Indian Campuses Under Siege

Indian Campuses Under Siege

KNOWLEDGE | RESISTANCE | LIBERATION

A Report: People’s Tribunal on Attack on Educational Institutions in India

People’s Commission on Shrinking Democratic Space Editorial Team Pre-Tribunal: Testimonial and Jury Amit Sengupta Panel Confirmation Lara Jesani Bondita Acharya Mathew Jacob Lara Jesani Priya Pillai Drafting Inputs Pritisha Borah Lara Jesani Cecilia Golmeih Angshuman Sharma Mangla Varma Sushovan Dhar Design and Layout Bonani Goswami Designs & Dimensions Trishna Barman L-5A, Sheikh Sarai, Phase-2, New Delhi-17 Trisha Ghoshal Dheeraj Cover Design Dhirender Rawat Kshitij Hadke Pre-Tribunal: Research Post Tribunal: Testimonial Angshuman Sarma Transcription and Finalisation Sushovan Dhar Coordination Pritisha Borah Bondita Acharya Tribunal: Coordination Post Tribunal: Testimonial Bondita Acharya Transcription Ramesh Sharma Pritisha Borah Mathew Jacob Cecilia Golmeih Lara Jesani Angshuman Sarma Rajavelu K Bonani Goswami Pritisha Borah Trishna Barman Shabnam Sengupta Neha Narayanan Akshay Kharbanda Sam Jacob Sohail Gupta Tribunal: Audio-Video Documentation Lubhawna Choudhary Ashutosh Pande Nimisha Gupta Aakriti Srivastava Karan Singhania Convenor’s Note

People’s Commission on Shrinking Democratic Space (PCSDS), a national level membership-based body, was formed in the backdrop of the concerns expressed by individuals and civil society organisations on growing intolerance, rapidly shrinking democratic spaces and increasing harassment and criminalisation of human rights defenders in India. Following several meetings involving regional processes, a national convention was organised in New Delhi on May 21 and 22, 2016, when the guiding document of PCSDS was finalised and adopted and the National Working Committee (NWC) was formed. The national convention also mandated that the first two tribunals of PCSDS be held on attacks on educational institutions and attacks on human rights defenders working on issues concerning natural resources, respectively. At PCSDS’s NWC meeting held in August 2017, in Mumbai, the first ‘People’s Tribunal on Attack on Educational Institutions in India’ was announced. Following this, the process for collection of testimonies, identification of experts, identification of members for the jury panel, background research on the thematic issues and preparation work for the tribunal commenced. Over the subsequent months, members of the PCSDS secretariat and NWC connected with students and faculty across the country and visited several campuses to collect testimonies and supporting material for the tribunal. Over 120 written testimonies were collected pre-tribunal in various languages and formats. They were then translated and processed by members of the team.The documented cases were categorised under thematic heads and shared with the members of the jury panel. The Tribunal was held from April 11-13, 2018 at the Constitution Club of India, New Delhi. In the course of the three days, the esteemed jury panel heard three plenary presentations presenting the challenges to higher education in perspective, 17 expert submissions and 49 student and faculty oral depositionson thematic issues, presenting a powerful account of the situation prevailing in Indian campuses. On the last day of the Tribunal, the jury panel released an interim report of their findings before the general public. Following the Tribunal, the process of transcription of the oral depositions presented was painstakingly carried out over the coming months by the team members and reviewed by the editing team. The drafts of the testimonies were then sent to the experts, students and faculty for their approval. The process of collating the experiences Indian Campuses Under Siege shared through the testimonies and finalisation of the documents forming part of the report was also carried out. About 130 testimonies of students and faculty have been finally received through the tribunal process. The oral depositions from plenary panellists, experts and students form part of this report, which we have attempted to put together as a speaking document which shares the lived experiences in their own words. The Tribunal process has been one of immense learning and sharing. This is a testament of collective processes and efforts. The highlight of this process is the role played by the younger generation who lead, rejuvenated and pumped in energy into this tremendous effort. The courage, conviction and fortitude displayed by the students’ movements and several struggles on campuses is the shining light and hope in these times. We express our immense gratitude to the jury members, who were extremely patient, generous and receptive through the three laborious days of the Tribunal and in the preparation of the jury report and other documents. We extend our gratitude to the experts who enriched and set the groundwork for the testimonies with their poignant insights into the crisis of education. This Tribunal would not have been possible without the determination and commitment of the students and faculty, who are the real champions of the cause of higher education and the soul of this report. The NWC members from different states need a special mention for the support in identifying and facilitating the testimony documenting process. This report is the collective effort of the secretariat team, NWC members and volunteers who worked together in the spirit of comradeship and activism throughout the Tribunal while making this report an enriching experience.We hope this report serves as a valuable resource in the future, facilitates discussions inside and outside campuses and contributes towards collectively addressing the grave challenges strangling the higher education system in India. Finally, we are pained to be faced with the irreplaceable loss of one of our jury members and a luminary in the civil rights movements, Prof Meher Engineer, on April 24, 2019, days before the release of this report. We offer our deepest condolences and miss him tremendously today at the culmination of our collective journey in this tribunal process. Anil Chaudhary Convenor, PCSDS

iv PREFACE BE A REALIST, DEMAND THE IMPOSSIBLE ‘I was twenty. I won’t let anyone say those are the best years of your life’. —Paul Nizan, ‘Aden Arabia’

French philosopher Jean Paul Sartre inheritance whereby the freedom of mind wrote the foreword to this brilliant short and the idea of justice is in a constant book by Paul Nizan, his Sorbonne struggle with the cold-blooded and comrade, who made a kind of triangle of relentless machinery of capitalism, neo- friendship in synthesis with critical liberalism, fascism and the neo-Nazi theory, sharp radicalism and the politics family of hydra-headed barbarians of liberation with Simone De Beauvoir, backed by the State and its repressive inside and outside the campus. The state apparatus. In that sense, every essay pulsating backdrop of the May 1968 and every testimony, in their serious uprising of students and workers in scholarship, meticulous rigour, deep France (and all over campuses in the angst and transparent honesty, reflects world) always remains alive as an unseen the immense and intense capacity of both and expressed narrative of mass and the teacher and the student to explore spontaneous resistance and the ‘great multiple zones of possibilities, to break refusal’ of conformist and totalitarian the tyranny of fear and mediocrity, to structures of thought, values and social dream about a sublime, just and life. It was a hard and protracted struggle egalitarian world, and to push the which toppled all cliches and stereotypes threshold to re-discover and cherish that and created new rainbow coalitions of dream in all its bitter and sweet realism. knowledge and relationships, including Indeed, this is not a ‘Report’. It is a ballad the affirmative and collective denial of of the barricades, a celebration of the power. And what was their slogan? Be a classroom where knowledge is liberation, realist, Demand the impossible. Nizan is a documentary of contemporary India saying precisely the same thing. Being 20 when our campuses are under siege since need not always be a rosy dream. It can 2014 under a fascist-State with their also become a rough, angry, brave, street-vigilantes and mob-lynchers unprecedented and resilient terrain of running amok. Surely, life is not infinite struggle and dogged hope, amidst elsewhere. It is here, right here, as new all-round despair and repression. scaffoldings are built and new resistance This book enters the Indian campus songs are being written. Truly, its time to landscape carrying the graffiti and oral become a realist and demand the traditions of this rebellion and this impossible.

v Tribunal Jury Panel

Justice (Retd) Hosbet Suresh, Former Judge, Bombay High Court Justice (Retd) BG Kolse Patil, Former Judge, Bombay High Court Prof Amit Bhaduri, Former Professor, JNU, New Delhi Dr Uma Chakravarty, Feminist Historian and Former Professor, DU, New Delhi Prof TK Oommen, Professor Emeritus, JNU, New Delhi Prof Vasanthi Devi, Former Vice-Chancellor, Manonamaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli Prof Ghanshyam Shah, Former Professor, JNU, New Delhi Prof Meher Engineer, Former Director, Bose Institute, Kolkata Prof Kalpana Kannabiran, Director, Council for Social Development, Hyderabad Pamela Philipose, Senior Journalist Contents Convenor’s Note iii Preface v 1. Key Findings 1 2. Jury Report 37 3. Testimonies 49 The Perspective Prof Krishna Kumar 50 Kanhaiya Kumar 55 Prof Romila Thapar 59 Privatisation and Globalisation Prof N Raghuram 63 Prof Nandita Narain 68 Prof Hemant Kumar Shah 76 Laxman and T. Gourmin 79 Boota Singh 81 Manirathnam 83 Students of Assam Women’s University, Jorhat, Assam 84 Lokesh Reddy 85 Distortion of History, Syllabus and Saffronisation of Education Prof Apoorvanand 87 Prof Akhil Ranjan Dutta 90 Prof Karen Gabriel 95 Sandeep Pandey 103 Navdeep Mathur 107 Rohin Kumar 109 Debabrata Saikia 111 Karunesh Divedi and Ankit Singh Babu 112 Indian Campuses Under Siege Students’ Union and Elections Prof Abha Dev Habib 114 Sucheta De 119 Tony Kurian 122 Crackdown on Dissent and Criminalisation Prof Surajit Mazumdar 125 Dr Parthosarothi Ray 129 Mihir Desai 132 Vrinda Grover 134 Mukul Mangalik 139 Snehsata Manav 142 Abinash 145 Roshan Pandey 147 Harishankar Nachimutthu 148 Writwik Saikia 150 Deborshi Chakraborty 152 Sannaki Munna 153 Richa Singh 156 Fahad Ahmed 159 Ajmal Khan 161 Shraman Guha 162 Structural Marginalisation: Caste Prof Kancha Ilaiah Shepherd 164 Abhay Flavian Xaxa 168 Ajay Kumar 172 Anonymous Student 174 Aarti 177 Megha 179 Rakesh Vishvakarma 181 Mukesh Kumar 183 Prem Kumar 185 Ramakanth 186

viii Contents Ramashish Kumar 187 Sri Ramulu Munavat 188 Structural Marginalisation: Gender Vinita Chandra 190 Dipanjali Das 195 Mineshi Mishra 196 Sangeetha 200 Ditilekha 202 Sarbani Chakrabarty 204 Structural Marginalisation: Region Gertrude Lamare 206 Debojit Gogoi 208 Shenganglu Kamei 210 Satarupa Chakraborty 211 Structural Marginalisation: Religion Umar Khalid 213 Adeel Hamza Sahil 218 4. Annexure 221 Tribunal’s Concept Note 222 Background Note 226 Jury’s Interim Report 239 PCSDS Guiding Document 244

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1

Key Findings

1 Indian Campuses Under Siege

Privatisation and Globalisation large number of testimonies institutional decay, which hit the presented before the jury by provincial universities, affiliated colleges Astudents, faculty and experts at and the professional sector earlier in time, the Tribunal, bore witness to the has now reached even more insulated magnitude of the impact of privatisation universities like Jawaharlal Nehru and globalisation on education, University (JNU) and Delhi University institutions of learning and its (DU). Prof Surajit Mazumdar explained constituents. The depositions also laid that the onset of neo-liberalism gave a bare the brave struggles of the student fillip to a multi-faceted process of and teaching community to combat the privatisation of Indian higher education onslaught of privatisation on higher – in terms of its institutional mix, the education in the form of fee hikes, source of its financing, as well as of its withdrawal of financial aid, scholarship content and purpose. According to Prof cuts, centralisation of admission N Raghuram, during pre-liberalisation, processes, discontinuation of non-profit- when the Indian economy was not making courses etc. and the reprisals growing so fast, the State was investing a faced by them on account of their lot more on education than it does opposition to government policies and presently when India has allegedly the decisions. The testimonies also revealed ‘fastest’ economic growth and the that being the frontrunners in the fight number of students seeking education against privatisation and withdrawal of has increased. Inspite of growing demand public funding, the students and faculty in higher education, there has been a have often been the only barrier to resist deliberate abdication by the government the attacks of the State on the right to of its obligation towards education and education and the dismantling of the stagnation of investment, giving way to public education system in India. privatisation and globalisation of education. He has demonstrated how The decay in the education system in there has been an actual decline in India is not recent and its roots lie in the budgetary spending on education since policy framework carried forth from the 2014, while the government has provided colonial period. The major decline started impetus to private investment in in 1986 when the new education policy education by providing land, grants and was formulated. Prof Krishna Kumar amenities, the public education system is highlighted that the eroding of public being divested of funds and is being institutions, withdrawal of funding and crippled. 2 Key Findings

Prof Romila Thapar, while stating that regime and its politics. The attack on there has been a crisis in education in educational institutions is part of this India for the past 60-65 years, observed process. Prof Nandita Narain, former that it has never been as bad as the president of the Delhi University situation today. In particular the social Teachers Association (DUTA), shared sciences, and universities known for their that atleast when the earlier UPA better teaching of social sciences like JNU, government, during its second term, Jadavpur University (JU), Hyderabad pushed its agenda of privatisation Central University (HCU) and Tata through eight Bills, the teaching Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in community was able to depose before the Mumbai, are under attack because they Parliamentary Standing Committee provide a rational analysis of the society examining the bills, resulting in seven of in which we live, which aids in creating these Bills being stalled while only one an educated, thinking citizenry. The Bill got passed. On the other hand, the central issue with education, including at current regime is making changes in the university level, is that students are not laws and Acts enacted by Parliament being taught how to question and the without even bothering to refer them to importance of questioning, but are the Parliamentary Standing Committee, instead being taught to uncritically learn completely bypassing the process. the information they are given and not question that. The political agencies and Withdrawal of funding in higher people in power do not want citizens who education pose questions or analyse the problems The funds cuts to educational institutions that they are facing. have resulted in massive fee hikes, The attacks on education have intensified withdrawal of financial aid, delay and during the current regime with the cancellation of scholarships/fellowships systematically planned erosion of the in universities across the country. public education system, to allow Karunesh Divedi and Ankit Singh Babu, unfettered and incentivised privatisation. students of Lucknow University, This is being done in a concerted manner informed the jury that since 2005 there has by doing away with all democratic been a constant fee hike in their varsity. processes, which could prove to be The fees for some courses, which was obstacles or annoyances in the path to Rs 1,400 is now Rs 36,000.Similarly, the privatisation. Prof Mazumdar stated that fees of other courses have risen from since the 2014 general elections, we have Rs 1,260 to Rs 24,000. A grim picture seen a specific confluence of neo- emerged from the testimony of liberalism and authoritarianism, together Ramashish Kumar from NIT Patna, who, with increased assaults on democracy following continuous protests by the through the instrumentality of the current student community against the

3 Indian Campuses Under Siege withdrawal of scholarship, received Rs 30,000. For the dental course, the hike scholarship money for two years but did was from Rs 86,400 to Rs 1.50 lakh. The not receive it for the final year. This has university’s decision to hike the fees of forced students like him to drop out various courses for the 2017-18 session because of their inability to pay the tuition sparked protests in the campus. fee. Meanwhile, the tuition fee which was Professional institutes which were earlier Rs 73,000 per year was increased up to near and dear to State policy due to their Rs 1, 20,000 per year from 2016. Further, nexus with the neo-liberal development due to the introduction of the national agenda and their distance from critical scholarship scheme, the scholarship has political thought, have also been facing been reduced to half, and students in any the wrath of privatisation and case have to run from pillar to post for globalisation. Tony Kurian, a student of the scholarship money due to them. IIT Bombay, stated in his testimony that Prem Kumar, a student of Nilamber- the fee-hike in IIT Bombay was Pitamber University in Jharkhand, implemented by the administration informed that the Jharkhand government without consulting the students, and the reduced the amount of scholarship to half student representatives claimed that they throughout the state, thereby completely got to know of it at the last moment. The discarding the ST, SC and OBC students. fee-hike was in the range of about Relating his own hardships, he stated that Rs 8000 to Rs 11000 per semester, which he has not received his scholarship and would tantamount to putting any student was subjected to corrupt demands and from marginalised sections out of higher humiliation to receive his rightful dues. education, and out of the IITs. He narrated that the delay in receiving The government’s move to grant money has caused him both mental ‘autonomy’ to universities was also harassment and economic hardship and exposed through several testimonies as a he was worried how he would get higher move to further the agenda of and quality education looking at the state privatisation of education. Prof Thapar of education. stated that autonomy in this context A similar ordeal resonated from the should not be confused with academic testimony of Boota Singh from Panjab freedom, but, it infact means financial University, Chandigarh, who reported independence by withdrawal of State that in March 2017 the senate body of the funding of universities and leaving the university increased the fee ranging from universities to find their own means to 40% to 1100% for all courses, resulting in fund themselves and secure funding from students’ agitations. For instance, for the the private sector. Prof Narain said that BPharma course, the fee was raised from granting of this financial autonomy is Rs 5,080 to Rs 50,000 and in case of MA nothing but the government going back Journalism, it was hiked from Rs 5,290 to on its commitment to provide public- 4 Key Findings funded universities for the people of this government for calling those who oppose country, who deserve and have a right to this move of the government ‘anti- quality and affordable education. Prof national’ when infact the government’s Mazumdar stated that privatisation zeal for nationalism is entirely missing in measures are encouraged in the name of its policy for graded autonomy. In a ‘super autonomy’ and ‘institutions of telling illustration of this, the government eminence’ and ‘excellence’. The objective has in the regulation recomended that of ranking institutions high according to 20% of teachers and students have to be the measures of excellence is to provide from outside the country. rationalisation for this privatisation. Prof Aarti, a PhD student at Mahatma Gandhi Krishna Kumar relayed his concern that Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya the financial starvation of universities by (MGAHV), Wardha, while explaining way of graded autonomy would make it why the students started the anti-fee hike untenable for the universities to reflect movement in April 2015 to protest the social diversity of the university. It would move to increase fees at the university, deprive those sections of society who do said that most of the students in the not enjoy privileges in society like university were SC, ST, OBC and women adivasis, Dalits, minorities, and the poor students, who would be forced to who had finally made into the higher discontinue the pursuit of their interests education system, from accessing higher or abandon their aspirations if confronted education. Prof Mazumdar observed that with the fee hikes. the neo-liberal process of development of higher education in India has resulted in Many of these educational reforms an increase in enrolment and dramatic brought in to promote privatisation and change in the social composition of in turn starve public institutions has led students. to cut down in the intake in public institutions which have fields that Meanwhile the representation of SC, ST generate spirited inquiry, explained Prof and OBC in the faculty is still less than Mazumdar. Citing the example of JNU, one third in the educational institutions. he said that owing to this, research Prof Narain stated that the fact that this programmes intake in JNU has fallen move is being made when the universities from over 1,200 to less than 100 in a year. had a greater intake of people from marginalised sections.This is a clear The fate of autonomous institutes is indication that the government is infact evident from the condition of TISS. seeking to reduce it. This attack is on the Laxman and Goumin Lal, students of character and vision of public-funded TISS, presented a grim picture through universities like JNU, which promotes their testimonies. TISS already functions research and caters to the weaker sections as an autonomous institution through of the society. She questioned the two realms – the private and the public.

5 Indian Campuses Under Siege In the arena of public funds, TISS has State of the institutions of higher witnessed annual fund cuts by UGC learning and institutional decay going up to Rs 26 crore since the current government took over in 2014. However, This systematic fund starvation has led even as TISS was complaining of financial to a pitiful state of education in India, crisis and demanding funding from the with non-appointment of faculty, ad- government in 2012, private funding has hocism, cutting down of social science poured in with an increasing number of courses etc. Prof Karen Gabriel reported projects coming to TISS from national and that in 2017, during the admission process international agencies. of DU colleges, the government introduced a policy change under the Meanwhile, during the same period, new guise of advantages to students allowing centres were established in Guwahati in them to include courses categorised as 2012 and Hyderabad in 2013. There are ‘Vocational Studies’ in their best-of-four centres affiliated to TISS in Patna, subjects, in a deliberate move to promote Hyderabad, Guwahati and Tuljapur. The vocational courses over conventional 180 ad hoc faculties in TISS are funded academic courses. This deceptive change by private agencies like the Tata Trust and is infact motivated to promote no reservation has been implemented privatisation by way of vocationalisation during their recruitment. Since 2013, the and is part of reforms proposed by the government has asked TISS to raise 30% private consultancy firm Ernst & Young, of the total expenses on their own. As a in their Vision 2030 document, and subsequently adopted by the NITI Aayog. result, the fee has been hiked up in the Prof Mazumdar added that the process last three years by 46% and in some heads of decision-making in curriculum has by 100%, thus putting the entire burden been affected, for example, the choice- of financing expenses onto students. Till based credit system in undergraduate 2015, the fee for SC, ST, and OBC students programmes, which is also being was Rs 4500 per semester. This was extended to post-graduate courses. Prof increased for OBC students to Rs 61,000 Hemant Kumar Shah while speaking of per year. With the extension of the fee the ‘Gujarat Model’ of development, hikes to SC and ST students, they would revealed the pitiful situation that have to pay Rs 60,000 per semester,that education in Gujarat is faced with. While is Rs 1,20,000 per year. The fee hike has the number of universities have increased resulted in a drastic increase in drop outs in Gujarat from 15 to more than 50, these among OBC students which will soon be universities have no buildings, the case with SC and ST students as well. professors, vice-chancellors (VCs), clerks, TISS students have been protesting the fee registrars, etc. Several of them are said to hikes and withdrawal of financial aid to be in primary government schools or SC, ST and OBC students. in teshildhar’s office. Talking of his own

6 Key Findings college known to be one of the best arts been largely ignored in the discourse, colleges in Gujarat, the SK Arts College, with the focus on central universities. Prof Shah stated that the shortage of Speaking of the college he went to in teachers was so bad, that he was asked Bettiah in Biharm, he stated that inspite by his college principal to teach of the college having 12000 students, Environmental Science to all the second barely 500 attend classes and most of the semester students in the college together departments are locked due to non- in the hall which has a seating capacity appointment of teachers. This is the story of 735 people, since the college didn’t of most state universities and colleges have enough teachers to take division- across India. He said in these wise class. institutions,‘education’ does not really happen and students only come for Prof Narain stated that the student- taking credentials. teacher ratio, which accounts for 20% of the educational institution’s ranking, has Mukesh Kumar, a student of Patna been increasing which also means that the University, provides a searing testimony quality of education being imparted has of the institutional decay in state been declining. By depriving institutions universities. In Patna University, the 24- of funds, the government is destroying hour library has been reduced to 12 hours. the student-teacher ratio and then in a Exams are being conducted at intervals complete irony, hinge the fate of the of 4 to 5 years. It has been reported that institutions on their ranking. Prof Chapra University in Bihar has not had a Apoorvanand shared that although DU graduate for 5 to 6 years, and for the Jay has 5000 vacancies, almost all are filled Prakash University that number is 7 with and operated by ad-hoc teachers. years. So those who took admission in Students of Assam Women’s University 2012 have yet to graduate. Ramakanth, a presented an even more shocking case. Fine Arts student at the Arts College, The university, being the only women’s Patna University, established in 1939, university in the North-East region, was informed that his university doesn’t have rendered without mentorship due to non- any permanent teacher and even the ad- appointment of a VC and was left out of hoc teacher they had has been removed. the budget list altogether. The non- They are demanding appointment of appointment of the VC was used as an permanent teachers, better conditions for excuse to not develop the university, even studies, installing a girl’s hostel, etc. as the education minister made public Prof Thapar observed that teachers are statements posing question on the fate of kept under control due to their ad-hoc the university and its students, leaving status and lack of job security. Teachers no choice for the students but to protest. who are supposed to impart the Prof Apoorvanad presented the dismal importance of questioning, themselves state of the state universities, which have 7 Indian Campuses Under Siege fear questioning. Prof Thapar emphasised industry is growing at a compounded that it is important for students to be annual growth rate of 10 per cent per taught how to question existing annum, which is faster than the economy. knowledge so they can start questioning the current system of knowledge to Centralisation of admission process improve it. Prof Abha Dev Habib, Anitha’s tragic death, a result of state Miranda House, DU, explained how the apathy and centralisation of admission situation has changed drastically for processes with the introduction of the DUTA, who, in 2008, had a large strength National Eligibility cum Entrance Test with most teachers working on (NEET) exam, which was made permanent basis, while protesting against mandatory in 2017 for admission to the semester system, while now the dental and medical courses, was brought strength has reduced to reduced before the jury through her brother considerably with more than 50% Manirathnam. Anitha, daughter of an teachers working on ad-hoc basis. Prof agricultural labourer coming from the SC Kumar said that with the denial of community, was a medical science permanent jobs and ad-hocism in the aspirant and a bright student having th teaching profession, teachers live scored 1176 out of 1200 marks in her 12 unhappy lives and many see no career standard inspite of great economic prospects in the profession and leave the hardship. Yet, she was unable to clear the profession. Prof Raghuram informed the NEET exam, which follows the CBSE syllabus and puts students from jury that in 2009, the earlier government marginalised communities and rural had introduced the national skills policy areas to serious disadvantage. Anitha was with the aim of skilling 500 million at the forefront of the protest against the teachers by 2022, but the current regime compulsory imposition of the NEET exam has revised that target down to 400 and also a petitioner in the challenge million people by 2022 under its famous before the Supreme Court. Despite ‘Skill India’ campaign, although this fact various attempts and active engagement has been concealed. in protests by Anitha and other students, Prof Raghuram spoke of the dangers of the Supreme Court declared that Tamil corporatisation of private school Nadu is not exempted from the NEET education, with a number of private exam, leading to Anitha taking the extreme step of ending her own life. In schools and colleges being owned by the his testimony, Manirathnam stressed that corporate mafia. He questioned how the this kind of discriminatory policy of the government has money to write off lakhs government affects the most and crores of Non Performing Assets marginalised sections such as SC, ST and (NPAs) but does not have money for OBC communities, which are the most education. He stated that the education backward. 8 Key Findings Changing attitude towards public Ambani are also starting universities, but funding in education and resultant with the focus on profit-making, thereby policy changes treating education as a commodity. Post-globalisation, the thinking of Indian Prof Narain questioned the objection corporates has also completely changed. being raised time and again on tax-payers Prof Narain informed the jury that in the money being used towards public- 2000s, while the NDA government was funded education. Public-funded in power the Birla-Ambani report was universities are meant to bring about released, which was a complete blue- genuine democracy so that people can print for privatisation. Social sciences and have access to good, quality education. humanities, which build critical thinking Taxation is to make education available in the people and society and are of no to the poorest of the poor. She reminded use to corporates, were not a part of the that revenue and capital is public money government’s plans, whose focus was with the government being just a trustee, technology. Upon coming into power and it is for the people to decide the again, the UPA government continued manner in which the money is spent. The with the earlier government’s agenda by present central government is in the making an offer to World Trade process of preparing a new national Organisation (WTO) in 2005 under the policy on education. She warned that General Agreement Trades & Tariffs while the government has had to back off (GATT) to make education a tradable earlier, many proposals are being commodity and usher in globalisation. implemented without going into Prof Narain observed that while earlier, Parliament, an example being the policy industrialist families like LalaBanshidhar, on graded autonomy. Shri Ram, Dharam Veer, who had a stake Prof Habib stated that the draft New in education, would stand side by side Education Policy 2016, although currently with the faculty in opposing short-term shelved, proposes dangerous reforms to market-oriented courses and would also commodify higher education without any make a case for traditional disciplines regard for its impact on the marginalised which develop cognitive abilities and sections and recommends setting up of help make a generation of decision- an even more aggressive Public Private makers, the situation has completely Partnership (PPP) model, eroding the changed. Prof Shah also acknowledged existing set-up of public-funded higher the changing scenario, where industrialist education. Kasturbalal Bhai donated a huge piece of land for Rs 1 in 1949, which helped in Meanwhile, Lokesh Reddy, former building the largest and finest university students’ union president of Osmania in Gujarat. However, now, Nirma’s University, Hyderabad, shared in his Karsandas Patel and Reliance’s Mukesh testimony that despite strong objections

9 Indian Campuses Under Siege by the Progressive Democratic Students committees and rules for partisan Union (PDSU), on March 28, 2018, the appointments, arbitrary regimentation in Telangana Assembly passed the Private the name of ‘compulsory attendance’. The Universities Bill. This Bill was a blatant move of the UGC on March 20, 2018 to move towards privatisation and is grant full autonomy to 60 higher contrary to the election promise of free education institutions, and the move to public education for all from KG to PG. grant institutes such as JNU greater The students’ union protested against the autonomy to start new courses, plan their Telangana Rashtra Samithi’s (TRS) own syllabi and collaborate with foreign Private Universities Bill, although the institutions, was strongly criticised by introduction of the Bill came with a lot of JNUSU on the ground that it was a policy restrictions on the universities like police to promote commercialisation and patrolling in the campuses. privatisation. The written testimony submitted by All India Students Association (AISA) Simone Zoya Khan, vice-president of JNU president and former president of Students Union (JNUSU), narrates a tale JNUSU, Sucheta De revealed the intent of multiple attacks of privatisation on the behind the cancellation of the non-NET varsity, to undermine the democratic fellowships in 2015, which signaled the spirit of the campus and threaten the ‘Occupy UGC’ movement. She said that diversity of students. In the few months this move happened at the time when preceding the Tribunal, JNU introduced WTO’s 10th ministerial conference was several policy circulars to effectuate these going to be held where the Indian changes, which were opposed by the government was going to agree to make student and teaching community in the higher education into a tradable service campus. The JNUSU, JNU Teachers in a world market, which would mean the Association (JNUTA) and several schools government will not spend on education. in the campus protested the introduction Rakesh Vishvakarma, a student of of compulsory attendance for students in MGAHV, Wardha, stated that their December 2017 applicable from the university was the first to protest this winter semester of 2018, inspite of facing move on October 21, 2015. However, severe reprisals. On February 20, 2018, despite a sustained country-wide JNUSU also demanded the removal of the campaign, the attacks by way of funding VC in a chargesheet presented before the cuts continued and in 2016, a regulation HRD Ministry for his policies like came regarding seat cuts, thereby massive seat cut in research, decimation reducing the admissions itself. of reservations and deprivation points, The resistance of the students and faculty scrapping of GSCASH, bid to dismantle to such anti-education and anti-people integrated BA-MA and integrated MPhil- policies is crucial to arrest this onslaught PhD, tampering of faculty selection on higher education. Prof Kumar spoke 10 Key Findings of the crisis felt by students in DU, where 2015, there has been a decline in the resistance against the poorly enrolment in elementary school conceptualised Four Year Undergraduate education. In terms of the number of Programme resulted in it being rolled universities in higher education, the back on account of political pressure. government’s presence has been reduced However, in the case of the sudden to less than one third of the total and only imposition of the semester system, all the government universities have affiliated teachers, including their union, DUTA, colleges under them. opposed it. Yet, it was implemented Kanhaiya Kumar contextualised what is causing irreparable damage. Talking of happening in the name of privatisation this damage, Prof Narain stated that the as the privatisation of profit and the quality of education being imparted in socialisation of loss. Prof Kumar stated DU is now abysmal compared to what it that there is a need not only for recovery used to be. but reconstruction of the education The effects of privatisation of education system so that it can resist the kind of have already started showing. Prof decay that has set in. He warned that the Raghuram said that the abdication of policy discourse that the privatisation responsibility by the government is model should be extended to public reflected in the stagnation of the growth higher education is dangerous. It is the rate of literacy at 75%, with the growth duty of the State to fund entire education. rate in this decade being only 5%. In 2014-

