India is going through a trouble phase where we are bound to rethink on our Nationalism as well as our Anti-Nationalism. It all started with some students in JNU shouting “Bharaat ki Barbaadi”,”Go India Go back”,”Kashmir ki azaadi”. Since then the temperature of Indian political arena has risen above Normal, some saying it, a free speech and for many it is a act of sedition.
Whatever the case may be, I will not conclude anything from my post whether it is a free speech or an act of sedition but will only draw attention to two categories of people which presently exist in INDIA: the thekedaar of Nationalism and the thekedaar of Free speech.
Thekedaar of Nationalism (TON)
People under this category are always refer to as bhakts, means a blind Modi supporter(well most of it). They always stand by the current regime in whatever it does, right or wrong. They are present in twitter and Facebook giving certificates of nationalism and anti-nationalism who agree and disagree with them or the government, (the same way our AAP workers give the certificate of honesty :p).
They have asked number of people to go to Pakistan on many occasion which many a times were illogical. Aamir Khan, Shahrukh Khan were victim of such attack when they gave some statement of intolerance. May be their statement were uncalled for and questionable, but asking them to go to Pakistan was too much. This branding of people by them has made “anti-national” and “go to pakistan” a comical word in today’s INDIA.
Thekedaar of Free Speech (TOFS)
People under this category are categorically anti MODI. They always are ready to take down Modi govt and take potshots at every of his initiative how good or bad it may be. They consist of some eminent journalists, writer, left wings thinkers, etc. Anything in which they cannot target modi govt, they will maintain complete silence about it. They in occasions decides when India will become Intolerant and what is definition for free speech depending upon the case and people involved in it. The definition of above can change from time to time with conditions applied.
For Example, Malda, where many people took the city to ransom, burned police station and many public vehicles, threw stones asking for hanging on Kamlesh Tiwari. Kamlesh Tiwari,in Bihar who put forward his opinion on a case, was arrested for threat to National security soon after his video went viral . Malda happened after a month of his arrest, that too in Bengal not Bihar. There went a complete silence of Mainstream Media on this issue, the same thekedaar of free speech and well thinker of India who always do not forget mentioning Gujarat in all their discussions, didn’t posted a tweet or discussed this issue as it didn’t fit to their agenda. Some tweeted, Free speech comes with limitation and responsibility, and Kamlesh Tiwari should be jailed (well they said it on Malda). Even some of them sympathized with people (ISIS) who attacked Charlie hebdo comic publishing office, saying the same about limitation of free speech.
They chose not to question people responsible (the same CPI (left), who are fighting for right to dissent in JNU) for murder of right wing and BJP activists by secular goons (Secular for them, as it didn’t involve any right ideology person) in Bihar, but will start a media campaign on intolerance if happens otherwise.
HYPOCRISY
Now on this JNU case, we again see TON labeling some as Anti-Nationals, and this time it’s a serious case. There were really some slogans against India and pro-Pakistan raised in JNU campus. Any country in the World do not tolerate anything against them in their soil. India too did not, there were many videos emerged with all provocative slogans against India and in support of Afzal Guru, the terrorist responsible for 2001 Parliament attack.
Kanhaiya being a JNUSU President was arrested after police crackdown in the campus to catch people responsible for the anti national slogans. But some questioned his arrest, and yes that can be questionable as he is not seen shouting slogan, one video in which he is seen was doctored. But beside this were two videos which actually started this outrage where actual anti India slogan was heard, is still genuine and yes that 2 videos do not contain Kanhaiya.
The category TON, has shared widely the doctored video of kanhaiya, to prove him guilty and yes one among them may have doctored the Video. In their excitement of getting a real case of anti nationalism, they went this far that they gave the TOFS category to change the direction of whole debate.
The arrest of kanhaiya without proper evidence in public domain may be an action taken over excitedly by the Delhi police,which has similar past ranging from handling Baba Ramdev, and Delhi rape case protests .And also with given the case JNU had similar controversial past of celebrating murder of 74 CRPF jawans and many others.
Well that is over to the court to decide. But the real issue is that now, The TOFS category people has sympathizing with all the people involved in this slogan shouting. Sympathizing for Kanhaiya can be acceptable at a moment but they went so far that they took position of saying Anti India is a free speech, calling for Bharat ki barbaadi is free speech. Yes the same category those lectured on limitation of free speech over malda and Charlie Hebdo.
Indian constitution has limitation of free speech where it asks that you have right to criticize the government but not the right to criticize the country.
What Police and central government may have done is that instead of taking the matter that happened inside JNU in own hands, should have asked JNU to take action and submit the report following which Police can have done the needful. But over excited govt and TON labelled whole institution as anti National.
This is the biggest mistake you can do. An Educational Institution gives birth to great Ideas, and many intellectual and famous personality has emerged from JNU, and yes most people in JNU are Leftist bandwagon, but being leftist and Right wing is not crime, they are two ideology. The police and institution now should catch the right people who did this, and catch hold of DSU(the organisation who organised this, also was banned by UPA in 2010 due to Maoist activities) organizer, the real culprits of slogan shouting.
With doctored video and the Lawless lawyers who attacked media, TOFS changes the debate from anti national sloganeering to media vs Deshbhakts. Some TOFS after finding one video doctored, took all over their sisters channel and tweets asking for apology from all the other channels, meanwhile suppressing the first two video which had actual content of anti national slogans.with one video doctored they intelligently made a case that never did such slogans happened and even if it occurred, it is their free speech and right to dissent but at meantime forgetting their take on malda and Afzal Guru being hanged by UPA govt.
Doctured Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wc5DUoO-7e4
First Video :- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUNBe3GJCMk
When HRD ministry took a step of having a Tiranga, on recommendation of VCs, in every institution , which is one of the welcome step, some people in TOFS termed it as a piece of silk cloth and and forcing of Hindutva agenda (Indian flag, Hindutva?).
They in meantime didn’t even gave a thought to the people who gave up their blood for this silk flag in borders, sportsmen who represent this flag to bring medals and fame to the country.This gave a rude shock to army man and sports person, who meanwhile stood with this decision.
It is ok to have left or right ideology, but extreme right and extreme left ideology can break the nation. The JNU fight is the fight of extreme Left which is covered up by left and liberals with the right ideology people, who too in over excitement is helping Extreme right ideology people who believe in goondaism and enforcing what according to them is correct (sanskaar, beef ban).
We as common people should see both side from our own eyes. It is great Indian Tamasha going on. All political parties took this opportunity to serve their votebanks leaving behind the cause of of the country. It would have been better they all should come at one platform and condemn the anti-national activity and ask people to maintain silence and decency on Online platforms and discuss about the real problem India is facing.
