Delhi University protest as it happened: Umar Khalid, missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed's mother join students at Mandi House
Twenty-four-year-old Gurmehar Kaur, whose social media campaign against the ABVP has gone viral, got caught up in a Twitter war on Monday with ex-cricketer Virendra Sehwag and actor Randeep Hooda who called her a “political pawn”.
 "Delhi University protest as it happened: Umar Khalid, missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed's mother join students at Mandi House")
Missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed’s mother says there was no help from the govt
A DU student recounts how the cops assaulted her
http://www.firstpost.com/politics/a-du-student-r%E2%80%A6-assaulted-her-3315210.html/embed
This govt has singled out students and universities as its single largest enemy: Umar Khalid tells Firstpost
Nandita Narain, DUTA president, at the students’ protests
http://www.firstpost.com/politics/nandita-narain…dents-protests-3315148.html/embed
Umar Khalid addresses the crowd at Mandi House
http://www.firstpost.com/politics/umar-khalid-ad…in-mandi-house-3315136.html/embed
Protesting students
Security deployed at Mandi House
DU and JNU students return: Anti-ABVP slogans chanted at Mandi House
http://www.firstpost.com/politics/watch-du-and-j…at-mandi-house-3315094.html/embed
Delhi University and JNU students return to protest against ABVP hooliganism
http://www.firstpost.com/politics/watch-du-and-j…vp-hooliganism-3315050.html/embed
Ramjas, as an issue, has not lost focus: DU student
Abinash, a second-year Literature student from Ramjas says that currently the university students are divided into the binaries of nationals and anti-nationals. “This will not simmer down. A lot of apolitical crowd from the campus have taken stand against their (ABVP) violence. That’s the larger achievement.”
http://www.firstpost.com/politics/we-are-stuck-i…tudent-abinash-3315088.html/embed
Students from Delhi University and JNU returned to Mandi House to protest against ABVP goondagardi
ABVP leader, Saket addresses protesters at the “Save DU” march at North Campus
Our stand on Kashmir issue is undebatable, no discourse allowed around it: ABVP activist
Protesters chant ‘Kashmir Humara Hai’
Amid chants of Vande Matram, a show of force behind the current conflict?
The battle between and Left and Right leaning students groups seems to have become a contest for prestige. With rallies and counter rallies, lined one after the other the student groups are unrelenting and the storm is unlikely to die down any time soon.
However, with students on the roads, instead of classrooms, studies have taken a hit.
Students are clueless about the what they are protesting for
“There are anti-national elements inside Ramjas College and they spoke about splitting the country. We won’t stand such talk. They eat here, they avail the subsidies here and they talk like this,” a student from the Deshbandhu College told Firstpost. The funny thing is, the “anti-national elements” (Read: Umar Khalid) this student talks about, was at Ramjas to discuss Bastar and its poor economic and social situations.
It appears that most of the ABVP supporters who are in Delhi agitating against “anti-nationals” in Delhi University don’t have a clear idea of what they are protesting against. Firstpost reporters spoke to several students who took part in the march and largely the emotions ran rather high. Surprisingly though the issues were not pertaining to Ramjas. Students said they would not tolerate anyone who would talk about ‘Free Kashmir’, they would not let stand the killing of “innocent” RSS workers in the hands of “commies” of Kerala.
The problem is right here. Agitation (whether Right or Left) is totally justified in a democracy, but when you start mobilising a volatalie crowd and appropriate unrelated issues to create a scenario and extract a reaction, that’s when problems arise. In Delhi today, students who are part of the march have similar dubious motives. Someone’s there for Kashmir, someone else for the anti-nationals in Delhi University and someone is against splitting Kashmir.
Firstpost is LIVE with former DUSU president Sateendra Awana
Why carry photos of political killings which happened in Kerala at North Campus?
What’s the connection between the ongoing protests in Delhi University and the political killings in Kerala? ABVP protesters, who promised a peaceful protest, were seen carrying posters of RSS workers who were killed in Kerala. What is the point of it, you ask? There are a few. The primary aim appears to be to instigate the so-called sentiments of nationalism and national pride and brotherhood among the protesters. It was also an indication that the protests could turn violent, but we do not know that yet.
Using violent images of political killings which have absolutely no bearing on the ongoing DU protests, is what makes people doubt the ABVP agenda.
ABVP carrying photos of Kerala killings meant to rile sentiments
The display of provocative posters of gruesome communist violence by ABVP reflects a specific ‘political end’ in their narrative – to invalidate the popular leftist narrative by conflating it with the militant leftist narrative.
This macabre display is meant to – first, rile sentiments and perhaps pull the neutral masses onto their side; and two, subtly legitimise the violence unleashed on students and faculty on 21 and 22 Feb. Most of all, it flies in the face of what large sections of the non-political DU crowd stood for on 28 Feb: violence. By flaunting these images in a terse public space, ABVP is only consolidating its standard nationalist narrative that is intrinsically based on violence, bloodshed, and disorder. Far more worryingly, they are heavily politicising the entire political discourse on the Ramjas violence.
This peaceful DU march against anti-nationals will be bigger and better than AISA’s: Former DUSU president speaks to Firstpost
Former DUSU president Satyendra Awana spoke to Firstpost and said that no anti-national sentiment will be tolerated inside Delhi University. “This is the main protest against the anti-national remarks made by students and this is not good for campus enviroment.”
Saffron flags with ‘ABVP’ printed on them, National Flag and activists chanting “DU against anti-nationals” take over the North Campus
Metro gates for North Campus shut
Arun Jaitley speaks out on Delhi University row
While the North Campus in New Delhi is bustling with activity, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that nationalism is a bad word only in India.
