Referring to the incidents having taken place in JNU, HCU and Ramjas College of DU, Delhi University (DU) professor Shashi Shekhar said this is an attempt to seize the autonomy of universities. This is an attempt to create an atmosphere of fear in the universities. If they succeeded in creating this atmosphere in the universities and if they succeed in filling fear in young mind, they can spread the atmosphere of fear across the country. That’s what they want. It is their attempt that nobody can speak and think with freedom. He was speaking on ‘In the Era of Intolerance’ at Jamaat-e-Islami Hind headquarters in New Delhi on 4 March.
Elaborating the attack on students by ABVP (Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad) in Ramjas College, Prof. Shekhar, who is also convener of Delhi University Teachers Association, said that what happened in Ramjas College is not a single incident. Such incidents are happening in central universities across the country. It happened in Jawaharlal Nehru University, Hyderabad Central University and Banaras Hindu University. These incidents are not spontaneous but pre-planned incidents. It is part of their planning that there should not happen anything in universities and colleges that are against a particular organisation and ideology. This is a dangerous planning.
Criticising the violence by ABVP against the students, he further said they seem to be deciding who will have freedom to speak and who won’t? But the question is who are they to decide that? It is the Constitution and law and order that will decide it. If you are living with freedom here, you will be abused?
Mentioning other incidents of intolerance, he said that there was a competition of street play in Khalsa College. Suddenly we got notice that this competition can’t take place. The principal was called that this street play can’t take place. Reason? That there may be some anti-national elements in this street play. The principal was scared and the programme was cancelled. By this way, an atmosphere of fear is being created. In a programme for pension demand, some people came and told us to shout slogans, ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ and ‘Vande Matram’. There was no question of raising such slogans there. Who are they to force anyone to shout these slogans? They force people what they should speak and even think.
Questioning such intolerant behaviour, Prof. Shekhar wondered if there is any room for disagreement or not? No democracy can exist without disagreement. Everybody has democratic right to disagree to any issue. This disagreement should be there. No one can stop it. Everybody has a right to protest against anyone. There should be always room for debate, discussion and dialogue. According to a Supreme Court verdict, if you express your thought and feelings peacefully, this is not anti-national in any way. This verdict, the Constitution and the judiciary have their own status. But some people are doing what they want. This is alarming.