Distortion of History, Syllabus and Saffronisation of Education

disturbing trend that emerged from about changing society, about Athe testimonies presented at the modernising society, education is crucial. Tribunal is the increasing In this context, the dangerous unfolding communalisation of campuses, distortion of saffronisation of education and of history in textbooks, removal of secular distortion of history and syllabus signals truths through syllabi changes, and the a major crisis in society. loss of autonomy of universities due to institutional takeover by the Right-wing Spread of Hindutva and takeover of government to execute its project of secular cultures saffronisation of education. A crucial At the outset, both Kanhaiya and Prof aspect that was also borne out through Apoorvanand rejected the use of the the testimonies was the word saffronisation, the former claiming interconnectedness of all the issues it to be a misrepresentation of what is plaguing the education system. If we are really communalisation of education, talking about taking society onwards, while the latter claiming it to be 11 Indian Campuses Under Siege inadequate to represent the extent of A professor at the Maharaja Sayajirao vulgarisation, what he termed University, Baroda (MSU), submitted an ‘ghatiyakaran’ (degradation) of our anonymous written testimony out of fear education. of reprisals reporting that the symbolism and energy of rising Hindutva is strong In his testimony, Prof Akhil Ranjan Datta in their campus, with the coming up of discussed the economic, social and statues of Vivekananda, Dharmantri and political context of the transition to the Saraswati, and small signs such as putting fundamentalist regime of today. He a saffron ribbon in the diary. An RSS song observed that the discourse on has been included in the university diary, saffronisation is the result of the pursuit while there are talks of withdrawing Jana of exclusionary and reformist policies that Gana Mana and replacing it with Vande facilitated the growth and consolidation Mataram, because they believe it is a of the Right-wing forces. He informed the celebration of the British rule. jury of how Assamese icon Shankaradev has been appropriated into the Hindutva Changes in curriculum and syllabus fold in Assam, by the establishment of as a part of the communalisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh(RSS) run project schools such as Shankaradev Shishu Niketans. Students Debabrata Saikia from Prof Gabriel informed the jury that during Gauhati University and Bidyut Saikia the admission process in 2017 for DU from Dibrugarh University added that in colleges, the government, under the guise these schools, primary stage children are of advantages to the students, introduced taught about caste and religion. a policy change incentivising Sanskrit language as an optional language as After coming to power in Assam in 2016, against other Modern Indian Languages. the BJP government passed a proposal She reported that the previous BJP-led granting Rs 10 lakh to every Shankardev NDA regime had already started the school, although these schools were process of saffronisation by changing the actually being run by the RSS, the schoolbooks and by introducing courses ideological wing of the ruling party. The like (Hindu) Paurohitya (clergy RSS has also been trying to impose the specialising in rituals) and Karmakand Hindutva philosophy by establishing (rituals) along with the romanticisation colleges in the name of Deendayal of Vedic knowledge through courses like Upadhyaya, its original ideologue. These Jyotirvidya (Vedic astrology). The Right- colleges reportedly started courses wing social forces continued to grow in without even applying for affiliation with strength and influence, even after the Gauhati University. The students have BJP’s ouster, evident from the dropping put up strong protests against this move of AK Ramanujan’s essay, ‘300 to establish colleges in the name of a Ramayanas’ from the DU History syllabus communal icon. 12 Key Findings in 2011. In November 2014, the Sociology, Economics and Literature, etc, government declared that German with a view to promote communalisation. language would no longer be taught as a There is a general hesitance to question third language in Kendriya Vidyalayas, against these changes on account of the effectively making Sanskrit compulsory repercussions that follow. He reported since it was the only other option being how his role in the Economics offered in these schools. Curriculum Formation Committee of the Gujarat State Textbook Board for Schools Prof Gabriel connected the move to was put to an abrupt end for being a vocal communalise the syllabi with the agenda critic of the government. of privatisation of education, stating that the structural changes that privatisation In his written testimony, Prof Rohit demands needs the obfuscating and Shukla, retired faculty of Economics at the mystificating discourses of the Hindutva Sardar Patel Institute of Economic and nationalist educational agenda to curb the Social Research, Ahmedabad, stated that resulting resistance. instead of developing a spirit of inquiry, logic, scientific temper, in a completely Prof Thapar revealed that the National backward move, the education system in Council for Educational Research and Gujarat promotes mysticism, mythology Training (NCERT), which produces and non-modernity. This is completely textbooks and is hence crucial for different from what goes on globally, imparting ideologies and giving direction where people have moved on from the to people’s thinking, is influenced by the old mythologies and are concentrating on government and consequently the realities and modern values. In his textbooks change depending on the written testimony, Prof Sanjay Shripad government in power. She said that Bhave, Associate Professor, Shri H.K. Arts instead of making universities College, Ahmedabad stated that autonomous, it is NCERT and councils in education should be taking a lead in the various subjects, like the Council for sensitising people against saffronisation Historical Research, the Council for Social and communal sentiments, instead, Science Research, the Council for education is getting co-opted. Philosophical Research that should be made autonomous. Loss of autonomy of universities and The communalisation of education is institutional takeover by placing being done with the specific purpose of loyalists removing secular truths from the syllabus Prof Apoorvanand observed that the to further communal propaganda. Prof universities have been losing their Shah reported that there are content autonomy from the manner in which the changes both in school text and in higher leadership is appointed. These chosen education, particularly in subjects like leaders themselves surrender the 13 Indian Campuses Under Siege autonomy of the universities to the UGC, New Delhi reported that in their campus MHRD, and to their political masters. only Right-wing intellectuals are called Harishankar Nachimutthu, former for talks and that people directly affiliated president, FTII Students’ Union, spoke of with the BJP, Swapan Dasgupta, Chandan the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan as Mitra, people belonging to the RSS, the chairperson of FTII, in what was seen including Rambahadur Rai, have taught as an attempt of the government to them about matters such as the saffronise the institution by inserting its independence of media. An institute as loyalists. Prof Sandeep Pandey, who was prestigious as IIMC, which should be an ex-faculty on contract for three terms concerned about fake news, now teaches at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), that ‘Narad’ was the first journalist. In Banaras Hindu University (BHU) April 2017, the Inspector General of campus, reported that after the BJP came Chhattisgarh, SRP Kalluri, was invited to to power in the centre, Girish Chandra deliver a lecture on the independence of Tripathi was appointed as VC of BHU media though he had reportedly harassed and chairperson of IIT-BHU by the many journalists, and hence they MHRD, despite his name missing in the protested against this. He further five names sent by the IIT panel. reported that RTI officers were changed in the campus thrice to avoid giving The MSU professor who submitted the information on the issue raised by anonymous written testimony stated that students and that the IIMC the influence of the BJP-government on administration is organising programmes the state university and its highest in collaboration with an RSS ‘think-tank’, decision-making body, including the the Vivekananda Foundation. syndicate, is widely known and publicly covered. Another professor at the Gujarat Rise of Hindutva forces within University, Ahmedabad, preferring to campuses and suppression of remain anonymous, shared in his written dissenting voices testimony that the education council of the university is controlled by the Sangh Prof Apoorvanand noted that the Akhil parivar and recruitment of teachers in the BharatiyaVidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the university is also conducted and directed student wing of the RSS and the central by them, who appoint teachers who government are creating ‘disruptions’ in support the Sangh ideology or come from the classrooms, which have been making the party background. It was also the news. The real purpose of these reported that the appointed VCs are from disruptions is to create so much instability RSS background, blatantly and and insecurity within the university that clandestinely. there is no possibility for other conversations, except syllabus and Rohin Kumar, former student, Indian classrooms. Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), 14 Key Findings

Karunesh Divedi and Ankit Singh Babu, campus, harassment from students Lucknow University, Lucknow affiliated to ABVP and RSS as well as mentioned that their major protest was reprisals faced by her for their play based against the utilisation of Rs 25 lakh from on Mahasweta Devi’s story ‘Draupadi’ the Students Welfare Fund to organise a which confronted the issue of sexual programme, ‘Hindavi Swaraj Diwas 2017’ violence on women by the army. In for BJP in the university on July 7, 2017, another case of harassment arising from which was attended by Chief Minister increasingly intolerant Right-wing Yogi Adityanath. Similarly, testimonies presence in the campus, Prof Navdeep from Ramjas College, JNU and other Mathur, from the Indian Institute of campuses, show the increasing presence Management (IIM), Ahmedabad, of and power wielded by ABVP in the reported that an anonymous complaint campuses with the backing of the State, was filed against him on the nature of his which directly resulted in clashes and courses while making allegations against incidents reported in the testimonies. him of taking an anti-national stance on developmental conflict in India and an Dr Snehsata Manav, Department of anti-State stance on Kashmir, although English and Foreign Languages, Central the complaint was closed pursuant to two University of Haryana (CUH), rounds of appreciative and positive Mahendragarh, Haryana, presented a feedback received from students and a painful testimony demonstrating the curbs on free speech and expression on rare case of departmental support.

Students’ Unions and Elections

he testimonies received at the formulated in a manner to weaken TTribunal on student elections democratic student politics by demonstrated the increasing subversion introducing several restrictions. of democratic spaces and processes It was reported through testimonies how within the campus by a weakening of the whole process of elections is democratic student politics and influenced in favour of student unions introducing a multitude of restrictions in like ABVP and rules only apply to other student elections. contesting students and not ABVP. The Sucheta De informed the jury that the whole election process is conducted in an Birla-Ambani report had targeted student unfairand undemocratic fashion. FIRs are unions perceiving them to be roadblocks lodged against students to disqualify to the WTO agenda and against fee hikes them from contesting elections. Relying and commercialisation of institutions. on this rule, in Bihar, only the nomination This report was followed by the Lyngdoh of ABVP candidates was finalised and Committee’s recommendations, declared valid. In JP University, in the 15 Indian Campuses Under Siege Sivan-Chhapra area, the VC, while sitting imposition of rules restricting with a BJP member, did a students’ campaigning and the interference of the conference before the elections. In Tilka outgoing student council.The process is Manjhi University in Bhagalpur, during bureaucratic, and in one sense, highly ‘chhat’, which is a big festival in Bihar, impotent and farcical. He reported that they demanded 75% attendance. after he submitted his form, former office Meanwhile elections were conducted bearers tried to dissuade him on the with ABVP in full swing since the whole ground of his disability. Many rules panel belonged to ABVP. concerning the elections are undemocratic like the one requiring every In another case in Patna University, a candidate to get their manifesto reviewed contestant was not even shown the ballot and edited for ‘feasibility’ by the panel of paper and without showing anything the former student secretaries, in what is result was declared, with ABVP and those called as the ‘black box’. Several of his belonging to their lobby winning. election points were edited or entirely Mukesh Kumar, a student of Patna taken out by the panel stating that they University, informed the jury that there were not feasible. Due to the pressure were no students’ union elections in Bihar mounted on him to not contest due to his for five years, and in 2018, for the first differing viewpoints, he finally withdrew time, a student union was formed after his nomination, although he was the only 2012, while the election before that took candidate at that point and so victory was place 28 years back. 12 universities of certain. He said that the entire election Bihar conducted students’ union process was a farce and students were not elections. Prem Kumar informed the jury interested in contesting for the elections. that in Nilamber Pitamber University, He quoted a former secretary to capture Jharkhand, in 2016-2017, the ABVP won the attitude, “The post I enjoy as academic the college elections. After the election secretary is delegated by the director. result, the students came to know that the And I am a secretary to that.” ABVP candidate, who won the election, was an ex-student and he had re-joined Institutes like IITs and IIMs don’t have the college for contesting the elections. effective student unions. Questions are even raised on the formation and Tony Kurian, a student with 100% vision recognition of student organisations that loss in IIT-Bombay, narrated the take up uncomfortable issues. In 2014, hardships, discrimination and unfair when the Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle practices faced by him while contesting (APSC) was formed in IIT Madras, it was the elections and the undemocratic called ‘anti-national’. Ambedkar Periyar manner in which elections are conducted in the institute. In IIT, the whole election Phule Study Circle (APPSC) in IIT- process is controlled by the Bombay has not been granted recognition administration, especially through the as a student body till date inspite of 16 Key Findings several demands being made and their hold elections in the university following Constitution being forwarded to the its ban. First banned in 1996, the election director, reported Paankhi Agrawal, a of Jamia Students’ Union were held again student and member of APPSC through in December 2005.However, a few her written testimony. The recognition of months after the new student union was another student body, SAATHI, which elected, it was dissolved. Between 2006 deals with queer issues within campus, and 2017, constant efforts were made by was also held up. Meeran Hyder, a the students to lift this ban through student of Jamia Milia Islamia University demonstrations in front of the VC’s office in Delhi, submitted a written testimony and theUGC, including filing litigation narrating the ordeals faced by the before the high court. students to form a students’ union and

Crackdown on Dissent and Criminalisation

ost of the student testimonies have also been at the receiving end from Mreceived at the Tribunal are tales the government. One of the startling of reprisals and indicate the recent trend aspects revealed through some of the of increasing clampdown on student testimonies was the role of the unethical protests and voices of dissent in campuses corporate media and its nexus with the across the country. Students have been at government in labelling, persecution and the forefront of struggles against vilification of students and teachers, privatisation of education and growing causing them irreparable damage and saffronisation of campuses and have putting them at grave risk. accordingly borne the brunt for their Prof Majumdar relucidated how the activism. Ranging from threats, crackdown on dissent is a part of the intimidation, disciplinary proceedings, systemic process of privatisation which suspensions, expulsions, impact on their reflects a larger process of attack on courses, degrees and education, delays in Indian democracy itself. That is the reason scholarships and fellowships; right up to why the destruction of Indian higher brutal assaults, use of excessive force, education evokes so little protest from criminalisation, arrests and corporate bigwigs who might otherwise disappearances, the testimonies reveal complain of the shortage of ‘skills’. The that the attacks on students have been crackdown has a variety of agents acting nothing short of vitriolic and in tandem – governments, regulatory frighteningly commonplace. Faculty bodies like the UGC as well as university protesting against privatisation measures, administrations, with sections of the contractualisation, and exercising their media playing a supporting role. It covers democratic rights within the campus, teachers, students and non-teaching staff 17 Indian Campuses Under Siege in these institutions. Criminalisation of freedom of Speech and Expression; dissent and taking punitive action second is Article 19 (1) (b), which talks through the police and courts and about the Right of People to Assemble, through administrative actions follows and the third is Art 19 (1) (c), which logically and the recourse to such allows citizens to form unions and measures is rampant. This is associations. Senior Advocate Mihir accompanied by the curbing of Desai emphasised that under these democratic rights like banning/ provisions the students’ right to freely restricting political and union activity, speak, express, assemble peacefully, including bans on unions and restrictions demonstrate, agitate and form unions, are on the right to protest, to hold meetings, fundamental rights guaranteed under the etc. Teachers and other employees are Constitution. Hence, all these protests sought to be brought into a ‘disciplinary’ which have been discussed at the framework with imposition of restrictive Tribunal are justified and legitimate codes of conduct, coercive application of protests and constitutionally protected. ‘no-work no pay’ principle, bio-metric In addition to this, Article 51A of the attendance, etc. Constitution speaks of the fundamental Prof Raghuram said that nationalism has duty of all citizens to generate scientific been suddenly discovered in university temper and spirit of enquiry. This and campuses like JNU, DU, JU, FTII and the other provisions of the Constitution not attacks on education institutions, which only permit but encourage healthy are branded, without an iota of evidence, disagreement and promote critical as hot-beds of ‘anti-nationalism’, lacking thinking in academic institutions. Dissent patriotic feeling or indulging in ‘sedition’. is a core component of democracy. If you Prof Mazumdar observed that this look at the students’ protests or any other propagation of the idea that protests in form of protest, it is an overt articulation higher education institutions are of dissent. It can be individual, it can be conspiracies driven by dangerous forces collective, peaceful, etc. If you are not inimical to the interests of the nation, going to allow dissent, you obviously serves the dual purpose of legitimising cannot allow protest. However, in the the crackdown and delegitimising the environment today, across the country, ‘dissenters’ in addition to producing a and not just in academic institutions, climate which itself is coercive in nature. dissent itself is seen as ‘anti-national’.

Use of legal mechanisms to curb Advocate Vrinda Grover observed that students’ protests criminal law is being used to demonise the individual, vilify the institution, The Constitution covers the right of engineer and orchestrate hate and to students to protest and express dissent create the feeling of being under under Article 19 (1) (a), which talks about surveillance. The crucial agenda is not 18 Key Findings even prosecuting cases but to create a demonstration through a lathi-charge, the ‘chilling effect’ by naming in the FIRs. She brutality continues in police custody. emphasised that by doing this, boundaries are being drawn on free Surveillance, censorship and fear of speech and the speech that will not reprisals glorify their version of the nation-state or Prof Shah exposed a pitiful state of the armed forces. unfreedoms in Gujarat. He reported that Mihir Desai observed that the common across the state there is an atmosphere of feature across the country since 2014 is fear; school teachers and university/ that wherever there are protests the college professors have all been sensing authorities are cracking down. While it. The present government does not legally and constitutionally people are allow anyone to speak or write. Doing so fully justified to carry out agitations, to means getting restricted and these express dissent against the government restrictions applies in other aspects of life. or anybody else, the law is being used Citing his own example, he told the jury against protests. Institutions initiate that he used to write a column in the disciplinary action by holding an inquiry second largest daily newspaper in against the person who is protesting, Gujarat, ‘Sandesh’, however his column suspending him or her, imposing fines, was blocked on the instructions given by possibly this is followed by rustication. then state home minister, who is now the Students are taken to court to stop them BJP president. He said that he had from protesting, like they have done with basically written that universities are for TISS students in March 2018. Criminal students and teachers and not for the law is being increasingly used to suppress government, which prompted this struggles. FIRs are filed that ‘you are censorship. rioting… you are disturbing… you are Shedding light on the situation in unlawfully assembling…’ institutes of higher learning like the IITs, The most shocking has been the IIMs, IISERs, IISc etc., centres under imposition of the sedition law against central agencies such as CSIR, DBT, DST students, when the law itself should be and DAE and centres under the various repealed. The Supreme Court has held autonomous councils such as ICHR and that you can charge a person with ICSSR, Prof Parthosarthi Ray said that sedition only if the statements made by a unlike universities, these institutes were person leads to violence. The use of police designed to be authoritarian when they brutality, whether it is lathi-charge or the were established, under the pretext of use of casteist and communal language efficiency and productivity defined by the to subjugate students, has also increased requirements of the market, and for the in the last two years. It is not just police ruling dispensations. Dissent has been brutality at the time of stopping a curbed by way of structural processes in- 19 Indian Campuses Under Siege built into the system of these institutes it, following the university bandh jointly by rules, regulations and practices. called by student bodies on April 11, 2017. However, the important phenomenon Karunesh Divedi and Ankit Singh Babu over the last few years is that alongside informed the jury about their these existing structures, dissent has been criminalisation in the ‘Kala jhanda’ case crushed and the process accelerated due in Lucknow. A criminal case was to the environment of fear, which has registered against 11 students and they been created all over the country. Despite were arrested for 23 days, during which this student organisations have come up period they were beaten, tortured, in a very repressive atmosphere and that harassed and threatened repeatedly. is commendable. These student organisations have formed a body called Writwik Saikia, general secretary, ‘Coordination of Science and Democratic Students Forum of Assamand Technological Institutional Students North-East India (DSF), Gauhati Associations’ (COSTISA), which is now University, conveyed his experience of trying to face this repressive atmosphere repeated reprisals before the jury, for in a united manner. being a dissenting voice against privatisation, corruption and for raising Use of criminal mechanisms and social justice issues within the campus. disciplinary action on students Debrata Sakia, a student of Gauhati The state and university managements University and Bidyut Sakia, a student have been using criminal law of Dibrugarh University reported that a mechanisms to target protesting students case was filed against them for protesting and students’ union leaders in order to against the establishment of colleges in intimidate, harass and silence protests the name of communal icon Deendayal and diseenting voices opposing their Upadhyaya and on the charge of putting policies and actions. Meanwhile, the black paint on the name of Deendayal increasing violence by Right-wing Upadhyaya in three colleges of Assam. extremists within the campuses is going In a written testimony received from a on unchecked. Testimonies of several student of Gauhati University, in 2014, students narrate this ordeal. students protesting against the VC Boota Singhpresented a testimony of regarding alleged charges of corruption police intimidation and criminalisation against him faced disciplinary action and faced by him, following his participation were in turn charged with false in the students’ protest against exorbitant allegations and suspended. In another fee hike at Panjab University. It paints a written testimony from Gauhati horrific picture of the brutal force used University, incident on April 20, 2015, by the Chandigarh police on protesting when students sought early re-evaluation students both in the campus and outside of answer scripts of undergraduate 20 Key Findings students and thereby allowing them to Roshan Pandey, a student of BHU, appear in the next semester examinations, reported that after coming to power, the police and Central Reserve Police Force new regime appointed its own VC who (CRPF) personnel stopped them and closed down the library facilities. Inspite brutally lathi-charged them. of doing signature campaigns, adopting other democratic measures, including Deborshi Chakraborty, Presidency writing a letter so that their concerns may University, Kolkata, narrated the horrors reach the higher authorities they got no of the attacks and incarceration in the response, leading the students to go on campus. On April 10, 2013, Trinamool protests. The students sat on a peaceful Chhatra Parishad (TCP) cadre ransacked hunger strike for nine days, but nine the campus and beat up students. students were suspended for protesting Deborshi’snose was broken and was run on the campus and also barred from over by 10 people. Female students and female teachers were allegedly issued giving their exams. Students who rape threats by goons, who also entered participated in a movement regarding the heritage building laboratory and sexual harassment in BHU in September ransacked the laboratory and classrooms. 2017, had to face criminal charges again. During a peaceful protest, the police did Shraman Guha, Jadavpur University, a ‘lathi-charge’. After suffering the police Kolkata elaborated on the crackdown in action, they were given a notice stating JU. He reported how since 2012, there has that they have made attempts to murder, been a massive presence of Intelligence kept weapons and explosives, conducted Bureau (IB) and special branch officials riots, etc. monitoring students’ activities in the campus. Students associated with the Harishankar Nachimutthusaid that ‘Hokkolorob’ movement and students who things started getting bad in the FTII tried to stand in solidarity with them have campus before the strike itself, after they faced major clampdown. had invited ‘Kabir Kala Manch’ to the campus. Following the strike in August Prof Habib and Sucheta De reminded the 2015, the students were criminalised jury members of the false charges of under Section 143, 147, 149, 323, 341, 353, sedition slapped against the students’ 506 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and union president and other leading other criminal charges. Some of the student activists in 2016 for ‘anti-national’ students included were not even present sloganeering in the infamous “JNU at the time of the alleged incident since Sedition Case”. The testimony submitted they were out on a shoot. He spoke of by Rama Naga, the General Secretory of how the union and student unity has been JNUSU in the same period 2015-2016, destroyed following the crackdown on narrated the details of the harassment and FTII. disciplinary action faced by him and others. Richa Singh, former president, Allahabad 21 Indian Campuses Under Siege University Students Union (AUSU) in the HCU for students, faculty and presented a strong case on the gender employees. ASA filed a petition in the discrimination and challenges faced by high court last year.However, till date, no her as the first woman president of the judgement has come. The victimisation AUSU, and the reprisals faced by her for has mainly affected MPhil and PhD breaking gender norms and raising students with the ratio of students from questions within the campus. Adeel downtrodden backgrounds decreasing Hamza Sahil, former vice-president, considerably. Drawing inspiration from AUSU, reported a serious case of Rohith Vemula, who, while expressing communal discrimination and reprisals that he was deeply sad about our society, faced by him for being a Muslim and for made out a case for the rejection of protesting on student concerns and “victimhood”, Sannakai Munna issues. Adeel was banned from the reiterated that inspite of the atmosphere university campus till August 15, 2017 of fear, the students are not scared and and suspension notice was served on him shall continue to raise these concerns and on June 14, 2017, which has been collectively work in solidarity with extended to five years. struggles in different universities across the country. Lokesh Reddy informed that when three students committed suicide, PDSU Fahad Ahmed, former president, TISS protested and demanded justice. As a Students’ Union, observed that we are result, students’ union leaders were going through a state of unannounced arrested, detained and charged with false emergency, and for those who do not still cases. He informed that students who are believe it, once they ask difficult questions raising their voice are also targeted in to the government or fight for their their course work, for instance, by not fundamental rights, they will realise it. declaring or by suspending the date of Ajmal Khan, a student of TISS and submission or viva of PhD, thereby integral part of the Joint Action causing academic losses. Committee for Social Justice, which was Sannaki Munna, president, Ambedkar formed following the institutional Students’ Association (ASA), HCU murder of Rohith Vemula, spoke of two presented the struggles faced by the ASA ways in which he understands and students at HCU, in challenging the crackdown on dissent takes place. One actions of the administration, even as being through the state mechanisms and their fight against these oppressive institutional process and the other, measures continue. He reported that the through political forces and non-state administration has removed the North- actors such as ABVP and RSS. East, J&K and union territory reservation Rohin Kumar was suspended for 15 days quotas. There is no proper from IIMC on January 9, 2017, two days implementation of the reservation policy 22 Key Findings after writing an article in the following the incident. Kawalpreet ‘Newslaundry’ about the unhealthy further reported that although she had atmosphere on campus. filed the police complaint against ABVP immediately following the incident on Written testimonies were received from February 22, 2018, the police registered it several other students reporting their only in the night after investigation, while criminalisation at the hands of the ABVP’s counter complaint to her FIR was university administrations. The written filed at 5 p.m., demonstrating the support testimony submitted by Kawalpreet that ABVP enjoys from the police when Kaur, president of the Delhi University, they resort to abuse and violence. AISA, DU bears testament to the increasing presence and power of groups A written testimony submitted in the case such as ABVP within campuses and the reported from Maharaja Sayajirao role of non-state actors in the disruption University narrated the tale of an ex-fine of activities and clampdown in campuses. arts students who suffered persecution Kawalpreet reported that she was for 11 years for having displayed his attacked by members of the ABVP in New paintings in an exhibition on campus. An Delhi on February 22, 2018 in the FIR was lodged against him under Section auditorium of Satyawati College where 153 (A) for promoting religious enmity she had been invited to speak about her and hurting religious sentiments with own experiences of being harassed nefarious intentions like creating riots, online. Kawalpreet says that she was following which he was arrested and sent shielded from the mob by the college to jail. He was denied his educational faculty and co-panelists even as two certificates for 11 years, leading to utter professors were physically attacked. The despair and frustration. police were called and a human chain A student of the Khwaja Moinuddin formed to get her safely off the Satyawati Chisti Urdu, Arabi-Farsi University, College premises, pursuant to which she Lucknow, narrated in his written filed an FIR at the Bharat Nagar police testimony, the incident of arbitrary action station. Even earlier on a previous against him in violation of principles of occasion she was accosted by ABVP natural justice, by cancellation of his members at Satyawati College in August hostel allotment without attributing any 2017 and had filed a complaint with the reason except calling him and his police at that time as well. Meanwhile, department ‘anti-national’. Another ABVP spokesperson started a slander student from the Kamla Nehru Institute campaign alleging that they had only a of Physical and Social Sciences (KNIPSS), verbal altercation because they had Sultanpur, reported in his written objected to Kawalpreet being invited to testimony how following an altercation the college after having been allegedly between him and another student, he was banned from the campus in 2017 brutally assaulted, abused and was 23 Indian Campuses Under Siege forcefully taken away and confined in the called on May 3, 2016 by all the SC/ST room by the proctor. While students came students of Lucknow demanding the in support and filed a complaint suspension of proctor and 22 teachers of regarding the incident, the same had to the university for forming a committee be withdrawn due to the mounting called Pichhda Jan Kalyan Samiti and pressure put on the students by the filing a petition for scrapping of 50% administration. reservation in admission to SC/ST community. The protesting students were Two students from Burdwan University lathi-charged by the police and a false FIR (BU) in their written testimony reported was filed against 19 Dalit students. the reprisals that followed a protest Disciplinary proceedings using the against the delay in the publication of excuse of the pending FIR were used to results on March 31, 2015, when around debar students, including the deponent 500 students gathered at the who had topped the BBAU entrance administrative building of Rajabati exam. He reported other instances when campus where the office of the VC and students were criminalised in the Registrar are located. Students’ university for reporting violations. representatives from JU, Presidency University and Rabindra Bharati In a written testimony received from a University (RBU) supported the students student of Kamla Nehru Vidhi Sansthan of BU and participated in the agitation. (Law College) of the KNIPSS, the student After this peaceful demonstration, the reported that a show cause notice was administration declared prohibitory issued against him making allegations orders under Section 144 of the CrPC that he had appeared in the examination prohibiting an assembly of more than hall without wearing a uniform, abused four people in an area. On April 17, 2015, the invigilators and created a ruckus. He students staged another protest at reported that he was falsely targetted on Golapbagh campus, where Students account of his involvement in a protest from JU and Presidency University also against the college administration for the joined the protests. Seeing students delay in conducting semester distributing pamphlets on campus, a mob examinations and for obtaining an order of TMC supporters entered the campus from the Lucknow High Court against the and started beating them. A few moments college for re-evaluation of answersheets. later, TMC supporters called police to the A student of Pondicherry University campus who arrested 11 students under submitted a written testimony reporting IPC sections 341, 143, 506 and 323. how he was illegally detained along with In another written testimony by a student other students on April 15, 2017, for of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar protesting the visit of Tarun Vijay, former University (BBAU), Lucknow, it was BJP MP, who was invited as a chief guest reported that peaceful protests were to commemorate the birth anniversary of 24 Key Findings