Nationalism is a good word, ye toh kewal iss desh mein hai ki rashtravad bura shabd hai: Arun Jaitley,Finance Minister pic.twitter.com/i0t7dVww04
— ANI (@ANI) March 2, 2017
Yechury retorts to Parrikar’s comment, says restriction on free speech determined by Constitution
“What defines legal restrictions of the Defence Minister? His whims and fancies? Restrictions are defined by our constitution,” Yechury said after Parrikar’s comment on the row that ensued after Gurmehar Kaur’s post.
When asked about his opinion on Gurmehar Kaur, Parrikar had said that he believed in the freedom of expression but within the ambit of legal restrictions
ABVP promises peaceful protest amid heavy security
ABVP Protest march starts at DU North Campus
Delhi: ABVP holds protest march outside North Campus' Art Faculty #RamjasRow pic.twitter.com/K8Nfk94GOv
— ANI (@ANI) March 2, 2017
ABVP hopeful of huge turnout at rally, says teachers will also support
According to a report in _ News18 – Hindi, _ ABVP has expressed hope that a huge number of students and teachers will join their protests against the alleged “anti-India” stand of the Left-leaning student groups.
The report also said that another rally, called by the Left students’ groups, is likely to take place post the ABVP’s ‘Save DU’ march.
Haryana Minister Anil Vij stands by statement on Ramjas row, says Gurmehar supporters pro-Pakistan
Uproar in Haryana Assembly over minister Anil Vij's' those supporting #GurmeharKaur are pro Pakistan' statement pic.twitter.com/sjB8AlILww
— ANI (@ANI) March 2, 2017
I fully stand by what I said, those opposing it in the assembly have no understanding,they are siding with anti-national forces:Anil Vij pic.twitter.com/SqJ02CeHI6
— ANI (@ANI) March 2, 2017
Freedom of Expression is great but within legal limits: Parrikar on Gurmehar Kaur row
When asked about his opinion on Gurmehar Kaur, Parrikar said: “I believe in the freedom of expression with whatever legal restrictions are there. All freedom of expression have legal limit. You cannot barge on another person’s right.”
Lady Shri Ram College student Gurmehar Kaur had last week launched a social media campaign against the ABVP which had forced the cancellation of a seminar at Ramjas College over the participation of a controversial JNU student Umar Khalid.
ABVP march to start at North Campus, will cover six DU colleges
ABVP’s ‘Save DU’ march is set to begin at the Faculty of Arts at North Campus in Delhi University, from where it will cross six prominent colleges under the Delhi University, including the Ramjas College.
The march will start of from North Campus at around 12:30, and will go to the Vishwa Vidyalaya metro station, Khalsa college, Miranda House college, Shri Ram College of Commerce, Daulatram College, Ramjas College, Faculty of Law, according to ABP News .
The protest march will then culminate near Swami Vivekanada’s statue at the Faculty of Arts.
Meanwhile in Punjab…
The ABVP has decided to take the ongoing row beyond Delhi. The student group is all set to take out a Tiranga Yatra (Tricolour March) to show solidarity with the Indian Army, according to India Today .
Heavy police force deployed at DU North Campus ahead of ABVP march
#RamjasRow: Heavy security deployment in North Campus of the Delhi University ahead of ABVP's protest today. pic.twitter.com/OrXWbb8u5v
— ANI (@ANI) March 2, 2017
ABVP to call for on-campus exclusion of Left-wing student groups
The ABVP, with its protest planned for later in the day, will call for on-campus exclusion of the Left-leaning student organisations like AISA.
ABVP to hold protest march at Delhi University North Campus
The clamour unfolding at Delhi University campus does not seem to die down any time soon. After Wednesday’s students-led protest march, condemning the recent violence at Ramjas College, ABVP has came up with a counter agitation programme. The right-leaning student group will hold a ‘Save DU’ protest march inside the North Campus on Thursday, according to India Today .
ABVP has called for the protest rally against the entry of outsiders on campus and their alleged attempts to “pollute” the atmosphere.
I have no intent to enter politics: Gurmehar Kaur
The 20-year-old Lady Sriram College student, who suddenly found herself in the eye of a storm that just refuses to die down, has again reached out to the media to try and clarify her stand.
Kaur, who lost her father in the Kargil war, says that she is “saddened” by the whole thing taking an ugly turn, while all she wanted was to voice her opinion. She also clarified that she never had any intentions of joining politics, as reported in The Hindustan Times .
Kaur also refused to be further dragged into the controversy, after which she allegedly recieved death and rape threats and was blatantly bullied online. ““I just gave my opinion, and I never expected the whole thing to take such a turn. I had a really bad time. I am not in a state to talk about it, and I cannot take it anymore,” Kaur told the national daily.
Sanjay Singh: So you’re saying that everything that happened in Ramjas, in JNU, was the RSS’ doing?
Umar Khalid: Of course, who else is the ABVP affiliated with? Does it not come under the RSS? Or is it autonomous?
Sanjay Singh: I am just saying that why is it that wherever you go, a situation arises where you have to go underground or are forced to hide?
Umar Khalid: In the last one year, I have gone to ten different regions to speak, but nothing happened. But when I went to DU, where ABVP holds positions in the Students’ Union, I was attacked. Why is it that it only happens in places where the ABVP is in power?
Sanjay Singh: Why is it so that everywhere you go, things just erupt? Why does outrage follow you?
Umar Khalid: It is not me, it is the ABVP, it is RSS that is the reason behind all this violence; they are behind these volatile situations. It’s not me, but the RSS.
