HYDERABAD: The furore over holding Afsal Guru Memorial Day at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), a left-bastion since inception, is a fake facade being created to tap the sentiments of a section of the country, opines Shehla Rashid Shora, the fiery face of JNU students’ agitation.
With the reputation of the varsity taking a severe beating due to the ongoing sedition row, this is one of the clear messages 27-year-old Shehla Rashid, known as a ‘Comrade’ who carries her heart on her sleeve, proposes to disseminate on their visit to universities across the country.
In a brief tete-e-tete with Express, while savouring some khichdi and lemonade at Lamakaan, the software engineer-turned activist from Kashmir, who believes politics is too serious a matter to be left to the politicians observed that one (be it a student) cannot run away from politics as politics is what decides one’s fate. Often seen airing her opinion fearlessly on television debates and leading the protests on streets, Shehla has become the face of the movement at a time when JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar’s movements are restricted after being released on bail in the sedition case.
“When there is a big news, try to see things which they don’t want you to see,” said the vice-president of JNU Students Union nonchalantly. “Look at the recent Parliament session. There were no discussions on Budget. Many policies are being blocked,” she pointed out.
Taking a dig at liquor baron Vijay Mallya MP, who defaulted repayment of `9000 crore to banks and fled to London while the country was discussing JNU, she asked, “We are the tax payers. Our money is given to people like Mallya and to bail out corporates. Why was Mallya not stopped from leaving the country?”
Responding to a query on how lives of student activists at JNU have changed over the last few months, she claimed that the movement they started have now helped to unite all forces. “Earlier, our issues were not being heard. Now, (Union minister) Smriti Irani quotes from our pamphlets in the parliament. We have got much more space for our struggle,” added the All India Students Association(AISA) activist.
Shehla, after graduating from NIT Srinagar with a degree in computer engineering, studied political leadership at IIM -Bangalore before joining JNU for an MPhil in Law and Governance.
Asked about her political ambitions, Shehla refused to open her mind. “Research kar rahi hai toh professor ki naukri hi lagenge...”. As an after-thought she added, “we are basically activists. Whatever we become later on, may be a doctor, lawyer or teacher etc, we would continue our struggle.”
So, what is the JNU row all about? “It is a rabid campaign to shut down the university. It was never about nationalism but about shutting down a public funded university where everyone can assert their identity,” she alleged adding that even the social media is not that a democratic space anymore.
“It is structurally biased. A statement on social media gets me abuses from everywhere within no time. One who has money can do such things. Unfortunately, we do not,” says Shehla who also worked as a project officer at Internet Democracy Project.
Biased Social Media
The social media is no more a democratic space. A statement on social media gets me abuses from everywhere within no time, says Shehla