It’s a clarion call for unity to defeat the anti national forces : By Bipin Sharma

“Nip it in the bud”, goes the age old adage, and in the present day context, it aptly applies to the prestigious Jawahar Lal University (JNU) which is in the news for all the wrong reasons for not outrightly denying its campus ground in the very first place to the anti-national forces for spewing anti India venom on their own soil.
After the emergence of some crucial videos that captured the ruckus at JNU on tape, while the apologists of the agitating students maintained a stoic silence, some segment of the JNU defended themselves saying that they were oblivious to the sinister designs of the anti-national forces, and instead pass the buck on the infiltrators that invaded their campus sans their knowledge.
Now even if this version was to be believed, the University officials still cannot be condoned for the simple fact that they gave a tight rope to the fundamentalists to continue with their anti-nationalistic ranting when they were well aware that the Afzal Guru issue could snowball into a huge controversy, and thus trigger unrest in the city and elsewhere.
An esteemed university like JNU should have read the writing on the wall much early, and denied pernicious dispensations to student leaders and activist groups as it posed a grave threat to the law and order situation in the city. The ramifications of the JNU ranting have spread to other places in the country like Jadavpur University in Kolkata where anti India slogans have been raised alongside the demand for liberation of Kashmir.
By hailing Afzal Guru as a “martyr”, and condemning his executioners, their ranting cannot be let off as “mere student agitation” as they have directly or indirectly blamed and challenged the Indian Judiciary that ordered the hanging of Indian Parliament attack key conspirator Afzal Guru.
What is more baffling is how some of our seasoned politicians who instead of reproving the anti-national forces left no stone in expressing their solidarity and support with the students by joining them in their protests. It is difficult to believe how the same political class which took credit for hanging Afzal Guru sometime ago, in a sudden u-turn from their previous stance, have sardonically encouraged the haywire students by becoming their apologists in their wrong. No wonder, this is why students too have got emboldened to hail Afzal Guru and Ishrat Jahan as some sort of a Martyr.
Some politicians even went to the extent of saying that the government of the day is going all guns blazing in suppressing the dissenting voices. Isn’t it heartbreaking for our country when some politicians stoop to equate and project anti nationalistic ranting as mere “dissent”. Any patriot would concur that to describe the present day JNU crisis as any ordinary dissent would not just be grossly unfair, but sheer travesty of justice for the family of those killed during the infamous Indian Parliament attack. This is precisely also the reason why the brains and forces behind the “tolerance and intolerance debate” in the country have refrained from labeling the ruling government as “intolerant” on the JNU issue so far. Their deafening silence inspires one to think that some of them do secretly believe that the JNU agitation is an act of “treason” and something which could have easily been avoided.
Whether “sedition” charges need to be slapped against JNUSU president Kanhaiya, Umar Khalid, S.A.R Geelani and others could be debated, but in this hour of crisis, the least we expect from our politicians, and especially the opposition, is to stand united as that alone will foil the sinister ploy of those aspiring to disintegrate the country into fragments as heard in the videos.
Petty vote bank politics has to shunned atleast for the time being, as any flip flop at this juncture would only bolster the forces conniving against the wellness of our country.
It is preposterous and distressing to read about reports suggesting that the NDA government has overdone in the JNU issue to merely conceal its ineptness in strengthening the economy and failing to introduce new reforms as promised. Appalling that a government gets subjected to such iniquitous accusations when all it was undertaking, was a fully justifiable stern action against the perpetrators of those spewing anti-India venom on Indian soil in the campus of an Indian University funded by the tax payer’s hard earned money.
Thank God at the end of the day, there is Arnab Goswami, Times Now and few other channels that have projected the JNU issue as it ought to be, lest the real facts would have remained suppressed, and the public would have been deprived of the truth.
Ever since my wife inspired our 10 year old son Kabir to follow news on a daily basis, he cannot fathom the real controversy surrounding the JNU. While some channels are emphasizing primarily on the lawyers assault on the JNU students and journos, Times Now has relentlessly been focusing on the real issue which is about the impending threat arising out of the anti-national forces and the seditious demand of “azaadi for Kashmir”.
The present day upheaval in the capital city and the consequent mayhem ensuing it, is indubitably mind boggling. It is aching that some intellectuals and activists in these times of turmoil have opted to be mere “fence sitters” for reasons best known to them, when they could have played a pivotal role in dousing the raging fire, and rendered a great service to their country.
While some legal luminaries and experts might say that “sedition” is an old colonial law that must be done away with, they also need to vociferously put forth the fact that a strong precedent needs to be set by the ruling government so that anyone attempting to destabilize the peace of the country feels “shivers down the spine” while planning anything seditious in the future.
80 year old PP Sethi, a retired government employee who has experienced the agony of partition, is aghast seeing the present day JNU crisis. Lamenting at the manner in which anti national forces are gathering momentum in the country, Sethi moans, “I am more than convinced now that a certain section of the society who have been disenchanted since May 2014 when Modi took charge as the PM of the country, wish to latch on to any opportunity that projects India as an intolerant nation. Deliberate attempts are being made to create an emergency kind of situation so that those opposed to the government can get adequate ammunition to paint the government as a regime that is hell bent upon crushing the democratic voices. As far as BJP is concerned, the onus rests on it to undertake strong punitive action against their Delhi MLA who was seen assaulting a party worker from the opposition. The lawyers need to be taken into custody for assaulting journalists and students at the court premises. Besides, the real perpetrators and organizers of the Afzal Guru event have to be brought to books at the earliest. “Democracy” is a sacred word, and should not be misconstrued and misused for fulfillment of sinister designs. Every citizen enjoys a freedom of expression and speech in our democratic set up, but on the same hand, it does not entitle or empower us to overstep the limits, and indulge in immoral and unlawful activities that hamper the peaceful fibre of our Motherland. By remaining mute spectators and not admonishing the students for their highly reprehensible acts, one gets the feeling that some politicians might just be using the students as their “fronts” for scoring political gains. It is extremely sad that some people are describing the present government rule as “Tanashahi” in the process forgetting or intentionally feigning to be ignorant that the government is duty bound to suppress the voices and protests of anti national forces. Why do these intellects fail to realize that government inaction in such highly sensitive matters tantamounts to jeopardizing the security of the nation. There is no option, but to put behind bars, all those voices that speak of destruction of India. A callous approach by the Indian government can prove to be disastrous especially in the aftermath of the deadly Pathankot terror attacks. Those siding with the students need to evaluate the gravity of the situation in all its fairness, and realize its far reaching repercussions for the country. An educational institute cannot be allowed to be transformed into a hub of anti national activities in the garb of freedom of expression. It is time for some course corrective measures. The political class has to cohesively work with the city intelligentsia to inspire students to spare a thought for our brave soldiers who sustain themselves in extreme inhuman conditions for ensuring our well being and peace. The heroic tales of Lance Naik Hanumanthappa have to be shared time and again. Pity that the embers of our ten brave martyrs in Siachen Avalanche had not even cooled than began the evil plot of hailing terrorists as martyrs in an educational institute. Kashmir was and will always remain an integral part of India, and to ensure this, everyone has to speak in one voice to crush the menacing ploy of the anti-national forces that seek secession of Kashmir. PM Modi must sound a clarion call for unity to defeat the anti national forces.”