Dr B.R. Ambedkar by the ABVP. Students while sharing his experience from one of of Jamia Millia Islamia University also the hearings in the Tees HazariCourt, submitted a written testimony narrating where he faced open animosity when he crackdown on students’ protest against tried to strike a conversation with a the visit of Indresh Kumar, RSS leader person who had nothing to do with the and patron on June 5, 2017, when case. Mukesh Kumar reported on how students were beaten up and detained. students in Patna suffered lathi-charge, 13 students got injured and were Use of brute force against students admitted to the hospital. and faculty Aarti, a PhD scholar at the MGAHV, Protesting students are being vilified and Wardha, reported disciplinary actions criminalised in the campuses for against her and clampdown in the expressing dissent.The legal mechanisms university. On March 18, 2017, when the and police administration have failed to students decided to hold a seminar on protect students and faculty from attacks, ‘Pratirodh ki Rajniti’, they were not victimisation and crimes against them, granted permission. Rakesh and the perpetrators are enjoying State Vishwakarma, another student, reported impunity, with the police often aiding that after the government changed in these attacks. Through his testimony, Delhi, the ABVP and RSS became Umar Khalid revealed the disturbing and dominating. The VC reportedly spent Rs shocking case of the disappearance of 1.5 lakh for the programmes of the RSS Najeeb Ahmed since October 15, 2016 but no permission was given when other from the university campus after being students wanted to organise programmes publicly beaten, and the failure of the on Babasaheb Ambedkar, Bhagat Singh, police to conduct proper investigations Jyotiba Phule, etc, they were instead into the case. Vrinda Grover spoke of the branded Naxalites and anti-nationals. day of the attack on Kanhaiya Kumar in the Patiala House court premises and the Reprisals faced by faculty members manner in which the attacker was Reprisals faced by Prof Pandey of IIT allowed to freely walk despite the BHU, Dr Mathur of IIM, Ahmedabad, looming security threat and directions of Prof Shah, Dr Manav of CUH and others the Supreme Court towards ensuring speaks volumes of the hounding out of security arrangements. rational, brilliant and dissenting voices Prof Mukul Manglik provided a seething who are extremely popular with the and painful testimony on the attacks on students. Rohin Kumarbrought to the February 21 and 22, 2017, at Ramjas attention of the jury the dismal situation College, DU. Abhinash, a student of in IIMC. He shared a case of another Ramjas complained how a public faculty member, Naren Singh Rao’s narrative is created against the students, employment being terminated, for 25 Indian Campuses Under Siege reporting a case of rape of a Dalit woman Zimmerman’s talk and the names of each sweeper on campus to the media, and the and every student and teacher who had harassment faced by him. attended the programme. Later, she was told that they were IB officers posted in In her written testimony, Advocate TISS to keep a watch on the activities of Sanober Keshwaar, ad-hoc lecturer on students and teachers. contract at TISS Mumbai, since 2010, butwhose contract was renewed on an Another incident took place on campus, yearly basis, informed how the involving a clampdown following atmosphere in TISS Mumbai, started protracted discrimination and changing after the BJP government came surveillance on a Kashmiri professor, to power in 2014. Within months of the whose name is withheld at request, and new government assuming office, an who subsequently resigned on account of emissary of the director approached her the harassment. Following these two and informed that four teachers with incidents, Sanober raised concerns with political views opposed to those of the the remaining faculty, who, although current dispensation were ‘under sympathetic, were fearful of raising their surveillance’ on campus, including her, voice, leaving her to raise the issue at the and she was advised to keep a ‘low faculty meeting. However, the profile’. clampdown on campus continued.There were also students’protests following In October 2014, the School of Rohith Vemula’s death. Globalisation and Labour arranged a lecture by a labour researcher from Sensing the worsening situation,Sanober Geneva, called Yvonne Zimmerman, who and other members of the faculty decided worked for a trade union-funded research to form a teachers’ union and started organisation called Solifonds which calling meetings to initiate the process. documents human rights violations by Sanober reported that her contract for that MNCs registered in Switzerland, year was not renewed, as was being done especially in third world countries. every year, and her services were Sanober stated that although she had not abruptly terminated in May 2016 when organised the talk and had only she received a mail from deputy registrar forwarded the invite to students and saying that she had been relieved of her faculty if they were interested using her services. Her telephone and email were TISS email ID, she was questioned by the immediately disconnected. Upon enquiry director’s office and informed that some she was told that her services had been people from ‘the Union home ministry’ terminated for political reasons and not had come to meet the director with a due to financial constraints. Students print-out of the email forwarded by her. issued an open letter demanding her She was informed that the officers had reinstatement. She also addressed a letter also asked for a transcript of to the director.No action was taken to 26 Key Findings reinstate her. She was advised by her Meanwhile another professor, being one lawyers that it would be fruitless to of the four teachers under surveillance, pursue legal action, since her contract had was also similarly relieved of her duties expired and renewal would be at the after the expiry of her contract in June discretion of the administration. 2016.

Structural Marginalisation

estimonies presented by students education institutions were taking place. and faculty before the jury However, he estimated that under five Trevealed a socially exclusive and years of the NDA rule their presence will unjust system prevailing in the higher reduce by 10-15%, since the drop-out rate education institutions, designed to is increasing owing to the changes that replicate the marginalisations in society. have come in. He spoke of the biases As revealed from the testimonies in the entrenched within selection committees earlier section, the attacks of privatisation with Left liberals on their panel that did and authoritarianism in the campuses has not find SC, ST or OBC candidates eligible changed the social composition of and did not fill backlog positions in students in campus, directly impacting universities. He said that in this manner the marginalised sections of society, in any land-tiller, cattle-rearing person, pot- particular the SC, ST and OBC. Coupled maker, shoe-maker, coming from SC, ST with this, the educational institutions or OBC communities, who make the have failed to address the systems of nation, are found unsuitable for oppression and discrimination faced by education and labelled ‘anti-national’. students both inside and outside the Abhay Flavian Xaxa from the National campus on the basis of caste, language, Campaign for Dalit Human Rights in his gender, sexuality, religion and region. expert testimony spoke of the ‘intellectual Caste discrimination lynching’ of ST, SC and OBC students under the current BJP-led regime. In his expert testimony, Prof Kancha According to him this is happening in Ilaiah Shepherd explained the three ways – physical discrimination, implications of casteism in higher fiscal discrimination and barriers put up education under the BJP government. against the policies meant for the Post the implementation of the Mandal educational development of ST, SC and Commission recommendations, and by OBC students.Xaxa explained that while the time the 2014 elections were the physical discrimination of students underway, the biggest expansion of Dalit, from these communities is well known, OBC, and adivasi in higher education, as fiscal discrimination is being well as the largest expansion of higher implemented through the banking

27 Indian Campuses Under Siege system and privatisation. In order to come back on earth.”He said in this rejuvenate the banking structure which context Ambedkar University, which was has been under collapse, the government established in 1996 and is the first is trying introduce a new source of university in the country to have 50% income for the banks by creating a market seats reserved for SC and ST in admission, for student loans for higher education. is extremely important for students like Since SC, ST and OBC students were not him. Since 50% of the seats are reserved availing student loans from the market for SC and ST students, these students are because they were getting scholarships being provided with fellowships.There from the government, the government is are no reservations in faculty recruitment. targeting scholarships and introducing He said that since the administration schemes for student loans. In June 2017, cannot directly remove the reservation the Bihar government issued a notice system, it has been introducing policies regarding not awarding scholarships to to force students to drop out, like forcing Dalit and adivasi students where the fees the students, who mainly come from is beyond Rs 15,000 per year. These small towns and backward districts, to go students are expected to take the student through examinations conducted in credit cards through which they can pay English language, including the entrance the fees, but they will have to re-pay it exam, thereby dissuading and excluding back after finishing the courses. the students and then making an excuse Xaxa also reported that under a new that the reservation policy exists but the directive on reservation for faculties, in students are not coming. The other issue the Indira Gandhi Tribal National he reported was that of giving less marks University at Amarkantak in Madhya in papers during evaluation in exams Pradesh, they advertised 52 positions for because of the brand of caste. He said that professor, assistant professor and there have been a lot of protests due to associate professor. However, not a single the anti-SC/ST student policies of the VC. post has been given to ST and SC In an anonymous testimony from West candidates. Bengal National University of Juridical Ajay Kumar, former student, Babasaheb Sciences (NUJS), Kolkata, a student Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU), reported the subtle, implicit and explicit Lucknow, Fellow, Indian Institute of caste discrimination faced by her on Advanced Study, Shimla informed the campus, being the only Dalit student in jury of his confrontation with caste her class and as a woman. She reported discrimination at the very first step of that adivasi, queer and Dalit students, introduction into the education as a five- who have a lot of intersectional marginal year-old, when the panditji running the identities, face very rampant form of village school said, “Since you are a Dalit structural discrimination over the years you cannot study even if your forefathers in the national law schools. She spoke of 28 Key Findings the casteist, sexist and classist remarks caste discrimination. She said that it is for flung at her by male students for being this reason that students are agitating to vocal, including being called a “Dalit ensure access to education for the slut” and how she has faced upcoming generations by following what discrimination at the hands of the Babasaheb Ambedkar had said – teachers and VC. ‘educate, agitate, and organise’. Megha, a MA student of TISS Mumbai, Sri Ramulu Munavat, a student from the reported that the community she comes German Department of the English and from has been denied education. She said Foreign Language University (EFLU), she was inspired to take higher education, Hyderabad, faced caste discrimination inspite of the nagging worry of and reprisals for raising uncomfortable discrimination and employment, questions on the implementation of following the death of Rohith Vemula. reservations and facilities to students She had to fight within her home as the from SC, ST and OBC communities first girl child and first generation learner within the campus. He reported that apart to enter higher education in her family. from the German Department, other She spoke of how her expectation of the departments do not get scholarships. freedom and inclusivity in a campus like Whenever students demanded remedial TISS was crushed. After joining the social coaching classes, coaching for NET, work course, she realised that their which are supposed to be provided under pedagogy is very discriminative. As the UGC coaching schemes, EFLU came instances, she stated that in group work up with excuses that they don’t have which formed part of the course, groups enough funds and that teachers do not were formed invariably on the basis of have extra time to spend for the remedial caste and class. She said that upper class classes. students hangout among their upper class Boota Singh, a student of Panjab circles, while her own friends are all from University, Chandigarh, also reported the her ‘category’. She also said that under severe caste discrimination faced by him case work they are taught to solve and casteist and communal slurs hurled people’s problems through charity at him by the police following his arrest approach, thereby excluding Dalits, during a students protest, where he was adivasis and Muslims by making them singled out and tortured by the police on subjects. Even while the institute talks of account of being a Dalit and called social justice, students from marginalised ‘chamar’ repeatedly while being beaten. communities are failed in subjects even after writing a good paper. By imposing In a written testimony received from a fees of Rs 31,000 per semester on families, student of IIT-Bombay and member of the which earn Rs 20,000 annually, the APPSC, caste discrimination in technical institute is excluding students, which is institutes of higher learning such as IIT

29 Indian Campuses Under Siege was borne out. This discrimination is not it could be an accidental fall (prompted often through overt acts but takes plays by a strong wind) and termed as an in subtle and covert ways like by asking ‘unfortunate death’. After several calls students their IIT-JEE (Joint Entrance from civil society and within the campus, Test) ranks, often by the faculty itself, a three-member committee was set up by which becomes a caste marker. Once it is IIT-Bombay to inquire into Aniket’s death known that certain students have come and the problem faced by SC/ST students through reservation, different groups are on campus. The committee, however, formed and the students who have come while conducting the inquiry and in their through reservation are excluded. The report did not come to any conclusion on caste discrimination can be seen in labs the social circumstances surrounding across campus; a lab headed by a faculty Aniket’s death, while putting much coming from a certain caste would have emphasis on Aniket’s (medical) history maximum students from the same caste of depression. As far as the issue of and also the students the faculty would discrimination on campus, instead of choose to guide. There are less than 10 taking and relying on actual interviews SC/ST teaching faculty in the IIT-Bombay of students on campus and looking into campus. When enquired on why there is the prevailing campus environment, not enough representation of SC/ST incidents and structures, the committee faculty in teaching, the administration prepared a broad-based report, relying maintained that the normal reservation mainly on institutional statistics. policy does not operate in IIT, which is governed by its own statute. Gender and Sexuality Through the testimony, the tragic suicide Prof Vinita Chandra from Ramjas of a Dalit student, Aniket Ambore, in College, DU, in her expert testimony 2014, was reported. In conversations with stated that gender-based discrimination his parents before his suicide, he had and sexual harassment are pervasive in expressed his desire to withdraw his all aspects of women’s life from the admission from IIT and give the IIT-JEE privacy of their homes to the public again and come back in the general spaces they inhabit. She explained that in category, on account of the caste the university spaces, in order to access discrimination faced by him. At that time, these spaces and interact equally and the head of department had openly made intellectually, mentally, emotionally, or a comment that IIT is a chocolate not even physically, women need to let their everyone can have, to indicate that guard down and the intrinsic patriarchy students coming from the reserved that defines all gender identities and category cannot cope with IIT. Following gender roles inevitably makes them the suicide, the administration refused to vulnerable to experience the trauma of acknowledge it as a suicide but claimed genderdiscrimination and sexual

30 Key Findings harassment. She said that gender reported that she was also discriminated discrimination also comes from the upon due to her education in Telegu format of classroom teaching in the language, her caste location being from university and the inequality of power ST community, and other students relations in a classroom between the refused to speak to her saying she came professor and student. She said that there from a Naxalite area. She reported gender are situations where some male discrimination both in the village she professors create a hostile environment came from where girls are not given for female students. To be able to think access to higher education and also freely women must feel safe as soon as gender discrimination in the campus they enter the campus. She stated that where curfew for women’s hostel is 7.30 apart from students, it is very important p.m. and food in women’s hostel is worse to talk about the systematic sexual than men’s hostel. harassment of women teachers, which Ditilekha, a student of TISS Mumbai has increased in the last seven to eight narrated the struggles of the TISS Queer years with the increase of Collective and their fight to create a ‘contractualisation’. gender neutral space in the campus. They In her powerful testimony being a had managed to get gender neutral testament of the role higher education hostels and had also made a demand for plays in gender empowerment, Mineshi gender neutral toilets. In 2014, the Mishra, a student of BHU, who was Supreme Court had passed the NALSA residing in the girls hostel, spoke of the judgement giving citizenship rights to gender discrimination faced by the girl transpersons and the Right to Self students in the hostel at the hands of the Determination of Gender. NALSA hostel authorities and in the BHU judgment also mandated that the campus. government should facilitate the access Sangeetha, a student of Osmania and accessibility of transgender people in University, Hyderabad, spoke of her educational spaces. Transgender persons journey and struggles to enter the higher are pushed out of education at a very education system as a girl from a tribal young age and even though some have village in the backward area of Ukmal, access to these educational spaces owing where educating girls is considered a to their privilege, they have been highly crime. She informed the jury that she was invisibilised. They felt that to make this determined to study law and felt space more accessible for transpersons, it victorious when she got admission in is essential to radicalise the Osmania University. However, in understanding of gender itself. They Osmania University, harassment takes believe that creation of exclusive place both for being a woman and for transgender spaces were likely to make a belonging to a particular caste/tribe. She space more inaccessible for transpersons 31 Indian Campuses Under Siege who are going through transphobia, were forced to file eight separate FIRs and stigma and discrimination and a lot of took 164 statements, although the police people would have to face immense showed no interest in conducting targeted violence and discrimination investigation. In a completely illegal within the campus. They maintained that move, the administration called all the segregation is a Brahminical, complainants informally and asked them heteropatriarchal agenda and hence, their to submit whatever evidence they have demand for gender netural spaces. to the administration and the administration will decide whether the Sarbani Chakrabarty, a JNU student, accused is guilty or not. Although the stated that she is the student complainants, students’ union, GSCASH representative of highly successful and and teachers have demanded suspension credible GSCASH (Gender Sensitization of the accused, it was not done and Committee Against Sexual Harassment), Sarbani was served a notice from the which was first formed in JNU. She administration. reported that recently the democratic decision-making process at JNU has been In a written testimony submitted by an scrapped by the VC. After its dissolution, assistant professor at TISS Guwahati, the the GSCASH was sought to be replaced failure of the authorities to take action on by the ICC (Internal Complaints a sexual harassment complaint submitted Committee).In violation of the Shaksham to the ICC of TISS in 2017, was reported. Committee recommendations which She was bullied on social media and provide that institutions like ICC have to subjected to rape threats by the accused be divorced from any position of power, through a fake account, causing her the chief proctor was made the mental harassment. She filed an FIR with chairperson. The students of JNU did not the police, the accused was granted have any faith in ICC and thus against anticipatory bail. the mandate of the administration they A written testimony was received on a went ahead to conduct election for sexual harassment complaint filed by a GSCASH. Even though the GCASH was female student against a senior professor contested in court legally, the JNU of KNIPSS, Sultanpur for using abusive community at large still largely accept the language against her. Although the GSCASH. She reported one incident of sexual harassment which got leaked on professor apologised for his behaviour, social media and media, following which no inquiry was conducted or action of several complainants facing sexual misconduct pursued against him. harassment for 4-5 years decided to come In another written testimony a case of to the GCASH and not the ICC. Together denial of access to the library to they got eight FIRs filed at Vasant Kunj undergraduate female students of Police Station. After protest, the police Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) was

32 Key Findings reported. Undergraduate women discrimination, sexual harassment and students are allowed to access the library low representation of women on the IIT only on Sundays when all the reading Bombay campus was raised. It was stacks of the library are closed and they reported that a Gender Sensitisation are not able to borrow books as per their Committee was formed among students requirements. The main reason is that the to identify and look into the area of administration does not want to address gender discrimination within the the issue of restricted access. campus. An issue reported was Undergraduate women are not allowed concerning sexist or derogatory to go out of their college for six days and comments made by male students against are only allowed an outing on a Sunday. women students at a farewell programme Rest of the girl students, those enrolled organised each year for outgoing in various post-graduate and professional students, where students are required to courses, are allowed a seven day outing share comments on each of the outgoing but their timings are limited to 6:30 pm students. Inspite of several objections in the evening in summer and 5:30 pm in having been raised by women students the evening in winters. Thus, even now, to the faculty and administration from the main library remains a largely male time to time, no action has been taken space, specially after 6:30 pm. The against the offending students.In this unequal access to public spaces like the manner this tradition has not only library remains a big issue and a cause of continued but has been implicitly struggle for women students in AMU. promoted. In another written testimony on On the issue of sexual harassment on harassment and moral policing of women campus, the Women’s Cell was started in students at Sai Ram Engineering College, IIT Bombay in 2012.However, the Chennai, a student reported that female composition and character of the cell is students are regular victims of verbal entirely controlled by the administration abuse and moral policing in the college. which exercises influence in its In one instance a female student was functioning, as there is no election subjected to moral policing by the process. The Women’s Cell sends administration after she was caught with complaints received by it to the ICC, a phone. The administration fined her of which is not an autonomous body and Rs 10,000 and called her parents.They there is no transparency on how the alleged that she has too many sexual complaints mechanism work.The partners in the college on the basis of a Women’s Cell is basically acting as a Facebook photo with one of her gatekeeper. Even the ICC is not a childhood male friends. standing body and lacks transparency in In a written testimony from Paankhi its functioning. It only makes a Agrawal the issue of gender recommendation in a particular case and 33 Indian Campuses Under Siege the Director has a veto power over the meeting organised by the North-East cell decision of the ICC. Accordingly, the that in order to deal with racism in Delhi entire complaints and grievance redressal one has to really ‘assimilate’ and not mechanism lacks seriousness and assert one’s regional or ethnic identity. neutrality, and fails to inspire confidence. She reported that even spaces like JNU For instance, third party harassment on are not inclusive in terms of campus is not taken up by IIT Bombay. representation of North-East students. In December 2017, a project staff faced Debojit Gogoi, a DU student, spoke of sexual harassment on the campus at the the racial discrimination faced by him and hands of an outside faculty who had been his friends at the hands of ‘Mainstream invited for a training, but the Women’s India’ and within the campus. He and his Cell did not take it up. friends faced strong hate comments on Region their food, ‘confused nationalities’ and judgments, starting from the day of Gertrude Lamare, former assistant orientation. He was treated like a professor, Shivaji College, DU, said that foreigner and reported the segregation in the North-East identity is an imposed one class. Through the university space, he and although she was deposing under the was introduced to the hateful, sexist and broad theme of region, their experiences alienating attitude and mindsets of are more of racialised forms of people across India. He also realised the discrimination. She reported that in 2016, strong misconceptions and prejudices the JNU administration passed a dossier harboured by them and hurled at him. directed towards the students from Kashmir and North-East – for their Shenganglu Kamei, a student of alleged ‘anti-Indian’ activities. The Ambedkar University, New Delhi, administration also alleged that there narrated her experience of discrimination were ‘anti-Indian elements’ from the faced in Miranda House where she did North-East and Kashmir staying on her graduation, which tainted her campus, eating beef etc. She said that experience of her time there. Her although historically structures of testimony also revealed the strong discrimination had been in place for a groupism of ‘Mainland’ students in the very long time in the city, it is more campus, where North-East students were pronounced in the current regime. The left out and had no choice but to stay most common one is on the difference in segregated in their own group. She spoke eating habits and language. She cited her of her unique experience at Ambedkar own example of how she was forced to University, where she felt judged and learn Hindi and alter her accent. She subjected to stares for her choice of spoke of segregation in classrooms. clothes. She reported that when Speaking about the attitude of teachers, discussions on power or hierarchy in the she said that some colleagues stated in a Indian context take place, the issue of 34 Key Findings

North-East is never discussed and the throttling of freedom of speech and discussions are limited to caste, savarna, democratic expression.The student Dalit oppression, etc. conveyed the palpable fear felt by Kashmiri students while studying in the Written testimonies were received from higher education space in the country. A Kashmiri students studying in New Kashmiri professor who was teaching at Delhi, names of whom are withheld.They one of the best social sciences campuses spoke of the explicit and implicit in the country, submitted an anonymous discrimination faced by Kashmiri testimony narrating the targeting, Muslims. Due to the growing conflict, vilification, humiliation and branding insecurity and lack of education in the faced by him in the campus since the region, Kashmiris need to come to places arrival of the current regime. His like Delhi to have quality education. testimony narrated a tale of complete However, when they enter universities ‘othering’ in the campus, where, inspite like DU, JNU etc, with hope for quality of being a permanent staff, he was denied education, they are looked at differently teaching courses, opportunities and was by the other students and faculty. This is humiliated before faculty and students. on account of the growing sentiment of He was treated with suspicion and prejudice in India whereby Kashmir is singled out at each stage because of his looked as a segregated conflict zone. Kashmiri Muslim identity.He was forced Several instances were narrated from to provide undertakings on his character colleges in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana and allegiance to the nation.It got to a where Kashmiri students were dragged point that he was compelled to resign and out of the campus and accused of being completely give up the prospect of ‘anti-national’. Holding were put up that teaching in higher education institutions all Kashmiris should leave the state. in the country. Students from Kashmir staying in Delhi felt segregated after the JNU incident in Religion February 2016. Incidents were also Umar Khalid, a student of JNU presented reported from different colleges where a painful testimony of the communal Kashmiri students were forced to shout discrimination, branding, media trial and slogans like ‘Vande Mataram’ by their criminalisation faced by him following fellow students. Another student who the JNU sedition case in 2016. The plight had studied in Bangalore and Delhi stated felt by him instigated by the rising that the discrimination was far lesser in communalism under the current regime, South India. was conveyed through his question of Narrating experiences ranging from whether Muslims are a part of the nation. difficulty in finding accommodation, to He stated that people coming to study in discussions on Kashmir turning violent the university from different minorities and abusive in classrooms and a complete and labouring classes, who are already 35 Indian Campuses Under Siege low in number, are being thrown out by his friends from contesting in the from the universities. Today, the extreme students’ elections. Even after becoming forms of violence on Muslims do not the first Muslim vice-president of the allow demands to rise for citizenship students’union, he was targeted and issues like public education. Right now, singled out in the protests against the the focus of most groups working among administration, even after being jailed minorities is on ensuring security from along with other students. He was the communal violence and lynchings, only student to receive a show cause forcing them towards further notice and face inquiry on the alleged backwardness. Speaking of the deep charge of burning an effigy of the Chief internal communal prejudices that made Minister Yogi Adityanath by some the witch-hunt against him possible, he students, although he wasnot even reported that even though Kanhaiya and present. Following this, he was banned Anirban were also arrested, the distinct from the Allahabad University campus kind of communal hostility shown till August 15, 2017, and suspended and against him, by the police, media and served a notice on June 14, 2017. His which became part of the public suspension was extended and he was narrative, was palpable. The police, removed for five years, and his degree because of his religious identity,branded was kept on hold. He stated that the him an‘anti-national’ and even quantum of punishment awarded to him communicated that he could be is exemplary and no other protesting ‘encountered’ student in the university has faced such punishment. He expressed his Adeel Hamza Sahil, former vice- disappointment at the manner in which president, Allahabad University professors and administration Students’ Union, shared his experience of discriminate against students on the basis communalism and religious targeting for of religion and caste for their own being a Muslim within the campus. He personal interests. stated that he was made aware of his  Muslim identity when he was dissuaded

36 2

Jury Report

37 Indian Campuses Under Siege

he People’s Tribunal on Attack on accentuated in the last four years. Educational Institutions was held Testimonies presented to the jury Tat the Constitution Club of India, provided ample evidence of this trend New Delhi, from April 11 to 13, 2018. It which poses a serious threat to Indian was organised by the People’s democracy. Recognition also emerged Commission on Shrinking Democratic from the deliberations that retrieving and Space (PCSDS). Its jury comprised Justice rejuvenating higher education in (Retd) Hosbet Suresh, Justice (Retd) BG consonance with constitutional values Kolse Patil, Prof Amit Bhaduri, Dr Uma need to be one of the topmost priorities Chakravarty, Prof TK Oommen, Prof of the country. Vasanthi Devi, Prof Ghanshyam Shah, Institutions dedicated to the teaching of Prof Meher Engineer, Prof Kalpana the social sciences have been particularly Kannabiran and Ms Pamela Philipose. affected by the present crisis. The reason The testimonies of about 130 students and for this is not difficult to understand, teachers from approximately 50 given that the teaching of the social institutions and universities spread sciences is so critically linked to providing across 17 states were considered by the a deeper understanding of society and its jury panel; 49 testimonies were deposed functioning. What came through orally at the tribunal. Along with these forcefully during the Tribunal’s hearings testimonies, there were 17 expert was the sense that the crisis of education submissions on all thematic issues, viz. is not simply a crisis of education alone impact of privatisation and globalisation but a crisis of society itself, since on education, distortion of history, education is one of the major resources syllabus and ‘saffronisation’ of education, that enable societies to exist as cohesive student unions and elections on units. An educated citizenry, that can put campuses, criminalisation of dissent, and questions to those who rule, is essential structural marginalisation in educational for the furthering and deepening of institutions based on caste, gender and democracy. sexuality, religion and region. Having heard the depositions made by The centrality of higher education for the students, teachers and experts, the jury survival of Indian democracy was the concludes that there has indeed been a major theme of the Tribunal’s systematic onslaught on the very idea of deliberations. The focus was on the higher education in India, and that extreme and manifold crisis in higher understanding the larger political education which has grown over the last economy that undergirds this crisis is few decades in India, and has got essential for identifying the forces that are 38 Jury Report negatively affecting the education sector consolidated under the present NDA today. regime. So-called ‘education reforms’ actively promoted the privatisation of The final observations of the jury can be higher education, and state funding to divided in four broad themes: this sector was deliberately curtailed, Privatisation and Commercialisation of resulting in shrinking budgets and Education; Saffronisation of Education; restrictions in terms of student access. Criminalisation of Dissent and Privatisation is a complex process. When Crackdown on Democratic Spaces in public education is privatised, there is a Higher Educational Institutions; and, sharp rise in ad-hocism, with private finally, Structural Marginalisation Based actors being allowed to conduct courses on Caste, Gender, Religion and Region. that bring in the maximum profits, with Privatisation and Commercialisation self-financing courses becoming the of Education norm. In a scenario where the aspiration for higher education is growing rapidly, The money that comes from the privatisation has led to a massive government in the form of taxes from the expansion of enrolment, with a country’s citizens, including from the concomitant rise in the ethos of poorest of the poor, is meant to enhance conformism and conservatism. democracy. Education is central to this Neoliberalism in the education sector has, endeavour. in other words, only gone to strengthen regressive attitudes and life choices. Ever since the liberalisation of the Indian economy in 1991, governments across the Gross enrolment in higher education has spectrum have encouraged the increased from 11 per cent a quarter of a privatisation of education. The years century ago to over 25 per cent today. The earlier to the present era had seen a percentage of the female student process of decline of public education set population currently stands at 46 per cent. in, with state universities in several states The demographic profile of students has functioning without a proper faculty and also changed drastically, even if that of even basic infrastructure. They had, in the faculty has not. fact, been turned for the most part into It is against this backdrop that the rise in mere examination boards. But the spirit of rebellion among students has privatisation of education introduced to be seen and understood. another dynamic as well, one that was based on the principle that the The pattern of funding for universities is maximizing of profit was the sole very unequal and, in turn, consolidates rationale for the existence of institutions social inequalities. Central universities of higher learning. today get four times more funding than state universities. In the process, smaller These trends, which deepened in the universities – with students who are not post-liberalisation period, got 39 Indian Campuses Under Siege just poorer but who come from far-flung in the recruitment of teaching staff has not regions –are rendered unable to provide only created widespread trauma among good quality education to their students. teachers, it has severely undermined the This has ensured that higher education capacity of both staff and students for continues to remain available only to the critical thinking and questioning. rich and privileged and that a resource The jury listened to testimonies that that should have been extended to the pointed out that “universities” were poor and marginalised, is now ironically being set up in small schools without being increasingly taken away from them. adequate staff and infrastructure. In other In the process, higher education instead words, they exist only in name. In some of contributing to the amelioration of instances, the model associated with social problems has become increasingly Delhi Public School – where a “popular insulated from the realities of ordinary brand” is franchised to the highest bidder people.The Birla Ambani report of the late – has been adopted. Commerce, then, is 1990sprovided a blueprint on privatising what has come to drive education, not the higher education and curtailing needs of local communities or society in scholarships for poor students. It led to general. the mushrooming of private institutions and unfair practices. Many of these The other trend the jury notes is that, institutions are steeped in corruption, apart from the greater privatisation and right from the initial process of gaining commercialisation of education, there has licences to operate. Madhya Pradesh’s been a greater centralisationas well. Until Vyapam scam is a good example of the the Emergency (1975), education was on consequences of such a reality. Ironically, the Union List. After 1975, it was added when the state had a lower growth rate, to the concurrent list. Today, the central it is forced to spend more on education. government has come to exercise Today across the country, with the complete control in shaping the contours government abdicating its constitutional of higher education, reflecting a wider responsibility of funding education, big loss of democratic authority and the rise businesses and corporates have entered of an autocratic order. the sector in a significant way. The This trend has manifested itself in negative social impacts of this are many different ways, including in the and it could be a contributing factor for imposition by the Central government of the country’s literacy level remaining certain entrance models, which have stagnant at 75 per cent. worked against the interests of local The self-financing of courses has resulted students. A case in point is that of the in teaching staff being left in a state of brilliant Dalit student, Anitha, from rural perpetual limbo, gripped by the fear of Tamil Nadu, who was very keen on losing their jobs. This is affecting the very studying medicine but could not do so heart of the system. The rising ad-hocism because of the imposition of NEET, a new

40 Jury Report model of entrance test. The introduction bottlenecks in the disbursal of of entrance examinations of this kind, scholarships conducted across the whole even as they undermine the country’s network of campuses of the Tata Institute federal polity, are deliberate attempts to of Social Sciences clearly establishes that homogenise the cohort that can access the non-transfer of funds in a timely higher education in a way that fashion impacted the SC/ST and OBC disproportionally and negatively impacts students the most, and the hardships they SC, ST and OBC students. In this case faced have increased dramatically as a Anitha filed a case in the Supreme Court result. but, on losing it, committed suicide. The In this context, one of the depositions jury agrees that in sectors like education, made before the jury was particularly state governments should be given more appalling. A student from the SC category freedom and autonomy to design their in a medical college in Bihar, was forced pedagogy, curricula and education policies, so that they are more in sync to give up his studies because the with local requirements. Anitha’s tragic scholarship money due to him did not death reflects the dangers of centralised come in time. He had to give up on his policy making in education. dream of becoming a doctor and take up NREGA work in order to support himself In the name of autonomy, managements and his family. are now being given a free hand in controlling admissions and deciding on Scholarship polices are today being curricula and textbooks, often with very linked to new fiscal policies and it is very negative consequences, even while the clear that the banking sector is being autonomy of teachers to set syllabi is encouraged to provide loans to students being increasingly taken away from them. who have been deprived of scholarships Another negative fall-out of the cutting and thus benefitting at their cost. As the of funding for higher education has been number of scholarships decline, and the the dwindling number of scholarships disbursal of funds become more erratic, available to students, even as the students are more or less forced to seek government encourages them to take bank loans to finance their education. educational loans. It is the SC/ST and While eager representatives of the OBC students who are the worst affected banking sector chase them and offer them as a consequence and there has been a seemingly attractive deals, the experience decline in the proportion of students in of many young people who have availed this cohort receiving government of such facilities has been disastrous. In scholarships. several instances, these loans left them literally enslaved, with many being Delays in the disbursal of scholarships are forced to take up ill-paying jobs in order also affecting the most vulnerable students disproportionately. A study of to pay back their dues.

