NEW DELHI: Months before the anti-India event on February 9, the venerated campus of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi witnessed unprecedented protests against hanging of 1993 Mumbai bomb blast convict Yakub Memon. The anger was directed towards PM Narendra Modi-led NDA government and President Pranab Mukherjee, who was called ‘Hangman Mukherjee’ in the posters put up by Democratic Students Union (DSU). Mukherjee was called ‘coward executioner of Afzal Guru’, a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist, who a section of students in JNU consider as martyr. The February 9 anti-India event in JNU against Guru’s execution was also repeated 1,400 km away in Jadavpur University in Kolkata on February 16, where students took to streets demanding freedom for Kashmir, Manipur and called for ‘destruction of India’. The video of Jadavpur University protest organised by RADICAL, a fringe group, created furore in the political circle.
The selective transformation of India’s temples of learning in the name of freedom of expression created political uproars. “Both the universities are billed as ‘centres of excellence’. Undoubtedly, JNU produced end number of bureaucrats, excellent scholars but it has a dark side too which successive governments and campus administrations have refused to acknowledge,” said a senior IPS officer and an alumnus of JNU.
In 2010, security agencies had said that JNU was being used as a hideout by some Naxal elements. The comment had come after arrest of Chintan, an alleged Maoist and scholar of JNU in February 2010. In April 2010, 76 CRPF personnel were killed by Maoists in Dantewada, Chhattisgarh. While the nation was in mourning, a section of JNU students organised celebrations to extend the support to red terrorists. Months later, the UPA regime, led by Manmohan Singh, decided to put DSU under the ‘watch list’ terming the outfit as front for Naxalites which provides safe haven for ultras and also involved in mentoring new cadres.
Security officials were baffled by the arrest of JNU student Hem Mishra from Gadchiroli in Maharashtra in May 2014. The DSU leader revealed the role of G N Saibaba, a Delhi University professor who allegedly supported militants. The probe in the Saibaba case revealed that he had allegedly recruited another JNU student to coordinate with ultras in Chhattisgarh.
Even Jadavpur University and Presidency College in Kolkata came on the radar of security agencies when Kanchan, a Maoist leader, revealed in December 2010 about modules of Naxalites in the two campuses. He said senior Naxal cadres moved to urban areas after a crackdown and visit campuses often, which work as perfect hideouts. Jadavpur shot into the limelight again in 2012 when Maoist leader Abhishek spilled the beans on students and professors of Jadavpur university who were in touch with Maoists. Another surprise came in November 2014 when security agencies discovered ultras in campuses in Andhra Pradesh, when an associate professor of Andhra University was picked up for supplying explosive materials to Maoists. Campuses in Bihar are also becoming hideout, revealed a February 7 raid on the residence of Bhagalpur’s Tilka Manjhi University’s proctor. Police claimed he provided a safe house for the Naxal leader.
“There is no doubt that JNU is dominated by the Left, but it is the extreme Left which is cause of concern. They may not be more than 50-60, but receive support from various quarters and use JNU as a safe house,” said a security officer who studied in JNU.
Kanhaiya Kumar, who has been arrested for sedition represents All India Student Federation (AISF), which is the most moderate of student outfits. Kanhaiya’s outfit has always opposed anti-national activities on the campus. All India Student Association (AISA), which is student body of CPI (ML-Liberation), believes in progressive democratic movements. On the other hand, DSU endorses seize of power through armed revolution. Its motto is ‘Naxalbari is the only way.’ Since NDA came to power in May 2014, DSU intensified its propaganda against Modi government. Security agencies believe that the front organizations like DSU may also be involved in facilitating procurement of supplies etc. to the Maoist war machinery.
“On occasions, during operations by security forces, the CPI (Maoist) underground cadres shift to softer areas including urban areas looking for safe hideouts. On such occasions, the over ground front organizations provide safe hideouts to armed cadres,”UPA had observed about outfits such as DSU.
with Arup Chanda