Kanhaiya Kumar: Is the ABVP wasting taxpayers’ money?

Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) claims Gyan, Sheel and Ekta (Knowledge, Character, Unity) as its guiding principles. And despite having severe differences with them, I support their right and freedom to express themselves at the best of times and at the worst of times.

But having said that, allow me to draw attention to the recent news reports that some people with links to BJP, Bajrang Dal and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad were arrested in Madhya Pradesh on the charge of spying for Pakistani intelligence agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

Should we now forcibly stop BJP, Bajrang Dal and VHP from organising any event in this country? Should we insist that they have forfeited their right to express themselves?

I know that they would dismiss the charges as mere allegations despite the arrests made by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of a state ruled by the BJP. They will go a step further and point out that the matter is sub judice and hence nobody should ‘politicise’ it!

I, in fact, would agree with them. There is a Constitution in this country. There is, or there ought to be, the Rule of Law. Police and the judiciary should be allowed to do their job independently. And between the law enforcement agencies and the court, they should decide the legality of an act and punish those who are guilty.

But what empowers the ABVP and other RSS-affiliates to disburse certificates of patriotism? What makes them the arbiters of legality and usurp the role of both police and the judiciary? What makes them take law into their hands and get away with it?

The Indian Constitution gives every citizen the right to have his say, to convene a meeting or hold a seminar. How can a group, any group, take it upon themselves to decide which event would be allowed and which they would stop by force?

Shehla Rashid or Umar Khalid enjoy the right given to them by the Indian Constitution to attend any seminar they like, preside over any meeting and speak at any public gathering. In any case most public events these days are conducted under the public and media glare. Any one of the participant can record the proceedings, doctor videos or even superimpose audios and twist any speech. But thankfully public events also have other participants as witnesses, official recordings etc to challenge distortions made.

Is this why the ABVP does not even want anyone to speak in public? If either Shehla or Umar had said anything against the country or the Constitution at Ramjas college, the college and the students would have complained and the law would have taken its course. Both of them would in any case have faced questions from the audience.

That is why it is important to ask who gave ABVP the right to decide that they are ‘anti-nationals’ or ‘traitors’? Shouldn’t the law of the land and the courts be left to decide it? Can a student body be left to decide who is a traitor and who a nationalist?

It is so ironical. Last year just because Umar was one of the organisers of an event at Jawaharlal Nehru University, where some masked people allegedly shouted anti-national slogans and who have never been nabbed, Umar and Anirban besides myself were arrested, assaulted and dubbed anti-national. People ceaselessly asked why we were wasting our time in anti-national activities. They accused us of wasting the taxpayers’ money.

I wonder why these people do not subject the ABVP to these same questions? While disrupting meetings, theatre festivals, talks and seminars, while attacking processions , students and teachers, are they justifying the taxpayers’ money? Are they utilising their time well?

I am often reminded of what Martin Luther King said. Bad people, he said, shout while good people keep silent. I believe it is because good people, who are in a majority, keep quiet that the shout of the bad people gets magnified.

From Gandhi to Kalburgi to Pansare, they believe in eliminating those who oppose them. Killing the critics and intimidating them help propagate fear. But they were not prepared for the resistance put up by the JNU community and students all over the country or the criticism they faced following the tragic suicide of Rohith Vemula.

But sadly, they do enjoy the patronage of the state, the ruling party and the police. That’s why they are so confident of succeeding. But will they?

As told to Vishwa Deepak.

Kanhaiya Kumar is the former President of JNU Students Union . He tweets at @kanhaiyajnusu

This is an opinion piece and the views expressed above are the author’s own.