41 Indian Campuses Under Siege ‘Saffronisation’ of Education Universities and institutions of higher learning must be forums where the Along with privatisation, there has been freedom to discuss contentious issues – a rise in socio-cultural conservatism. such as the nature of the state and of Cultural beliefs and resources are being Indian secularism – is preserved and appropriated by the forces of Hindutva protected. This freedom of thought and in order to buttress their own presence in expression is today being deliberately local educational institutions. For curtailed by educational authorities in instance, in Assam, there are 500 schools, order to conform to governmental accessed by 1.6 lakh students, which are directives. being run by Hindu religious fundamentalists in the name of Assam’s Criminalisation of Dissent and saint-scholar, Shankardev. These Crackdown on Democratic Spaces in Shankardev Shishu Niketans inculcate Higher Educational Institutions Hindutva values and have furthered a deeply conservative, conformist and an From the testimonies presented to the academic culture oriented towards the jury, it became clear that suppression of Right-wing. dissent has assumed various forms. Both teachers and students have faced legal Sanskrit has been introduced in many action, disciplinary crackdowns, coercion school syllabi. While the jury recognises within the classroom and the campus it is not the teaching of Sanskrit that is because they were seen to be dissenters. the concern – there is a place for the Many instances of students, teachers and teaching of classical languages in any select institutions and departments being educational system – exceptionalising it denied their due entitlements in a and linking it to the Hindutva project is targetted way by the authorities came up extremely problematic. In the Right-wing before the jury. Students were drive to transform education to make it particularly vulnerable to such arbitrary conform to the Hindutva mould, many and authoritarian steps taken against schools across the country have been them. All this is being done with the forced to use textbooks that are complete deliberate intent to create an atmosphere distortions of history, if not absolute of uncertainty, fear and anxiety among fiction. This is an extremely worrying the student and academic community. development, because India’s future is Show causes notices have been issued to being shaped in the classrooms. In the students on the mere charge that they attempt to project a ‘resurgent’ India, were ‘talking’ to each other. Even in classroom teaching often presents a earlier times, victimisation – such as by distorted idea of the country.Attempts are cancelling PhD registrations – has taken also being made by the Central place, and there have been several government and the forces of Hindutva attempts by politicians to control to systematically ‘saffronise’ higher university systems and their governing education and exercise thought control. 42 Jury Report bodies. But what is conspicuous today is From 2016 onwards, there has been an the wide extent and repressive nature of alarming tendency on the part of the the attempts being made to curtail authorities to take recourse to legal dissenting voices. Just for participating in provisions in order to isolate and penalise protests, students have had access to their individuals and institutions. This seems scholarships blocked and the authorities to be driven by the realisation that it is have even sought court interventions to possible to achieve popular consensus on punish them. In fact, the systematic use authoritarian moves through court of criminal law on campuses has become pronouncements. The label of ‘anti- the new normal. There has also been a nationalism’ is being deployed not just to distinct increase in incidents of college stereotype students but to stigmatise and university authorities targeting Dalit them and destroy their educational and minority students who participated prospects. Sometimes the mere in protests or had publicly voiced their expression of views critical of the criticism. Often their caste and religion authorities is taken as evidence of ‘anti- were cited in the FIRs filed against them. nationalism’. A telling example of this was the manner in which JNU, in its What was the most disconcerting aspect entirety, was framed as being a breeding of this trend is the pre-meditated manner ground for anti-nationals. Noting these in which this has been achieved. Often disturbing and dangerous developments, systematic and organised violence by the jury concludes that the role that the supporters of the ruling party and its media played in furthering such a affiliates has been unleashed. Such malicious project was particularly displays of viciousness, hate and fury pernicious. In the case of JNU, a section have forced students to lie low or go of the mainstream media put out underground, disrupting their scholastic viciously biased content that dubbed the careers. High-voltage campaigns, marked protesting students as “traitors”. Given by caste and communal hatred, and the reach of the media, this view quickly celebrations of assaults on dissenters, are emerged as the dominant viewpoint today common on campuses, with the among the local public. It is ironic that police remaining silent spectators or JNU, rated as one of the country’s top playing a partisan role in favour of the institutions of higher learning, is now assaulters. In some instances, Right-wing seen as a site of “anti-nationalism”, rather violence is being systematically used to than as a space where critical thinking is control students and campuses. What are nurtured in order to enhance a democratic being eroded in the process are culture. constitutional values. Disturbingly, campuses, which should be sites where Such an approach to quell dissent has discussion and deliberation take place, long-term repercussions that are are today becoming spaces of thought exceedingly harmful for the country as a control and repression. whole. In many instances, Muslim and

43 Indian Campuses Under Siege Dalit students, or those from Kashmir or presented their testimonies exhibited a the North-East, get framed as ‘the Other’. spirit of democratic resistance and a Kashmiri students, for instance, are refusal to unthinkingly conform to invariably stigmatised as “terrorists”, and authoritarian pressure. They also hatred against Kashmiris gets manifested demonstrated the capacity to critically even at the school level. engage with the issues of the day. There are three broad categories of What also emerged clearly was that the institutions of higher learning in India crackdown on democratic spaces within today: the universities was meant to facilitate neoliberal and communal agendas. Also 1. Universities and colleges – which evident was the attempt on the part of the have historically been largely authorities to control development of democratic in their functioning. curricula, selection of syllabi, faculty 2. IITs and IIMs – developed on a top- recruitment, and general decision making down, authoritarian model with very on administrative affairs. By appointing little space for dissent. men and women aligned to their ideology and political persuasion, the authorities 3. Research institutes – autonomous or are now able to get their diktats executed, state-run – where some space for whether it is to crack down on dissenting democratic functioning may be students and professors, propagate available depending on the Hindutva, or expedite privatisation. authorities who run them. Because critical thinking poses a serious IITs and IIMs typically are structured for challenge to such a project, the effort is to control. They do not have students’ destroy the capacity of students to engage unions that function in a democratic with issues independently. This has been manner. For instance, elections to student accompanied by restrictions on student bodies are often not held, and elections, even as no effort is spared in representation is achieved largely ensuring that partisan student unions through the nomination route. Such come to power. This jury is of the opinion bodies do not represent students to the that, in the name of autonomy, there authorities, but rather the authorities to should be no change in the process of the students. They certainly need to be selecting vice-chancellors. Similarly, there reformed if they are to help further should be no attempt to re-structure genuine student representation. systems of governance within institutions that could result in a more controlled The urgent need to defend the right to environment. dissent, the right to think, the right to differ, the right to be who you are, came The jury notes how academics have been up in every single testimony submitted subjected not only to physical assaults, to the jury. What was heartening for the humiliations and discriminatory actions jury to observe was that the students who taken by the authorities, but also to 44 Jury Report extensive surveillance inside and outside and Kashmir. There is also a lot of the campus. The criminal justice system evidence of gender-based discrimination is being used against not just students but and harassment, including against teachers as well, and their fundamental persons belonging to the LGBTQi rights and freedoms guaranteed by the community. Constitution are being systematically As has already been noted, there has been violated. Any kind of non-conformity is a huge democratic transformation in the being criminalised under the pretext of composition of students in institutions of defending Indian nationalism. It is not higher education, which has led to just students who are being labeled as potential situations of conflict with “anti-nationals”, teachers too are entrenched interests. Many of the changes subjected to such abuse. within the university system, especially The struggle to save democratic spaces in in terms of the enrolment and social higher educational institution should not composition of students, are taking place be confined only to the country’s capital, in public universities. But it is in these but across the country, even in far flung very campuses that students are being areas. The jury is of the opinion that the targeted on the basis of their identity. The collective understanding gleaned from recent decision by the Union Ministry of educational institutions located in urban Human Resource and Development to spaces should be taken to the rural grant autonomy to public institutions is hinterland, where students and teachers an example of how the State is seeking to face even greater challenges. The jury is ensure that students from poor and also of the opinion that it is imperative backward communities are driven to the for students to be made more aware of periphery and denied access to equal, criminal law and their custodial rights. quality and affordable education. In The innovative ways in which students’ many cases, the police and intelligence organisations have been fighting back agencies specifically target vulnerable against authoritarian trends could help in students, whether they are women, or fashioning future strategies to protect come from Muslim, Dalit and shrinking democratic spaces within the economically marginalised backgrounds. This approach sometimes amounts to educational sphere. “intellectual lynching” through physical Structural Marginalisation based on and fiscal discrimination. Dalit and tribal Caste, Gender, Religion and Region students are being denied equal access to institutions of higher education, The jury observes that there has been including to hostel facilities. They are also intensification in the marginalisation of often subjected to humiliation based on students and teachers belonging to the their identities within the campuses and Dalit and tribal communities, and to those action against the perpetrators of such from religious minorities, the Northeast attacks is rarely taken.

45 Indian Campuses Under Siege Many elite institutions, which had country. Unless policies are very finely evolved into lively, vibrant and equal attuned to this reality, it is very likely that spaces through measures like many belonging to the tribal population scholarships for Dalit and OBC students, would find themselves deprived of access are now witnessing a sharp reversal of to higher education, since it is usually this trend with the introduction of only those who come within a 300 to 400 exorbitantly high fees. Both the concerned kilometre radius of an institution who governments and university would make the cut. administrations have failed to address the A few years ago, the Government of India issue. As a consequence, institutions that began setting up Central Universities, once had a fairly substantial with some of them being located in representation of SC, ST and OBC regions that constitute the inner tribal students, are now – with the introduction belt. But it will take several more decades of new and unaffordable fee structures – for the country’s tribal students to achieve in danger of lapsing back into being the parity with their counterparts in urban elite institutions they once were. The areas as far as access to institutions of testimonies of students from many of higher learning is concerned. Apart from these institutions, the jury finds, indicated physical location, the other major barrier that they were in a state of desperation is language. Despite the constitutional and depression. right of every Indian child to universal, Since students from Scheduled Tribes compulsory education in her or his have been bracketed with those from the mother tongue, the State has failed the Scheduled Castes, as the ‘SCs/STs’ tribal population on this score. Correcting category, the specific problems of tribal this anomaly should be a priority for the students have tended to be ignored,or State, but so far there are no signs of this neglected. This is not something that concern being addressed. happened just over the last four years, it A disadvantage that students from both has marked the educational system for SC and ST backgrounds face is the time it decades. This issue needs to be takes them to gain a PhD. Most of them understood in terms of demographic are in their late 20s before they get spread. While the SCs are present across admission into a PhD courses. This makes the length and breadth of the country, STs them overage and therefore ineligible to tend to be located in specific pockets. For participate in student elections. In the instance, an estimated 54 per cent of process, they also stand deprived of a India’s tribal population is located in chance to influence policy as student Central India, historically known as representatives. Chota Nagpur, while another 13 per cent is located in the North-East. The Similarly, the jury recognises that there remaining tribal population, constituting is a kind of ‘ghettoisation’ of minority roughly 33 per cent, is spread all over the students that is taking place. The system

46 Jury Report appears to push them into groups to be aligned to those in power. On the comprised only of their fellow other, a highly controlled environment on religionists. Deprived of the cosmopolitan the campus has prevented many women culture that should mark institutions of students from participating in campus higher learning, there is a higher activities or availing fully of campus likelihood of these students embracing facilities and achieving the educational conservative values. Since education is outcomes they seek. Restrictive timings one of the important pathways to of hostels have been an extremely achieving a modern, secular outlook, the contentious issue for women students jury believes that the educational system and have led to agitations in several ought to have enabled a broader campuses across the country. The representation of Muslims in campuses breakdown of internal mechanisms such across the country. It considers the as Internal Complaints Committees and isolation of minority students as Sexual Harassment Committees has led reflecting a serious failure of the system. students to seek redressal through extra- institutional mechanisms, like filing cases Dalits have faced a double discrimination. in courts of law. It is also the case that While everyday prejudices remain, there women students who participate in have also been decreases in the number public protests are often targets of verbal, of fellowships coming their way. Women physical and police attacks, because they Dalit students face the additional are seen as social ‘deviants’. discrimination of being female. Through the denial of reservations and All-female institutions have often been at scholarships, these categories are being the receiving end of the discriminatory systematically deprived of access to the attitudes of the authorities. A striking case educational system. The jury finds it came up before the jury of a women’s outrageous that educational funds and university (Assam Women University) scholarships meant for marginalised being slated for derecognition over a sections of the country’s population are minor bureaucratic anomaly, despite the today being used as political tools for fact that several women students had political and electoral gains. already been enrolled in the institution for several years and were keen to carry The widespread prevalence of sexual on with their education within it. The jury harassment and discrimination in was of the opinion that this situation institutional spaces because of patriarchal would never have arisen if proper and gender insensitive practices and guidelines for the establishment of such norms, was a major concern that was institutions were followed, and that raised before the jury. On the one hand, derecognising them once enrolments there have been cases where the have taken place, would be patently authorities have failed to take action unfair to the enrollees. against faculty members accused of sexual harassment because they happen Personal testimonies from Kashmiri 47 Indian Campuses Under Siege students and teachers presented to the education, in an egalitarian society, must jury indicated how this section is facing necessarily be diverse and reflective of the multiple discriminations, being realities of various sections of society, stigmatised both as Muslims and as particularly of those who have been Kashmiris. Kashmiri students and marginalised in multiple ways. teachers revealed how they were often Arenas of higher education, where the dubbed as ‘anti-nationals’, ‘Islamist freedom to think, explore, discuss and terrorists’, ‘Pakistani agents’, and so on. dissent should have been protected and The systematic and racist targeting of furthered, have today become forums to students from north eastern states in public seems to also be on the rise. exercise control on young minds and Student and teachers from the shape them in a way that conforms to the community described how alienated they majoritarian agendas of the ruling forces. have been made because of their tribal The jury has no hesitation in identity. They described the manner in acknowledging that there has, over the which they often became the subject of last four years, been a sharp decline in the slurs and ugly comments about their food standards of higher education and the habits and dressing styles, all of which values that govern it. Various dimensions indicated an inherent and disturbing of this decline came across in the racism. testimonies presented before it. These included the negative impacts of A paradox evident in the classroom is the privatisation;the assaults on freedom of fact that while the faculty in most expression; the dumbing down and institutions of higher education is ‘saffronisation’ of curricula; and the overwhelmingly upper caste, the profile marginalisation of a broad spectrum of of the students is far more mixed, as noted students, from women and transgenders earlier. In many classrooms, teachers to students from Dalit backgrounds or continue to privilege a majoritarian from minority communities to students ideology in their teaching, failing to adopt from Kashmir and the North-East. Taken an inclusive pedagogy that their students together these multiple crises, unless could relate to, leading to alienation in the addressed, pose a profound danger not classroom. The authorities appear just to higher education in India but to indifferent to such anomalies and have done little to address them. Higher the very fabric of Indian democracy.

48 3

Testimonies

49 Indian Campuses Under Siege

The Perspective

Prof Krishna Kumar, former director, NCERT, Professor, Department of Education, Delhi University

‘These are the first crop of the expansion in elementary education and it includes the girl child, the adivasi child, the Dalit child, the minorities, the vast number of people who do not enjoy the privileges of society’

will try to describe the state of higher of decay that has set in and the education in India. The present state weaknesses that has permeated in, owing Ihas its roots in history. And I am not to the attacks that we have seen in the merely talking about the period following recent past. I can’t think of a better time independence. The roots lie in the policy when the young, in my university, Delhi framework that was devised during the University, till quite recently, should have colonial period. felt restless, suffocated and fed up enough to virtually sit on the streets to protest It’s a crisis that reminds us of the state of against something which was awfully our system, its institutional decay and the enormity of the scale at which wrong and which brought a sense of institutional recovery has to be imagined. crisis. It was something close to every Let alone the scale at which the collective young man and woman’s heart. I am mind and will have to be assembled in talking about the sudden start of the Four order to initiate a new process of Year Undergraduate Programme which recovery. Recovery is probably a wrong the Delhi University started and then had word because there is no point in to be rolled back due to political pressure. recovering the system as it was, say 30 I, as a teacher, at that point of time, felt years ago, because that system had that it would bring rapport among the decayed so much and in such a short students, and, yes, it was able to build period of time. It tells us that there have rapport among the various political been serious problems with the system. factions in which the student community Therefore, it’s not merely a question of of Delhi University was and is divided. recovery, but, also, reconstruction. These street actions registered the crisis We need higher education that suits our caused by a very, very poorly country, that is less vulnerable to the kind conceptualised Four Year Undergraduate 50 Testimonies

Programme at a different pace, so they The sense of institutional decay in the never really came together. Similarly, in crisis was not felt sufficiently by the case of the sudden imposition of the various people involved to take note of semester system for which no one was the situation and thereby declare that prepared, and all the teachers, including something has to be done. Let me talk their union – the Delhi University about my university where out of a total Teachers’ Association (DUTA) – opposed of 8,000 teachers in the 75 colleges, more it. Everyone was up in arms against it, than 4,000 have been living on the edge and, yet, it was implemented and now for may be 15 years. Those many teachers irreparable damage has been done. have no permanent jobs and they are called ad-hocs. Let us look beyond the university. When Rohith Vemula committed suicide, this I want the youngsters to know how will be marked as a watershed moment unhappy lives their teachers are living; in the history of higher education. they see no prospects in their career, with Perhaps tens of thousands of young men many of them being saturated with and women came to believe that this frustration. Many of the best minds which system stinks. could have gone to teaching have perhaps left, some have gone abroad, while A young man with such a wonderful numerous others have gone to other fields vision about what education is, what its transformative potential is all about, like the corporate sector or NGOs, giving decides to end his life and that too in the up their desire to serve the profession of beautiful campus of a central university: teaching where they can ignite minds. the Hyderabad Central University. Then, Look at the University of Mumbai where everyone thought that this system can’t thousands of answer sheets were first grow like this and it has to be reformed scanned so that they could be examined before it takes anyone else’s life. as soft copies and in that process the I thought that the university would come declaration of examination results were to a standstill after Rohith Vemula’s delayed by several months. Similarly, suicide, but, things again become normal think of other poorly executed and after a few protests and that too in planned administrative reforms – take the Hyderabad, not in other campuses. example of the installation of CCTV Similarly, when JNU went through this cameras or getting first the non-teaching phenomenon which I call the ‘Kanhaiya and then the teaching staff to give Kumar phenomena’ and how he was biometric attendance on a daily basis. oppressed in the court premises and What could be more demeaning to subsequently in various situations, the teachers? It first started with the schools, crisis was registered, and, yet, things then, it started in the colleges. Now, it’s came to a pass. starting in the universities.

51 Indian Campuses Under Siege I would say that the University Grants representatives have forced the UGC to Commission probably has a leading role take certain measures at certain times, so in this because it has put together a on and so forth. package, involving all of us – me too. Yes, So, who destroyed our autonomy as we ought to have cooperation with the academia? We are an autonomous set of academic world, but the National institutions. Who destroyed our Assessment and Accredition Council autonomy? In the background of the (NAAC) was not this: the rankings, the crisis, we will have to go back. idea of quantifying the academic standard of the campuses. We have to look at the state of autonomy in the state universities run by the state The ranking system was introduced governments. In these places there is no because we were nowhere in the global meaning of autonomy. This difference ranking, so the government thought that between a provincial university and the let us better start a national ranking. All central universities has been growing for of us should look somewhere and all of a very long time. We already knew this us would find a place somewhere. One was going to happen 65 years ago, when of the former presidents felt bad that the the funds sanctioned for a central universities were nowhere in the top 200 university were four times more than the ranks of the world. Interestingly, the UGC funds sanctioned for a state university. If kept talking about making global class we were egalitarian then we ought to universities, despite very clear evidence have protested against that and we ought that you don’t make global class to have protested a lot, but we forgot to universities by first starving, by first protest. If we go a level down and look at making all Indian universities the affiliated colleges, which have been a marginalised, by making youth starved very strong pillar, geographically diverse of good teaching, of libraries and of and socially hierarchical, a pillar of higher facilities, that every good university education since the 19th century – its decay should have. You don’t start like that. started first. However, that is how they have started. I taught in an affiliated college for a few They have started every innovation, months and I can tell you that its library every so called innovation of the last 20 was one of the best in the year that I am years, by first making the teachers angry, talking about, 1970, and it was robbed off by marginalising any voice of dissent, by in the year 1985. There have been no not listening to them, and by ensuring appointments since 1988 and yet the that everyone adheres to their norms that college functions. It functions with just 50 someone has created. Yes, perhaps, one permanent teachers out of the total 665, may like to think that the Union Ministry while the rest are all contractual, ad-hoc of Human Resources Development workers. These contract workers work on (MHRD) is the villain in this case, whose 52 Testimonies varying daily wages, varying from Rs 250 This meant that higher education was in to Rs 900 and working for 15-20 days in a the control of the elite with English being month and some of them have been the medium of instruction. Most of these working like that up to the age of 50 to institutions remained isolated from 55. This is the state of affiliated colleges. society. If you look at the report of the National The IITs, or, other such premier Knowledge Commission or the other institutions, built as part of nation- reports of the UGC, you will find them building, had nothing to do with the talking that these affiliated colleges have society outside them. These institutions brought the standards down. While the were insulated from the larger society. In reality is that these colleges have been the IITs, for instance, students come to get instrumental in allowing first generation trained in the laboratories and they go out learners to enter higher education for the as qualified engineers, without even last eight to ten generations. These realising how that knowledge could be institutions have been instrumental in put into action in sites just outside their making Indian democracy deeper. gates. This is where I would like to come to the However, elementary education in India crux of the issue. The higher education started undergoing vast changes from the system, which was designed during the 1990s. The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) started in 2002 and the Right to Education colonial period, continues unreformed (RTE) was passed in 2009. A vast change more or less, despite the fact that you had has occurred in Indian higher education. imaginative and enduring islands like JNU and Delhi University, which are Today, for the first time in India’s long under decay now. The thrust of the history of civilisation those sections are system was such that it could never serve reaching higher education who could a hierarchically organised social order. have never dreamt of reaching there earlier. Lakhs of students are accessing For a long time the crisis was not felt higher education somewhere – at least in because the dropout rates at the primary some university-affiliated college. These levels were very high. In 1970, there was are the first crop of the expansion in one report which stated how for every 100 elementary education and it includes the students enrolled in Class 1, only 30 girl child, the adivasi child, the Dalit remained in the system by the time they child, the minorities, the vast number of reached Grade 5. Thereby, in rural India people who do not enjoy the privileges – which at that time was 90 per cent of of society. the whole of India – only 1 out of 100 were able to make it to the doors of higher However, this has also been the period education. when the State has officially declared that universities must mobilise their own 53 Indian Campuses Under Siege financial resources. Universities are being would come out from these institutions starved of funds. This makes the whole without proper education with parents situation complex. While students’ intake being forced to spend lakhs to ensure inside the universities has started their education. There might be reflecting social diversity, the financial exceptions, but the privatisation of starvation makes it untenable for the professional education has largely meant universities to support this diversity in commercialisation and exploitation. the long run. The recent announcement Despite all this, it is being argued in the of grade autonomy makes the situation policy discourse that the privatisation even more challenging and complex. model should be extended to public However, this is not new at all. The Birla- higher education too. There is talk of Ambani report in the late 1990s had generating funds by starting self- outlined in great detail that while it is the financing courses, by linking with duty of the government to support industry, or, by starting off-shore elementary education, higher education campuses, so on and so forth. We have ought to be privatised and given financial come at a point where the system can’t autonomy to whatever extent possible. go ahead with the privatisation model in We have already arrived at a situation place. We need to think of ways as to how wherein 65 per cent of those enrolled in this can be done. We need to think how higher education are coming from private we can come out of this financial educational institutions. The figures for starvation. When 90% of the staff in the the professional educational sector are universities is working on contract and even higher. leading vulnerable lives, you cannot expect privatisation to solve the crisis. It In fact, the privatisation of the is the duty of the government to fund professional sector started gaining pace education, entire education – this whole from 1986 itself. In the 1970s and 80s, distinction between elementary and professional education was marred by higher education does not really makes what came to be known as capitation fees. any sense. In the post-1986 scenario, what has been witnessed is massive corruption in the Higher education is at the heart of the Indian Medical Council (IMC), All India system. What does heart do in a body? It Council for Technical Education and takes the impure blood and pumps pure other such councils responsible for blood to the entire body. Higher granting licenses to professional education too has a similar function in the educational institutions. Licenses were system. It nourishes the entire system being given to private institutions with through fresh knowledge. If the heart is no check on the fees charged by them, or dead, then the body too is dead. Similarly, the facilities offered by them. A situation if higher education is dead, then the entire came when generations of students system will be dead. 54 Testimonies

There is no better time than a crisis to undertaken to understand the crisis, and understand this fact. I wish you all the to come out of it. best for the exercise that is being

Kanhaiya Kumar, former president, JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU)

‘Education ceased to be a political question when the elite of this country stopped sending their children to public schools’

irst of all, I welcome all of you. This situation where no one is allowed to is my humble request to the progress. The crisis that is mounting in Fhonourable jury and participants to JNU, DU or HCU is already going on in allow me to speak in Hindi. the state universities since the 1980s. In my state, Bihar, a vice-chancellor wrote a Friends, today is the birthday of Mahatma book in Hindi, ‘Bihar me Dhahte Jyotiba Phule. And, today, we are Viswavidyalaya’ (The Collapsing discussing the crisis in education. The Universities in Bihar). The issues we are attack on educational institutions is addressing in the current scenario were mounting and this tribunal is going to stated by him 25 years back. The crisis in discuss that. I don’t have any particular educational institutes in our country in deposition. However, I want to highlight 2018 actually started a quarter of a century a few points. back. It took some time to reach our Jyotiba Phule made his wife a student. generation. That is because in Delhi good That is how the journey of female people, like the present jury, were education in this country starts. When holding commanding positions, though Savitri Bai Phule started going to school, Prof Krishna Kumar has said that we are many people used to throw mud at her. not in the list of 200 top academic Hence, she carried a pair of sarees with institutes in the world. her; the other one to wear when the first Therefore, we need to address two points. one became muddy. Allow me to talk about my own life a bit Another name that props up with her to join the dots. name is that of Fatima Sheikh. However, I did not come to study in Delhi. I came why am I citing these names? in search of a job. Somehow, I landed in This is because we are talking about the JNU and saw an opportunity to study at tradition that deter all powerless from very affordable cost. Thereby, I thought, education. Today, we have reached a okay, let’s study. At least some education