Sanjay Singh: First of all, your argument that 100 people died because of demonetisation is invalid: What has demonetisation got to do with death?
Umar Khalid: A lot of people died, but I guess that is not relevant
Sanjay Singh: Those who had black money lost that ill-gotten wealth, how is that wrong?
Umar Khalid: What black money? 97% of the money came back, where is the black money?
Firstpost: Can you take us through the incident how it unfolded?
Students assaulted at Ramjas College: I came to know that there is an event at Ramjas College on 21 February. When I went there, I saw ABVP members with lathis were present. They did not want Umar Khalid to speak at the seminar. I saw ABVP members were shouting slogans and were behaving aggresively. They started pelting stones. The police were present, but remained mute spectators. They called Umar Khalid a “mullah”. I intervened, but looking at their body language, I backed out. I saw them chasing and beating four people. They used to call every person who wanted to attend the seminar at Ramjas College a Communist, a Naxalite and what not.Two women ABVP members assaulted me. They scratched my face, punched me and pulled my hair.
The ABVP has been a disciplined outfit and has been indulging in such behaviour even when its parent organisation BJP was not in power. It’s dominant in Delhi University. What slogans you can shout, what books you can read, everything is according their standards.
Tahiba Ulfat, Vasundhara, Abir and Praveen, the four girls who were allegedly assaulted by ABVP activists while they were protesting at Ramjas College on 21 February, speak to Firstpost about their ordeal
Firstpost: Tell us about the environment in the university: Do ABVP goons roam around as freely, as it’s being said?
Students: This is first time that the police were hand in gloves with the ABVP. They detained protesters without provocation and beat us up. Tuesday’s march was historic, as it was not a fight between the Left and Right. The protest also had Ambedkarites and feminists too.
Firstpost: Do we have an environment in Delhi where we can have a healthy debate?
Students: If you have clarity over what you know, there is no need for conflict. We as students will debate and dissent everything under the sun. Nothing is taboo in a university. Dissent in the university is different from a political opposition’s dissent, however, as it’s ideological and not political in nature.
Firstpost: How to make the university safer for women?
Students: The patriarchal ideology is not limited to ABVP; it’s the dominant ideology across India. Without passion, there can be no protests. ABVP is fascist, so it is violent, but the Left is fighting for justice, peace and equality.
Sanjay Singh: You are creating a sort of “demon” in the country that the government is oppressing minorities or the poor.
Umar Khalid: What about the 100 people who died because of demonetisation, was that nothing?
Sanjay Singh: I did not say that…
Umar Khalid: You are saying that I am presenting a scary picture, which is false. Would you say that 100 deaths are not scary?
Umar Khalid: You need to look beyond just the one incident: The bigger picture is that these goons who stopped the event have the backing of government forces. This is an attack on education. This is an attempt by the government to turn education into a business. The poor and the oppressed are suffering because of this.
Sanjay Singh: The situation is not as bad as you are describing it to be. But why are slogans of ‘Kashmir azadi, Bastar azadi’ raised in these universities?
Umar Khalid: I am not in a position to represent the people who were present there but why should they be stopped from expressing or exercising their right to freedom of speech?
Sanjay Singh: I am not in a position to investigate the matter, but can you explain this “save DU” chant — what is the need to ‘save DU’ — what is threatening DU?
Umar Khalid: The Ramjas College incident on 21 February is the reason behind the slogan. An academic event was censored, a seminar was stopped and the academic environment of the university was deteriorated. That is why we need to save DU.
Sanjay Singh: Coming to the Ramjas row, what was so abnormal about what happened? If you are invited by someone, by a college, and that invitation is revoked, why is that an issue?
Umar Khalid: What about the fact that violence was used to cancel the invitation? Are you saying it’s OK to use violence to silence someone?
Sanjay Singh: No one is supporting violence but if an invitation is revoked then…
Umar Khalid: What about just the act of stopping the seminar, do you support that?
Sanjay Singh: No, no one supports stopping a seminar
Umar Khalid: The seminar was stopped, that is the abnormalcy — and this is why we need to “save DU”.
Sanjay Singh: Previous directors and vice-chancellors have also been criticised for their actions in the past. Why is there a revolt this time?
Umar Khalid: Everytime something wrong has happened, people have protested and revolted against it. It’s not an attack on a particular government, but rather a debate on what is right and wrong.
Sanjay Singh: What has happened in these two years of the Modi government that makes you feel this way?
Umar Khalid: This is an important question. It’s true that the education policy over the last two decades has been anti-student – reduced student welfare, research grants etc — but this government has added a very crucial aspect to this already anti-student policy which is to force its ideology on the students. They are harbouring some goons to enforce their ideology
Sanjay Singh: It is not like the previous governments did not have an ideology, so why are you picking on this government?
Umar Khalid: This government is different as the VCs and directors of universities and institutes are not selected on merit but rather on their affiliation with the Centre.
DU students talk about the protest against ABVP
Sanjay Singh: How is there an attack on education, universities?
Umar Khalid: Since the Modi government came to power, you can see similar attacks on FTII, JNU and now DU… the education policy of this government has received a lot of criticism as it does not help the underprivileged…
Sanjay Singh: What has happened in these two years of the Modi govt that makes you feel this way?
Umar Khalid: This is an important question. It’s true that the education policy over the last two decades has been anti-student – with reduced student welfare, research grants etc. – but this govt has added a very crucial aspect to this already anti-student policy which is to force its ideology on the students. They are harbouring some goons to enforce their ideology….
Sanjay Singh: It is not like the previous govts did not have an ideology, so why are you picking on this govt?
Umar Khalid: This govt is different as the VCs and directors of universities and institutes are not selected on merit but rather on their affiliation with the Centre.
Sanjay Singh: Should I address you… as a student, a scholar, activist or as an accused in the JNU case?
Umar Khalid: I am a student first, but because of the constant attacks on the education sector, on universities… you have to fight and you have to be more than just a student.
Sanjay Singh: Why do you nit-pick certain incidents, like a rape that happened 26 years ago or the Afzal Guru case?
Umar Khalid: The Constitution allows us to talk about anything, why should these issues not be talked about?
Sanjay Singh: Who was Afzal Guru in your perception?
Umar Khalid: Afzal Guru was an accused in the Parliament attacks, who was convicted.
Sanjay Singh: Are you saying that it is a one-sided fight? Aren’t there two sides to the debate?
Umar Khalid: It’s like being trapped between a rock and a hard place as the atmosphere is stifled in DU and in JNU. That is why we are standing with JNu and we are trying to ‘save’ DU.
Sanjay Singh: When a student comes to a University, they come to study…not to spread these kind of…
Umar Khalid: I was there to attend and speak at a seminar…are seminars not a part of education. Is free speech not an integral part of education in a University? Then why was a seminar stopped?
Sanjay Singh: This is a shortcoming of our Constitution that you, despite having criminal charges levied against, are able to do this…
Umar Khalid: Amit Shah has criminal charges…Manmohan Singh had criminal charges and he was the prime minister, so this argument does not reflect a disparity in our Constitution…it grants equal rights to all.
India is not free: Umar Khalid speaks to Firstpost political editor Sanjay Singh
Shashi Tharoor’s Facebook post slams Virender Sehwag
But who are we, who have not endured what Gurmehar did at a tender age, to substitute our worldly-wise realpolitik for the idealism of a 20-year old student? Viruji, it does not do justice to the memory of the martyr for any of us to be insensitive to the feelings of his family, however emotional their words may be, since they, not us, have suffered the brunt of the loss, and is their prerogative to react to that loss.
Read more here.
Mashaal rally pictures
#RamjasRow : NSUI takes out a 'Mashaal March' at the Delhi University campus. pic.twitter.com/p82vUx8N9s
— ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2017
ABVP attacking protesters?
A video allegedly capturing ABVP activists assaulting three students returning from the protest in Khalsa College is now making rounds on social media. The ABVP activists are identified as Prashant Mishra and Vinayak Sharma.
Umar Khalid targets Sangh Parivar
JNU student leader Umar Khalid takes on Virender Sehwag on Facebook
Pictures of mashaal rally
Delhi: NSUI holds mashaal (torch) march in North campus, say it is a peaceful march for their university #RamjasRow pic.twitter.com/Cmfv7mc1is
— ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2017
NSUI members conducting Mashaal rally
After sitting on a hunger strike, members of the Congress party’s student wing NSUI are conducting a “mashaal rally” in the north campus. The outfit has taken out a rally holding the cut-out image of Mahatma Gandhi, reports Times Now.
Amit Shah on Ramjas fracas
Iss par meri party ke pravakta wahan se jawab denge: Amit Shah during press conference in Imphal,when asked about #RamjasRow & #GurmeharKaur pic.twitter.com/aOcmoPODLD
— ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2017
Protest were peaceful, says Delhi police
The Delhi Police assured that adequate protection has been put in place around north campus. The police also said that it has taken cognisance of the complaint filed by Gurmaher Kaur.
Voice of Ram founder Ram Subramanian says people diverting debate from women safety to nationalism
“India needs to feel ashamed that a young girl who was fighting for the safety of women in India and in the colleges of Delhi was forced to quit the city,” Ram told Firstpost. He continued, “This is an issue very close to Gurmaher. The awareness of women safety must begin at the college campuses and the fact that rape threats are being issued is deeply saddening.”
Read full article here.
Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala slams ABVP
After notebandi,Modi govt now putting 'zubaanbandi';Would you be raped for saying ABVP gundas should stop hooliganism?-RSurjewala #RamjasRow pic.twitter.com/vJiXeOnnLv
— ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2017
Anupam Kher slams ‘anti-national’ brigade
The Intorant Gang is back. Same faces, different slogans.:) #Intolerance #AwardWapsi #Emergency #DemonitisationDisaster #BharatKeTukde
— Anupam Kher (@AnupamPKher) February 28, 2017
Virender Sehwag clarifies on his tweet
Talking to India Today, former cricketer Virender Sehwag clarified his tweet saying that it was not meant for Gurmehar, “My tweet wasn’t intended for Gurmehar. It was plain fun but people construed the other way,” India Today quoted him as saying.
Standing Committee on Home Affairs seeks report from Delhi Police
In their meeting sm members of Parl's Standing Committee of Home Affairs raised issue of incidents that took place in Ramjas College-Sources
— ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2017
In the meeting Standing Committee of Home Affairs Chairman P.Chidambaram asked Delhi Police Commissioner abt steps taken: Sources #RamjasRow pic.twitter.com/1B8AfUnwCA
— ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2017
Ramjas fracas not good for youth: Shatrunghan Sinha
Kuch tanavpurn stithi bani hui hai, ye loktantra aur yuva peedhi ke liye sahi nahi hai: BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha #RamjasRow pic.twitter.com/qhWVyVgW3j
— ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2017
Lyricist Javed Akhtar hits out at those who trolled Kaur
I don't about her but Mr Minister I know who is polluting your mind .
— Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) February 28, 2017
If a hardly literate player or a wrestler troll a pacifist daughter of a martyr its understandable but whats wrong with some educated folks
— Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) February 28, 2017
Mr minister , you have condemned the left by falsely accusing them for celebrating soldiers killing n not a word about AVBP. Grossly biased
— Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) February 28, 2017
Students protest against ABVP
ABVP protests against the student protest
Shashi Tharoor comes out in support of Gurmehar Kaur
Fight between what is right and wrong
Yogendra Yadav said in the meeting that the Sangh never hoisted tricolor in their Nagpur office and never sang the national anthem are now teaching people nationalism.He added that the fight is not between left and right but wrong and right.
Students plan march from Mandi House to Parliament Street on 4 March
Protesting students in Delhi have planned another march protesting ABVP’s hooliganism on 4 March. According to Ankita Virmani of Firstpost, the students are planning to start the march from Mandi House to Parliament Street.
Soon after, ABVP, during a press conference, said that they will hold a “peaceful” march on 2 March. According to reports, SFI students are planning to protest in Kochi tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Students’ Union Leader Kanhaiya Kumar and CPM politburo Sitaram Yechury joined students at Khalsa College.
Delhi: Former JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar & former JNUSU vice-president Shehla Rashid join protest over #RamjasRow at DU's Arts Faculty pic.twitter.com/NVC6HmeGf8
— ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2017
Delhi: D Raja and Sitaram Yechury join JNU & DU students' protest march against ABVP in North Campus area pic.twitter.com/nxnZWnvr8Y
— ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2017
Politicising the issue
AISA is politicising the whole thing by bringing up Rohit Vemula’s suicide in this.
There’s a huge placard demanding Justice for Rohith Vemula.
Nandita Narain, DUTA president addresses the protesters
DUTA president Nandita Narain is addressing the protestors now. She is stressing on peaceful resistance and condemning the media for projecting the cause as left be rights. She says the country belongs to each one of us, our ancestors have fought for its freedom and our basic freedom of speech and expression is very dear to us. She says, “The DUTA has passed a resolution condemning this violence.”
She is criticising Satindar Awana for his misbehaviour in SRCC and says that in spite of the fir that was filed against him the police did nothing. She also says, “Every student is ours. If my own son ever did anything wrong I would be the first person to slap him.”
Take our poll: Do you support Gurmehar Kaur?
Firstpost speaks to Jean Dreze
Belgian-born Indian development economist and activist who has been influential in the economic policy making of India speaks to Firstpost.
An interview with a student organiser of ‘Cultures of Protest’
Police joined ABVP activists to beat students: St Stephens’ professor
Firstpost speaks to teacher from St Stephens college. Nandita Narain, a mathematics professor at St Stephens, says that she was present when the ABVP protesters were beating up students in the presence of police. “The police joined the ABVP acitivists and beat up the students. Many students from St Stephens were caught in that as well and were injured.”
‘ABVP, why so creepy’
That’s what protesting students, faculty and alumni members in Delhi are chanting.
The recent events at Ramjas have unraveled certain grievances of the student community in Delhi University, which go beyond the ’left-right’ political split between student unions. The assault by ABVP targeted a large community of students, many of whom do not identify with any political party (or student group).
So, when left student groups like AISA and SFI turned up to take up their cause, some were displeased and complained of a ‘political hijack’. They argued that these parties are not only using the protests to further their own political agendas, but also inciting ABVP to go on an aggressive footing. These are the non-political stakeholders of DU – trapped between two political extremes – that the media needs to talk about, rather than lapping up lateral issues like social media trolling against specific individuals.
http://www.firstpost.com/politics/delhi-college-protests-3-3307120.html/embed
Yogendra Yadav speaks to Firstpost
JNU faculty joins student protest, says the protest is the need of the hour and faculty members of JNU and Delhi University are totally behind it.
http://www.firstpost.com/politics/delhi-college-protests-2-3307100.html/embed
Ramjas and JNU: Similarities of two biggest campus protests that Delhi saw
The ongoing protest at Delhi University is somewhat similar to the JNU protests of last year, in terms of slogans raised and the issues being fought for. However, there are minute yet significant differences. This time, the students and faculty are fighting for something very specific — ‘goondaism’.
This was a theme largely absent from the JNU protests, which were more centred on ‘sedition’ and standing up against illegitimate state action. Also, it was pitched around the individuals arrested — Kanhaiya, Umar, and Anirban. Although Umar features here in DU too, the focus on ‘icons’ is much lesser this time.
Nevertheless, certain common themes remain – the idea of ‘azaadi’, ’nationalism’, and ‘right to speech’. The context, however, is different.
Students carry national flag, just so that they aren’t mistaken for anti-nationals
Some students are carrying the national flag, and a few others have the tiranga painted on their cheeks, stating that they’re not anti national. Just that their nationalism is different from that of ABVP’s.
I’m behind the front line. It’s deafening, the chants for azaadi
Student from Delhi University speaks to Firstpost
“ABVP is a very weak organisation. They will never come here today with so much crowd. The campaign is not about Gurmehar, there are thousands of Gurmehar here. ABVP is flooding their emails with rape and death threats. As we move forward, this is becoming bigger.”
Watch: Students from Miranda House and LSR at the protest
http://www.firstpost.com/politics/video-from-khalsa-college-3306970.html/embed
Watch: “There is no college in Delhi University who is not here today. Everyone is tired of ABVP, what you see is frustration,” a student said.
http://www.firstpost.com/politics/video-from-khalsa-3306922.html/embed
Azaadi echoes through streets of Delhi
The road from Vishwavidyalay Metro to SGTB Khalsa College is flooded with police and the procession is underway. All I can hear is the word azadi echoing through these streets and the police are ready for any adversity.
