It is important for every citizen to understand that equating the government with the nation is a fallacy we are being brainwashed into believing
As a citizen it confounds me that the government is so eager to charge and punish Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khaled, Shehla Rashid and other students for sedition, and brand them anti-nationalist, but there seems to be no similar impetus towards punishing the murderers of Judge Loya, Gauri Lankesh and Police Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh.
Is shouting slogans by students in a university a greater crime than the murder of a journalist, a policeman and a judge?
A chargesheet according to the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC ) has to be filed within 90 days. Why then does the government need to start another trial against Kanhaiya Kumar, after three years of the incident?
The reasons are very simple. Kanhaiya Kumar, truly educated, and a great orator, is becoming a voice to reckon with. And, the government needs as many distractions as it can concoct, just before the elections.
Hanuman’s caste, mandir/masjid issue, Padmavati, Love Jihad, cows and Kanhaiya Kumar’s nationalism, or not, etc, are all diversions created by the government because it does not want to address real issues that affect the country… issues like economy, employment, safety of women, petrol prices, effects of demonetization etc…issues that this government has failed in resolving.
This government seeks to change names of places, seeks to change what Nehru stood for, seeks to change history taught in schools, seeks to appropriate Patel himself, a congress stalwart! And now, it also seeks to change the very basis of our democracy.
Some of them have clearly stated they would like to change even the constitution itself and delete the word ‘secular’ from the “Sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic Republic”!
Instead of the composite ethos of ‘unity in diversity’ of India, the government wants to realign the country under the aegis of Hindutva.
Instead of nationalism being the love and loyalty for the country, the government wants to redefine nationalism as love and loyalty for this government.
And charging the left leaning, secular, Kanhaiya Kumar, makes a great example to assert the new definition of both, nationalism and Hindutva. And the charge of sedition is a great tool for that. It is sadly reminiscent of the similar sinister way in which the British used sedition.
It is important for every citizen to understand that equating the government with the nation is a fallacy we are being brainwashed into believing.
Hindutva is NOT the nation.
The government is NOT the nation.
Supporting the government is NOT nationalism.
And voicing an opinion against the government is NOT anti-nationalism.
In a democratic form of government, it is not just the right of a citizen to voice his opinion against a government, that doesn’t deliver, it is also his duty.
The point here is not just the case of one student called Kanhaiya Kumar.
The larger point is that this government seeks to suppress freedom of expression of anyone who seems like a threat.Examples have already been made through an honest judge, several fearless journalists, a dutiful policeman and now…Kanhaiya Kumar.
Firstly, the accusation against Kanhaiya Kumar and his friends is that they shouted anti national slogans.
But the High court has already exonerated the students and the police have established that the videos incriminating Kanhaiya Kumar and his friends were doctored.
Secondly, this whole accusation being screamed by right wing media and followers “While our soldiers are fighting on the borders, these students are sitting in Jawaharlal Nehru University, wasting taxpayers’ money and raising a voice against the government”, is totally imbecile, to say the least.
Since when did raising a voice in a democracy become a crime??
The tax payer’s money being used for education is no favor done to Kanhaiya Kumar.
The taxpayer’s money was also used for the education of the ministers in the current ineffective government, as many of them are ex-JNU students.
Universities are the bedrock of new ideas, of new movements, of revolutions, and they have always been instrumental in keeping a check on governments. To suppress public opinion in Universities is a sign of an insecure government.
Thirdly, the students chargesheeted did not shout anti India slogans, as established by the police. Even if they did so, shouting slogans, when it does not lead to violence, is not an offence according to Indian Law. Clearly there was no violence in Jawaharlal Nehru University. Hence the students committed no crime.
What is really a crime and a heinous one? Murder. Premeditated murder is even more so. So it is time that the murderers of journalists, judge, police officer (and others who lost their lives for speaking the truth), be chargesheeted, arrested and punished.
Just three months prior to the general elections, in the midst of an agrarian crises, and an all time economic low, has this government and this nation got nothing better to do than question the nationalism of one Kanhaiya Kumar?
And all this commotion over students and their voices, while there is a case of murder against Amit Shah and everyone ignores it!
