My association with Delhi University has been for the past 8 years and counting but what I saw today was unprecedented. It was converted into a police chhavni with around 1000 cops, barricades, guns, riot kits, intimidating scenes to say the least. Its like I am going to a war zone a campus which has always been open to for everyone has all of a sudden been closed, with all your movements being watched.
And it seems like most don’t seem to care. Those fighting for the idea of University seem to forget what is the University for in first place. Its not a battle ground for ideology or violence or dissent but its primary aim is to impart education, all others can come later. It should help us in developing a thought process but education comes first.
Over the past few days some people want Azadi, some want Bharat Mata ki Jai, some want to raise slogans, some spread hooliganism, some fight for Najeeb some for Rohith but not one fights for the state of education. Not one says that education should not suffer.
And to add to that I have a serious complain against people not even remotely part of the University coming to protest and with faculty members. Shouldn’t a faculty be neutral, why do they get involved in matters dealing with student politics? Its so strange that here you see the faculty more involved than students and especially of a particular ideology. Why do we need them to resolve matters dealing with students? Why do we need politicians to come and address gatherings in University over a tussle between two student body? The same teachers who complain against the administration of the University, the work load and quality of education find ample time to protest and show solidarity with other universities.
To ask a question to all those protesting, was this the first instance of campus violence? Was it the first time student unions were fighting? Everywhere in India you have campus violence but never has it been made in such an issue, its because of the politicization of the issue that all of a sudden it has become a national issue with students who don’t even want to be the part of this suffering. And if you look at the protests, majority of the students don’t even care.
‘The Save DU’ campaign is needed to save it from people who exploit it for their political motive. What right does anyone from outside the campus have to come to DU and protest, for people who have not even studied here are the ones taking out marches and sloganeering.
Save DU from these people, save DU from people who disrupt academics, save DU from Hypocrisy.
Its time to relook at college politics and shift focus on things which matter more.