Students of Miranda House protest against ABVP outside Khalsa College, say, "this fight is for our University space." #RamjasRow pic.twitter.com/yWMqXLsXlZ
— ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2017
Azadi echoes through streets of Delhi
The road from Vishwavidyalay Metro to SGTB Khalsa College is flooded with police and the procession is underway. All I can hear is the word azadi echoing through these streets and the police are ready for any adversity.
Students of Miranda House protest against ABVP outside Khalsa College, say, "this fight is for our University space." #RamjasRow pic.twitter.com/yWMqXLsXlZ
— ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2017
ABVP according to protesting students
As voices of dissent grows, not just students but faculty members join protest at Khalsa college
As television reports suggested, Khalsa college is not only witnessing students from all colleges converging and protesting against ABVP activists, faculty members from Lady Shri Ram College, Miranda House and other colleges in New Delhi have also come down to express their solidarity with Gurmehar Kaur.
Speaking to News 18, one of the faculty members of Miranda House said that this (hooliganism of ABVP) has to stop. “Whether you file a complaint or the government takes cognisance of the seriousness of the matter. But this has to stop.”
Babita Phogat too sides with ABVP, lashes out at Gurmehar
Wrestler Babita Phogat, after Virendra Sehwag and Yogeshwar Dutt, lashes out at LSR student Gurmehar Kaur, who is caught up in a heated online and offline debate over a video she recorded. Gurmehar also spoke out against ABVP activists over the ongoing protests going on at Ramjas College in New Delhi.
Jo aapne desh ke haq m bat nhi kar sakti uske haq m bat karna thik h kya??? https://t.co/t4Xb0AELHi
— Babita Phogat (@BabitaPhogat) February 27, 2017
I condemn rape threats If log iss tarah se dhamki de rahe h to ye bahut hi galat bat h.Lekin m aapne desh k khilaf single word nhi sun sakti https://t.co/ImlEb4dj6c
— Babita Phogat (@BabitaPhogat) February 28, 2017
After Virendra Sehwag, Randeep Hooda, it’s Yogeshwar Dutt making fun of Gurmehar
See what he tweeted
🙈🙈🙈 pic.twitter.com/SiH90ouWee
— Yogeshwar Dutt (@DuttYogi) February 28, 2017
Students at Khalsa college protest against ABVP activists
Student from Miranda College speaks to Firstpost on the ongoing protest
Student protest yet to gain momentum
Not too many people have turned up right now. But they’re on their way. We’ll have a larger crowd by 12:30. Around 40 girls will be joining us from LSR and other South Campus colleges will be coming too.
ABVP fostering a culture of intolerance on college campuses
Political scientist Suhas Palshikar said varsities need to take a clear stand and stick to it. “People will always have differing opinions. It will be evident in university campuses, which are known for being welcoming of different ideologies. But it appears the ABVP wants to oppose liberal thoughts, and freedom of opinion. They want to stop people from anti-establishment thought. This is an attempt for regimentation of universities. And it’s not just a question of law and order. The varsities’ administration and faculty need to take a stand as well. It’s necessary that professors teach students to think freely, no matter what their ideologies,” he said.
Read more here .
DU stuck between the left and right of Indian politics
The recent events at Ramjas have unraveled certain grievances of the student community in Delhi University, which go beyond the ’left-right’ political split between student unions. The assault by ABVP targeted a large community of students, many of whom do not identify with any political party (or student group). So, when left student groups like AISA and SFI turned up to take up their cause, some were displeased and complained of a ‘political hijack’. They argued that these parties are not only using the protests to further their own political agendas, but also inciting ABVP to go on an aggressive footing. These are the non-political stakeholders of DU – trapped between two political extremes – that the media needs to talk about, rather than lapping up lateral issues like social media trolling against specific individuals.
Should public figures exercise restraint on social media?
The Gurmehar Kaur instance, in a way, unpacks the complexity of freedom of speech and the public discourse that surrounds it. What Virender Sehwag did was nothing more than an exercise of the freedom to express — the very same entitlement that those standing with Kaur fight for. It was not a direct threat but simply an opinion projected in a manner, which could be perceived as either witty or condescending. But, Sehwag — as a celebrity figure — holds a specific agency here, that of influencing huge sections of the population. That drives us to ask – should public figures exercise restraint before exercising their democratic right to speak? Or does the blame lie on the masses for turning a piece of opinion into an ideological weapon?
Delhi Police files FIR on the rape threat to DU student Gurmehar Kaur
The 20-year-old student, who has decided to flee Delhi following incessant online trolling, told Firstpost she is mentally exhausted and wants to be left alone. The Delhi police, finally after more than 24 hours later, decided to file an FIR on the rape threats to Gurmehar.
Delhi Police files FIR on the rape threat to DU Student Gurmehar Kaur pic.twitter.com/OdkFOXqy5R
— ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2017
National Students’ Union of India’s hunger strike outside Delhi University Arts faculty
#RamjasRow: National Students' Union of India's (NSUI) hunger strike outside Delhi University Arts faculty. pic.twitter.com/ONau3IwvhE
— ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2017
In 2016, Gurmehar Kaur recorded this video
The video, uploaded by Voice of Ram, said:
प्रिय गुरमेहेर कौर,
हमारा सौभाग्य था कि हमें तुम्हारी सहायता करने का अवसर मिला और तुम्हारा शुक्रिया कि तुम्हारी कहानी लोगों तक पहुंचाने के लिए तुमने हमें एक माध्यम के रुप में चुना|
जो तुमने किया वह सच में बहादुरी का काम है, हम उम्मीद करते हैं कि तुम्हारे विचार दुनिया तक पहुंचे और हम सब मिलकर एक बेहतर समाज बनाएं|
Ram Subramanian, who runs Voice of Ram and the platform on which Gurmehar’s video message was shared and tweeted, has reacted to the brutal online trolling of the twenty-year-old.