55 Indian Campuses Under Siege is going on here and I am getting a chance claim to come from, we must all take the to study. In Bihar, there is hardly any blame. Show me one resolution, at least ‘study’ happening. Students take one, either by the Congress, Left or admission to participate in examinations Samajawadis, that is exclusively on only. To merely fulfil the basic education. One resolution that is on fund qualification criteria. It is as if one needs allocation to education, on student- a graduation degree to fill up the form teacher-ratio! for bank recruitment. So pick up When did this whole discourse change? admission in any college. These are the questions we are facing in However, there is hardly any quality contemporary times. I am facing them, or education going on in most colleges. Rohith Vemula faced these questions; Eventually, there are no questionsasked when, did things start deteriorating to regarding the number of teachers, this extent? When has studying become libraries or funding. The only crucial a crime? What is the logic behind the question for them is how to prepare for claim that after 30 one should not study? competitive exams. Magazines for such How come the meaning of higher competitive exams are available in the education and research has been branded market, and there are various test series as wasting the tax-payer’s money? How that the students join. Almost 20 lakh has such a situation emerged that you people apply for 200 seats, expecting to have to listen to abuses that you should somehow grab at least one seat. be ashamed of yourself for doing PhD at the age of 30 when children are winning I have seen this crisis from that vantage medals for the country at the age of 16? point because, you (the jury) had How did things acquire such social legitimacy in Delhi’s civil society. People contours? like you were respected. When you walk on the road, people recognised you. In If this is a rational argument, then all Bihar, people know only ‘Goondas’. “This politicians of the country should be person was in jail for that number of hanged when they reach the age of 23, months… that person has this number of since Bhagat Singh too was hanged when murder charges… that person owns a he was just 23! number of trucks or buses, and so on…” So why does a primary school teacher, There is hardly any respect for who goes to work on a cycle, take a loan educationists in Bihar. How did this to give donation for the admission of his depressing scenario emerge? When did son into an engineering college, even all this start? though as a teacher he knows that his son does not have the aptitude to study I don’t want to blame only the BJP for all engineering? He knows that if his son these ills. Or, only Narendra Modi. All of does not become an engineer, then he us, whichever political affiliations we 56 Testimonies won’t get a job and he won’t be able to I remember my first day in college. A get married either. Why did this school protest was going on, seeking 6% of the teacher begin to think in this pattern, GDP on education. I remember the while remaining stuck in this morality, slogans even today. What were the with his cycle? Why didn’t he too, like slogans? others, sell off the benches of his school? ‘Rashtrapati ho ya ho chaprasi ki santaan, Why didn’t he too, like others, write sabko shiksha ho ek samaan…’ (Whether it speeches for the contractor, so that he is the child of the president or the peon, could become his PS when the contractor everyone should get equal education). would become an MLA? This suspension ‘Shiksha par jo kharcha ho, budget ka daswan of morality is the biggest root of our crisis. hissan ho…’ (The spending on education Education is a political question. It is not should be 10% of the budget). ‘Kothari only a political question today, it has been commission ki sifarishein lagoo karo’ that since the time of the ‘Mahabharata’. (Implement the recommendations of the Who decided that Eklavya is not fit to Kothari Commission). And, what is being learn archery from Dronacharya and said today? “Why are you studying? Why Arjun is fit to learn? It was the court of are you wasting the tax-payer’s money?” Dhritarashtra that decided it. The armies of Kauravas and Pandavas didn’t Education is important to propagate the comprise only of Kshatriyas, there were relevance of the State. For political parties Bhils too. It is obvious that they knew it is important, so as to propagate their archery – but they were not fit to learn ideology. If we agree that there is an archery from Dronacharya. attack on education then it is happening at three levels. First, centralisation. In this Education ceased to be a political tribunal also there will be only talk of question when the elite of this country Delhi University, JNU and Jamia Millia stopped sending their children to public Islamia. I earnestly hope that the schools. The destruction of the public condition of colleges in remote parts of school system happened when people stopped sending their children to these Bihar will also be discussed. schools. If I have money I will send my The second is privatisation. What is children to New York. Why will I care happening in the name of privatisation about what’s happening in Delhi is nothing but privatisation of profit and University? If I have money, I will send the socialisation of loss. Nirav Modi is my children to a costly private school. allowed to fly away with crores while the Why will I care whether the school run government has no money to fund by the Delhi government has benches or education. There is a private hospital near not? The budgetary allocation on JNU where all the teaching and non- education ceased to be a political question teaching staff can avail of medical when this process started happening in a facilities. This hospital charges lakhs as big scale. 57 Indian Campuses Under Siege fees, while the staff can’t avail medical studied merely to pass the exam, the benefits in a government hospital. So impact of what we learnt in history what is happening is that crores of public textbooks remain. We know that Hindus money is transferred to the private too used to eat cow’s meat at one point of hospital. time in history. We know that Akbar started Din-e-Illahi. We know that A narrative is being created that all things Akbar’s court didn’t comprise only of private are good while everything public Muslims, there were Hindus too. We is bad. SBI is bad and its employees are know all these facts from our history lazy, while ICICI is good – this is the textbooks. That is why there are attempts narrative. While it is the ICICI, whose to communalise education. CEO reportedly transfered the bank’s money to a businessman through her We heard about graded autonomy a little husband. Despite this narrative, the IITs while ago. Actually, there can be no are the best engineering colleges in the meaning of grades in education. There country and JNU is the best university. might be a school that teaches dairy Surely, the richest will even now go to farming – should there be no place for that AIIMS if they have some serious disease. school in the education system? What graded autonomy will do is simple. They The third is – and I won’t call it will claim that if a university is the ‘best’, saffronisation, I will call it then the ‘best’ students would be communalisation. This is because I don’t studying there, which would mean that want them to appropriate the saffron their parents too would be the ‘best’. colour in the same manner they have Thereby, the government will tell this appropriated Vivekananda. Irrationality ‘best’ university to take the ‘best’ fees and unscientific approach is necessary if from the students. communalisation of education has to be It is my firm belief that the struggle to pushed. Hence, you see a former judge save education and JNU can’t be fought saying that the female peacock gets only through such exercises in the pregnant when tears from the eyes of the Constitution Club in Delhi. These male fall in its eyes. Hence, you see the exercises will have to be undertaken in Union HRD Minister of State claiming the villages of Bihar and Chhattisgarh. that Darwin’s theory of evolution is People in these places will have to know wrong. You also get to hear that Einstein’s that the son of an Anganwadi worker can theory of relativity was already present study for just Rs 120 a year in JNU and in the Vedas. can also come and address a meeting in I can’t tell whether society is really secular the Constitution Club. or not, but I can surely tell that our The importance of education and social syllabus has been secular. Even if one consciousness associated with it has to be 58 Testimonies percolated among the masses. The attack I see this exercise as a part of a pressure is serious since it is three pronged – of group. Our task should be to ensure that the market, centralisation and all political parties – Left, Right and communalisation. Take the example of Centre – should commit to spend 6% of JNU – located in 1,000 acres of land near the GDP on education in their manifestos Vasant Kunj. Any mall owner would for the next elections. However, this want JNU to be closed and instead get a struggle will become realistic only when mall opened in its place. This is what we such tribunals can move out from the are witnessing with other public confines of the Constitution Club and universities and schools as well. reach that village of Bihar where electricity hasn’t reached till now.

Prof Romila Thapar, Eminent Historian and Professor Emerita, Jawaharlal Nehru University

‘The purpose of education, and, certainly, the purpose of university education, is to acquire knowledge, but, at the same time, learn to question knowledge’

will be very brief, because I am in profession, but also because I was part of broad agreement with what has been an experiment in trying to change the Isaid so far this morning and I don’t educational system, at least in one have to reiterate what has been said university. One of the departures that earlier. We are in a crisis. We are in a deep took place in the 1970s was when JNU crisis in many ways and education is one was established. This was a breakthrough of those. The crisis in education hasn’t as we had a rather different approach been quite so bad for a while, but it has towards a very special segment of existed over the last 60-65 years. education and that is social sciences. In a sense, it has existed because Why do I say that social sciences are a education has never really received the special segment? deep, serious, central attention that it Today, there is an attack particularly on should have in a society that was being those universities that are known for their recreated, reconstructed, after better, if not excellent teaching, of social independence. There was a tendency to sciences. Social sciences are under attack let things carry on as they had before and because they give you a rational analysis to use the same kind of institutions and of the society in which you live. That is the same structures. I say this not because something which people are not very I was involved in the educational 59 Indian Campuses Under Siege anxious to hear because it counters too It is curious that autonomy is being many of their pet theories about the kind pushed down the throats of some of society that we are. Our crisis, I think, universities who did not want it for has largely been because there has been, various reasons; but, they are being told I suspect, a tendency of fear on the part that they must accept autonomy, which of many political agencies of having an means that they need to go begging to the educated, thinking citizenry. It’s always private sector for finances to fund safer for politicians to deal with, for whatever they need. Where it should example, citizens who are not exist, in the institutions where it is crucial, questioning, who are not analysing, and autonomy is completely absent. who are not putting forward difficult The National Council for Educational queries about the kind of problems that Research and Training (NCERT) we are facing. That is what I think a good produces textbooks, and it has been said social science education does – it enables textbooks are crucial in projecting you to ask questions. And, that is ideologies and for giving a certain something that JNU, Jadavpur direction to people’s thinking that could University, Hyderabad Central be either positive or negative. Therefore, University and TISS in Mumbai have every government is anxious to have full been doing. control of the textbooks. In fact, the joke These are all the institutions that are in this country is that every time the currently under attack. They are also the political party running the government institutions that have been picked up for changes, the textbooks change. So, if you pursuing what is called autonomy. Much are sitting for a state examination, you has been said and written about have to ask which government is in autonomy. For most of us it means the power in order to give the right answers freedom to think, write and speak as in accordance with the right context. autonomous persons. We all know that this perspective is different from the The NCERT should be autonomous, fully perspective which some, such as the autonomous, run by professionals who government, might have. Autonomy here are concerned with the production of seems to mean something different; it is those textbooks; but it has never been so. being suggested as a way out to finance It has never been so under any these institutions. As has been made clear government, and it is least likely to be in the two presentations this morning, under the current government. financing is not the main issue – the main We should issue a challenge. If the issue is making education available to the government is so keen on autonomy, then large number of Indians who for various it should make the NCERT autonomous, reasons are unable to avail themselves of make the councils in the various subjects the kind of education that they wish to autonomous – the Council for Historical have. 60 Testimonies

Research, the Council for Social Science The purpose of education, and, certainly, Research, the Council for Philosophical the purpose of university education, is to Research – make them all autonomous. acquire knowledge, but, at the same time, Let them be run by the professional learn to question knowledge. You have academics concerned with the disciplines. to teach students how to question and Why are they controlled by whichever why it is important to do so. This is way government that happens to be in power? beyond the dreams of the majority of the students of the country. Far from being We have the recent example of the taught how to question, they are simply Council for Philosophical Research being taught to learn the information that running into problems for organising a they are given and not question that. This conference on a theme that did not meet is a very central issue. the approval of those in the authority. Autonomy is politically flexible, and one You teach students how to question, and has to look for the reasons that may be students start questioning the current political, as to why it is being offered system of knowledge in order to improve currently in a particular fashion. it. There is a method and process of questioning, and there are methods and Admission policy is something about processes of putting the questions in a which much has been said already and is framework leading to the logic of something on which much of the questioning. It is a rational process of agitations in the universities are going on questioning, which not only gives you – for example in JNU. We all know the answers, different answers, but also situation there. It is perfectly legitimate pushes knowledge forward. We all know to argue that whatever may be the that knowledge cannot be pushed admission policy in the best of the forward unless it is questioned. So, it is universities – even if they don’t meet up necessary for every student to be taught with international standards – it must be how to question the existing knowledge. such that those who qualify and those And, that is not being done. who aspire for education, should not be The obvious reason is that people in held back. This is the function, the power do not like other people essential function, of the education policy. questioning. This is because they are The equally essential function is the always afraid that they are going to be content of education. We haven’t come questioned and that they will have to to a real confrontation on that, but I provide answers that may not have, or do suspect, that is going to be the next not wish to give. That is one of the confrontation. What is it that you are reasons. The other reason is that the going to be teaching at every level of teacher herself has not been taught how education? That is crucial and very to question and cannot therefore teach important. Why is it crucial? Why is it that to the students. Why? This is because important? there is a fear of questioning. 61 Indian Campuses Under Siege The teacher is kept under control as has of the total system of imparting been said this morning – by ad-hoc jobs. knowledge. If the majority of teachers do not have the As has been again rightly said this security of permanent jobs and are morning, education is the heartthrob of a holding ad-hoc jobs, then, they are going society and if we are talking about taking to be harassed, they are going to be forced society onwards, about changing society, to do things, say things which the about modernising society, whatever it is, authorities want them to say. education is crucial. It is equally Hence, all these issues are interconnected. important even if we are keeping society In talking about knowledge, the area of static, if not turning it backwards. Hence, knowledge, one is not saying that it is not it is important that all of us who are connected with the admission process, involved in the educational processes the rights of teachers, the right to teach realise what the educational policies are what they think is adequate in the given intending to do, and ensure that the syllabus – all these are interconnected. intentions are really what we want from The crisis of education today is not a the educational policy – and, perhaps, simple crisis of knowledge, or of teaching not what some other people may want. in separate compartments. It is the crisis

62 Testimonies

Privatisation and Globalisation

Prof N Raghuram, former president, Indraprastha University Teachers Association (IPUTA) and Dean, School of Biotechnology, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, New Delhi

‘Privatisation of education is a conscious government policy facilitated by abdication of the government’s obligation’

here is rampant privatisation being mostly based on government’s data and caused by the governments of the not manufactured by me. The nuances Tday to cover up for the abdication within the data will reveal a lot more – of its responsibility and failure to meet facts which are hidden behind the data. the growing demand for quality The percentage of total Union education at all levels. You just have to government expenditure on education look at the RBI documents, All India has gone down from the peak of 4% of Survey of Higher Education, Union the GDP only 5 years ago to 3.48% of the MHRD annual reports, and the annual GDP in the current budget (2018-19), reports of the UGC and Union MHRD. which has been sold as a great budget. This is not a pretention of helplessness The data on the budget expenditure on because there is not enough money to be education shows that funding in schools invested in education. If one of the have declined over the last four years, world’s largest, longest and now the while higher education is in a stagnating fastest growing economies doesn’t have situation. money for education, who does? This pretence is also gone now. In the last three to four years, there has been actual decline in the budgetary spending on education by the government of India. The states have always been doing it and the Centre has followed now. The grave cause for concern is that governments can get Education cess used to be collected by the away with all of this. My arguments are government which was additional tax 63 Indian Campuses Under Siege levied to meet the expenditures on which have been doing extremely well in education. In the current budget, it has the last three years. Delhi has shown an been renamed as education and health exceptionally stellar performance in cess. Hence, the cess levied on us in the public investments in education. There form of additional tax on education will has been capacity addition in colleges and be split between education and health, universities, many government schools and anything can be added to this in the have got better buildings, new teachers future. There has been a consistent, have been appointed and given proper continuous and deliberate decline in training. government expenditure in terms of the As in the graph denoting state share of GDP or overall government expenditure on education, some states expenditure. The growth in absolute like Sikkim and Delhi have been doing terms is misleading, as it does not take extremely well in the last three years. In into account inflation and the demand- the last three years, Delhi has shown an supply gap. exceptionally stellar performance in From the data on the long-term trends in public investments in education. In spite expenditure on education, it can be easily of the trouble created by the Union Home inferred that prior to liberalisation, when Ministry and the central government, the Indian economy was not growing as many government schools have got better fast and when the total size of the buildings, new teachers have been economy was much smaller, the appointed and given proper training. government was investing a lot more in education, before it stagnated and started Social indicators are showing obvious falling in the last couple of decades. Now, results that states that consistently when we have allegedly the ‘fastest’ received government investments in economic growth, the highest GDP education like Sikkim, Delhi and Kerala growth, the expenditure on education has are doing extremely well. Therefore, there declined. is no excuse or escape for the decline in expenditure on education by the central Post-liberalisation, as the number of and other state governments. The central students seeking education has increased, government should get back to the the expenditure per capita, amount of Kothari Commission Report which money spent per child, is decreasing, stipulated that 6 per cent should be despite ostensible increase in the total invested in education as a whole. budget. Despite enacting the law on Right However, we have never ever touched to Education, the competitive abdication that figure and are nowhere close to it. of responsibility from education is stark in both the central and state governments. A developed country like the United The only notable exceptions to this trend States, which is the biggest preacher of are some states like Sikkim and Delhi, privatisation in education, spends twice 64 Testimonies the share of GDP than what the been established against such practices of government of India is spending. Many the school managements. other countries are spending more on Such is the state of affairs of private education than our country such as schools in the country. How many China, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Brazil and children have to commit suicide before South Africa. It is interesting that what we sit up and take notice? Private schools Sri Lanka spends on education is are not just independent small equivalent to what it spends on defence managements running a small affair, they (8%), whereas India spends less than one are now corporatised and organised. third in education of what it spends on They even have franchises. Half of the defence. We are creating poorly educated DPS schools in Delhi do not belong to the soldiers willing to die for an exaggerated main management. More than two third notion of ‘nationalism’ or the notion of of schools run by DPS in the country do ‘security’ of an insecure State. not belong to the DPS management. Same On a global scale, India is falling far below goes for Goenka, Heritage and many of the trendline in public education, going these groups. by this graph that depicts the position of The worst thing is that schools are now countries with respect to global average being run by media houses or their investment in education. investors or promoters. Media will not give you any fair coverage of adverse events in private schools anymore. I have tried and failed miserably. Every media house is selling software for school education, running children’s supplements for corporate schools, holding placement events, and providing event management services for private universities. The nexus between private It is not just privatisation of school educational institutions and media education that has been moved to a point houses has reached alarming proportions of no return, but what has been achieved in the last two decades. I can say this with in the last two decades is corporatisation reasonable confidence. of private school education. Recently, in This requires to be probed by a joint Hyderabad, a school student committed parliamentary committee, CBI or a retired suicide leaving behind a note because the judge. The danger of this corporate-school school management had sent her back and corporate-media unholy alliance is from the examination hall accusing her that even if you struggle against that her parents had not paid Rs 2,000 privatisation, there won’t be anybody to as school fee. Till date, no deterrent has report against it. 65 Indian Campuses Under Siege Considering the decadal growth rate, in The teacher-student ratio is falling the last couple of decades, the growth rate because of lack of recruitment of teachers of literacy has not been straight. It is in most states. In 2009, the then gradually tapering off towards stagnation government launched the national skills at around 75%. Despite the fact that until policy with the aim of skilling 500 million four to five decades after independence, teachers by 2022, but the current regime we maintained an average of 30% growth has revised that target down to 400 rate per decade, in the last decade we had million people by 2022. The Skill India 10% and in this decade it is almost half of campaign is popular among the public that. The telling effect of the but the fact that Skill India has revised government’s abdication of responsibility the target downwards has been kept towards education is already beginning concealed. to show in terms of the stagnation of The neglect of the government school growth rates of literacy across the infrastructure has only made them the country. last choice for anyone who can barely The enrolment in elementary schools has afford private schools. Government stagnated below 200 million throughout schools have become an abuse largely this decade. In 2014-15, not only has there because of the government’s own, been stagnation but also decline in deliberate neglect of infrastructure, enrolment in elementary school teacher recruitment, training and education by over a million. This would governance. There is absolutely no escape have further come down in the last from this fact and politicians linked to couple of years, because, without private managements have been investment, new enrolments cannot be pressurising governments to increase the sustained. Out of all the enrolled pass percentage or reduce the standards children, a lot of them drop out before of evaluation so that there are enough finishing their elementary school and/or students coming out of 10+2 to join their high school. The number of children who engineering colleges, management, law actually reach higher education is less and B.Ed. colleges. This trend is evident than 25% (gross enrolment ratio), that too in states like Maharashtra, Karnataka and mostly to private colleges/universities Andhra Pradesh. with exorbitant fees, clearly hiding the Actually, state governments had to economic exclusions of far higher reduce the evaluation standards because percentages. Even basic entry level access in some states in the south, as the supply to education is not provided out of sheer, of higher education by private colleges/ deliberate abdication of government universities has suddenly exceeded responsibility, making a total mockery of demand. Unless more people pass out of the Right to Education. school, their seats remain vacant. How 66 Testimonies do they pass unless you improve teaching I found an advertisement on the internet or reduce the pass marks? by a private tuition institute which is vying for market investment in their In his excellent articles in the Economic and coaching classes. They were trying to woo Political Weekly (EPW), the late Dr K investors by mentioning that investment Balagopal asked, “Who are these private in coaching classes as in pre-primary managements who are running schools schools and vocational education is not and colleges? Delving into their corporate regulated at all, as compared to history, often, it is quite possible to investments in schools which are highly discover their linkages with the liquor regulated. Hence, it is advantageous to mafia, builder mafia, hotel mafia, mining invest here and retrieve high returns. mafia and coal mafia, etc, who are also running educational private institutions. The gross enrolment in higher education Builders like JP and Ansal too are running has not been growing beyond 25% private educational institutions and despite the fact that the number of universitie.” colleges have been growing. About half the colleges are only one-degree colleges Many of them are linked to NPAs in our banks. The government, which can write offering B.Ed, BBA or MBA. Today, of off lakhs and crores of NPAs, does not the 900 universities we have, less than have enough money for education. 300 are government universities. Government data shows that the In terms of number of universities in education industry is growing at a higher education, the government’s compounded annual growth rate of 10 presence is reduced to less than one third per cent per annum, which is faster than of the total and only government the economy, despite demonetisation. universities have affiliated colleges under Expenditure on children, whether it is on them. No private university has affiliated health, or education, has gone down or colleges under them. But, government stagnated. Pratham, an NGO that universities have private affiliated conducts all India surveys on outcomes colleges under them. of education, has shown that the The total scenario has reached a flash- educational outcomes are actually point. The government is seriously facing declining alarmingly because private a challenge from young voters who can schools and even government schools are determine the electoral success or failure not being properly governed and of political parties. If they can ensure the regulated by the government. Students, confidence of young voters, they have th who have completed the 5 standard, are better chances of electoral victory, but not able to recognise alphabets or do basic they are unable to create more jobs. That addition or multiplication. Their data is why, nationalism has suddenly been shows that the situation requires serious discovered in university campuses. That intervention. 67 Indian Campuses Under Siege is the reason for what is happening in struggling for representations. Public JNU, Jadavpur University, FTII and universities have been reduced to the elsewhere. state of private fiefdoms of chosen vice- chancellors who are no better than pets Hence, the attack on education of the ruling party in power. Once anyone institutions, which are branded, without critical of them gets labelled as an ‘anti- an iota of evidence, as hot-beds of ‘anti- national’ and is targeted for incarceration nationalism’, lacking patriotic feeling or with blatant misuse of State power, they indulging in ‘sedition’. This is where the have to keep struggling for life, to even new polarisations are going to happen. get bail, a hearing, an appeal or social Universities are the last bastions of approval. democracy. If you lose them, you lose everything. Students’ union and teachers’ (The views in this article are personal and do union, even in universities like JNU, are not represent any institution or organisation.)

Prof Nandita Narain, former president, Delhi University Teachers’ Association, and Professor, Department of Mathematics, St Stephen’s College, Delhi University, New Delhi

‘It is important to globalise this resistance at the national and global level with our allies’

here is a huge crisis today in higher their policies, but these policies are education in India. It has existed dictated in a manner in which globally- Tsince a long time and is not a new entrenched western interests can raise situation. I will share my personal their capital. We are hearing that very understanding on what has been the role soon the top 1 per cent population of rich of privatisation and globalisation. people will control 70 per cent of the total wealth of the world. How do they operate In any society, where entrenched western and how did they have such great interests are present, whoever has power, coordination after globalisation? How do it is the natural human tendency to keep they exploit the fault-lines of different holding power. They, thereby, will make democracies, be it white supremacists in all efforts to keep that asset. This is the America or the upper-class in our own way a society is constructed. Today, we country? are witnessing how global capital has become dominant on governments of We have a feudal structure. There are different countries. These countries do inequalities due to regional disparities. play an independent role in formulating There is inequality and exploitation. Our

68 Testimonies country became independent and a great increase of 5 per cent in the salary. Be it Constitution was drafted. Despite this, the struggles that are spreading across why is it that the tool of education, the different states in India, or, in other basic tool of empowerment through countries like Greece, against this which our society could head towards international onslaught, we need to join equality, (without it, there is no point in them and globalise this struggle by democracy), was highly neglected? Now, coordinating with them. we have reached a position where it is The manner in which in different ways, about to be finished. despite providing so-called ‘political This resembles the same scenario that freedom’, the colonial powers left their was under the East India Company. We agents, must be taken note of. (Indeed, I talked about imperial colonialism and its count myself among those agents who different identities like neo-colonialism considered themselves rulers after and neo-liberal forces. The words that learning English while taking full they use today and their intentions, advantage of the country’s resources happens to be exactly the opposite. For during the formulation of policies.) For example, liberal means to oppose the example, in terms of public institutions conservative right-wing. Today, in education, after coming to power, we autonomy basically means how to became complicit and joined them completely make academic institutions a ourselves, while they did not allow the slave. rest of the people to move forward. Along with this, there was external and overt It is important to connect the dots and we pressure through the international loans will have to globalise our resistance. The that we took from the World Bank and resistance that is taking place globally is the IMF. completely absent in our country. Former JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar made I agree that many people among us, the a valid point that this fight cannot be elite, don’t enrol our children in fought only from Delhi; but, it will be government schools. Kanhaiya Kumar is important to fight for it from Delhi as telling the right thing. Government well. We cannot undermine Delhi, but it schools were intentionally weakened. The is important to globalise this resistance international loans that were taken also at the national and global level with our had a condition to lower the fiscal deficit. allies. Why do you need so many teachers in a school? Just make do with two. You make Around 64 universities are on strike in the do with one teacher and finally things are Great Britain because teachers’ pension going on with zero teachers in lakhs of was demolished. Even in the US, where schools. Why does the government want the unions are very weak, the teachers’ to intrude in teacher’s training? Let it be strike began in West Virginia for a mere privatised and it will expand more! As 69 Indian Campuses Under Siege Prof Krishna Kumar stated, 80 per cent buy anything in the market, be it soap or teacher-training is privatised and that has oil. That is the government’s revenue and led to complete decline in quality and all by snatching away the citizenship and kinds of corruption. agency of that dispossessed citizen, you decide about who robs it among the Look at the condition of government Ambanis, Adani, Nirav Modi– the list is schools. It is true that government schools long. are established on our country’s land. The targeting of land is a fact – lakhs of schools What we have witnessed regarding are in talks to be given into private hands. higher education in our country is a result Even now, the so-called ‘new education of the vision of our founding fathers. I am policy’ is secretly being formulated. They not saying they were perfect, but, yes, had to back off many times earlier, but they did try hard. In 1948, the Dr many proposals are being implemented Radhakrishnan Commission, which was without going into Parliament. very far-sighted, recognised that public- It is true that their vision is determined funded universities are essential and they by privatisation. Students have to take did not divide education into higher and loans and study. Schools will have to be tertiary versus primary. The Dr rationalised, that is, to be merged, Radhakrishnan Commission recognised because schools are not running properly! that public-funded institutions are meant Why will they run properly? Noam to bring about genuine democracy – Chomsky has said that first they will which we don’t have – so that people can destroy them, and then they will claim have access to good, quality higher that schools are not running properly. It education. is pretty evident that they will not run. In 1964, the Kothari Commission Who is to be blamed for this? furthered that idea. He gave a vision for Our governments forget that it is not their bringing into implementation the idea private property; the revenue and capital that public-funded institutions are the is the public’s money. They are just a place where you empower Indian trustee. The country’s public decides and citizens. There were other legislations and they should decide the manner in which recommendations that followed in the way that money should be spent. People 1970s. The Sen Committee report talked should empower themselves. about service conditions of teachers. Without good service conditions you In terms of public-funded education, they cannot attract talent, or, deliver quality object by saying that the tax-payer’s education. Service conditions also money is being used. I would like to ask include the atmosphere whereby you can that how much tax do these people pay? freely write, read and teach. Without that Major chunk of the tax is indirect. Taxation is when the poorest of the poor freedom of expression, without that 70 Testimonies fearlessness, you cannot instill in your Even at that time there were conflicting students the courage of conviction. forces. However, some eminent people spoke up in defense of higher education Creating knowledge is important; but and against the pressures exerted through most important is the courage of your the international loan agencies on the convictions which is the most important governments, while the governments virtue without which no other virtue can were falling in line to push the agenda. be practiced. Forget about fearless We opposed it like the Hospitals and students if the teachers are completely Other Institution’s Bill, whereby hospitals enslaved and afraid and there is no space and other institutional services were where you can freely express yourself, being declared essential and employees whether its dissent, debate or criticism of who belonged to these institutions did government policies. not have the right to go to a court of law After 1986, when the ‘new education with their grievances. In ‘other’ policy’ was formulated, we started seeing institutions, universities were included. the decline. In the 1990s, the same attempt We fought against that and it was taken was made, even during the time of the back. United Front government. They argued: Why do we spend on tertiary education? Many of the terms used have opposite It should pay for itself! Whoever wants meanings. The idea of ‘skilling’ is not only to study should be able to pay for it! what India is facing, it’s happening all over the world. It is important to bring At that time, certain people holding ‘vocationalisation’ in the university. This positions of power like Prof Desai (I am was the thinking of the government in the deeply indebted to her, she was in the 1990s. In Delhi University, for example, I UGC at that time), came forward. Prof was the Academic Counsellor at that Upendra Bakshi was the vice-chancellor time. There were committees for the of Delhi University; he spoke out against university’s interactions with the these policies. Prof Bakshi resigned as industry set-up. Let’s say you will bring vice-chancellor against the fund-cut that a fashion designing course, or a was sought to be imposed. They argued mechanical course. I have great regard for that higher education is not a non-merit these disciplines. However, the emphasis good – it’s a public good. It is a poverty- has to be on cognitive thinking, learning alleviation programme where there is and traditional disciplines, which can minimum leakage, because the money is grow. So we were against this form of deposited directly in the bank accounts vocationalisation being thrust on us and of the teachers in terms of their salaries. we went prepared to these committee We need to give teachers good service meetings – ready to fight. conditions because we need to promote quality. We need to get the best and retain Besides, what is the role of Indian them. corporates – the big corporate? The big 71 Indian Campuses Under Siege companies, and the families which lead In the 2000s, the NDA government was them? Some of them have set up these in power, and the Birla-Ambani report large institutions without putting was released. As if they are great experts conditions on it like the Tata Institute of on education! It was a complete blue- Fundamental Research, and we are print for privatisation. This report was grateful that they took the initiative to set commissioned by the Planning up these institutions. In the committees Commission under then prime minister, we were the elected members of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Then they brought university community and there were a Model Act for the UGC again, in which bureaucrats, ministry officials and so on. there was a blue-print for privatisation The third were the industrialists. along with a uniform syllabi. We all came with our papers – the Cutting the wings of the students’ union industrialists were saying exactly what is necessary for them because they can we were saying. Lala Banshidhar, Shri thereby force these anti-people measures Ram, Dharam Veer, they or their inside campuses. Curb dissent! So unions immediate family members, were there. have to be curbed, elected representations They supported us. They said that they in these statutory bodies have to be have brought their papers and please do reduced. Autonomous colleges are there, not introduce these short-term market- so there are separate entities too. It’s oriented courses in the university at this difficult to fight when you are stage; focus on traditional disciplines fragmented. All these measures came at through which you can develop cognitive that time. And, of course, the focus is on abilities. We want leaders in industry, we technology. don’t want followers. We don’t want Their contention: Social Sciences and people to be trained in these skills which Humanities are of no use. We must only are outdated every few years. We want have information technology. There was people who will be decision-makers. a boom in IT, so that was the primary target, the focus of that Model Act. We The thinking has completely changed – fought against the Model Act. In fact, a post-globalisation. Even the local and small group of us had formed the ‘Bhajpa national corporate organisations have lost Harao Andolan Committee’; people their freedom because their business is laughed at us that how can you defeat the tied up with global business. They do not ‘Bhajpa’, they have brought ‘Shining have the freedom to say that this policy India’. is not in the interest of our country and we will not follow it. Or else, we will They had to suffer a defeat in 2004 not speak out against it! You don’t find that only because of us, but because of the happening anymore. That is the economic policies they were following. In difference. 2005, the agenda that had been set up by

