How does it matter – one was my son, the other is my daughter.

I am in academia for more than past four decades in a number of premier Universities and research Institutes in India. I have never experienced such barbarism as I found through electronic media since the night of the 5th January. The horizontal cut mark on the top forehead of Ayeshi simply proves that the demon who hit her had a height minimum one ft. more than the height of Ayeshi – so it was a strong man’s baton or iron rod that hit her with precision in target. Yes, I point my finger at one of the police inside the campus of JNU who hid his face (generally thieves or terrorists hide their face) while operating. The operation was successful.

Along with Ayashi, one lady Professor was also seen bleeding. I failed to understand who sponsored this terrorism. Now it seems another committee will be set up to find out foregone conclusions – conclusions that do not disturb the political ambitions in the just announced (6th January, 2020) of the demon. I fail to understand one simple question: why make the students the victim is such nefarious games? I find nothing wrong in there being students’ unions for expression of opinion, individually or collectively, is a Constitutional right, apart from right by birth. I believe the intention of the Government is not to strangulate that.

By the way, the Left is already left out – it does not go too far to accuse the Leftists for this sponsorship of criminal acts in JNU campus, including hostels. Power is exercised when and where power exists. I do not believe Delhi CM has/had the capacity to sponsor this barbaric act for police is not with him, constitutionally speaking. The rest remains small powers like Mamata Congress in West Bengal who herself is politically running in deficit capacity – so, she will not jump into the fire as such in Delhi. The residue is Congress – be it termed by Rahul or Priyanka. They are already disadvantaged by a number of indicators in cardinal power. So it is for the readers to guess.

I was wondering Jamia episode, 2019, would be the end of barbaric assault on the future of India. It was not to be. But why Jamia, AMU, JNU? Why not the grand Universities in UP-Bihar? Is it for equalization of standard of students? Is it for equalization of standard of teachers? I am in the Heartland for more than past two decades – I have reasons to believe that the crow is not killed – the tiger is. If this observation is accepted by the statesmen, then my worry-wonder goes – JNU will be extinct.

Coming back to the central point – who gains by such exhibition of power? Many thinkers are accusing the police – I do not. For the police are engaged to protect people; un-protection is included in protection just as disorder is included in order. We do not need to develop a separate category to opine that police only protects – the converse is also true – history teaches us that whether or not we learn from that. Social phenomena in fact reflect duality – like rights also reflect duties – one need not remind duties because ’’you have the right to live, means I have the duty not to kill you’’. If this is true, then how and why the students in JNU were attempted to be murdered?

In my understanding, the first responsibility was that of administration of JNU – how could it allow the goondas to enter into the campus, that too, masked with dandas (baton) in hands? Where did they get the batons? If photographers could see and click those goondas with dandas in hands, where had the police/security staff been? Were they guided by authority to shut their eyes for some hours? Who would have taken responsibility if some lives had been lost? But who cares? Election season has started – with Delhi the first test.

Let me recapitulate – I have seen the impact of political turmoil on society during late 1960s and the whole of the Emergency period. But, no, I did not experience such barbarism even then. As I remember, of course, JNU was set up in 1972 (pl rectify me) to rehabilitate the thinkers some of who were alleged to have left orientation by what I understand Marxists, pro-labour, pro-poor and all that. If Marx term is removed, their ideas boil down to Gandhi. That also reminds me two authorities in Classical Political Economy – Adam Smith and Marx – both took the same economic categories with the exception that Marx used those categories as weapons for class struggle. I write here at length to assure the ruling apparatus that it is not to fear the Left or the JNU students – I understand the honourable (sic) VC is afraid of the students. Let me assure him, most of the institution builders like Prabhat Patnaik have already left JNU. The problem remains, some of the scholars are carrying forward their ideas. But then it is logical. Danda cannot be a response to logic.

Personally I feel very much battery-discharged when I find my students in the Heartland so submissive for wrong reasons. In West Bengal (and to some extent, Bihar) I produced one type of students and in the Heartland I am a forced part of another type of students. But I never thought to ask police or goondas to use dada on the students.

I feel, for the dignity of educational institutions and dignity of the civilization called India that is Bharat, the VC of JNU resigns immediately on moral ground. He should not wait for the Committee Report to come after six months! It will be his exit with grace.       

Bhaskar Majumder, Professor of Economics, G. B. Pant Social Science Institute, Allahabad - 211019

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Jan 7, 2020