Why are Jammu University Students Facing “Anti-National” Tirade

Students in Central University of Jammu are being slandered as “anti-nationals” and charges leveled against them include seeking better wi-fi and non-vegetarian food and also “enjoying beef parties”.

The students who have drawn the Hindutva wrath are mostly from Kerala rather than Kashmiri students. These students are also being accused of supporting left-leaning politics and attempting to develop an atmosphere similar to country’s premier university Jawahar Lal Nehru University, which many at the university especially those affiliated with rightwing ABVP find highly “intolerant”.

Even as the students have been demanding provision of non-vegetarian food at the university campus, they have been targeted with a vicious campaign of conniving and carrying out “anti-national activities” inside the campus.

According to reports, a student from Kerala had also written to chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan urging him to intervene in the “highly volatile situation”.

The students from Kerala have also informed media that they have been accused of having links to Rohingyas, Kashmiri separatists and various other objectionable individuals and entities. This targeting, they feel is to bring them a bad name, before they become victims of a final assault.

The university authorities have also failed to manage the situation as after a recent protest held in solidarity with murdered journalist Gauri Lankesh, the protesting students were reprimanded and directed to focus on studies. The Students Federation of India (SFI), the students’ wing of CPI (M), recently on September 21 set up its unit at the varsity but was met with opposition. The same day a circular was issued by the admin directing students not to get involved in non-academic affairs.

The university which started working in year 2011 is spread in two campuses – Jammu and Samba, seen as a stronghold of BJP and RSS in the state. The sangh members have even carried out rallies in the Samba district while brandishing guns and swords.

Samba has witnessed several cases of violence by Gau rakshaks, self-proclaimed cow-protection units. The area has also reported a surge in cases of harassment by these cow-protection units especially against Muslim nomad families.

In the Muslim majority state of Jammu and Kashmir, cow-slaughter or of a similar animal including ox and buffalo is banned from over a century under section 298A of the Ranbir Penal Code.

While all this was unfolding inside the campus, local Jammu newspapers began a malicious campaign to disregard students accusing them of organizing the “beef parties”. News reports also accused faculty member with “left-orientation” of having links with what they referred as the “Azadi-brigade.”

Many reports put up headlines like “Central University slowly developing as ‘adda’ for Anti-nationalist discussions in Jammu.” This has put the lives of students at a greater risk in the backdrop of spike in rightwing groups in the area.

As the fate of students facing the tirade of jingoism remains indefinite, those carrying out the campaign continue to remain unaccountable.

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are the author's personal views, and do not necessarily represent the views of Newsclick.