72 Testimonies the previous government had actually This implied that the local subsidies that been followed up by the UPA are being provided inside the country will government when they made an offer to either have to be stopped or everyone else the WTO. Global capital was coming in will have to be provided with the same via various forms. The WTO was used in subsidies. a big way. Finally, policies were not run Broadly speaking, what happened in by the governments, but by global capital, agriculture was that our subsidy was which was controlling different taken away and so on. In education, it governments. It was like a faceless meant that they would have to reduce the corporation which would dictate terms. subsidy to zero. Therefore, the march The offer was made on that under GATT towards privatisation had started, and, it (General Agreement Trades & Tariffs), is very close to conclusion. We found that higher education will be offered as a out in our own university. tradable commodity. This was shocking. The government and the university There was no consensus among the authorities took no interest in any kind different chief ministers who advised the of reform for years. We would fight for government that come what may do not 20 years and argue that please count the let this happen. That offer was never subsidies. Even that was not done. Five withdrawn. We came to know about this committees would be formed and the later through WikiLeaks, that there were report would end up in the dustbin. different initiatives like the Trade and Suddenly, they were very interested in Service Agreement, etc, whereby a group reforms because the UGC has said that of countries were forcing other countries there needs to be a semester system. to come together and not even allow their Every semester you will have a university Parliament to know what is happening. examination like a board examination. I There were secrecy clauses inserted. That am sorry to say that they show their is why we never came to know about all agenda in bits and pieces so that people this until the investigative exposure by don’t understand what is happening. WikiLeaks. Even my friends in JNU said that why is This is what was happening over a period Delhi University so negative about the of time. Due to the kind of commitment semester system – it has been going on in or offer we made to the WTO at that time, JNU since years! we were bound by the clauses. One of the We argued that everything that is good clauses was the ‘Level Playing Field for you may not be good for us. Here, it Clause’, under which if 140 countries and will destroy us. It has destroyed us. The private players are signing the agreement, quality of education being imparted in then any one from them can come to your Delhi University now is abysmal, country and practice free trade and you compared to what it used to be. It’s have to give them equal environment. covered up because after every 73 Indian Campuses Under Siege examination teachers are holding their forward. If students come out on the heads; even students who get zero are streets and the general public is aware of given high marks. The marks are given what’s happening, then alone can we by the administration after the teachers take this fight forward. have finished marking. So, parents, The earlier party in power was not able students – nobody knows what is their to push the agenda of the globalised real level. Everyone is scoring 75/75/90 process, so globalised forces and capital, per cent in English Literature, under the current regime, shifted their Philosophy, etc. It’s a complete farce that attention. They are now pumping money is going on, and not only in Delhi into the new party which is thereby able University. to decimate dissent much more easily. I have traveled all around the country. They have a weapon which the earlier This seem to be happening everywhere. government did not have, though they Under CBCS, through RUSA, students tried to use it from time to time, as in 1984. who were given a zero were given an A+ This weapon is known as ‘communal at the end of semester. Teachers told me poison’. They are able to poison the about this all over the country. This was society in a manner in which people will the ploy to keep the decline hidden, remain divided and will not be able to put disguised. To prevent a huge resistance up a resistance. The latest version, as Prof from building up. Romila Thapar said, is the so-called ‘graded autonomy’. This is what we call the ‘precariat’ – this is the term used all over the world. We The UPA government, in its second form, are increasingly pushing people into a had Kapil Sibal as the education minister state called ‘precariat’. And then they and it’s not a coincidence. He was stated want to deliver quality education! to be the most favoured minister for education by the US, according to The student-teacher ratio has been WikiLeaks. Certainly, he went out of his increasing in a sense that quality is way to push privatisation in higher continuously falling. This is one of the education through eight bills in reasons why I don’t have faith in the Parliament. Only one got passed and that rankings. In the rankings, 20 per cent is was the Central University’s Bill which based on the student-teacher ratio. They became an Act in 2009. None of the others destroy the student-teacher ratio and then were passed because we were able to they say, let’s rank. Where will we rank depose before the Parliamentary from? Subsequently, you had FYUP Standing Committee. because our vice-chancellor became very ambitious. He said I can make anything At that time, they, at least, had the fig- happen. He brought in FYUP which was leaf of the Parliamentary Standing resisted by the university. Students came Committee examining those bills. The out on the streets. And that is the way new BJP-led government has not even 74 Testimonies bothered to refer some of these to the people of this country who deserve announcements to the Parliamentary and have a right to quality and affordable Standing Committee, although they are education. making changes in laws and Acts enacted I need to mention it here that while this by Parliament. All our universities are was going on we also had a greater intake under the Parliament Acts and the Acts in our institutions of people from ensure that the public-funded universities marginalised sections. They are seeking have a certain character and vision. For instance, JNU’s vision of promoting to reduce it. research and catering to the weaker We have Rohith Vemula and dozens of sections of the society; it is the common such cases. There is also a completely new purpose behind all public funded- reservation policy which will reduce the universities, whether enacted through reservation of posts for teachers to a very Parliament or state assemblies. However, small number which will not fulfill the that has been completely forgotten and constitutional mandate of 15/7.5 per cent. they are clearly implementing this agenda Hence, the outcry. in a great hurry. Today, we are trying to nationalise our They have to quickly implement that resistance. They talk about the so-called agenda through ‘graded autonomy’ ‘national agenda’. However, in this which will take away whatever little is graded autonomy, if you insist that 20 per left of our ‘genuine autonomy’. It was cent of the teachers and students have to taken away by the CBCS which laid be from outside the country, then what is down the syllabi; teachers in our this great nationalism that you are talking university are not allowed to make the about? syllabi anymore. There is a syllabi which you will be ashamed of teaching. They This is the most anti-national agenda that have imposed it on us. We don’t have one can possibly think of – a ‘deshdrohi’ control on our examination system and agenda. Therefore, the country has to rise the semester system has also been against it. We have to play a role, because imposed on us. What is this autonomy we are in it, and we can see what is then? happening. We need to tell the public at large. This autonomy is that ‘we will kick you out of the wagon of public-funded I think this is an important step, this institutions, or raise your own funds’. particular tribunal, in taking this to the That is the kind of autonomy – financial country. So that people can rise and autonomy. defend their freedoms, whatever kind of freedom we have, and actually take it This basically means that you are going further and convert it into a genuine back on your commitment to have public- funded universities, on your commitment freedom of democracy. 75 Indian Campuses Under Siege Prof Hemant Kumar Shah, Gujarat University

‘When I wrote a column in the second largest daily newspaper in ‘Gujarat Sandesh’, that column itself was blocked by instructions given by then state home minister, who is now heading BJP at the national level’

ince I am from Gujarat, I will talk Rs 15,000 to Rs 1,10,000 per month. about the Gujarat Model. The Around five months before the last state Spresent education system is a matter Assembly elections in Gujarat, the of great concern. There is an increase in Assembly passed a law in response to a the establishment of universities since movement started by parents of students 2001. Currently, there are more than 50 regarding the high fees structure in universities, whereas in 2001 the count private schools. However, the was only 15. The concern with these implementation of this law is far from newly established universities is there reality. The education minister himself affiliation as private universities. The has gone on record asking parents to largest and the oldest university in submit their children’s fees in time while promising to attend to their concerns Gujarat is the Gujarat University, later. established in 1949. Presently, accumulation of colleges has happened A problem with regard to the democratic which was then bifurcated in different space in educational institutions has also areas and regions during 1949 to establish come to the forefront in recent years. In new universities. With this new initiative late 2012, the Assembly passed a bill of the government opening their own which is known as the Gujarat Higher universities, there has been bifurcation. Education Council Bill. As per this Act, In reality, several of these universities the Gujarat Education Council was to be have no buildings, professors, vice- established under the chairmanship of the chancellors, clerks, registrars, etc. Several chief minister. In response, many of them are said to be in primary professors confronted the bill and a government schools or in petition was filed before the governor. the teshildhar’s office. After some years, Despite this, the Act got the approval of the governor for the council to be formed. a budget of Rs 10-15 crore was allocated for infrastructure. The question arises: It raises the question: what is in this how did this privatisation occur? council? Under Section 15(a) of the Act, According to the Ministry of Human there are 32 members, 15 are government Resource Development (MHRD), 28% of officials. The head of the council is the primary schools are private schools in chief minister himself while the education Gujarat. The standard fee for a first minister and state level education standard student is between the range of minister will be the deputy chairmen. All 76 Testimonies the appointments for the post of VC etc. communalisation. There is a general will be done by the government. The VC hesitance to question against these or pro-VC have a minimum role and are changes arising out of the repercussions restricted to put forward their concerns. which follow. When I was there in the Under Section 15, the chief minister can Economics Curriculum Formation recommend anybody, but he/she may Committee of the Gujarat State Textbook not even recommend. Section 22 denies Board for Schools, I was kicked out when the right of seeking constitutional they came to know that I am the one who remedy. Section 22 specifies that no has been speaking out against the citizen, either affected or non-affected, government. This is the usual tendency residing in Gujarat, can approach the in every level of the education structure court for the decisions taken by the in Gujarat. council. In Gujarat, the most important thing is Another provision says that any that there exists the ‘Mahajan culture’. professor, she or he might be from any Kasturbalal Bhai, the great industrialist, government, private or aided university, donated a huge piece of land for just for can be recommended to other Rs 1 in 1949. This initiative was made universities. This Act is draconian as possible for the establishment of the speaking or writing against the largest and first university in Gujarat. On government can lead to transfer. the contrary, Nirma’s Karsandas Patel and Reliance’s Mukesh Ambani are also The Gujarat government has formed an starting universities – with the focus on institution called the Knowledge profit-making. This means education is a Consortium of Gujarat (KCG). Instead of commodity just like a piece of soap from getting into the quality of its staff, I which profit can be extracted. would like to shed some light on one of the functions of KCG. KCG conducts The culture of investing for education training which is higher in number than among the industrialists has almost what the existing colleges do and doesn’t changed. Now, former Supreme Court engage with the academic staff of colleges Justice P.N. Bhagwati’s Gujarat Law in Gujarat University. Beside, KCG only Society and even Kasturbalal Bhai conducts training of those professors who Ahmeda Education Society are private don’t speak out against the government. universities. The Assembly enacted separate Acts for them and they are Apart from structural changes in the running self-financing courses. This high educational system, there are content fee self-financing course excludes several changes both in school text and in higher key areas. education, particularly in subjects like Sociology, Economics and Literature, etc. In my own college which is one of the best These changes, in a way, are promoting arts colleges in Gujarat, the SK Arts

77 Indian Campuses Under Siege College, the principal urged me to take This point is important because the higher Environmental Science classes. I asked education commissioner and education him as to where should I hold the class; minister in Gujarat has sent circulars to this is also a compulsory subject for all all the colleges mentioning various the students in the second semester. The ministers’ itinerary and expecting the principal suggested that we could use the presence of the students for the same. In hall which has a seating capacity of 735 this aspect, the work of the NSS project people. One class, all students and the officers become restrictive and specific. technical requirements are met for the This is happening even at the national compulsory subject! I objected saying level and is named as ‘development in that it will be a sabha (community education’. Education today is being used gathering) rather than a class. The for political benefits by the political class principal supported his stand by in colleges and universities, and among mentioning that the college doesn’t have students and teachers there is very little enough professors to take division-wise or no room to dissent. class. This is the agony students and In Gujarat, across the state there is an teachers are faced with in several colleges atmosphere of fear; schools, colleges, and universities across Gujarat. school teachers and university/college In the current scenario, the condition of a professors are all sensing it. The present principal or vice chancellor is reduced to State doesn’t allow anyone to speak or that of a clerk. In a meeting with higher write. Doing so means getting restricted education commissioner, I said, “What is – and these restrictions applies in other left with a university now? First, you aspects of life. For instance, when I wrote decide how many classes are to be taken a column in the second largest daily in which stream, how many classes are newspaper in Gujarat, ‘Sandesh’, that to be taken in Chemistry, Hindi and column itself was blocked by instructions Economics etc. Second, you decide how given by then state home minister, who to appoint professors and also how much is now heading BJP at the national level. to be taught to students. No value of I had basically written that universities university is left anymore. So, the higher are for students and teachers and not for education commissioner can put their the government. own stamp and distribute certificates.”

78 Testimonies Laxman and T. Gourmin, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai

‘Historically, the institutes of education in India have remained an Agrahara, dominated by upper caste students’

Laxman result, the fee has been hiked up in the last three years by 46% and in some heads he Union HRD minister recently by 100%, thus, putting the entire burden released a list of universities of financing expenses onto students. Tproposed to be autonomous. TISS functions as an autonomous institution in Till 2015, the fee for SC, ST, and OBC this era of autonomy through two realms students was Rs 4,500 per semester. Now – the private and the public. In the public the OBC student is asked to pay Rs 61,000 realm, we have witnessed annual fund per year which will extend to SC and ST cuts by UGC going up to Rs 26 crore since students next year and worsen as they the current government took over in 2014. would have to pay Rs 60,000 per semester Additionally, we have witnessed the poor and Rs 1,20,000 per year. The fee hike has implementation of scholarship schemes, resulted in a drastic increase in drop-outs both in BJP and Congress governments. among OBC students which will soon be While the Kerala government provides the case with SC and ST students as well, Rs 40,000 as scholarship, Bihar only gives and only increase in the upcoming years. Rs 7,000. So, we can understand the Historically, the institutes of education in drastic differences in the implementation India have remained an Agrahara, of scholarship schemes. dominated by upper caste students. It is On the side of the private realm we are only from the 1990s, with a rise of SC, ST, witnessing increasing number of projects and OBC students, that the institutes have coming to TISS funded by national and started democratising. This too would be international agencies. Multiple centres stopped with these new policies. are being established affiliated to TISS in We have been protesting against the Patna, Hyderabad, Guwahati and aforementioned policies. The struggle has Tuljapur. The 180 ad hoc faculties in TISS been long and protracted. In the coming are funded by private agencies like the days, TISS will be recognised as an TATA trust and no reservation has been institute of eminence with no guidelines implemented during the recruitment of from the UGC as to what that means for these faculty members. Since 2013, the the institution or what is to be done in government has asked TISS to raise 30% the days to come. of the total expenses on their own. As a

79 Indian Campuses Under Siege T. Gourminlal scholarship problems faced by students. We decided to coordinate with the I am a part of the Government of India’s government, the MHRD and Social Post-Matric Scholarship (GOI-PMS) Justice Ministry, and other stake-holders Working Group constituted by TISS and to reinstate fee adjustment against would like to make two points in the scholarships for SC, ST and OBC context of the protests in TISS, the process students. Since the GOI-PMS Working of privatisation in TISS and its effects on Group was formed – the student led the student community. Initiative for solving the current problem The process of privatisation began well backed by the institute – we have met before 2012. The 12th plan document senior MPs from North-East and have submitted to the government in 2012 by successfully brought the issue to the TISS details the Rs 200 crore fund raised notice of the National Commission for through private entities and trusts. In Scheduled Tribes who have called the 2013, the institute declared that they are institute for hearing on this matter before raising Rs 750 crore fund from private the commission. entities, trusts, and the corporate sector. The matter was brought to the institution In 2012, TISS claimed that the institute and the government. Both are distancing was in a financial crisis and needed themselves from the issues.While the support from the government. In 2013, government took a stand that we have not the SC, ST, and OBC students were asked stopped scholarships nor any grant to to pay the fee upfront as the institution TISS from UGC, the institute constantly claimed that it did not have financial reiterated that the financial crisis was due resources to support these sections of the to the fund cut from the UGC under the students. maintenance grant. However, the Ironically, in 2012, new campuses were government and the institute are not established at Guwahati and in 2013 interested in dealing with the real issues another campus was opened at that the students are facing Hyderabad. This year marked the currently.After dealing with the expansion of the campus, courses and government at the ministry level, the students intake in contrast to the financial UGC, and after numerous meetingswith shortage claimed by the institute the institute authorities, it is sad to note that the ministry and the institute are not Again in October 2017, TISS issued a giving enough attention to solve the notice to GOI-PMS students that SC, ST, current problems of the SC and ST and OBC students should pay full fee. students. The GOI-PMS had a public meeting with the director to propose an alternative and To go back, reservation policy as per the the director agreed to the proposal laid government rule for public-funded down before him for the solution of the institutions was introduced in TISS for 80 Testimonies faculty positions the in 1980s after a hard number of ST students admitted in and persistent fight. Following this various courses has reduced. The exact reservation policy, the institute, realising data is not being given out by the its mission and value, introduced fee administration. adjustment against scholarship for SC The big question is, if normal fees is and ST students. SC/ST students don’t charged for the SC/ST communities as have to pay extra fees, other than par the general category in TISS, where admission fees, insurance, students’ will the SC/ST community go to access union fees and some amount of advance. quality education? Where is the principle Before the policy of fee adjustment of equity and justice that the institute has against scholarship was introduced, TISS been teaching and championing about in was a premier institute accessed by only the society? Equity for whom, when the elite, but, after this policy was opportunities are denied? Justice for introduced, the economically and socially whom when you are denying equality to backward students from far-flung rural larger sections of the communities to areas could access it and have equal access better education? access to quality education at par with the Thereby, TISS will become the elite elite sections of the society. This led to a institution as it was in the 1980s and rise in SC and ST groups in TISS – before. We have to fight to secure the diversifying the campus immensely. diversity of TISS. We have to fight to However, from 2015, there has been a realise and translate into practice the steady drop in OBC students with only principles of equity that are taught in the 18% of total students now being OBC, due institute. The students’ protests are not to reasons already explained by Laxman. just for social demonstration, but it is for A similar fate would follow the SC and real issues to make quality higher ST students in 2018-2019 of the Masters’ education accessible for all. programme in the Mumbai campus.The

Boota Singh, Panjab University, Chandigarh

‘The entire time I was in police custody I was abused with casteist slurs, stripped nude, beaten brutally, and humiliated constantly’

have difficulty in speaking in English, at Panjab University, Chandigarh. The so I will speak in Hindi. In my Hindi, senate body of the university increased Ia little bit of Punjabi will be there. the fee upto 1100% for all courses; this I am a student attending evening classes resulted in students’ agitations. A call for

81 Indian Campuses Under Siege university bandh was made on April 11, After this the police started registering the 2017 to all the colleges in Chandigarh as FIR and asked my name: I replied ‘Boota well as in the university to gather near Singh’. They asked my address. I said, the vice-chancellor’s office. The students Mansa district, Punjab. Every time I would give an answer I was punched in boycotted classes and left the libraries to the face by a gunman sitting beside me. meet the VC, but the VC was absent. In They asked my caste and I replied that I order to drive the students away, the am a Dalit. Upon hearing this they called police threw tear gas. Eighteen of us me a chamar and beat me again. Finally, sought safety at the university they inquired about the income of my gurudwara, but the police caught us at family and I said that nobody earns and the gurudwara and took us to the police we are a poor family. I support my station. While 17 of us were taken to the education myself by doing little jobs in police station at Sector 22, I was taken to Chandigarh. the police station at Sector 11. Upon realising that I am economically On the way, the police asked me if I was backward and do not have a political a Hindu or Muslim. When I did not reply, background, they beat me up again. After every 10 minutes I was beaten 10-15 they took my ID card and read my name. times, even in the washroom. In the In the five-minute journey I was beaten medical examination, I was shown as and abused continuously by the police. normal, not given medicine, and then put A call was made by the police and some back in the lock-up. Two of my friends people gathered at the station. I spotted who were arrested were only scolded and two more students in the lock-up. not beaten. They were told that they However, I was taken to the gallery in the would be released if they piss in my top floor. Four people were already mouth. present in the gallery holding plastic and bamboo sticks ready to beat me again; I was taken in judicial custody. The entire they beat me even while I cried out asking time I was in police custody I was abused them to stop. Next, I was taken to a room with casteist slurs, stripped nude, beaten where five-six students were also present brutally, and humiliated constantly. My and provided with water. After waiting case is still ongoing and I am supported by a student organisation of which I am in the room for ten minutes I was again a part. We do not receive support from called outside and beaten. any mainstream political party.

82 Testimonies Manirathnam, Tamil Nadu

Why Anitha committed suicide...

, Manirathnam, Anitha’s brother, will In the year Anitha cleared her 12th exam, be deposing her case. Anitha was the the NEET exam was introduced in Tamil Iyoungest of five siblings who Nadu. It was difficult for the students to committed suicide since Tamil Nadu was prepare for the NEET exam because there not exempted from the National were no model or sample papers and the Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) state had not conducted such an exam exam. We are settled in the Ariyalur before. There was a variance of version district of Tamil Nadu and belong to the between the central government and the Scheduled Caste community. The state government regarding the NEET exam. The state government stepped back occupation of our father as labourer and from their promise of not conducting the our mother as agricultural labourer did NEET exam in Tamil Nadu after the not stop us from pursuing education in a central government’s declaration of government school. They believed that making the NEET exam compulsory for education is the main tool to overcome all states in India. As a result, there were poverty. Under these circumstances, I am lot of protests in Tamil Nadu. the first graduate in the family and Anitha cleared her 12th class by scoring 1176 out In these protests, Anitha emerged as an of 1200 marks. The cut off was 196.75 out activist. She raised questions about the of 200. NEET exam because it follows the CBSE syllabus. Most of the schools under the Anitha lost her mother at the age of seven Tamil Nadu government follow the state and this motivated her to become a government syllabus. Thus, it is very doctor. She chose to become a doctor difficult for the common students of despite the opportunities she had – to Tamil Nadu to undertake this exam and undertake aeronautical engineering or to score good marks. Despite various become a veterinary doctor. The non- attempts and active engagement in exemption of Tamil Nadu from the NEET protests by Anitha and other students, the exam put an end to her ambitions and she government declared that Tamil Nadu is took the enormous step to commit suicide not exempted from the NEET exam. in frustration, though she had put in Anitha’s participation in various protests endless efforts by participating in protests and as a petitioner in Supreme Court and filing a petition in the Supreme Court made her more visible. Otherwise, this against making NEET exam compulsory case may not have been highlighted in the for Tamil Nadu. media and it must have been a common

83 Indian Campuses Under Siege death like other people who have government should come out with its committed suicide in Tamil Nadu. We own syllabus. This will give an had more confidence in the Supreme opportunity to all the students from Court which is based on our Constitution. government schools to achieve their Justice was not on our side. Finally, we ambitions in life. lost Anitha in this case. This incident is not specific to caste I, personally, feel that the Supreme Court discrimination. However, this kind of ruling in the NEET exam is (derived) from policy by the government affects the most the direction of the central government. marginalised sections like the SC, ST and As a result, marginalised communities OBC communities. Hence, when like us are losing hope in the judiciary. discriminatory policies are implemented by the government, Dalits are the most I suggest that in order to overcome these vulnerable, as they are the most difficulties in the NEET exam, the state backward.

Students of Assam Women’s University, Jorhat, Assam

‘Women students at the university have protested the education minister’s comment. We have done hunger strikes, blocked roads, boycotted classes, conducted satyagrahas, celebrated black days, and even protested on the International Women’s Day’

he atmosphere in the Assam by the then chancellor of the university, Women’s University has been Tarun Gogoi. Tturbulent since the education According to the Assam Women’s minister in a talk show commented that University Act, the chancellor can due to the absence of a permanent vice- authorise someone (a mentor) to carry out chancellor the university’s certificates the functions of the VC in the absence of hold no value. Two batches have already a permanent VC. But the act has been graduated since the university started in falsely interpreted as having loopholes 2014 with under-graduate and post- and there is thus no mentor on board. graduate programmes still continuing. Bujarbaruah is undoubtedly well- The Assam Women’s University is a state qualified and capable enough to manage university established under Act 22. K.M. the Assam Women’s University. Yet, it is Bujarbaruah, the vice-chancellor of being said that the university’s certificates Assam Agriculture University, currently hold no value. serves as the mentor of Assam Women’s University. Bujarbaruah was appointed Women students at the university have

84 Testimonies protested the education minister’s But the speaker is a neutral member of comment. We have done hunger strikes, the Assembly and his assurance of blocked roads, boycotted classes, protection needs further clarification with conducted satyagrahas, celebrated black respect to the kind of protection he has days, and even protested on the declared. Will the university get a VC and International Women’s Day. We have will the university be protected? We have received support from all of Assam as not received any written assurance well as universities outside Assam such regarding this, and the university’s name as the Sikkim Central University, JNU, IIT was not even raised in the recent sixth Kharagpur, NEHU, BHU, etc. All colleges budget session held in April. under Dibrugarh University, Guwahati We will continue to protest and boycott University and Cotton University also classes till we receive a written assurance protested in solidarity. stating that a permanent VC and Our issue was raised in the Assembly permanent staff will be appointed and the where the speaker said that the Assam Assam Women’s University will be Women’s University will be protected. recognised as a full-fledged university. Lokesh Reddy, Osmania University, Hyderabad

‘More than 700 people, especially students, sacrificed their lives to achieve the state of Telengana’

am a former president of Osmania had promised during the 2014 elections, University, Hyderabad. The after the Telengana movement demanded Iglobalisation and privatisation of free education from KG to PG. education takes us back to the 1991 In the Telengana University, like in reforms by the then Prime Minister P.V Osmania University, Kakatiya Narasimha Rao and Finance Minister Dr. University, Central University of Manmohan Singh. Despite strong Hyderabad and Satavahana University, objections by the Progressive Democratic 70-80% students are from Scheduled Students Union (PDSU), on March 28, Tribe (ST), Scheduled Caste (SC) and 2018, the Telangana Assembly passed the Other Backward Classes (OBC) Private Universities Bill. The students’ background. The introduction of the Bill union continued its protest against the came with a lot of restrictions on the Telangana Rashtra Samithi’s (TRS) universities like police patrolling in the Private Universities Bill. This Bill is campuses. Such attempts are meant to contradictory to what the K suppress progressive voices. In Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) government retaliation, dharnas and hunger strikes 85 Indian Campuses Under Siege were organised by students to convey our More than 700 people, especially message to the government regarding the students, sacrificed their lives to achieve privatisation of universities. However, the state of Telengana. The feudal attitude even with these concerted attempts and of KCR has crushed the voices of protests, students were unable to convey students. Students, who are raising their their message to the government. voice, are targeted in their educational streams. For example, if a student is doing The students’ union is targeting the his Ph.D, his Ph.D date or viva date is not feudal attitude of the state government declared, or it is suspended. by narrating the situation of 1991. In 1991, there was a similar bill, the Private Bill, So how can we overcome it? when Manmohan Singh was the minister. The political ideology of the Narendra Since then, there has been privatisation Modi government and the Telangana in primary and secondary schools. government is different. However, both Currently, in Telangana, there are some are working for a common agenda and big magnets for the privatisation of have a feudal attitude. They are simply education like the Narayana Educational running their business by introducing a Institutes and Chaitanya Educational Private Bill. Institutes. Before the formation of Telengana, the Under the banner of PDSU, we are raising Indian and regional media were reporting the issues concerning the rights of the agitation of the students of Osmania students since a long time. There have University. The moment Telengana came been protracted struggles in Andhra and into existence, the agitations and Telengana, for instance, on the Rohith struggles were not reported. We can Vemula issue or this Bill. Recently, three clearly see the big difference among students committed suicide and we democratic voices within the state. protested. In the backdrop of these incidents, the agitation demanded justice. I would like to thank the organisers of this As a result, PDSU and students’ union Tribunal who are providing a platform leaders were arrested, detained and for us, people from Telengana, to express charged with false cases. our testimonies.

