Kolkata: The Ramjas College issue has reached Bengal also, as both sides, Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and Left student unions, hit on the streets to mark their protest.
But what was most astonishing was the fact that ABVP burnt the effigy of 21-year-old Ramjas College student Gurmehar Kaur. The members of saffron brigade’s student wing’s Kolkata chapter were also demanding the Lefts to vacate college and universities.
Gurmehar, daughter of a martyred army man had opposed ABVP’s violence on college campus. The reason for violence at Ramjas was the seminar in which Umar Khalid, Jawahar Lal Nehru University research scholar, had been invited as a speaker. Khalid was accused of sedition but Delhi police could not file charge sheet even after a year.
“We are protesting against communist and anti-nationals, who have created such big ruckus at New Delhi’s Ramjas College. To be precise, these days communists and anti-nationals are two faces of the same coin,” said Subir Haldar, ABVP’s state vice president. Haldar minces no words, when he clearly states, “We will confront those Leftists, who keep raising anti national slogans. But we are also open to discussions.”
However, on being asked, about rape threats, he said, “we condemn it. If someone has done so, then it should be properly investigated and if found guilty, he should be punished.”
If ABVP resorted to burning effigies, Left students of Jadavpur University, chose to demonstrate peacefully by organising a walk near their college campus.
Soumyajit Rajak, a student leader of Student Federation of India (SFI), Jadavpur University said, “We had organised a march yesterday, in protest of Gurmehar being labelled as an anti national. According to BJP supporters, anyone who criticises the government or has an opinion that doesn’t match with theirs, is an anti national. This, in reality is a way of making get engrossed in non issues, while the government gets away with doing whatever they want to.”
Speaking about the aggression with which, ABVP, is attacking the Left, in Bengal too, he said, “ABVP and BJP is desperate to make their presence felt in Bengal. So, they keep doing such things.”
Ironically, not only Gurmehar was threatened by rape, and even union ministers, actors and sport personalities jumped into the issue, taking sides and even stating that Gurmehar’s mind was being polluted. Amid all, now Satyavijayi, which is considered a Rastyasway Sewak Sangh (RSS) backed portal, has done a story on the tweets of Gaurav Pradhan claiming that Gurmehar has some ISI connection.
Looks like, with every passing day, Gurmehar’s issue will get more murkier.