Lady Shri Ram College faculty backs Gurmehar Kaur
The English department of Lady Shri Ram College, where Gurmehar Kaur is a first year student, has unanimously issued the following statement:
We, the faculty members of the English Department, Lady Shri Ram College unequivocally and strongly support our student Gurmehar Kaur and her right to express her opinion on issues that embroil our university. It is immensely gratifying to us as her teachers that she has responded sensitively, creatively and bravely to events in her immediate context rather than seek the safe refuge of silence. We feel that it is the bounden duty of educational institutions to nurture sensitive, responsive and critical thinking students without the fear of violent retaliation. We are proud that Gurmehar has fulfilled her duty as a young citizen of this country. The threats of violence and brutality that she faces are absolutely reprehensible. Responses on social media by public figures such as Virender Sehwag and Randeep Hooda are shameful trivialization of the intimidation that Gurmehar faces at the hands of violent mobs whose viciousness the university has recently witnessed. We fervently appeal to the good sense of the public and to institutions of redressal to help restore our faith in law and justice in our country and let our young citizens think and articulate without fear of intimidation.
– Rita Joshi, Madhu Grover, Rukshana Shroff, ArtiMinocha, Maya Joshi, ShernazCama, Mitali Mishra, Arunima Ray, DiptiNath, Maitreyee Mandal, JanetLalawmpuii, Ngangom Maheshkanta Singh, Karuna Rajeev, Wafa Hamid, Jonathan Varghese, TaniyaSachdeva, Rachita Mittal.
LSR Statement by Firstpost on Scribd
How DU student Gurmehar Kaur ‘shakes it all off’ with her tweets
Those who prefer violence over open discussion can learn a lot from 20-year-old Gurmehar. In her very first video, in May 2016, Kaur conveyed her message about how war and not Pakistan killed her father without speaking a single word. Instead, she used placards.
Though the same feisty student of Lady Sriram College has become more vocal through her tweets in the last week, she has managed to maintain a clear and composed stand even though she has been subjected to rape threats and cries of ‘anti-nationalist’. Less than a week after she posted a video where she took on the ABVP members who threatened the college students, Kaur refuses to be defined by the death of her father, Kargil war hero Captain Mandeep Singh, in the 1999 Kargil war.
Kaur, while offending those who would judge a young woman for speaking her mind, is also deft enough to add a mocking touch, bolstering her argument through a Taylor Swift song.
Don't call me a Martyrs daughter if that bothers you. I never claimed anything otherwise. You can call me Gurmehar.
— Gurmehar Kaur (@mehartweets) February 26, 2017
All those memes really offended me... I hoped to have more creative haters.
— Gurmehar Kaur (@mehartweets) February 26, 2017
You can question my love for this country but you cannot define it for me. I serve this country and ITS YOUNG STUDENTS
— Gurmehar Kaur (@mehartweets) February 25, 2017
My father would've been more than proud of me. Just btw. :) 20 year old speaking up for the rights of her fellow students? VERY PROUD
— Gurmehar Kaur (@mehartweets) February 25, 2017
Debate surrounding Gurmehar is red herring to the larger issue
The mass media narrative surrounding Gurmehar Kaur not only shows the viciousness of the online troll culture, but also serves as a red herring to the larger issue of campus violence that the Ramjas incident brought to fore. Given her paternal background and tender age, she comes off as an ’easy consumable’ for both hyper-nationalists and mainstream media channels who have simply instrumentalised her personal beliefs to make a point.
However, the core issues here – that most are not talking about – are starkly different from ‘social media trolling’: basic security of our college campuses, the freedom to express without any threat of violence, and the snail pace of our law enforcement authorities to bring the perpetrators of violence to account.
With Gurmehar dominating news cycles, these absolutely crucial talking points remain on the fringe. The protest at North Campus today must bring these issues back to the current public discourse over the entire incident.
Way to go Gurmehar for taking on the fascists bravely: Robert Vadra
On his Facebook page, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi’s husband Robert Vadra came out in support of Gurmehar and congratulated her for taking on “the fascists bravely.”
“It is indeed disgusting & shameful to see a dignified woman being trolled by respectful citizens, for her remarks against politics in DU. My message to Gurmehar: “I am with you and all those people who stand for their rights & freedom of speech. The nation is proud of you for standing your ground & fighting fascist forces.”
We are dismissive of other’s view
Now, why crib if Sehwag has his own take on the matter? Just because he is a former cricketing superstar, is he supposed to keep silent on controversial issues? By implying this we are reinforcing the very intolerance we are complaining against. Perhaps it would have been fine for many had he supported Gurmehar in his tweet. The truth is for long we have been dismissive of the other view. Now that it has started asserting itself, we are feeling insecure.
Surely likes of @virendersehwag @RandeepHooda have right to express their opinion as well. Freedom of speech cannot be a one way street.
— Rahul Kanwal (@rahulkanwal) February 28, 2017
We have forgotten the issue was not Gurmehar or her tweets
If the debate was limited to her placard on Facebook, saying ‘I am a student of Delhi University. I am not afraid of ABVP. I am not alone. Every student of India is with me’ — it would have been within the context. There was a clash between the members of the ABVP and the AISA over the invite to Umar Khalid for a seminar in Ramjas College and reactions, even aggressive ones, from both sides on social media and elsewhere were expected to flow thick and fast after the incident. In our hyper-expressive times, this is par for the course.
