JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh to NH: India is moving towards Nazism under Modi

Two days after Delhi police filed three FIRs against JNUSU president, Aishe Ghosh – who is pursuing MPhil/PhD from the School of International Relation – for indulging in vandalism in the campus and criminal intimidation; she visited doctors at AIIMS on Wednesday afternoon to get her dressing done.

Ghosh received serious head injuries when “unidentified attackers” allegedly belonging to RSS’ student wing AVBP hit her near Sabarmati hostel on Sunday evening. She fell unconscious due to excessive bleeding, following which she was admitted to AIIMS, where she was discharged at 4 am on Monday.

Though severely-injured, Ghose neither buckled under the agonising strain nor chose to stay back. She joined the battle against the “Fascist regime,” the very next day and addressed a press conference, a public meeting in JNU that was attended by Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone, political leaders Kanhaiya Kumar and Yogendra Yadav.

Though she has recuperated a bit, pain persists. She is still unable to sleep in the night. “Due to multiple head injuries, I cannot sleep in the night. I have to be lying flat on the bed the whole night. I cannot even change my position,” said Ghosh.

Talking to NH, 26-year old Ghosh, who was introduced to the Left ideology in her childhood by none other than her father, said, “I am not afraid, even if the Delhi police files 70 FIRs against me for taking part in the anti-fee hike protest, I will continue with my struggle”.

A graduate from Daulat Ram College( Delhi) in Political Science, Ghosh - daughter of a government employee - has witnessed the rise and fall of the Left in West Bengal from very close quarters, but her commitment towards the Left ideology remained unaffected.

She had first brush with the right-wing ideology in her college.

Talking about her political-upbringing, a native of Durgapur district (West Bengal) Ghosh recalled, “My father indoctrinated me into the Left politics. In my locality, most of the people were associated with the CITU - the trade union politically affiliated to the CPM. There I got the hang of Left ideology”.

To Aishe, her struggle is not only limited to JNU or the fee-hike but it has a broader perspective. “Free and cheap education is the fundamental right of the people, also the basic duty of a welfare state,” said Ghosh, adding, “Youths of the country from Jamia to JNU to Jadavpur university have formed an opinion against anti-people policies of this government”.

When asked about the purpose behind the attack on JNU, she said, “They are targeting me and JNU because we pose the gravest ideological challenge before them. They feel threatened because JNU differs on most of the policy issues with them, and asks tough questions”.

Drawing a parallel between Hitler’s Germany and Modi’s India, especially in terms of attacking Communists, Ghosh asserted, “India is heading towards Nazism in Modi regime”.

“That is why it is important for the civil society and citizens of this country to defend JNU. JNU is an idea that represents diversity, respects differences in opinion, protects minorities and speaks up in favor of the downtrodden and poor. JNU is an example of how India should be,” said Aishe.

“That is why to malign JNU, with the help of lap-dog media, they are creating a narrative to turn public opinion against the university but we will not allow this to happen,” she asserted.

Demanding removal of the VC, M Jagadesh Kumar, Ghosh reiterated that “the attack on JNU is part of a larger conspiracy which needs to be defeated” for the sake of democracy and Constitution. “We have to fight for the coming generations to make India a country where everybody can do whatever he/she wants. To make India a country where everybody’s mind is without fear,” she said quoting Tagore.