Thousands of Students, teachers, civil society members joined the “Justice for DU : Citizens March to Parliament” on 4 March, demanding action against the ABVP who created violence in Ramjas College last month. The protesters once again reiterated their demand of immediate arrest of the perpetrators and strict action against them. It has been over ten days since the incident and with more than dozen of videos and MLC, no individual FIR has been done against them. Also, with hundreds of evidence against the ABVP the Crime Branch which has taken this case fails to arrest them. Earlier, a number of complaints have been sent to the crime branch but the police fails to catch any of the culprits. This clearly shows that the setting up of crime branch was an eyewash and was made to mollify the protesters.
The protest was carried out in response to the police inaction. Also, it must be noted that not just the police is silent on the entire issue but it is also silently siding with the ABVP who are continuously trying to justify the violence unleashed on the students. On Thursday, it was observed across DU campus that ABVP had put up violent images in the entire campus which in a manner called out for more violence. The posters were not only put in broad light but also few of them were put just outside the Police Station. The putting up of these posters clearly shows that the Police is providing complete impunity to the perpetrators and also the ABVP not only is not feeling the smallest of repentance but is aggressively trying to vilify the atmosphere creating binaries of nationalist and anti-nationalist. This violent aggression of the ABVP could not have been possible without the Police and the DU administration silently giving them impunity.
Also, it must be noted that many other cultural programs and seminars have been cancelled because of ABVP’s threat to them. Earlier, it was Khalsa college theatre competition which was called off after security threats from the DUSU and now we saw that similar has happened to Venkateshwara college event. The ABVP is continuously putting censorship in all the events and academic discussions which is continuously destroying the academic environment of DU. It only shows how the DU administration too has succumbed to the ABVP’s diktats.
Kawalpreet Kaur, President of AISA said, “We will not let ABVP go away with this violence. The entire university had seen them rioting but the police fails to name even a single person in their FIR. We will take this struggle further and organise bigger events in DU in coming days if the police continues its inaction. Also, we demand the proctor to put up an inquiry against the ABVP activists who carried out such violence and continues to vilify the academic atmosphere of the campus”. She added that this joint movement of common students and teachers will also fight the attempts at breaking up DU, reduction of government funding in the name of autonomy. ABVP’s violence is also an attempt to divert attention from this sinister plan of NDA government.
The march was also addressed by Com. Sitaram Yechury, CPI (M), Prof. Yogendra Yadav, Jignesh Mevani and Com. Kavita Krishnan and many others.
Solidarity marches with DU organized by AISA across the country: AISA gave the call for solidarity marches across campuses on 4 March to join in solidarity with DU and protest against ABVP violence which has not been restricted only to DU, JNU or HCU.
Muzaffarpur: AISA organized a protest march in Muzaffrpur against the hooliganism and attacks on students and teachers at Ramjas College by the ABVP with police protection. The march resonated with slogans—‘Why the Attacks on Students and Teachers’, ‘Shame on PM Modi’; ‘Why the Goondaism and Hooliganism with police protection on a peaceful Seminar’, ‘Home Minister Rajnath Singh Must Answer’’; Arrest the Attacking ABVP Goons; Remove the Guilty Police Personnel who protected the Violent Goons and Misbehaved with Students’; Stop the Fascist Attacks on Students and Teachers in University Campuses; Stop the Attack on Right to Freedom of Speech.
Guwahati: AISA organised a sitting dharna at Dighalipukhuri, in Guwahati against the violence of ABVP across campuses. The protesting students raised slogans against the hooliganism of ABVP, the state protection to them and also in support of freedom of expression and right to debate and dialogue. A protest meeting was held at the site of dharna which was addressed by AISA activists and the local CPI(ML) leaders. Students from Handique college, Engineering Institutes, and activists from Nagaon and Karbi Anglong too joined the protest.
Garhwal – AISA unit of Garhwal organised a peaceful protest in Garhwal University to express solidarity with DU teachers and students. The peacefully protesting students were attacked by ABVP activists. AISA activists Com. Shivani and Krishna were attacked and abused by ABVP activists. Women activists who were raising slogans demanding right to freedom of expression were subjected to abuses by ABVP. However, this did not deter the protesting students who said they will continue to unite and protest against ABVP violence in campuses and in defence of their academic freedom.
Giridih – Solidarity marches were organised by AISA-RYA in Giridih on 28 February and also on 4 March. On 28 February, the march started from Hospital Maidan and culminated in the form of a Nukkad Sabha in Saria Jhanda Chowk. Addressing the sabha, AISA leader Com. Sonu said that this march is in defence of freedom of expression and in defence of our democratic spaces. ABVP by assaulting the teachers, students and our academic spaces of discussion has in fact attacked the very democratic ethos of our country. On 4 March also, the march passed through various places in the city and slogans were raised in defence of democracy, freedom of expression and debate and against the violence being unleashed by ABVP across campuses. The students resolved to strengthen their struggles against forces like ABVP in days to come. They pointed out how ABVP had failed to raise any issue of student concern and instead of raising their concerns, it was more occupied in trying to terrorise and attack them. The students in Delhi and across the country are fighting back.