The debate went in the wrong direction. Now, she is exposed to nasty attacks. BJP parliamentarian Pratap Simha has compared her to underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and minister Kiren Rijiju has wondered who was ‘polluting’ the young student’s mind.
It might get worse as the debate intensifies. Simha, on Facebook, said: “At least Dawood Ibrahim did not use crutches of his father’s name to justify his anti-national stand.’’ The point is the martyr and the Kargil war should have been kept out of the discourse.
Intolerance debate is farcical
The intolerance debate is getting farcical for sure. What’s so gross about Virender Sehwag expressing his view on Gurmehar Kaur? If she is entitled to her opinion on the Kargil war, then the former Test cricketer is free to have his own view too. Why react so sharply to it?
Let’s break it down logically. That she is the daughter of Kargil martyr Captain Mandeep Singh is not the central point in the entire controversy; the fact that she has a view on the ABVP is. If we are trying to be sympathetic to her for her father’s role in the war, we are not doing justice to her as an independent individual or a student with a free opinion. The scope of the debate expanded in an unnecessary direction when people started talking about the placard she carried last year. It said: ‘Pakistan didn’t kill my father, war did’. Sehwag’s response – ‘I didn’t score two triple centuries, my bat did’ – is a fitting witty response to that.
Bullies like Sehwag and Rijiju are cowards
A strong armed force prevents a war, but will he send his children to send to join them? Or, how about Sehwag? Has he even bothered joining the Indian Territorial Army? (The Indian Territorial Army will be deployed into action in the event of a war). They will most likely do neither. It’s easy to scream about going to war. It takes actual courage to do something about it. Courage was something Kaur’s father had. Courage is something actual serving members of the Indian Armed Forces have. Courage is something their families have. Cowardice is what people like Rijiju and Sehwag have when they take to Twitter to attack a college student.
Bullies Rijiju and Sehwag need lessons on argument to overcome troll mentality
Gurmehar Kaur’s father gave his life in the service of his country. Kaur asked a very fundamental question: how many more fathers will have to do this. She asks why politicians on both sides are unable to come to an agreement and create peace despite the last seventy odd years of Indian Independence.
All ideas are open for debate including those that Kaur has. But one must debate the idea by attacking the idea and not the person. That’s the key difference. “Trolling” is the common parlance that once uses to attack a person and not the idea that he/she expressed. Trolling will invite rebuke, whereas attacking an idea will generate an argument, and therefore, will lead to a debate.
These are just examples of how you engage with an idea. What Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju and cricketer Virender Sehwag did was attack Kaur for having an opinion in the first place rather than engaging with her in the numerous (like we mentioned above) decent ways. They decided that attacking her personally for her opinions might be a good idea.
Current debates pigeonhole her into being ‘martyr’s daughter’, not as student with a voice
What happens when the daughter of a former soldier voices opinions that aren’t as palatable for the groups seeking support for their patriotic cause? At the moment in India, it looks like the daughter of a former soldier is only permitted to have political opinions of a particular hue, and otherwise things turn spectacularly nasty, as in the case of Gurmehar Kaur.
The very present absence of her father in all these discussions, even in those that congratulate her for her strong position, is also a problem. The fact that some of the public can’t seem to recognise her capacity for independent thinking – that she is framed either as the “brave daughter of her great dad” or a clueless kid falling in with the murky anti-national crowd – means that she is constantly infantilised. Disturbingly, the logical follow-up is visible in tweets that assign her a new mommy and daddy (according to one Twitter user, they should be Barkha Dutt and Arvind Kejriwal).
Meanwhile, it would be nice if the public would stop giving Kaur unsolicited advice about how to be an apolitical humanitarian. It would be wonderful if members of the government indulged less in amateur ESP (“What is Meher thinking now and who is making her think it…hmm”) and focus instead on the urgent issues – the rape threats and appalling vitriol that Kaur is having to deal with. Surely there has to be a way to see Kaur for the brave individual she is. Here’s wishing Kaur a world in which speaking up doesn’t require quite so much bravery. READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE
To anyone questioning my courage and bravery.. I’ve shown more than enough: Gurmehar
Twenty-year-old Gurmehar Kaur, who suddenly appeared to be in the heart of the ongoing crisis at the Ramjas College, said that she has had enough with everything and pulled out of the students’ campaign on Tuesday. Gurmehar announced her decision to distance herself from the ongoing campaign against ABVP playing out at Ramjas College.
Gurmehar, whose social media campaign against ABVP recently went viral, on Sunday had alleged to have received “rape threats”. Student of Lady Sri Ram Ram College and daughter of Kargil martyr Captain Mandeep Singh, Gurmehar said she has attracted a barrage of hate messages over her stand on the issue. “I have been getting a lot of threats on social media. I think it is very scary when people threaten you with violence or with rape,” she told NDTV.
To anyone questioning my courage and bravery.. I've shown more than enough
— Gurmehar Kaur (@mehartweets) February 28, 2017
The 24-year-old Delhi University student, on her twitter, announced that this is all her “20 year self could take.”
I'm withdrawing from the campaign. Congratulations everyone. I request to be left alone. I said what I had to say.. (1/2)
— Gurmehar Kaur (@mehartweets) February 28, 2017
I have been through a lot and this is all my 20 year self could take :)
— Gurmehar Kaur (@mehartweets) February 28, 2017
The campaign is about students and not about me. Please go to the March in huge numbers. Best of luck.
— Gurmehar Kaur (@mehartweets) February 28, 2017
Gurmehar Kaur quits campaign
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