Kanhaiya Kumar's State of the (Students) Union address: Here is what he definitely did not say

Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya Kumar clarified his perspective on several matters during the powerful speech he gave at the JNU campus on Thursday night – his first since he was released from jail on interim bail. Since his words have been misinterpreted before, here’s a handy guide to ways in which his speech should not be interpreted. But first, let’s clarify what he actually said. [caption id=“attachment_2657300” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Kanhaiya Kumar. IBNLive[/caption] Addressing the students, 29-year-old Kumar, who was arrested for sedition for allegedly raising anti-national slogans, said that the freedom he wants is from disruptive forces within the country and not from India. “We are not seeking ‘azaadi’(freedom) from India. We want ‘azaadi’ within India,” he said. He also threw several barbs at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. At one point he said that despite his many differences with the PM, he agreed with his tweet “Satyameva Jayate”. The PM had tweeted it in praise of HRD Minister Smriti Irani’s fiery speech in Lok Sabha on the JNU row. “I have many differences with the PM but I agree with his tweet Satyameva Jayate because these words are in our Constitution,” he said, as his passionate speech was punctuated with applause and cheers. As it is with all powerful speeches though, there is a lot of scope for misinterpretation, which has only increased now that Kumar has agreed to campaign for the Left in West Bengal and Kerala. So here are a few ways in which you should definitely not interpret Kanhaiya Kumar’s speech: