Treatment of free thinking students by premier universities In India
After following very closely
the incidents in the Hyderabad University and the Jawaharlal Nehru
University through the
non stop coverage by the media, I was pushed into a very depressive mood. I was
wondering if this is the scenario in the prestigious universities, what is the
status of the students in the mediocre institutes.
The parents send their
children to the top universities not only, to get post graduate and research
degrees, but also , to get personality development , logical thinking ability
and analytical minds through exposure to scholarly lectures and extra
curricular and co - curricular
activities . In such universities they get a chance to become members of
various forums and to learn about different political, social and cultural
ideologies. In such forums free and open debates and discussions are encouraged
and this atmosphere helps the students to learn about different ideologies. By
taking up responsible positions in such forums their leadership skill is
developed. Hence, when they are coming out of such institutes they are not only
scholars in their respective subjects but also have a world vision and broader
knowledge in political, social and cultural fabric of our society. Hence
students coming from these institutes occupy eminent positions in their later
life because, they had enjoyed through out their campus life absolute
intellectual freedom, democratic rights and freedom of expression.
But, suddenly we are made to
understand through, the ugly incidents in the premier institute that, all is
not well with our universities. We do not understand from when, the Vice
Chancellors have surrendered their administrative and academic autonomy to the
political bosses , from when the HRD ministry started dictating or pressurising the VCs regarding the type of disciplinary
actions they have to take on the students in the face of complaints about some
of their campus activities ? We do not even are aware of the fact that, the police is engaged in constant surveillance of
curtain student groups and individual students and video recording their out
side class room activities including whom they are inviting for their
association meetings what they talk, what slogans they raise , what they eat
and drink and which God they worship etc., and were sending regularly reports
to the government as if they were
terrorists to be watched . On the basis of these reports some students mostly
from marginalised communities were branded as anti nationals and very strict
actions taken on them as it happened in the Hyderabad University
and JNU. Heart broken by the harsh treatment given to them by their own
institute such as, suspending them from the hostel, barring the entry of them
in groups to certain public spaces, disqualifying them from participation in
the annual student union elections, disallowing them to stay in hostels at the
University till they complete their respective courses/programmes at the
University and suspending their educational allowance for nearly 7 months etc
Rohit Vemullah committed suicide.
It is very shocking that the young students who have entered these
institutes by their merits and have
dreams to pursue are called anti nationals , unpatriotic, treated like thugs,
arrested , put in prison for sedition not minding the shattering of their entire
future life . The union ministers, the political leaders and the police top
authorities are behind the powerless students and their poor parents and fellow
students watch helplessly, not knowing what to do before mighty state power.
The persons to be blamed for
this state of affairs in the universities are the Vice Chancellors because, it
is they who had surrendered their powers to administer their universities and
maintain peace in their campuses to the political class. Is it because they
have to prove their loyalty to them for some mysterious reasons?
Now Rohit Vemula has gone and very soon will
disappear from public memory. Kannaiyah will be important till the media covers
the incidents related to him. What happens then? It seems already nearly 10
Dalit students have committed suicides in the Hyderabad University. Why didn’t the faculty of
that university paid any attention to such tragic end of their own poor
students who were entrusted to their mentoring and never bothered to assist or
guide or counsel them and saved their lives? Are the teachers going to
hand over their students to the outsiders control or they are going to preach their students about the
dangers of exercising freedom of
expression and advise them to be dumb
driven cattle if they have to be free
from troubles ? From when, the VCs will put an end to out side influence in managing their
institutes and take independent decisions in maintaining discipline in their
campuses? When will teachers decide to teach the students the methods of facing
life challenges and instill in their mind that suicide can never offer solution to any crisis in their life and tat, it will only disappoint and hurt deeply and
permanently their families who have
pinned their faith on their s children’s bright future and taken efforts to
empower them through higher education in spite of their daily life struggles ? India wants their youth to grow as
free and liberal thinking individuals or crush their independent spirit through
draconian laws? Does India
want their youth to have 14th century mindset regarding religion and
castes and keep them forever as socially and culturally backward or want them
to grow with tolerance to dissenting ideas and patience with healthy and
meaningful discussions on matters of national importance?
Questions are too many and
from where do we get the answers?
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