JNUSU’s new president, Nitish Kumar, from Sheikhpura in Bihar’s Araria district, hates being compared to Bihar’s Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar. A 26-year-old PhD student in the Centre for Political Science, he aims to bring more funding into the university so that the poor old infrastructure can be revived. In a candid conversation with Ifrah Mufti, Nitish shared his ideas.
Excerpts
What will be the immediate task for the university that you have planned?
The first thing I will work on is bringing more funding into the varsity so that the university administration can work towards improving the infrastructure. Secondly, I will initiate a fight to bring back the JNUEE exam for admissions, push for the eradication of the Chief Proctor’s Office manual—which imposes fines on students for dissent and protests—and push for women students to get single-seater accommodation in their second year itself, because currently they get a hostel seat only in the fourth year.
Do you have any political background and when did you enter JNU politics?
No, I don’t have any political background, but I happened to be associated with politics from my college days in BHU. When I came to JNU in 2021, I got associated with AISA. I have always believed that the alarming rise of communal fascism is not only a threat to our rich cultural legacy of communal harmony but also poses a grave threat to nation-building and the very foundations of democratic politics.
You come from Bihar, and your name is being compared to the CM of Bihar. How do you see that?
There is no comparison between us, as we follow very different ideological paths. His organisation supports the BJP, whereas mine stands in opposition to it.
Do you think that the divide in the Left parties this year did any harm?
Yes, it led to a split in the votes, and we failed to eliminate the ABVP completely. The SFI leaders thought they would make a major difference by fighting separately and would not let the ABVP win any seat, but unfortunately, the SFI alliance panel secured fewer votes compared to individual candidates as well.