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In the name of Freedom

Is there any living being, from flora to fauna to the homosapiens, who does not crave for freedom!? Every living being blooms well when there is freedom. But like every activity in the living world, there are perimeters, borders, margins within which, it grows. Growth is inevitable until the day it stops when lifelessness or stillness creeps into the life. It is so for all, with life breathing in & out. 

Among all living, flora, the animal kingdom, and humans, it is the last one, who has a sense of rational thinking, or a sense of distinguishing right from the wrong. This capacity is unique to only humans.

Having accepted freedom as the sine-qua-non for the fuller and better growth of all living beings, it is very pertinent to ponder, since the capacity of man to be extreme, in either direction of evolution, there is a need to draw the line, an L.O.C or a Line of Control. While everybody likes to have a beautifully tended garden outside his home, nobody wants to have a jungle or a forest which can pass for a garden. Hence, it is very clear that our evolution, just like a pretty garden, need to be kindly regulated, tended humanly with care and tenderness. In every growth, there is infancy, adolescence, youth, middle age, and old age. It is infancy which requires tender care with love and affection. It is this first 10 years of a child’s evolution that, it is believed, shall decide the rest of the course of life. Like home is the first school, and parents the first teachers, child imbibes the values of these formative years. Teachers help in later life, both in school and institutions of higher learning. The objective of all these exercises is to create a citizen who is responsible and responsive.

But what has happened in Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi followed by Jadavpur University in Kolkotta! Both are reputed places of higher learning. Some of the students of JNU sent out a circular on the eve of a proposed cultural meet. But it turned out that circular contained glorification of Afzal Guru, the Parliament attack accused, and vilification of India and its institutions. The vilification of India has been so bad and diabolic that circular demanded the ‘Barbaadi of India’, or the destruction of India, and ‘Bharat Tukde Tukde ho jaaye’, or the dismemberment of India into pieces. Those who demanded this fate for the ‘Idea of India’ are students of this premier institute, the JNU. They were not juveniles, but may be delinquent. Or else how can they call for the ‘Barbaadi of Bharath’. It is a lunacy of another kind and a dangerous one at that. According to Pushpesh Pant, a journalist who claims to have been with the JNU for four decades, ‘those who circulated these circulars, and then later ranted the anti-national slogans of ‘Bharat’s barbaadi’, are spoilt brats, overage resident bullies and trespassers masquerading as students and hostelites.’ According to these students and their supporters, in the faculty, among the media, the so-called liberal intellectuals and of course the political class, these JNU demonstrators were only exercising their right to freedom of expression. Fair enough. Indian constitution guarantees some rights for the purpose of free and unfettered expression.

But what is this right to freedom of expression is all about? As students we have been told, since our childhood, rights and restraint go hand in hand. You can’t have the right without the corresponding responsibility. The price of freedom is its responsible exercise and this is how a civil society functions.

Reportedly, a group of 100 students had organized an event at the Sabarmathi Dhabha to mark the anniversary of the execution of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and to support Kashmir’s right to self determination.

Who are these students?, what is their intention to rake an issue, which prima facie has nothing to do with freedom of expression? Ipso facto, it clearly appeared with some sinister motive, since they were shouting ‘Bharat ki Barbaadi’, ‘Bharat ko tukde tukde kar do’ etc. this was clearly anti-national. Thus if a section in the government thought, it must have been funded and supported by some cabal operating in Delhi, they cannot be wrong. There is a clear tone in the whole exercise as being anti-national. Surely they have to be dealt with the appropriate law of the land. What are the legal options available in the statute other than sedition? It is true; it may be from the colonial days. But successive governments of all political hues have allowed this to be in the statute books. It is all very well that you can blame the police and all else for whatever they have done. But excuse me, what precipitated their action, right or wrong? 

Now that the issue is in court, subsequent to the arrest of JNU Student’s Union President Kanhaiya Kumar, we leave the issue of the propriety of charge of sedition, to the court.

But the issue at stake is the irresponsible anti-national utterances of some of these lumpen characters, all in the name of freedom. And every time these characters are let loose, they have their defenders, charging at their opponents, quoting constitutional guarantees and what-not, forgetting that constitution also has an Article-51A, which informs about the fundamental duties of every Indian citizen. Ten of them in all, covering the whole gamut of commitment that is expected of a citizen. Three of them are reproduced here for the information of the uninformed, and they are,

1) To abide by the constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National Anthem.

2) To cherish and follow the noble ideals which inspired our national struggle for freedom.

3) To uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India.

Sir Walter Scott, in his poem ‘Lay of the Last Minstrel’ had famously and intensely observed

“Breathes there the man, with soul so dead,

Who never to himself hath said,

This is my own, my native land!”

