A Rebuttal to #JNU Prof Nivedita Menon’s Article ‘Why our Universities are in Ferment’

Recently Malayalis were greeted with a breakfast news of the cold blooded murder of Sujith, a native of Kannur. The murder was allegedly by none other than members of Communist Party of India (Marxists).Political murder, of course!! And then, running side by side was an article by Malayali feminist scholar and professor of political thought at Jawaharlal Nehru University Nivedita Menon, which desperately tried to whitewash Left brutalities. The article ( Why our universities are in ferment) has spared no effort in attempting to deface nationalist politics. But while rambling on about the various scenarios in Delhi and Hyderabad, Nivedita conveniently seems to have forgotten her home state Kerala, which is a known Communist or Left citadel. And needless to say, Left sponsored violence and brutalities have so well been incorporated into the Kerala’s fabric. Taking Nivedita Menon on a brief expedition to Kerala and the state’s academic campuses which have been nothing but Left bulwarks.

When Communism staked its claim in the state in 1957, the party ensured that Kerala stands in the forefront, when it comes to taking a list of India’s political murders. Members of the political party have mercilessly targeted political opponents and conveniently done away with them in bloody strokes. Adding to this has been continuous infighting in various Left factions and fraternity groups, which again have given added butchery. Left political games in the state have cast a near chronic mark on the numerous educational institutions and university campuses of Kerala. Concurrent with the ideology of violence and carnage promoted by Left political groups, the ‘freedom of expression’ so vocalized by Nivedita Menon, ‘enjoyed’ on campuses of Kerala’s educational institutions is also a well known matter.

A brief perusal into campus politics in Kerala will easily bring out the truth of how numerous Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) students have fallen victims to Left’s violent freedom of violent expressions. Clubbed with anti-national students groups and backed by religious fundamentalist organizations, Kerala’s college campuses have seen how students associated with ABVP- Durgadas,P.S. Anu, Sujith, Kim Karunakaran, Bimbi, Murugananda, Vishal, Sachin Gopal and many more have brutally done away with. In fact, incident of how Anu, Sujith and Kim Karunakaran were done away with stands unparalleled in the history of campus politics, holy thanks to Left political groups and their thirst for vengeance. For Nivedita’s information, the three were part of ABVP and were targeted, for the simple reason that they chose to become part of a nationalist organization in Kerala’s educational campuses. Students of Parumala DB College, they were hounded by the brutal SFI brigand. Fearing for life, the boys jumped into River Pampa, hoping to swim to the next shore. However, the men of Nivedita Menon’s ‘idealist’ gang started pelting stones, even as the boys swam, ensuring they were hit and bludgeoned to death in addition to a watery grave. The incident stands unmatched in terms of brutality in the history of independent India’s campuses.

In fact, the murders of some of these students have been most gruesome, executed in cold blooded, Talibanic fashion. This is a sole prerogative of Kerala’s campuses, something never witnessed in other educational campuses in India. Leave aside campus murders, the way Left political organizations treat those imparting education to students in school and college levels, can best be judged from the morbid and ghastly murder of Jayakrishnan Master, who was vice- president of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha Kerala State as well.

Nivedita Menon, isn’t it nothing less than criminal and bestial mindset to think that an educator was hacked to death by members of the ruling Marxist party right in front of innocent students, students as young as nine and ten years of age being in Class VI, just because he chose to stand with a nationalist party? To top it all, perpetrators of this heinous crime issued a chilling warning to the tiny tots about meeting the same fate if anyone of them gave evidence to police or spoke of the matter in Court rooms.  As they left the scene, celebrating the bloodbath wielding the very weapons they used for the ghastly murder, did they pause to think even for a fraction of a second, how forever traumatized and psychologically disturbed and scarred the macabre incident would leave the young impressionable minds? Maybe all these are part of the “collective responsibility to continue to be self-critical, recognise the institutionalised ways” which Nivedita Menon is talking about, in order to discern how “oppression is entrenched in our universities”- the Left way, of course. Nivedita’s zeal for recognizing “that democratisation is a continuing process, a horizon never to be reached” probably advocates Taliban’s Peshawar model of attack, when the terror module opened fire indiscriminately in Peshawar’s Army Public School, since she so ardently has aimed at lending credence to JNU students’ unions shouting pro-Pakistan slogans.

For the Left and Left supported students’ unions, the suicide of Rohit Vemula seem to be a trump card, which they loftily wave at every possible occasion. If this is in support of Rohit Vemula, as a person who underwent pain, it is justifiable. But far from this, Rohit Vemula’s suicide has been highlighted as the Left’s “undying love for Dalits and their suppressed cries”. Let us again come to Nivedita Menon’s home state Kerala, which has a flourishing crop of Dalit atrocities that took place during Communist regime. One need not venture into bygone eras, but just peep back into 2010, when Karakkadan Vineesh, a Dalit youth was murdered when LDF was in power. 28-year-old Vineesh was murdered, with his dead body left hanging, a way described even by mainstream national media as ‘Taliban model execution’. Even with the ample professing of Dalit love by ruling Marxists, Vineesh’s family continues their fight for justice. Has Nivedita Menon heard of Deepa Mohandas? Not likely! She is a PhD scholar hailing from the Dalit community of society, who was subject to ample harassment by the Marxist fraternity of the Syndicate of Mahatma Gandhi University in Kottayam. Then there is the instance of Megha, ABVP activist and research scholar of Sree Shankaracharya Sanskrit University, Kalady who was battered by SFI supporters 10 years ago, which left her totally blind in the right eye.