86 Testimonies

Distortion of History, Syllabus and Saffronisation of Education

Prof Apoorvanand, Department of Hindi, Delhi University

‘State universities and colleges don’t even know the meaning of autonomy. This is because they have been controlled by state governments since a long time ago’

e should refrain from using the universities are not bound to agree with word ‘saffronisation’ because this. The syllabus-making process is quite Wthat word has lost its validity. different. The word that should be used, especially It is important to see that there is total when you talk about higher education, in erosion of autonomy in the universities. Hindi at least, should be: We need to focus on that. It is being said ‘ghatiyakaran’ (degradation). It can be that we are being provided with graded used for higher as well as school autonomy, while we know that education. We should be talking about autonomy resides in the Acts which the ‘ghatiyakaran’ of our education and not govern our universities. It is not that we about saffronisation, because it is not only did not have autonomy, but we ourselves an ideological makeover; the word surrendered our autonomy before the saffronisation does not convey the exact UGC or the Union Ministry of Human vulgarisation and that education is Resource Development (MHRD). Now, suffering due to it. the Minister of HRD is so kind enough to When we talk about curriculum or grant us autonomy – so to function as syllabus in other universities or schools, excellent centers of higher education! it is difficult to comment in a generalised Therefore, we need to talk about how the way because the curriculum is not leadership of universities is being chosen decided by a centralised institution. The – the leadership that by itself surrenders University Grants Commission (UGC) its autonomy to its political masters. It has has been trying to introduce a model two levels. One is that of the state curriculum time and again but universities which we have been ignoring 87 Indian Campuses Under Siege because our focus has been on central look at their faculty composition, you will universities. We need to focus on the fact discover that all these newly created that state universities have been universities are running as small completely destroyed at two levels. First fiefdoms. Their teachers don’t have a is the governance system. The other is the voice and neither do the students. It student body and faculty composition. – would be irrelevant to talk about the ‘education’ happening there or their If you do a survey of most of the states in examination systems. I might seem very India, you will see that either there is no negative and cynical, but this is the state faculty or they are on contract. I went to of things in these new universities. We a college in Bettiah in Bihar, established need to be realistic about this. in 1955. It has 12,000 students on its rolls; barely 500 come to the college. Most of Let us, thereby, understand the older and the departments are locked as there are well-known central universities. In Delhi no teachers. This is also the story of most University, we have nearly 5,000 of our state universities and colleges vacancies; almost 5,000 vacancies have across India. Non-appointment of been filled with and are operated through teachers has been turned into merely ad-hoc teachers. I don’t want to mention examination boards. They conduct their ‘internal life’ here, but we need to examinations and publish the results. bring their narrative out because the life Apart from this, this thing we call of the colleges of Delhi University is no ‘education’ does not really happen in better than the colleges of Bihar and Uttar these institutions. Nor do students expect Pradesh. And we should not be deluded it from these institutions anymore. about this. A conclusion reached on the basis of the That is why whatever is happening Gross Enrollment Ratio would be quite within the universities makes ‘education’ erroneous because we will not be able to irrelevant. Students are enrolled in the know about the knowledge systems and state universities but they are going to academic training prevailing in these coaching centers or somewhere else; they institutions. Statistics and data are not come to the university only for the sake going to give us the real picture. Indeed, of taking credentials. They need a we need to collect narratives from the certificate which they somehow get by state universities and colleges of their sitting for examinations. These are the ‘internal lives’. complex factors that are impacting the life of ‘higher education’ in India. The second level is that of the new central universities, established in 2009. Look at The things that we see in a superficial their leadership, the manner in which manner and what the media talks about university vice-chancellors have been is ‘disruption’ in the last four years. This selected, their composition. When you has often been done by the ABVP, or by

88 Testimonies the central government. This disruption them funds if anything coming out of is what we see and this is what creates their forum is considered anti- news. There is only one outcome of the government or appears as critical of the disruption caused, which is to create so government. much instability and insecurity within the We need narratives from think-tanks or university that there is no possibility for research institutes to know what is going other conversations, except syllabus and on inside them, the projects they are classrooms. Students are also being told coming up with, the kind of seminars that whatever is happening is extraneous, they are doing, or, how they are unnecessary – they are done to distract conducting different activities. This is you. This is happening from one because they impact the universities as university to the other. well. These centers have hitherto claimed Let us look at research centers which are that there is no knowledge-generation left unscrutinised because all our focus is going on in the universities and that is on what is happening in the universities. why their research programmes are This is one crucial area of knowledge crucial. It is therefore important to know generation. How is the Indian Council of the condition of these centers that are Social Science Research (ICSSR) dedicated only towards research. distributing its grants? How are the I would like to say in the end that since a interviews being conducted? What kind long time ago, in all of India, there is an of projects are being given? What kind of atmosphere of despondency in the higher change in behavior has taken place in the education circuit, especially in the state organisations run by the Indian Council universities and colleges. That is why it of Historical Research (ICHR) and does not matter to them, or, it is not ICSSR? relevant for them, if you are talking about My personal experience is of one such autonomy or not. State universities and institution where I was invited to edit a colleges don’t even know the meaning of journal. After some days, I was told that autonomy. This is because they have been they are scared that the journal might controlled by state governments since a publish anti-government things so it long time ago. would be better if I could show them my This is the reason that the argument of content and get it passed. In these centers, syllabus and autonomy is foreign to them. which seem to be autonomous on the Even the syllabus is not an issue in the surface and are included in deliberations, state universities since a long time. Hence, their ‘internal culture’ is completely based when we talk about education, I would on censorship. It means that they keep request that we should only form running internal censors due to which the opinions by assessing the state ‘intellectual life’ out there is almost dead. universities, the state colleges, the They fear that the ICSSR might not give different higher-level institutions, the old 89 Indian Campuses Under Siege central universities, the 2009 central specific nature and conditions of their universities, research institutions and ‘internal life’, their intellectual and think-tanks. This should be done in academic life, and their knowledge totality, taking into consideration the systems.

Prof Akhil Ranjan Dutta, Political Science, Gauhati University, Guwahati

‘Thereby, you have no right to write anything in a newspaper or in the social media. You can’t write or speak against the government’

here are three parts in my a nexus between the market forces and presentation. First, I will focus on feudal forces. the political economy that we have T I have drawn the phrase ‘market been passing through which inevitably fundamentalism’ from noted American leads to both privatisation and economist Joseph Stiglitz, a Nobel saffronisation. I will also be trying to laureate, who is of the view that the capture the political discourse that has emerged in different cultural contexts, for current phase of economy under example, in North-East India. Finally, I globalisation is devoid of liberal laws and will be speaking on the saffronisation ethics. model which has been pursued in my If you look at the political transition own region, the state of Assam. which has been taking place in India, it is The current moment in history – I call it a testimony to this process. Look at the neo-liberal market fundamentalism and time period – between 1967 to 1969. It was political feudalism. It is a nexus between a critical moment in our history. The market fundamentalism and social, Congress was losing ground and there cultural and political feudalism. A regime was a clash between the Indira Gandhi- based on the neo-liberal economy controlled Congress and the Syndicate. constantly manufactures inequality at all There was a fight between the progressive levels. It does not talk about forces and conservative forces led by redistribution of resources. It talks of Morarji Desai and the Syndicate, and so appropriation of resources. It is a regime on. At that critical moment, as we all that does not talk of social justice, but only know, bank nationalisation took place. of profit. This kind of economy will not Also, JNU was established. Life insurance allow public institutions to become was brought under public control and the relying points of resistance against privy council was abolished. This was inequality. This process, finally, results in done to counter the emergence of Right-

90 Testimonies wing forces in the country. However, political and ideological bankruptcy? Has finally, it failed. not the Congress, which pioneered the freedom movement and advocated The Right-wing forces consolidated democratic socialism, compromised its themselves. To counter it, Prime Minister own commitments and launched Indira Gandhi declared Emergency and economic reforms, while moving hand- did it in such a way that it only in-hand with the BJP in pursuing discredited the parliamentary institutions economic liberalisation? Has it not, in the built so far. Emergency could not defeat long run, opened up the gates for the the Right-wing forces. Rather, it defeated feudal forces to capture the social and the democratic institutions. In the long political domain and the imperialist run, it helped in more and more forces to capture the economic domain? consolidation of Right-wing forces. The BJP’s growth in post-emergency period I think, this context has to be kept in mind is a testimony to this phenomena. when we look at the attack on educational institutions in general and higher There is a lesson that we must learn from educational institutions in particular. this episode. The lesson is that the With the launch of economic reforms, the consolidation of the Right-wing, which is government of India undermined its own feudal in the national context and has constitutional commitments to social affiliation to imperial forces in the justice. By doing that, it has also international context, took place when undermined public institutions as a both, democratic institutions and the domain of debate regarding issues related voices of freedom, were suppressed. In to social justice – the issues of poverty, other words, authoritarianism in the inequality, patriarchy, caste pretext of suppressing the Right-wing is discrimination and so on. It has happened not a solution at all. because the Indian State, through How has the Right-wing consolidated economic reforms, opened up its itself in the post-economic reforms era? resources and services for private We need to investigate its political appropriation. Land reforms, the economy. Who facilitated it? What is the progressive agenda of social distribution, relationship between the suppression of lost its relevance for all time to come. This democratic rights and constitutional context provided the much needed nexus values and the consolidation of the Right- between the imperialist and feudal forces. wing? What is the relationship between It was obvious for the reason that both the introduction of economic reforms and imperialist and feudal forces are the demolition of the Babri Mosque? Why undemocratic in nature. Both of them do the Congress and BJP speak the same suppresses democratic voices and language as far as economic reforms are adheres to authoritarian tendencies – the concerned? Does India now suffer from global financial oligarchies of the

91 Indian Campuses Under Siege imperialist forces and land and capital NHRM and opportunities to bring in oligarchies of the feudal forces. some progressive educational acts. Also, the National Curriculum Framework by The discourse on saffronisation, the NCERT was established and the therefore, is an outcome of the pursuit of NCERT books were produced by a group policies that facilitates the rule by of liberal, and to an extent, progressive oligarchies. Where are we debating academics of the country. But, that was saffronisation? Are we debating it in again only a relief, not a solution at all. private universities? No. Why? Because, private universities do not pursue an UPA II indulged in aggressive economic agenda of social justice. It does not debate reforms which created unprecedented inequality. It does not question public wrath in response. Corruption and imperialism. It does not investigate appropriation of resources became the feudalism. Private universities are order of the day, which, in turn, facilitated themselves the forces of appropriation of the political consolidation of the Right- common resources. They do not allow a wing. The 2014 election outcome is a voice of dissent, a voice of protest. They culmination of this process. have nothing to do with democracy and Similar was the case in 1996, when the BJP democratic institutions. In terms of was elected as the largest party after culture, they are feudal; in terms of Congress had pursued the first phase of economic logic, they indulge in economic reforms in 1991. Although the profiteering. There may be exceptions, BJP was kept out of power from 1996 to but the exception is not the general rule. 1998, it came to power in 1998 and 1999 However, what we need to remember is after the Congress committed a blunder that India is a diverse country, and this by withdrawing support to the two has made politics very uncertain. In India governments of the United Front led by today, political plurality is the norm. It is HD Devegowda and IK Gujral, not always possible for any national party respectively. What I am pointing out is to capture power single-handedly at the simple. If secular forces compromise with Centre. This is, in a way, a relief amidst issues related to social security, it paves the general distress. the way for conservative forces. Let us look at the political experience of Market fundamentalism constantly the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) I perpetuates and manufactures inequality. regime. In 2004, India did not elect a They will never allow us to read history single party with absolute majority. The in a proper context, with a proper content. government led by the Congress, It creates falsehood, enmity, and wants depended upon regional political parties to fragment the social forces that want to and Left political forces. That gave birth build resistance against all the injustice to populist policies like MNREGA, that is on. Such a situation necessarily

92 Testimonies invites the feudal forces to reign in The BJP did not have any credible politics. This is the political context I am presence in Assam until 2014. It is only talking about. in 2014 and subsequently in 2016 that it made tremendous electoral gains. It was Look at the 1991 economic reforms and a miracle because its own vocabulary was the Babri Masjid demolition. There is the not Hindi or Hindutva or Hindustan – its resurgence of fanatic forces in the country vocabulary was the ‘rainbow coalition’ in 1992, 2002 and 2014. These are not and ‘Jati Mati Veti’. It reminds us that the accidental appearances of the fanatic and RSS and BJP are not following a single communal forces. These are structured in method across the entire country. inequality and injustices. This is the first part of my presentation. As far as the cultural, political and When we talk about Hindutva and RSS/ educational context in Assam is BJP politics we need to keep in mind that concerned, Hindutva is spreading in two it is not following a particular or singular different processes: appropriating local method for consolidation throughout the cultural resources into the fold of country. It has been doing it in different Hindutva, and, imposing Hindutva into ways in different contexts for decades. In the secular, broad, cultural milieu of the 2016 assembly elections in Assam, in North-East India. I will talk about three which the BJP swept the elections, what important events in Assam’s history. was the proposition? It was coined as a In the 15th century, Assam had a religious ‘rainbow coalition’. What was this and social reformer, Shankardev, who rainbow coalition all about? provided, through the Bhakti movement, It was about giving dignity and security a social reforms movement. Equality and to all the indigenous communities in the collectivehood were the hallmarks of this country. There was a slogan – ‘Jati Mati movement. The institution called Veti’. It means national identity, land and Naamghar, a prayer house in a literal hearth. It was propagated in such a way sense, a social, religious and cultural that it created a two-way polarisation space in a substantive sense, was the gift between the upper caste Hindus and the of Shankardev. It was truly a democratic tribal people, and, interestingly, Khilonjia space. Shankardev aimed at dismantling Muslims, who are not there in other parts the caste structures, and, also, patriarchy, of the country, and Muslims with East to a great extent. Now, Shankardev has Bengal origins. It was a completely been appropriated into the Hindutva fold polarised election. In the elections, and by the establishment of RSS-run schools in the polarisation, the indigenous in Assam named after Shankardev. For political forces were also trapped. The instance, Shankardev ShishuNiketans. indigenous political forces, all ethnic They have more than 500 schools. These groups, indeed, sided with the political schools are consolidating against the forces led by the BJP. 93 Indian Campuses Under Siege background of the decay of public Academic Council: have these colleges educational institutions and the growth applied for affiliation? They answered, of expensive, private institutions. Public not yet. Indeed, without asking for institutions are in decay. Hence, the lower affiliation, they were reported to have middle class don’t have any trust in these started these courses. schools and the upper middle class are The contestations over the Assam shifting to CBSE and other expensive Women’s University have been presented schools. In the rural areas, also in small here. The Assam Women’s University towns, the people are sending their was established in 2013 when the present children to Shankardev Shishu Niketans education minister was also the education in a very big number. There are 1.6 minister under the Congress government. lakh students enrolled in the Shankardev When the university was established, Shishu Niketans. Therefore, the secular there was no vice-chancellor, there was a ethos of education and culture, the broad mentor. In the last Assembly, there was a cultural philosophy of Shankardev, has debate between the education minister been trapped into the Hindutva fold. and the former chief minister from They have also been trying to impose the Congress. The debate exposed the Hindutva philosophy by establishing conspiracies on the part of the colleges in the name of Deendayal government – how educational Upadhyaya in the recent past. In the last institutions are being dismantled. The couple of months, the debate in Assam university was established, but neither was on ‘integral humanism’ propounded the VC was appointed, nor the registrar! by one of the founding fathers of the And, yet, admissions were started! Now, Sangh Parivar and RSS ideologue – the government is telling the students Deendayal Upadhyaya. The BJP-led that when you don’t have a VC, how can Assam government has declared that all your degrees be valid? colleges to be established henceforth will In the recent past, many colleges have be named after Deendayal Upadhyaya to been upgraded to universities. These pay our homage to him on his birth universities will be hand-picked and the centenary celebration. Initially, 20 object is to create a conformist academic colleges were to be named after him. community. In 2016, under the Congress Now, five colleges have already been government, notifications were issued for established. There was resistance from teachers in provincial colleges debarring different quarters, therefore, this policy them to write in newspapers or did not succeed. participate in television channel Interestingly, when you start a college, it discussions except on scientific and is important to ask for affiliation from the literary issues. Now, the government universities. I work in Gauhati says, since you are government University. I asked this question in the employees, even if you are teaching in a 94 Testimonies college, it does not matter. Thereby, you constituent college under the Cotton have no right to write anything in a College State University. It created huge newspaper or in the social media. You dissent. Finally, the provision of the can’t write or speak against the constituent college was done away with, government. You can at best write about and it was made Cotton University. There culture, etc, and so on. Hence, the creation are apprehension – whether, the of a conformist academic community. university will retain the status of the This has been one of the important college or not. Six-seven years of political agendas. tussle has already done huge damage to this reputed institution. The Cotton College in Guwahati was established in 1901. It is the oldest college The state government of Assam has been in the north-eastern region and it has been proposing that from primary to post- upgraded to a university. This was being graduate classes, free text books will be debated for the last 6-7 years. The provided. This is interesting. Nobody demand was that Cotton College should knows, how, at the UG and PG level, be upgraded into Cotton University. single text books will be provided. What the government initially did was Nobody knows, who will write these text that Cotton College was made books. Probably, this will facilitate (degraded?) into a constituent college and saffronisation or whatever agenda the established another university, under the government wants to inject into the name of the Cotton College State education system. University. Cotton College was made a

Karen Gabriel, Associate Professor, Department of English, St Stephen’s College, Delhi University

‘The previous BJP-led NDA regime had already started saffronisation by changing school books and by introducing courses like Purohitya, Karmakand and Jyotirvidya’

ast year, in the admissions for the of either Punjabi, Tamil, Urdu, Telegu or current academic year, Delhi Bengali – the only MILs offered in Delhi LUniversity colleges offered a pair of University), or for Sanskrit, and thereby unique, and very telling, ‘advantages’ to claim an additional 10% in their marks. applicants: the first was that students The second was that students could now could opt for a Modern Indian Language include courses categorised as (MIL – other than Hindi, meaning, one ‘Vocational Studies’ in their best-of-four 95 Indian Campuses Under Siege subjects. Earlier, few such courses were courses. Secondly, it seeks to bring such allowed; additionally, the inclusion of the courses into the educational mainstream, few that were, would cost the student a and thus into greater social reduction of 2.5% in that subject. ‘respectability’ and ‘acceptability’, by removing the distinction between These two changes in the admission vocational courses and the more policy are apparently unexceptionable, conventional academic courses. Thirdly, even laudable: the first appears to be it quietly addresses the anomaly in the aimed at promoting Indian languages system, by which Delhi University was and literatures (other than Hindi), while penalising applicants with vocational the second seems to be a fairer, more courses, even as it was introducing seven democratic policy, insofar as the previous vocational courses as part of its one appeared to penalise students who undergraduate programme – for a had opted for, and were good at, a bachelors degree, not just for a diploma vocational subject in school. certificate – from 2017. Overall, all three However, the first policy change is in points taken together clearly indicate a actual fact, a very curious one, because it deliberate promotion of vocational addresses a context in which few colleges courses, in the guise of being more fair. actually offer any of the MILs; conversely, This change, however, is not about being many do offer Sanskrit. Perhaps, the fair and democratic; rather, it is about policy-makers felt that if they had simply giving a veneer of respectability and and directly promoted Sanskrit alone, acceptability to an increasingly unfair and they would be accused of not giving due undemocratic educational (as well as importance to the MILs, or, of promoting larger social) system. Ever since the a Sanskritic–read, upper-caste – and introduction of the semester system in hence right-wing culture, or both. But, Delhi University, followed by the Four without actually creating more MIL Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP), departments in colleges, with teachers and then the Choice-Based Credit System and infrastructure to deliver the courses (CBCS) – which was really just a three- to the applicants, this, in effect, means the year version of the FYUP – the common de facto promotion of Sanskrit, while complaint across colleges and appearing to promote the MILs; the departments has been that the syllabi accusation still stands, and moreover, have been diluted and distorted, in some perhaps even with a hint of subterfuge. cases quite severely, in order to The second policy change too is accommodate the agendas represented by deceptive, albeit in a different way. It is a these two policy changes in higher move aimed at schools, as much as education (HE). colleges, and serves firstly, to encourage The first of these agendas is to increase school students to opt for vocational the quantum of right-wing content in HE, 96 Testimonies as well as the students’ exposure to them. changes in education have taken place in The second is to restructure HE in such a the last few years, since the Narendra way as to render the content more Modi government has come to power. ‘market-friendly’, ‘application-based’, We have already noted one of these and ‘industry-ready’, as well as ‘de- above, that is, deceptively pushing the radicalised’; alongside this, it is pushing learning of Sanskrit. Significantly, this for greater ‘autonomy’ for HE institutions tactic had already been successfully – which, basically means privatisation – employed at the school level. In as well as bringing in a complex, subtle, November 2014, the government declared layered structure of social segregation, that German language would no longer not unlike the caste-system. I will return be taught as a third language in Kendriya to a more detailed discussion of these Vidyalayas, while, at the same time, points later. For now, I would like to ‘clarifying’ that it was not making briefly identify and elaborate on some of Sanskrit compulsory. However, since the more significant ways in which these Sanskrit was the only other option being agendas are manifesting. offered in these schools, this effectively To take the first agenda first, it is made it compulsory. It also had the important to note that it is not new in advantage of facilitating the choice of either conception or execution. The Sanskrit when the student reached previous BJP-led NDA regime had college. already started the process of The Delhi University policy on Sanskrit, saffronisation by changing the school taken with this school policy, thus books and by introducing courses like ensures the student’s unavoidably (Hindu) Paurohitya (clergy specialising in continuous exposure to Sanskrit, even at rituals) and Karmakand (rituals) the undergraduate level. Given that it has (Puniyani, 2017), along with the to be opted for as a compulsory third romanticisation of Vedic knowledge language, regardless of the student’s through courses like Jyotirvidya (Vedic choice of main subject(s), it applies nearly astrology). The current BJP government to the entire student body in the has been pushing this agenda even more university. This is closely related to explicitly and intensely, mostly at the another significant change: in October school level, but also in HE. 2014, within a few months of Narendra Even after the BJP went out of power, Modi’s BJP coming to power, the Sanskrit Right-wing social forces continued to department of Delhi University said that grow in strength and influence: this was it would undertake a thorough study of brutally evident in the hurried dropping history textbooks of various state and of AK Ramanujan’s brilliant essay, ‘300 national boards to prepare a detailed Ramayanas’ from the Delhi University report on the representation of ‘Vedic Age History syllabus in 2011. However, major and Aryan Culture’ and suggest revisions 97 Indian Campuses Under Siege to correct ‘misrepresentations’, a study Here, then, another deception becomes which would include, inter alia, a project evident: that, in the guise of teaching a to prove that Aryans are indigenous to language, Sanskrit departments in India (Kausar, 2014). colleges and universities across the country will become the media for the Moreover, the Sanskrit department of the transmission of the RSS world-view. This Delhi University, which has no relation world-view is characterised, as noted to the study of history, wants to join the earlier, by an explicitly chauvinistic RSS’s massive project to rewrite the history of all the ‘670’ districts of our religious nationalism. More significantly country basing themselves on the puranas, though, and less obviously, it is and claim to have discovered hundreds characterised by an implicitly pervasive of 3 new puranas for this purpose. Brahmanism, because the corpus of writings of any kind, from any time- That it is the Sanskrit, rather than the period, in Sanskrit, is overwhelmingly by history department that is undertaking upper-castes, with almost no positive this work is in perfect consonance with representations of, or even references to, the ‘RSS’s 8-point guide to saffronise lower-castes or their lifestyles. Now, education’ (Anand, 2015). These eight given that HE is becoming structured in points include, among other things, (i) the such a way so as to push the vast majority formulation of a new education policy; (ii) of students into studying Sanskrit, it the promotion of Hindutva icons; (iii) the becomes clear that this policy will have a promotion of the non-Christian heritage massive ideological impact on the youth, of the north-eastern states; (iv) to promote especially the unemployed youth being skill-development and job-oriented specifically targeted by the RSS. courses for unemployed youth, and set up vocational institutes dedicated to However, this is not just about the offering those courses (thus also programming, production, promotion, providing a forum where those youth and perpetuation of a chauvinistic could be exposed to RSS ideas and religious nationalism, or, of a post- ideologies); and (v) the promotion of colonial Brahmanical patriarchy. These Sanskrit. An unnamed RSS leader is ‘educational reforms’ also serve to alleged to have said that the aim of this ideologically secure the principles, 8-point guide is to introduce ‘Project objectives and orientations of the second Bhartiyakaran’ in education: “We have to set of ‘educational reforms’, which are teach students about our history, our supposed to cater especially to this science, our language, our heroes and section of the society – the unemployed. freedom fighters, but the past These latter reforms, in turn, are not just governments have portrayed people such a matter of introducing new industry- as Aurangzeb as great icons… it’s time to oriented courses – that is, courses correct the things.” (cited in Puniyani, designed in consultation with industrial 2017). 98 Testimonies and commercial interests, to provide (which translates as ‘Policy Commission’; applicable skills, techniques and know- but NITI is also the acronym for National how tailored to the putative demands of Institution for Transforming India) – a the labour market; in fact, such courses sign of the kind of influence already being have been around since 1950, when the wielded by the private sector, in HE. The Industrial Training Institutes (ITI) were three-tiered model proposed an set up, and today there are more than ostensibly performance-based pyramidal 13,000 such institutes across the country. hierarchy of HE institutions, with the ‘best’ ones at the top. These would be If, as has been argued in some quarters rewarded with full autonomy (financial, (e.g., Aggarwal, 2017), these institutes are administrative and academic); would be not meeting the demands and heavily, if not solely, research based; and expectations of industry, then the would function in effect as the R&D (somewhat obvious) solution would be to facilities for the private companies that get them to do so – that is, to address the sponsored – or, in any other ways shortcomings thus raised, within and financed – these institutions. Going down through the existing HE infrastructure the pyramid, autonomy and research designed to cater to the industry, rather would be progressively less, so that in the than forcibly and massively restructuring lowest layer of HE institutions, there the larger, more general HE infrastructure would be neither research nor much into the same limited objective – indeed, autonomy, even of the financial kind. a fundamental re-conceptualisation of HE itself. The reason for such ‘reforms’ then, If, we, hypothetically rearrange this as a can only be to let the limited objectives of spectrum, then the institutions of commerce and industry determine the excellence would be at one end totally whole country’s HE vision and agenda, financed and controlled by the private as well as their implementation. But this sector; while the lowest rung HE requires an explanation and justification institutions would be at the other end, beyond simply that of catering to the financed and controlled mostly by the demands of industry. This is where the government(s). Alongside this, another other set of ‘educational reforms’ play an pyramidal structure, registering levels of important role. academic and professional competence, is also proposed, which will allow A part of the second set of ‘reforms’ – i.e., certified opting-out at various levels of promoting privatisation and the academic accomplishment. vocationalisation of syllabi – is a three- tiered structure being proposed for HE. Taken together, these two structures This model was first proposed by the strongly reinforce the hierarchised private consultancy firm Ernst & Young, distribution of wealth, power and in their Vision 2030 document, and professional competence, not just subsequently adopted by the NITI Aayog theoretically, as a legitimate and just idea, 99 Indian Campuses Under Siege but experientially – in the options that are ‘educational reforms’ reflect the socio- made available to, or taken away from, economic hierarchies that we broadly the student, based on where s/he is refer to as ‘class’ distinctions. located in the pyramid – as the ‘natural Furthermore, as privatisation advances, order of things’, as just ‘the way things the cost of the knowledge and training are’. At the same time, the other set of provided at each level will be met ‘reforms’, with their emphasis on increasingly by the student, and will be Sanskrit, and on the Brahmanical determined by (a) its value in and for the worldview that it is steeped in, serve as market; (b) its costs of production; and an ideological measure through which (c) its affordability for and by the student. the education system – instead of So, these ‘reforms’ effectively ensure that encouraging a critical and reformatory it is difficult, if not impossible, for a perspective on this worldview – particular socio-economic stratum to gain reinforces, even celebrates, its hierarchies, access to HE levels above those it can biases, prejudices and chauvinisms. In otherwise afford. other words, two hierarchical Compare this to State-funded education perspectives – the Brahmanical and the systems, where education is linked to capitalistic – map neatly onto each other, aptitude and/or the ability to learn fast, and reinforce each other. and/or an affinity for the subject of Between them, these two ‘educational choice. Because students are not reform’ packages are designed to produce burdened by the cost of education, a skilled yet quiescent labour force, students from low-income backgrounds willingly bending to authority and have the possibility of, and the hierarchy, its own professional and opportunity to, prove their aptitude and personal ambitions defined and delimited ability for jobs and professions that may by the academic levels possible and/or require more expensive forms of made available to it, levels that in turn knowledge and training. By de-linking are delineated by the demands of the education from the possibility of market and the concomitant exploring the students’ aptitudes and specialisation/s that is/are emphasised abilities, these ‘reforms’ will institute a academically. This will inevitably lead to new caste system – subtler, more the steady erosion of interest in and ‘modern’ even, but as rigidly exclusionary demand for disciplines with no as the traditional caste system – indeed, immediately obvious market-utility – just an extension of the traditional one. except for the Hindu nationalist ones – This is why the BJP has intensified its and hence a gradual closing of the mind offensive against genuine scholarship. – but that is the least of it. For instance, Dinanath Batra of Shiksha Evident from the above is the fact that the Bachao Abhiyan Samiti and RSS- hierarchies brought in through these affiliated Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan 100 Testimonies

Nyas, from many decades, succeeded in discourses of Hindutva have begun to pressuring Penguin, the world’s largest make major interventions in pedagogical publisher, to pulp Wendy Doniger’s practices, especially at the school level scholarly book ‘The Hindus: An Alternate (e.g., compulsory yoga, rather than other History’. This book brings out through the kinds of exercise; compulsory singing of interpretation of mythology the need to Vande Mataram; compulsory prayers to understand the caste and gender aspects Saraswati, the goddess of learning; in a sensitive manner. The BJP, however, compulsory Surya Namaskar; etc. These wishes to endorse highly conservative are aimed at inculcating discipline, positions on caste and gender. reverence and obedience – to constitute the subject as a structured base on which Hence, it would be a mistake to treat these other practices may be inscribed. two ‘educational reforms’ as unrelated, and to assume that either one can be dealt The attempt is to promote its views with in isolation from the other. The through replicating in HE the model it has blending in of Hindu nationalist themes, effected through the RSS ‘shakhas’, content, and perspectives, into the through Sarswati Shishu Mandirs and various courses and their syllabi, has Ekal Schools. It has set up organisations already begun. It will only be intensified like Vidya Bharati to influence policies in and facilitated by various structural the field of education (the Vidya Bharati changes – like privatisation and is an umbrella body for thousands of vocationalisation– because of the removal educational institutions based on Hindu of any State obligation towards values, from the nursery to universities, upholding and promoting secularism, even running various teacher-training civil and democratic rights, and, perhaps, institutes). It has also started putting its most importantly, reservations for the followers in top positions in universities socially and economically and major research institutes of the underprivileged sections of society. country. These changes in structure, in turn, need Finally, it must be recalled that at the time the obfuscating, mystificating discourses of Indian independence and adoption of of the Hindu nationalist educational the Indian Constitution, a key basis of agenda, in order to be implemented State actions toward the achievement of without much resistance. progress and an enlightened citizenry These discourses need not contribute was based on the cultivation and directly to syllabus content (although that promotion of the principles of a ‘scientific too is pushed for); besides, it would temper’. In fact, as per Article 51a of the probably be difficult to find any Hindu Indian Constitution, one of the nationalist syllabus content that could “fundamental duties” of the citizen is to justify the blatant inequalities of the develop “the scientific temper”. The BJP- structural ‘reforms’. But the forces and led NDA government and now the 101 Indian Campuses Under Siege current BJP government, is assiduously birth from the ear of Kunti, as undertaking to reverse this orientation. narrated in the Mahabharata. It’s changes in education and in the 5. According to the Chief of Indian education policy is aimed at bringing Council of Historical Research education in tune with globalisation, (ICHR), Y. Sudarshan, we can infer privatisation and the Hindutva agenda of from the Hindu epic Mahabharata that manuwad. This is why the MHRD is in the weapons described in them were regular consultation with leaders of the the result of atomic fission and/or RSS. Some instances of the saffronisation fusion. He also claims that there was of education: stem cell research in Iron Age India. 1. Murli Manohar Joshi, the Union 6. Huge top level funding has recently MHRD minister of the BJP-led NDA been announced for Panchgavya– a government, 1999, introduced courses mixture of cow urine, dung, ghee, like astrology and Purohitya curd and milk. (priesthood) in universities. 7. There are ongoing efforts to prove 2. Dr Satya Pal Singh, currently state that Ram Setu (Adam’s bridge), a minister in the MHRD, recently stated mythical bridge between India and Sri that Darwin’s theory is wrong as our Lanka, was for real and was built by ancestors did not mention that they Lord Ram with the help of his saw ape turning into man in our monkey army. scriptures. He was duly backed up by RSS ideologue turned BJP leader Ram 8. In the study of History, efforts are on Madhav. (Puniyani.) to prove the existence of the River Saarswati, and to prove historicity of 3. Ram Madhav himself had stated that epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata. Wright brothers were not the first ones to discover the aeroplane. It was 9. In its recommendation to NCERT, an Indian, Shivkar Bapuji Talpade, Shiksha Sanskriti Uthan Nyas, an RSS who had discovered it. He affiliate, asks for removal of English, emphasised that such books should Urdu and Arabic words, the thoughts be taught in the schools which of Rabindranath Tagore, extracts from highlight the likes of Talpade. painter MF Husain’s autobiography, references to the Mughal emperors as (Puniyani.) benevolent, to the BJP as a ‘Hindu’ 4. There are claims that Kauravas were party, an apology tendered by former born through advanced techniques prime minister Manmohan Singh and Balkrishan Ganpat Matapurkar over the 1984 riots, and a sentence that has patented a technique for body “nearly 2,000 Muslims were killed in part generation, inspired by Gandhari Gujarat in 2002, (July 25, 2017)”. As giving birth to 100 sons and Karna’s such, these recent recommendations 102 Testimonies

to NCERT are continuation of the Kausar, Heena. (2014) ‘Delhi University same agenda, which is, working for asked to purge Left slant in all history its goal of Hindu Rashtra (Puniyani: textbooks’. India Today, 22 October. ‘What is RSS agenda in Education?). Available at https:// www.indiatoday.in/india/north/story/ Indeed, this is not education; this is delhi-university-left-slant-history- indoctrination. textbooks-du-sanskrit-department-vedic- References age-and-aryan-culture-hrd-224152-2014- 10-22 Anand, Panini. (2015) ‘RSS’s 8-Point Guide to Saffronise Education’, under ‘In Puniyani, Ram. (2017) ‘RSS-BJP and the Focus’. Eastern Crescent, 9 December. Importance of Education for Hindutva’.South Asia Citizen’s Web, 17 Aggarwal, Megha. (2017) ‘The Vocational February. Available at http:// Way’, under ‘Education’. The Hindu, 10 www.sacw.net/article13115.html; (2017) December. What is RSS agenda in Ernst & Young and FICCI (2013). Higher Education? Available at http:// Education in India: Vision 2030, FICCI www.sacw.net/article13429.html Higher Education Summit 2013. Ernst & Young Pvt. Ltd, Kolkata.

