AIFRTE demand: Hold high-level inquiry against ABVP, consider debarring it from university campuses

Counterview Desk
The All-India Forum for Right to Education (AIFRTE) statement against Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad’s (ABVP's) "assault" on university campuses:
AIFRTE condemns in strongest terms the violent assault on the academic community by RSS student wing ABVP at Ramjas College (Delhi University) and Jai Narayan Vyas University, Jodhpur. What is even more disturbing in both the cases is abject surrender amounting to connivance of the university/college authorities to the rowdy tactics of ABVP as clearly visible in suspension of Dr Rajshree Ranawat by the Jodhpur University administration.
Dr Ranawat, an assistant professor in English department of the university was reportedly the key organizer of a seminar earlier in February in which Prof Nivedita Menon of JNU was invited as a speaker. The ABVP, which has little stomach for independent and critical academic discourse, has since then carried a malicious propaganda against Prof Menon and Dr Ranawat.

Unfortunately, the university authorities, instead of defending these academicians, has filed police complaint against Prof Menon and suspended Dr Ranawat and has also reportedly set up a committee to deliberate upon possibility of terminating her. Not only this, the university failed to provide any security to Dr Ranawat who has been threatened by the ABVP hooligans agitating around her residence.
Similarly, in Ramjas College, the ABVP indulged in violence to stall a seminar organized on 21st Feb on the ground that ‘anti-national’ JNU students Omar Khalid and Shehla Rashid were invited as speaker! It also attacked students as well as teachers who protested against this the next day. As expected, instead of stopping and arresting the violent ABVP gang, the Delhi police preferred to play the role of its protector and facilitator while students and faculty were being attacked.
In both the cases, ABVP hooligans have raised the bogey of “nationalism” to thwart academic discourse not by any counter discourse but by violence and force that is characteristic of this gang. In doing so, it is imposing the fascist brahmanical-hindutva agenda of RSS in universities across the country crushing every voice of dissent and criticism.

AIFRTE appeals to all democratic sections of the country, especially the student, youth, teachers and non-academic staffs of universities and colleges to take a serious note of this systematic pattern of attacks and resist this with all their united might. The space for critical thought in our universities is already too little and too precarious to let it easily destroyed by RSS gang.

The larger battle of democratizing our universities and implementing social justice agenda in the campuses cannot be won at all without fighting the RSS which represents the most reactionary section of the brahmanical forces.
Expressing our solidarity with Dr Ranawat and the academic community of Ramjas College, AIFRTE demands that,
1) Jai Narayan Vyas University, Jodhpur administration should immediately revoke suspension of Dr Rajshree Ranawat and withdraw the police complaint against Prof Nivedita Menon.
2) The university should also take stern disciplinary action against ABVP cadre threatening Dr Ranawat.
3) Appropriate action should also be taken against the university authorities who failed to provide security to Dr Ranawat and also initiated a malafide inquiry against her.
4) In case of Ramjas college, strict disciplinary action must be taken against ABVP cadres who indulged in violence.
5) Action should also be taken against concerned senior Delhi Police officials who failed to protect students and teachers from ABVP attacks.
6) Considering the recent history of violent activities by ABVP, a high-level inquiry should be initiated to consider debarring it from university campuses for a definite period of time.
7) The union minster of human resource development and union home minster should ensure that the Constitutional Right of teachers and students to engage in free discourse is protected and stern action is taken against ABVP cadre for its criminal acts. The same applies to Rajasthan state government, especially the state home minister and higher education minister. The concerned ministers should resign in case they are unable to discharge this fundamental constitutional obligation.

Comments

Green Revolution’s reliance on chemical fertilizers, pesticides contributing to Punjab's health crisis

By Bharat Dogra, Jagmohan Singh* Punjab was once synonymous with robust health, particularly in its rural areas, where farmers were known for their strength and vitality. However, in recent years, reports from these villages tell a different story, with rising cases of serious health issues, including cancer. What led to this decline? The answer lies largely in the erosion of good nutrition, once a hallmark of Punjabi village life. The health of a population is closely tied to its nutrition, and Punjab's reputation as a provider of high-quality nutrition has suffered greatly. The loss of biodiversity in agriculture has led to a decrease in the variety and quality of crops, resulting in poorer nutrition. Pulses, a key source of protein, have seen a steep decline in cultivation due to the disruption of traditional farming practices by the Green Revolution. This has had a detrimental effect on both soil and human health. Although pulses are still available in the market, they are exp

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Will Left victory in Sri Lanka deliver economic sovereignty plan, go beyond 'tired' IMF agenda?

By Atul Chandra, Vijay Prashad* On September 22, 2024, the Sri Lankan election authority announced that Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP) alliance won the presidential election. Dissanayake, who has been the leader of the left-wing JVP since 2014, defeated 37 other candidates, including the incumbent president Ranil Wickremesinghe of the United National Party (UNP) and his closest challenger Sajith Premadasa of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya.

Bid to isolate India globally 'to drive it even closer' to long-time ally, Russia

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The relationship between India and Canada has plunged to unprecedented lows, with both governments seemingly exploiting the situation for their domestic political gains. Canada has long been home to several anti-India elements, with little action taken against them. When Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated on October 31, 1984, some of these secessionist groups openly celebrated and issued further threats, particularly from Canada and Britain. While Britain eventually acted to contain such elements in the interest of maintaining ties with India, Canada did not. Over the years, India has sought the extradition of 23 criminals residing in Canada, but the Canadian government has mostly dismissed these requests, claiming these individuals have no criminal records in their country.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual.

Will Bangladesh go Egypt way, where military ruler is in power for a decade?

By Vijay Prashad* The day after former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka, I was on the phone with a friend who had spent some time on the streets that day. He told me about the atmosphere in Dhaka, how people with little previous political experience had joined in the large protests alongside the students—who seemed to be leading the agitation. I asked him about the political infrastructure of the students and about their political orientation. He said that the protests seemed well-organized and that the students had escalated their demands from an end to certain quotas for government jobs to an end to the government of Sheikh Hasina. Even hours before she left the country, it did not seem that this would be the outcome.

Influence of mining corporations on policy makers 'leading to' erosion of democracy in Odisha

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak* Odisha is rich in high-quality natural resources, including iron, bauxite, chromite, and manganese ore, as well as a variety of other valuable minerals like coal, limestone, dolomite, tin, nickel, vanadium, lead, graphite, gold, and gemstones. This resource-laden state is responsible for 57% of India’s iron ore production, hosting over 60 operational mines and more than 150 square kilometers under exploration for further mineral deposits.

How pseudo-liberals 'went wrong' in judging DY Chandrachud as Chief Justice India

By Shamsul Islam* DY Chandrachud took charge as Chief Justice of the Indian Supreme Court (SC) on November 09, 2022. On this occasion many of the pseudo-liberals who claimed to be defenders of the democratic-secular polity of India manifested great happiness. They declared that the time of SC being an appendage of the RSS-BJP government headed by PM Modi was over as Justice Chandrachud was a liberal judge committed to the democratic-secular polity of India.

NHRC failing to 'effectively address' human rights violations: NGO groups tell UN-linked body

By Rajiv Shah In a joint submission to the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions' (GANHRI's) Sub Committee on Accreditation (SCA), two civil society groups -- All India Network of NGOs and Individuals working with National and State Human Rights Institutions (AiNNI) and Asian NGO Network on National Human Rights Institutions (ANNI) -- have said that the National Human Rights Commission's (NHRC's) accreditation, deferred in 2016, 2023, and 2024, fails to find space on its website.

Search This Blog