Let us come to the present- last year in 2015, two minor school girls were gang raped by 11 men in Kerala’s Adoor (which happens to be a reservation seat too). According to police, the girls were “brutally assaulted by the accused persons, their hands were tied and they were starved.” There were 11 culprits in total, who violated the minor girls, out of which Ratheesh happens to be Youth Congress Area Secretary of Kulashekharam, Kollam. Four others Harilal, Shyamraj, Sharath and Vishnu, are said to be workers of Democratic Youth Federation of India, the youth wing of CPI (M).  Isn’t this a case of Dalit atrocity? Shouldn’t self proclaimed Dalit cause upholders, the Left, protest against this? Shouldn’t SFI hold campus protests? Won’t JNU take note of this “gender oppression”?

2016, witnessed the case of a Dalit girl, student of Tripunithura’s RLV College attempting suicide, following mental torture Left backed SFI leaders. The victim was subject to continual harassment after having testified to the college management against SFI for launching strife in RLV College in January. Enraged SFI activists continually harassed her, threatening her to withdraw the statement, to which she refused to yield. What followed were large scale attempts at character assassination, with the SFI activists even calling up her fiancé, speaking lewdly about her having the sole attempt of sabotaging her forthcoming wedding. The suicide attempt came when the Left brigand publically issued threats. Probably when truth is brought out, Nivedita Menon should explain her own statements calling out for “caste, gender and other forms of oppression”.

Incidentally the suicide attempt of the Dalit girl took place a day before Congress scion Rahul Gandhi set for in Kerala for two days. Wonder where his Dalit love vanished. Or is it selective?

Nivedita Menon has spoken of JNU protesting against “Hindutva-wadi politics- attempts to control the food and dietary habits of large numbers of communities”, obviously referring to ‘beefy issues’. She must then introspect why Left backed political group including campus based ones never murmured dissent when a teacher who served pork to students who relished them, never once forcing it on students who considered it anathema, was roughed up and badgered in Kerala. The headmaster of the school was not spared either. Worst of all, the government machinery was forced to intervene and the professional career of both teacher and principal stood sealed. No Left campus based protests, Nivedita Menon? When beef was banned in Maharashtra for a few days, Left wingers of Kerala, who profess to be self proclaimed saviours of human rights (selective of course) dirtied Kerala’s educational campuses in the name of ‘beef festivals’. Is pork anathema to Leftists or is it because “attempts to control the food and dietary habits of large numbers of communities” are restricted only to a select few? Need more evidence to show that campus violence is the hallmark of SFI & leftists and not ABVP? Did Nivedita Menon, who lamented about campus violence ever write any op-eds on these issues?

When Nivedita Menon speaks of violence by ABVP workers during the course of beef festivals (the ABVP has also physically attacked organizers of militantly Dalit ‘Beef Festivals’ in campuses in States where cow slaughter is not illegal), did she muddle up with prepositions? For the world knows how Left campus activists unleashed terror upon ABVP workers, under the guise of promoting beef carnivals. All she needs to do is step in to Thrissur’s Kerala Varma College and retrieve copies of a few pictures that picturesquely narrate the bloody tale. When the principal of Church Mission Society College, Kottayam refused to grant permission for conducting the beefy repast, college authorities were roughed up by Left wingers. SFI activists have not spared even vice-chancellors of universities in Kerala- Dr Vilanilam was assaulted upon; Dr VN Rajashekharan Pillai was falsely implicated in a case of fraudulence. Let us now forget how the senior diplomat TP Sreenivasan, chairman of Education Reformation Committee was manhandled recently. All these highlight how shabbily the SFI bandwagon treats even those of the highest posts in the education sector. These stand unparalleled in the history of academic India, with no other campus based political parties stooping to such deplorable levels. So how justified is Nivedita Menon’s claim of Left Liberals and their elite organizations practicing equanimity on all fronts? Nivedita Menon must remember that metamorphosing the accused into victim is an easy task. But it should be backed by solid evidence to make it credible. Mere mouthing of high sounding words, propped up by epithets will never suffice.

Coming back to JNU, the world knows why Afzal Guru was hanged in 2013. In spite of this JNU campus was filled with shrieks from Left backed groups that tried to raise the anti-national to heroic levels and eulogize him, on the day that marked his being sent to gallows for nothing less than treason. Nivedita Menon must remember that Afzal Guru was tried at every single level of Indian judiciary and his punishment was decided after the case was studied in its entirety. While upholding the death sentence, the SC had termed the attack on Parliament in 2001 as “an unparalleled assault on the supreme seat of democracy”. The 271 page judgment delivered on 4 August 2005, speaks of clinching evidence against Afzal Guru regarding his nexus “with terrorists who carried out the terrorist act of most diabolical nature”. “All evidences unerringly point to Afzal Guru, a key conspirator, who played an active role. He is definitely involved in the conspiracy to attack Parliament with the use of explosive substances,” said the judgment report.

