Casteist slogans like ‘Dalit-Cha$%er Quit India’, ‘Brahmin-Bania Zindabad’ found written on JNU walls, what did the students say?

In a conversation with ‘The Mooknayak’, Biswajit Minji, associated with BAPSA, says, “Such incidents show that the success of a Dalit-Bahujan movement that has started in so many years is a threat to the dominance of the so-called upper caste and upper caste people. This is the reason why we see anti-Dalit, Bahujan and tribal things every day.”

Saumya Raj

New Delhi. Objectionable casteist and communal slogans have been found written on the walls of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). In fact, on Saturday, July 20, casteist abuses and communal slogans like ‘Cha$%er Quit India’, ‘Dalit Quit India’, ‘Brahmin-Bania Zindabad’ and ‘Hindu-RSS Zindabad’ were found written on the walls of Kaveri hostel in the JNU campus. There is a lot of anger among the students of the university about this. Students expressed their strong protest against this in the university campus and the student union also took out a march on Saturday evening.

When we reached Kaveri Hostel to gather more information on this matter, we found the walls painted. Hostel students told us that after the pictures of this went viral on social media, the university administration painted them on Saturday itself.

“The slogans were erased from the wall, but how will you remove it from the minds of such people?”

Speaking to ‘The Mooknayak’, JNU NSUI General Secretary Kunal Kumar said that as soon as we reported this incident, the administration got the wall painted. He says, “This is a very big incident. It should not be seen as an isolated incident. After the coming of the current government of the country, people with such Manuvadi and Brahminist thinking have got protection. The slogans were erased from the wall, but how will you remove it from the minds of such people?”

“The same forces that are in power in the country are entrenched in the JNU campus”

While talking to us about this matter, JNUSU President Dhananjay says, “The JNU Students’ Union strongly condemns the incident that happened in Kaveri Hostel and stands completely against it. The same forces that are in power in the country are entrenched in the JNU campus. These forces are constantly running their agenda against Dalits, Adivasis, Bahujans, Muslims and women and they want the campus to be closed for all of them in some way. They want that all the students should not sit together and study in the campus. But we all have built JNU together and JNU will always be a place of equality and parity. For this, we will keep fighting every such force and we know how to fight them very well.” “The administration should take strict action against casteist people”

Regarding this incident, Chetan, who lives in Kaveri hostel, tells us, “We are very disturbed by the recent incidents in the hostel, where casteist abuses were hurled against the Dalit Bahujan community, as well as slogans like ‘Brahmin Baniya Zindabad’ and ‘RSS Zindabad’. These slogans clearly expose the Brahminical and Manuvadi nature of the RSS and its supporters in our university. And also show the hatred they have for a particular community.” He further adds, “At such a time, it is important that the administration, especially the warden of Kaveri hostel, take immediate and strict action against hate-mongers and casteist people.”

“Such incidents show that the success of a Dalit-Bahujan movement that has started in so many years is a threat to the dominance of the so-called upper caste and upper caste people. This is the reason why we see anti-Dalit, Bahujan and tribal things every day.” Biswajit Minji, Bapsa

Speaking to us, Abul Kalam, a member of the ‘Kaveri Hostel’ committee, said, “We condemn such acts. Students from different parts of the country and from different religions and communities come to study in the university. Such incidents spoil the campus environment and disturb social harmony.”

Hostel Senior Warden issued notice

Regarding this matter, the Senior Warden of Kaveri Hostel has issued a notice and told the students, “Hostel residents or anyone who has any information about the persons responsible for this act are requested to inform the hostel administration on the hostel email address.” In this notice, the warden has further warned about installing CCTV in the hostel. And at the same time, the hostel students have been advised to be vigilant. “University students need to be sensitized”

Speaking to ‘The Mooknayak’ about this, Swati, who lives in Sabarmati hostel, says, “This is not the first such incident in the campus. Recently, the poster released by ABVP for Parshuram Jayanti read – ‘We the Brahmins of JNU’… From this you can guess how the students are being divided in the campus. After this incident, there is talk of installing CCTV cameras in the hostels, but what will installing cameras do? This will not make any difference in the mentality of the students. I think the university students need to be sensitized.”

Many such cases have come to the fore in the campus before this

Many such cases of writing objectionable comments and slogans on the walls in the JNU campus have come to the fore before this. Earlier, last year, some objectionable slogans were also found written on the wall of the School of International Studies. After its pictures went viral on social media, it made headlines in the media at the national level and JNU Vice Chancellor Shantishree Dhulipudi Pandit also gave a statement in the media that those who commit such acts will not be spared. After this, a committee was formed to investigate the incidents of repeated ‘anti-national’ slogans in the JNU campus. However, information about what the committee has done so far regarding these incidents has not been made public.

Let us tell you that earlier at the time of admission in JNU, many workshops were organized to sensitize all the students and staff, which have almost stopped now. Now such programs have become a mere formality.

These days, it has become very common for students to make anti-Dalit and communal comments against Dalits, Bahujans, Adivasis and a particular community in their conversations even in public places in the university campus and to use ‘caste-indicating abuses’ in their conversations. Students associated with BAPSA told ‘The Mooknayak’ that whenever they paste posters related to the activities of their organization in the JNU campus, many times obscene abuses and casteist comments are written on them and the posters are torn. Such incidents are also somewhere the result of the same conservative mentality due to which students are unable to get out even after reaching here.

In the recent years, incidents of raising slogans, pasting posters or writing objectionable things on the walls targeting a ‘particular community’ in the university campus have increased rapidly. But no concrete action has been taken by the university administration on any such incident. It is really worrying that such incidents are constantly coming to the fore in the country’s most progressive and prestigious university and the university administration remains a silent spectator.

Courtesy : Hindi News