The poet’s question is simply this- ‘Will there be any human being, whose soul is dead that he will not take pride in calling the country of his birth ‘as my own my native land’? According to Sir Scott, patriotism or the love of one’s country is so very normal, it comes naturally.

However, eminent journalist Prabhu Chawla feels ‘For a class of liberal opportunists, nationalism is just another adjective to propagate the idea of a borderless country and exercise freedom to damage and insult the avowed symbols of India’s pride. There are many counterfeit liberals, who bark in the illusion that nationalism is just another marketable product which can be peddled on the auction block to the highest bidder. They don’t seem to understand that for a mammoth number of people, nationalism is an article of faith. India’s National Anthem, its Tricolour and borders are the three undisputed and non-negotiable pillars of nationalism.’

And, whom are they supporting, in their idea of borderless state? They are supporting communists, which is in a state of comatose the world over, as an ideology. Hardcore China has dumped it for market forces, while Soviet Union has disintegrated. Both in China and erstwhile Soviet Union democratic forces are making their presence felt. But in both places harsh state machineries are ruthless in dealing with change seekers. But Indian Left, they want their control on their followers, but insist on state non-intervention when it suits them. They only create chaos without any productive achievements. What they are seeking is freedom without any accountability and without any check from any authority. That is how, reportedly JNU campus is infested with thousands of cigarette butts, thousands of beedi stubs, thousands of bone pieces littered all over in and around its dhabas, thousands of wrappers of chips and namkeen eats. The report also informs about the incredible state of libido among students with the finding of thousands of used condoms and contraceptive injections. If this disgusting information is true, it is indeed atrocious for an educational institution, which is supposed to turn out responsive and responsible citizens!

Similarly, there is an unfortunate element emerging, that is of assertive Muslim youth. If the reports refer to Pro-Kashmiri and Pro-Pakistani elements among JNU campus, they should be identified and rusticated from the institute, lest the cancer spread, or before it becomes gangrenous. India is a multi cultural, multi ethnic pluralistic state and certainly must remain so. Anybody who is against the ‘Idea of India’ has no place, either in the country or its campuses. Kashmir is the only state where Muslims are in Majority. It is extremely painful and unfortunate that the majority of state’s population has still not accepted the composite culture of India. Despite many firsthand experience of Shaikh Abdullah, with regard to Pakistan, he remained ambivalent about his wanting to go either with India or Pakistan. When probably he decided to throw his lot with India, the political machinations from Delhi delayed it happening and he passed away in the meanwhile. His son Farook Abdullah no doubt is committed towards India, but in the intervening years, there have been forces, inimical to India, funded and supported by Pakistan, which kept the banner of revolt burning. 

Before the election in 2015, an idea was allowed to go round, ‘can there be a Hindu Chief Minister in Kashmir?’ Whole of Kashmir valley came to vote, only to restrain ‘Hindu’ BJP from getting the majority. It is sad, that Kashmiris still see the issue as Hindu v/s Muslim. In Secular India, despite its 68 years of impeccable credentials, the Kashmiri mindset sadly did not undergo the desired metamorphosis. The problem is the reluctance of Muslim majority in Kashmir, that is at the centre of the problem, to go separate or wanting to go with Pakistan and not remain united with the Hindu majority India. It is also unfortunate there are these so-called intellectuals and writers taking side of these elements in Kashmir which has only added to the problem, all in the name of freedom. Isn’t price of freedom its responsible exercise!

It is pertinent to reproduce a FaceBook upload for its relevance, titled WONKEY INDIANS

“Would the U.S have allowed a debate on its campuses, on the killing of Osama Bin Laden?” was a question a student asked Barkha Dutt of NDTV on its T.V programme yesterday. Ms. Dutt moved away from the student to another. It was clear, she had no answer, as were many gathered on the show.

In India, Parliament terror accused Afzal Guru had all legal recourse available unlike Osama Bin Laden, who was summarily killed by American Seals not in the U.S. but inside Pakistan. And yet, look at this small section of Indians, supported by opportunistic political class, a section of media, and probably elements inimical to Indian interest, raising slogans like, ‘destroy India,’ ‘break India into pieces’ all in the name of freedom of expression. It is indeed very sad, that JNU is becoming a hot bed of anti-national ideas and sentiments nursed by vested interests. It is becoming clear, that a section of Indians including that in JNU, is unhappy with the ruling dispensation. All need to recognize that they have won after a democratic election. Throw them out if you don’t like them in the next election. Theatrics of these nefarious minds are not needed. When will Indians grow to understand this?