This is exactly the reason why even the Honourable President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee refused to grant him clemency. Law took its course and he was thereby hanged, for having played the key role in plotting the Parliament attack of 2001. But as always, Left students’ unions of JNU do not go by prescribed norms. They have their own laws, to which they adhere to. Members and supporters of these Left unions will find it difficult to adhere to Indian judiciary or terms stated in the nation’s constitution. (Examples from home front Kerala are those of Communist MLA Bijimol who assaulted the Additional District Magistrate in broad daylight; the vulgarity resorted to in Kerala Legislative Assembly during the presentation of 2015 budget, which served to shame Kerala)

As Left students’ unions in JNU chant about how “Afzal Guru was hanged even though there was no evidence that pointed towards him being master plotter of the conspiracy”, it is evident that they vocalize the same for purposes of convenience. Left student unions of JNU along with their crop of Nivedita Menons, must remember that if Afzal Guru was not awarded capital punishment, and let free, the message given out to civil society would be grievously erroneous. Therefore, capital punishment awarded to Afzal Guru is justified both judicially and ethically.

There has been a mention about Rahul Gandhi’s visit to JNU, when he came to voice protest against police action against those ‘peaceful protestors’ who wanted to give out the simple and peaceful message that Afzal Guru was not given justice. Dear Nivedita Menon, Afzal Guru was awarded capital punishment during the reign of UPA, at a time when Rahul’s mother wielded considerable influence over every democratically elected leader of the country, including the Prime Minister. Why didn’t he protest then? Or does he feel that sending Afzal Guru to gallows was right, but police action against a bunch of students trying to elevate him to the levels of martyrdom was wrong?

Nivedita Menon’s article reeks of Left intolerance, (the Left in fact being source of real intolerance), which cannot brook the thought of any counter protests against Separatists & Leftists. If these groups have the right to voice, as she claims, so does ABVP, being a responsible student union. If Left unions have the right to voice themselves against government policies, ABVP has the right and responsibility to protest against anti national elements and expose them in front of the nation. Nivedita Menon is not just a writer, but a professor as well. A person of her stature, instead of guiding students into becoming responsible citizens has shamelessly tried to cover up the incidents that took place in JNU, which was nothing but plain anti-national campaign. When professors have blatant disregard towards nationalism, how can they be impartial towards students who follow nationalistic ideology? Doesn’t this thwart and reject the very concept of being a teacher? Will Nivedita justify in similar arrogant tones, the celebration indulged in by members of Democratic Students Union and All India Students Association in 2010, when the 76 CRPF personnel were massacred in Chhatisgarh? How will she justify those terrifying shouts of “India Murdabad” and “Maovaad Zindabad”, which rocked the JNU campus then? Now it is “Kashmir Mange Azadi, Keral Mange Azadi…Pakistan Zindabad”. How are the two incidents different?

Nivedita’s claims in trying to debase ABVP are completely baseless, with the attempts to garnish being solely resting on fake pictures and edited videos, which has well been exposed long ago- but not a matter of surprise, since the Left is always fond of resorting to Photoshops and fabrications. Let us again go back to Kerala, and look how Marxists, after the gruesome murder of Fazal tried to frame the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and instigate communal violence. When the real perpetrators were arrested, truth tumbled out. Same was the case, when estranged Marxist leader TP Chandrasekharan was murdered. The Left backed murderer glued a sticker ‘Masha Allah’ in Arabic  on the Toyota Innova multi-utility vehicle used by assailants to kill, committed by Left desperados with the intent of distracting investigating officers and trying to stir up communal riots. After all, didn’t Left leader MA Mani openly and boldly declare on stage how Left “has resorted to murders and will continue doing the same”, shaming Kerala on international soils? All this is nothing for Communists, but they must also realize that truth triumphs eternally.

Nivedita Menon’s article also exposes the author’s contemptuous attitude towards the nation’s progress, as can be seen from the blame she heaps on Make In India campaign. With success spelling out well enough for the campaign, wouldn’t it pose a threat to the home land of their cherished ideology China? Therefore Nivedita Menon must, like all Left wingers, oppose Make in India campaign. After all, didn’t the Indo- China war of 1962 expose the loyalties of Indian Marxists?

Meanwhile rounding off with one of the rules and regulations of ‘Pallikoodam’ a school run by Mary Roy, mother of the famous ultra left liberal Arundhati Roy- the distance between a boy and a girl at all times is to be one meter. Hoping to see an op-ed article on the same by feminist writer Nivedita Menon or the ultra left liberal Arundhati Roy. Just a reminder on where the fervently Left backed organizers of ‘Kiss-of-Love’, an event which spoke of being progressive in Kerala, have landed- Rahul Pasupalan and his wife Reshmi Nair were arrested by Kerala police for alleged involvement in a sex racket and indulging in pedophilia, run under the guise of online marketing.

(The author is a social media writer and ‘I Support Namo’ team coordinator.)

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