Brutal Violence in JNU: Complete Analyses of the Attack.

A masked mob of around 50, armed with stones, rods, hammers and sticks, broke into JNU yesterday evening injuring around 40 students and professors while erupting chaos and terror.

The ABVP, the leftist group of students, the University are all blaming each other. JNUSU students anticipate the mob to have been sent by the ABVP while the ABVP believes its members to have been injured by the leftist student organisations of SFI, AISA and DSF.

On the other hand, the University believed that the students against the hostel fee hike wanted to disrupt the admissions process and hence, beat up the students favouring the decision. While the police has reported a positive picture since their entry into the campus, the incident has pointed out the delay in calling the police and the failure of the police to cease control of the terror.

Flow of events:

1. JNU Administration alerts the police about the violence

2. LG Delhi: Delhi Police was directed to coordinate with JNU Administration to monitor and control the situation, maintain law and order in the University and take action against the perpetrators of violence.

3. Rahul Gandhi: The brutal attack on JNU students & teachers by masked thugs, that has left many seriously injured, is shocking. The fascists in control of our nation, are afraid of the voices of our brave students. Today’s violence in JNU is a reflection of that fear.

4. PTI: Yogendra Yadav manhandled outside JNU.

5. Mamata Banerjee supports the students at JNU.

6. Heavy deployment of police at JNU Campus.

7. PTI: Amit Shah enquires about the situation at JNU.

8. While JNUSU blames ABVP for the violence, ABVP releases a statement against their defence

9. JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh injured brutally on forehead after being singled out by the mob – admitted to AIIMS.

10. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra arrives at AIIMS Trauma centre where 18 were admitted following the violence.

11. BJP: We strongly condemn the violence on JNU campus. This is a desperate attempt by forces of anarchy, who are determined to use students as cannon fodder, create unrest to shore up their shrinking political footprint. Universities should remain places of learning and education.

12. Stories, images, videos of the brutal attack spread across.

13. Students from various places march against the violence at JNU.

14. PTI: Amid allegations of delayed action, Delhi Police said it conducted a flag march and the situation was brought under control after it got a written request from the JNU administration to enter the campus.

15. PTI quoting JNU Administration: Masked miscreants armed with sticks roaming around, damaging property and attacking people; Police called to maintain orderm

16. JNUTF appeals to the entire JNU community to restore peaceful environment of JNU where one can express his/her disagreement democratically.

17. PTI: Delhi Police PRO MS Randhawa held a meeting with a delegation of students and teachers after violence broke out at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, officials said today.

It is still unclear as to who is the culprit behind the attack. Since the president of JNUSU was attacked brutally, it is evident that JNUSU is not involved.

That leaves the narrative of ABVP sending the mob against the leftists as true or the University’s narrative of students not in the favour of the hike, disrupting the admissions process and injuring the students in the favour of the hike.

Registrar’s statement today suggests that students protesting against the hostel fee hike are responsible for the violence. However, the left and the ABVP have been on the same page against the hostel fee hike at JNU. That leaves the University’s and Registrar’s narrative in doubt. Whether an external power is involved or one of the groups within JNU is still not clear.

Another eye opener here is the fact that a University’s students and professors are being attacked simply for dissenting.

Whoever is involved, the incident shows how the largest democracy in the world is intolerant towards a democratic dissent. An irony we have been witnessing from at least last 4-5 years. The room for dissenting and free speech have been the two things under massive attack especially under the BJP government.

Most of the major protests have been witnessing the ‘silencing of dissent’ attempts. This not only shows intolerance but also takes away one of the most important freedoms from the people leaving India with people who fear raising voice and initiating a change for its own development. It is a high time now that the government takes initiative to stop the silencing of dissent and rather make India a tolerant country where opinions are respected, accepted and merged into comprehensive schemes, policies and other changes for a fast-paced growth and development of the nation.

An Article by – Ria Vaghela