Sandeep Pandey, former visiting professor, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi

‘Rights, restrictions and duties coexist. Different views are allowed to be expressed by proponents and opponents not because they are correct or valid but because there is freedom in this country for expressing even differing views on any issue’

have studied at the Banaras Hindu Technology (IIT). In July 2013, I joined the University and then I became an institute with a yearly contract which was Iactivist. After quitting my job very renewed at the end of every year. In the early, I came back to teach about 18 years third year, we had a new vice- chancellor, later as a visiting faculty at the Banaras Prof Girish Chandra Tripathi, from Hindu University. On its inception, it was Allahabad University, who was a called Benaras Engineering College, then, professor of economics and the president renamed as the Institute of Technology, of the teachers’union. Nobody has ever and now it is an Indian Institute of seen him teaching in the university ever.

103 Indian Campuses Under Siege He had no research publications which I making serious allegations against discovered from an application under the Dr Sandeep Pandey, visiting faculty. Right to Information Act. The Avinash Pandey is a student of political Department of Economics of Allahabad science, BHU and I was teaching chemical University said that they don’t have any engineering at IIT. He was not in my class information on his research publications and I have never met him. I have been or how many students have done their told that he was seated beside me in one masters or PhD under him. They of the dharnas against the former registrar suggested that we get the information at the BHU gate, otherwise I have had no from the registrar, but the registrar did relation with him. not reply. I was teaching a course on control systems Tripathi has openly said that he became because of my engineering background the VC because of his services to the RSS. and a course on development studies He has written two small booklets, one because of my activism background. of which is called, ‘Bhagvan Shiv Ke There is a humanities option which the Bibhinna Roop’. I don’t remember the B. Tech students have to take at the level name of the other one. He was the main of 3rd year. I got this course approved by person instrumental in getting my the senate of IIT and formerly offered it contract terminated. Having been thrust to the students at third year level.The upon IIT by the then Union HRD minister major allegations levelled against me Smriti Irani, he became the chairman of were that as a part of this course, the the board of governors of IIT. His name screening of a BBC documentary on the was not in the panel of five which was Nirbhaya rape case, banned by sent by IIT to MHRD. The MHRD government, was proposed on March 11, minister said that since BHU has a 2015 as per the email circulated by tradition of a BHU VC becoming the Devansh Mittal, on behalf of me. The chairman of the board of IIT, therefore, screening was subsequently cancelled, Tripathi will be the chairman. Since the but an oral discussion on gender issues Institute of Technology became the and gender violence was organised by me Indian Institute of Technology, it was no on March 11, 2015 as per e-mail longer necessary for the BHU VC to notification. Our crime was that we become chairman of the board. posted the link in the internal FTP link of BHU on March 10. In a board meeting on December 21, 2015, which was my third year at the institute, There were other allegations and the chairman informed the members that questions such as who authorised me to he has received a letter dated October 14, post a banned documentary on the BHU’s 2015 from one Avinash Pandey, MA intranet; does development studies second year, Department of Political course require teaching students about Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, BHU, defying the law of the land by screening 104 Testimonies and discussing a banned documentary? having these discussions was that it The other allegations included that I did created a space for the interaction of not take attendance, class and students from both IIT and BHU. examinations for students in Email evidence of group discussions of development studies and that students controversial topics in the development scored an A grade irrespective of that. studies course and newspaper clippings That I taught students how to participate of my involvement in demonstrations in dharnas. were also presented. The board took A live training was held last year where cognisance of the aforementioned a mock rally was held. Some of these documents. The members were of the allegations are true and some are false. I opinion that the act of posting the never give examination in any of my Nirbhaya documentary, which has been courses, even in engineering courses. banned by the government, falls under There are one–to-one interactions and the category of cyber crime. Further, the based on the evaluation, students get members were of the opinion that topics unlimited chances to improve their covered by me in the class room teaching performance and based on the of development studies were against performance they get a grade. It is not true national interest, may disturb communal that I give A grade to everybody. harmony and encourage the students to However, most students get an A because take law into their own hands on campus. they achieve a minimum level of learning. These were the charges and the decision The allegations continued that I teach was that the engagement of Dr Sandeep students anti-social topics such as Pandey, visiting faculty, be terminated Kashmir, that it should be declared an immediately after serving one month independent nation, etc. The complainant notice to him. On January 6, 2016, I was has also attached some articles by me, given a letter that I have to leave the some of which show my connection and campus within a month; thereby I left the sympathy with the Naxalite movement campus. I didn’t want to go to the court. in the country. The chairman also tabled My director, Prof Rajiv Sangal, Professor copies of emails from me released at IIT Kanpur earlier and Director of IIIT, through the registrar of IIT regarding Hyderabad, who had hired me, defended lectures organised under the Archarya me in the board.He felt bad that Tripathi, Narendra Dev discussion film series. I Prof Dhananjay Pandey, who was Dean had formed this forum because Archarya and a person with allegiance to the RSS, Narendra Dev was the VC of BHU, a and the VC of Gorakhpur University famous Buddhist scholar, the VC of prevailed upon him and got this Lucknow University, and the first termination order passed. I consequently president of the socialist party with which went to courtand was pleasantly I am associated. A positive outcome of surprised to get a judgement in favour of 105 Indian Campuses Under Siege me. The Allahabad High Court guarantee of free speech. Freedom of Speech judgement says it all. and Expression includes right to acquire information and to disseminate, same is The court said, …”The case in hand is not a necessary for self-expression, which is an termination simplicitor, rather it is a punitive important means of attaining free conscience stigmatic order wherein petitioner has been and self-fulfillment. A legitimate right of alleged to have committed cybercrime and not freedom of speech and expression including only that he has been accused of cybercrime, fair criticisms is not to be throttled. No allegations are there that he has been acting responsible person in democracy should incite against national interest. Heavy words such the people to disobey the law duly enacted but as commission of cybercrime and acting situations may arise where responsible against national interest have been loosely persons may feel that it is their duty to criticise used. All these allegations are serious in the subject and invite people to carry nature and such allegations have serious discussion on the subject. The Apex Court in aspersions on the conduct and character of the the case of Baldev Singh Gandhi vs State of incumbent and the way and the manner in Punjab has clearly ruled that the discussion which the decision in question has been taken carried in public interest would not constitute against him ex parte cannot be approved by misconduct…. us. We may make note of the fact that under our Constitution, the phrase Freedom of … Rights, restrictions and duties coexist. Speech and Expression contained in Article Different views are allowed to be expressed 19(1)(a) has been given a very wide by proponents and opponents not because they interpretation by the Apex Court in the case are correct or valid but because there is a of PUCL and Another vs Union Of India, freedom in this country for expressing even 2003, by mentioning that it includes freedom differing views on any issues. Freedom of of propagation of ideas, right to circulate one’s expression which is legitimate and ideas, opinions and views, right of citizens to constitutionally protected cannot be held to speak, publish and express their views as well ransom by an intolerant group of people. as rights of people to read as well as to know Fundamental freedom under Article 19(1)(a) about the affairs of the government. Freedom can be reasonably restricted only for the of Speech can be restricted only in the interest purposes mentioned in the Article 19(2) and of security of State, friendly relations and the restrictions should be justified on the some other things which we know are part of ground of necessity and not quick stand on the Article…. and of expediency and convenience. Open criticisms of government policies and …The Apex Court in Shreya Singhal vs UOI, operations are not a ground for restricting 2015, has reiterated the view noted above in expression. We must practice tolerance to the the reference to Section 66 of IT Act by views of others. Intolerance is as much mentioning that the provision of law that dangerous to democracy as to the person forces people to self-censor the view for fear of himself…” criminal sanction violates the constitutional 106 Testimonies

A surprising matter was that the court has When I called my Director he said our quoted the founder of BHU, Madan stand is vindicated and I was welcomed Mohan Malaviya, who was also a back. But when I went there, he said that member of the Hindu Mahasabha. He the VC has stalled my joining and asked said that BHU has been conceived as a me to wait for some time before joining residential university keeping in view its back. Indeed, they never let me join and objective of complete character my contract expired. They paid me four development through monitoring of months’ salary and told the court that students. The founder’s vision has been they have complied with the judgement. as follows: “India is not a country of I did not go to court again against this Hindus only. It is a country of Muslims because my lawyer said that since it is a and Christians and Parsis too. The contractual job, the university has the country can gain strength and develop right to renew or to not renew it and they itself only when the people of different can easily say that they will not renew communities in India live in mutual the contract. If the judgement had told the goodwill and harmony.” university to take me back within a stipulated period then it would have been So the court in the end said, binding on the university. But the “…Consequently, in the facts of the case and judgement only said the termination overall assessment of all aspects of the order should be quashed without mattered decisions dated 6.1.2016 has been directing the university to re-employ me. taken in pursuance of meeting dated So, I was prohibited from re-joining BHU 21.12.2015 of the board of directors IIT, BHU, even after the fantastic judgement in Varanasi is hereby quashed and set aside.” favour of me.

Navdeep Mathur, Assistant Professor, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad

‘However, in my experience, the institute leadership fiercely defended the autonomy of whatever happened in the classroom for good reasons’

eing a privileged individual who during the tenure of Smriti Irani as the does not belong to a group that is Union HRD Minister, an inquiry was set Bdiscriminated on the basis of up against me supposedly based on an gender, class or caste, I also belong to a anonymous complaint about the nature privileged institution, Indian Institute of of courses that I teach at IIM. The Management (IIM), Ahmedabad, where institute’s leadership was very I have been teaching for the last 10-11 supportive, attempting to protect the years. However, over two years ago, autonomy of its professor. They were 107 Indian Campuses Under Siege wondering what happens inside the class performance standard of professors, that somebody has complained against it. which was used by the institute to come It seemed obvious that the person who to the conclusion that there is absolutely complained about the nature of my nothing wrong with what the faculty has courses identifies with the RSS and is taught in his classes as the students have unable to withstand the questioning of given good rating. On the basis of this, xenophobic hypernationalist orthodoxy. they sent a letter back stating there is no The specific allegations against me were cause for concern or a ground for an that I take a anti-national stance on inquiry. developmental conflict in India and an In a previous occasion, armed police had anti-State stance on Kashmir. These two disrupted a seminar which was issues have already been discussed in my examining the largescale and inhuman classes in the same courses for a decade. evictions for the Sabarmati Riverfront The institute leadership said that the best Development Project where Professor they could do was to look into students’ Ghanshyam Shah, a member of this jury, feedback of those courses, which was was overseeing the proceedings. So, very good. However, the feedback whether it is any developmental conflict evaluation was re-conducted because of or Kashmir or any issue which is not the inquiry by the minister. Hence, a available in the mainstream media, when month after the course ended, another set we look at poetry or literature or of students’ feedback was demanded by musicians who position these differently, the institute administration. The feedback the word gets out as far as this institution this time was even more positive than goes, because it is not supposed to be like earlier when it was conducted that over here. However, in my immediately after the course. experience, the institute leadership fiercely defended the autonomy of Interestingly, the contradiction is that the whatever happened in the classroom for students’ feedback is a market-oriented good reasons.

108 Testimonies Rohin Kumar, former student, Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi

‘An institute as prestigious as IIMC, which should be concerned about fake news, now teaches that ‘Narad’ was the first journalist’

am Rohin, a former student of the IIMC, which is a media institute, has a Indian Institute of Mass social media code of conduct and we are ICommunication (IIMC), New Delhi. told what we can write and what we Certain incidents which have been cannot write on Facebook or Twitter. happening in our campus for the last When we challenged the Director General three years; they have been very and former Assistant Director General disheartening and disappointing. After against this, we were told that we should the suicide of Rohith Vemula, our ignore what is happening here and professors organised a protest in the concentrate on what is happening in the campus led by former professor, Amit country and around the world. Sengupta. Following the protest, he was During this process, I wrote a blog for my transferred. Sengupta resigned. friends and professors titled, ‘Wo toh After some months, a Dalit woman shikshak tha, aap toh diploma patrakar hai sweeper of our college was allegedly maharaj’ in which I wanted to highlight raped in our campus. None of the faculty that journalists who go for a job after members raised their voice against this. completing their college education will Though it has not been proven, we heard not be given any proper reason for being that another faculty member, Naren removed from office and they will be left Singh Rao, leaked this information to the with nothing. Immediately after that, I media. News about the rape came out in wrote an article for Newslaundry where I various newspapers and portals. mentioned the unhealthy atmosphere in our campus. The article was published on Following this, in December, Naren Singh January 7, 2017 and my suspension order Rao’s employment was terminated by the was in my hand on January 9, 2017. As IIMC Director General, KG Suresh. He per the suspension order, I was debarred was harassed like a criminal and was from entering the campus. The debarred from entering the campus. After allegations were that I was instigating the his suspension, our Radio and TV students and destroying the environment journalism students started a social media of the campus. campaign to bring him back. Notice was served on them warning them not to Our Director General says with pride that write anything against the institute in the he won’t let IIMC become another JNU, social media. which, for him, is all about February 9, 109 Indian Campuses Under Siege 2015. After my suspension, my friends In our campus only right-wing started campaigning for me on Facebook. intellectuals are called for talks. People During this, Suresh Chiploonkar, a right- directly affliated with the BJP, Swapan wing member, whose profile picture is a Dasgupta, Chandan Mitra, people photo with Narendra Modi, started belonging to the RSS, including writing inappropriate things to our Rambahadur Rai, taught us about matters teachers on Facebook to which we replied such as the independence of media. An back on Facebook. institute as prestigious as IIMC, which should be concerned about fake news, My suspension continued for 15 days now teaches that ‘Narad’ was the first during which no teacher took a stand in journalist. The students told the Director favour of me. I want to take the names of General that since all his invitees for talks those professors, especially those who are RSS members, why not invite the claim to be Left, socialist and progressive. former students of our institute who have Indeed, it is important to shame certain been given awards like the Ramnath professors, as they won’t understand Goenka award. He didn’t respond. until they are affected by it. They teach students critical thinking, media ethics, In April, 2017, the Inspector General of and such things, and prepare a lobby Chhattisgarh, SRP Kalluri, was invited to outside the campus, but do nothing when deliver a lecture on the independence of it comes to matters inside the campus. The media. The man who cannot go to the duty of a professor is to invoke critical National Human Rights Commission and thinking among the students, but these give his statement about how he has teachers are not committed to their role reportedly harassed many journalists, in the greed for higher positions. was in the campus to teach us how to do reporting in media and journalistic ethics. A time comes when professors have to We protested against this. speak. They wrote a letter stating that their voice goes unheard in RTI officers have been changed in our administrative decisions and hence they campus thrice because some students are resigning. The next day, Prof Anand raised the issue that the IIMC Pradhan was asked to vacate the hostel administration is organising programmes where he was the warden. Then he in collaboration with an RSS ‘think-tank’, realised that no one will take a stand for the Vivekananda Foundation. This him as he didn’t take a stand when it was information was not given earlier and needed. After that, Prof Saswati after changing three RTI officers they Goswami, course director of the Radio admitted it to be true. and Television department, was also During this year’s (2018) admission asked to vacate the hostel where she lived interview, the interviewers asked a with her children. She was also removed Muslim candidate if Muslims are also as head of the course. 110 Testimonies eligible for OBC reservation. The not take place in the campus. The names interview was stalled as the interviewer of hostels were changed. was busy confirming if Muslims are in the It is time for us to come together. Instead OBC category. of an individualistic approach, we should In IIMC, hostel facilities were taken away strive for a collective approach. Let us all from us in an attempt to ‘curb politics’ come together. since KG Suresh thought politics should

Debabrata Saikia, Gauhati University and Bidyut Saikia, Dibrugarh University

‘We have been harassed constantly like this but we will stick to our decision and will not allow establishment of even one college under the name of a communal icon’

n Assam, saffronisation of education the post-independence era by locals in started with the establishment of different localities that have not yet been ISankardev schools run by the RSS. provincialised. The Provincialisation Act Today, 1,60,000 students are pursuing introduced by the earlier government in their education from 521 Sankardev 2011 was scrapped by the BJP, thus schools, employing 8,000 teachers. hindering provincialisation of teachers Sankardev is the father of our Assamese and schools. culture who shaped the Assamese The cabinet proposed opening 22 colleges modern society. He never distinguished in the name of Deendayal Upadhayaya. in the name of religion, caste, or creed. We have never heard of Deendayal But, in the Sankardev schools, children Upadhayaya. We discovered that he was from the primary stage are taught about an RSS member, the founder of Jan Sangh, religion and caste – what to eat and what and was notorious for inciting conflict not to eat. These are the students who between Hindus and Muslims. He and would be the future of our nation. What his RSS army conducted meetings in will they do after growing up? remote villages of Assam during India’s After the BJP was elected in 2016 in freedom struggle. They made no Assam, the cabinet passed a proposal contribution in India’s freedom struggle. granting Rs 10 lakh to every Sankardev In his name, the BJP-RSS wants to divide school under the Indian Constitution. the Assamese society. However, the schools are run by the RSS There are eminent personalities like and not the government. There were Sankardev, Bishnu Rabha and Jyoti many schools which were set up during Prasad Agarwala who have contributed 111 Indian Campuses Under Siege immensely to our people and Assamese districts. We renamed the colleges as well culture. We ought to establish colleges in with the names of Bishnu Prasad Rabha, the name of such people who have Sabilal Upadhyaye, Guru of Gurkhas, contributed to our culture. The proposal and the Kamata Ratna winner Ambika to rename institutions in the name of the Charan Choudhury. A case was filed RSS leader was met with democratic against us and our local boys from the protests by organisations, teachers and Chatra Mukti Sangram Samiti were taken intellectuals alike. We went on strike and in custody. Akhil Gogoi, the leader of our submitted memorandums to the brother organisation Krishak Mukti government. Education Minister Sangram Samiti, was charged with NSA, Himanta Biswa Sarma ignored the without any evidence; the case was later protests and continued with the proved false in the high court. programme. We have been harassed constantly like Thereby, we put black paint on the name this but we will stick to our decision and of Deendayal Upadhayaya in three will not allow establishment of even one colleges of Assam in Bongaigaon, college under the name of a communal Goalpara, and Biswanath Chariali icon.

Karunesh Divedi and Ankit Singh Babu, Lucknow University, Lucknow

‘The police harmed us physically, and this would continue throughout the night; they tortured us’

Karunesh Divedi wing of the RSS, were conducted in our university. Presently, in Lucknow am from Lucknow University. In our University, Vice Chancellor SP Singh university, since 2005, there has been personally goes for these programmes Ia fee hike. The fee, which was Rs 1,400, and registers his participation. For several is now Rs 36,000. Similarly, the fees of consecutive days, we have been some courses rose from Rs 1,260 to Rs protesting against this kind of activity 24,000. The seats with low fees were and partisan participation. closed. In some general seats there has been an increment of self-financed We have protested because the Students courses. Welfare Fund of Rs 25 lakh was being used for purposes other than that of After the 2009 elections, various supporting the poor students of the programmes of the Akhil Bharatiya university. On July 7, 2017, a programme,‘ Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the students’ Hindavi Swaraj Diwas 2017’, was 112 Testimonies conducted in the university. Prior to this, papers for the exams we recently on July 5, 2017, we served a notice appeared for, in order to ensure that we regarding the utilisation of the Students don’t get admission in MA. Our future is Welfare Fund for this event. We said that at stake. The authorities have rusticated they should use their own funds for the us from the hostel, leaving us with no programmes of the BJP or any other option but to live in rented rooms. Till political party, instead of the Students date, investigations are going on with Welfare Fund. On July 6, 2017, we constant threats. requested the authorities to use the Ankit Singh Babu Students Welfare Fund for poor students and opposed the spending of the fund for The black flags hoisted were not only BJP programmes in our university. Our limited to the concern of fee hike in request was not taken into consideration. universities and the misutilisation of the Students Welfare Fund for a programme In retaliation, on July 7, 2017, at 10 am, I, hosted by the BJP in the university. We, along with my friends Mahender Yadav, the students, found something common Ankit Singh Babu, Madhurya, Satish in us; eleven of us attempting to break the Sarma and Samar peacefully stopped silence existing in the university and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s vehicle within the opposition parties since Yogi by showing them black flags and tried our Adityanath government came to power. best to stop their programme. In response, the police arrested us under several During the bail plea, the judge denied our sections, some of which were used during plea by making a statement that he won’t the British regime and detained us for 23 let Lucknow University become like JNU. days. The police harmed us physically, The unpleasant condition of educational and this would continue throughout the institutions in UP, for that reason all over night; they tortured us. We were India, shows that since the advent of the harassed. We were frightened in jail. BJP, their agenda has always been anti- Many prisoners came to threaten us with youth. They don’t want students to break torches at night; we were threatened in their silence and raise their voices against different ways. Apart from former chief them. If anyone raises their voice against minister of UP, Akhilesh Yadav, none of them, they feel this is the biggest threat. the political parties or even the university Thus, students are made weaker. The authorities made any attempt for our bail. Lucknow University, with the help of the Akhilesh Yadav engaged his lawyer for power structures, has crushed the voices our bail and also arranged clothes, food of students’ associations. This is a and tooth brushes for us in jail. transparent conspiracy. Among the 11 students, the career of three Sathiyo, I would like to thank this people’s students almost came to an end as they tribunal.I support Kanhaiya Kumar’s were dismissed, while eight students are words–this tribunal should reach out to on suspension. Teachers have informed those places of India where electricity has us that there will be strict checking of not arrived. 113 Indian Campuses Under Siege

Students’ Union and Elections

Prof Abha Dev Habib, Department of Physics, Miranda House, Delhi University, former member, Executive Council, Delhi University, and Secretary, Democratic Teachers’ Front

‘It was Union MHRD minister Kapil Sibal in the UPA-II government who pushed universities towards commercialisation. Subverting the autonomy of the universities, the vice-chancellors were taken on board to push ‘reforms’ in their respective units. Teachers who raised their voices were targeted and isolated’

student has raised a very weak. When the Delhi University important question. Why are Teachers’ Association (DUTA) raised its A teachers silent and not able to voice against the semester system in 2008, raise issues in many universities and most teachers of DUTA were permanent educational institutions? There seems to and our fight had support and be anger in the question. impact. Today, the situation in Delhi University has changed as over 50 per Two very important things have cent teachers are working on ad-hoc basis. happened that have contributed to the silencing of teachers’ voices. Second, all of us from the middle-class and lower middle-class background have First, there has been no appointment of our lives governed by EMI obligations. teaching and non-teaching staff in most Hence, when the trade union actions universities over the last 10 years. The result in threats of salary cuts, be it of a present day government wants to further worker or a teacher, the person tries to reduce funding in higher education,it back off. does not want to give people opportunities of progress and promotion. I am from a Left organisation and we have The number of teachers working on been writing about the shift in contract or ad-hoc basis has increased. government policies towards Under these circumstances, when a large privatisation and commercialisation of section of workers/teachers are on short- education and the crisis this will lead to. term contracts, unions find themselves However, the rate at which public-funded

114 Testimonies higher education is being restructured the fees structure of private and public and dismantled is astounding. Major institutions. For example, the 7th Pay changes are being pushed without any Revision MHRD notification stipulated wider discussion. that while the government will contribute 70% of the enhanced salaries, institutions Restructuring of public-funded higher will have to generate 30% themselves. So, education: It was Union MHRD minister from where will universities and colleges Kapil Sibal in the UPA-II government generated these funds? Of course, from who pushed universities towards students’ fees. commercialisation. Subverting the autonomy of the universities, the vice- Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his 2016 chancellors were taken on board to push budget speech, announced the creation of ‘reforms’ in their respective units. a Higher Education Funding Agency Teachers who raised their voices were (HEFA), which will give loans to targeted and isolated. institutions like IITs, IIMs and universities for their infrastructure needs. The present day government is pursuing In this year’s budget (2018), we see that the commercialisation of public-funded the money allocated to HEFA has been higher education even more aggressively. increased while the allocation to IITs have Recent education policies will force come down. If institutes want a nano- institutions and students to take loans. technology lab, or if they need a new Equity and accessibility of higher tutorial building, institutions will have to education do not seem to be the policy- take a loan from HEFA. Until now, thrust anymore. Commercialisation will public-funded institutions used to receive redefine the purpose and content of grants for their infrastructural needs. But, higher education. It will also push a large today grants are being replaced by loans section of students outside the ambit of to institutions, to be repaid through higher education. These policies also aim students’ fees. at weakening the students’ movements. Despite opposition from DUTA and Recent government policies aim at associations of central and state subjecting public institutions and public universities, Prakash Javdekar, the funding to the logic of the market. It is current MHRD minister in the BJP-led true that a parallel system of private NDA regime, declared in March 2018 that institutes exist, but, today, a conspiracy they are taking the ‘historic’ decision of is going on to end public funding and granting ‘Graded Autonomy’ to 52 encourage privatisation. Recently universities, including 5 central announced policies aim at pushing the universities, 21 state universities, 24 burden of maintenance of public-funded deemed universities and 2 private central and state universities on students universities. Further, 8 colleges were and parents, thereby reducing the gap in declared autonomous. Universities are 115 Indian Campuses Under Siege being divided into three categories raise their fees and this expense then shall according to National Assessment and fall on the parents. Accreditation Council (NAAC) and This government has imposed 18 per cent National Institute Ranking Framework GST on education while there is 0 per cent (NIRF) ratings. GST on ‘kumkum’ and bangles! They Classification of universities and graded have directly declared that education is a autonomy was one of the key commodity. Today, public-funded recommendations of the Draft New universities have been exempted, but it Education Policy (NEP), 2016. And, even may not be the case tomorrow. as the Draft NEP, 2016 was shelved after Attack on Democratic Spaces: Another it drew criticism, its recommendations are key part of this restructuring is the being implemented without wider destruction of democratic spaces and debate. policy-making within units. If a section From the testimonies presented in this in the NAAC report requires information conclave, it has become clear that the about systems in place in educational NDA government is not talking about institutions for maintenance of quality, academic autonomy, administrative then a vice-chancellor like Dinesh Singh, autonomy or functional autonomy, or the former VC, Delhi University, or Jagadesh democratic structures of every unit. Kumar, current JNU VC, will list all statutory provisions to claim that the So what kind of freedom is being talked university has many layers of democratic about here? decision-making to ensure quality. The freedom being talked about is that However, the truth is that it is through government agencies like the UGC will these vice-chancellors that the democratic not monitor what fees institutions will structures of policy-making have been charge! The freedom that is being destroyed and teachers and students have provided in the name of ‘autonomy’ is been systematically pushed out of policy- that from now onwards, if Category I and making. II universities want to introduce new Draft New Education Policy, 2016 – The courses or establish centres of higher Policy of Exclusion: The Draft NEP, 2016, studies or research, they will have to recognises that the need for higher generate the funds for it. The UGC will education has increased. According to the not review the course or look at its document, 2,00,000 students were quality. enrolled in 1950-51, while in 2014-15, 3.33 When the fees in public-funded crore got enrolled. And, yet, the Gross institutions will rise to Rs 50,000-60,000 Enrollment Ratio (GER) is just 23%. It also per semester, there will be ample says that 80% of this student population opportunity for private universities to is in universities. And, yet, these

116 Testimonies universities are facing tremendous policy universities, especially against students, onslaught. The recommendations of the and have used ABVP systematically to Draft NEP, 2016 further pushes the PPP this end. The pattern of attacks on the model, eroding the existing set-up of students’ movement in the last 4 years can public-funded higher education. The be understood in the context of the thrust remains on commodification of ongoing policy onslaught. All the attacks higher education without any regard of on students’ movements can fit into either its impact on marginalised sections, and, of these two categories: they were therefore, GER. attacked because they were questioning inequalities in the society or because they Regarding school education, Draft NEP, were waging war against 2016, recommends that the schools that commercialisation of higher education are functioning in small villages with just and the policy onslaught. one or two teachers should be closed – we do not need expansion anymore. If students stay for a long duration of time Instead, we need consolidation. This in a university and consider themselves recommendation is placed without as stakeholders, while not being in the rat producing any study to support it and race of appearing for the next entrance without any study of the impact it may exam, then students will raise issues. This have on the education of students from is the reason behind the slash in MPhil- marginalised sections, including Dalits, PhD seats in JNU. adivasis and women. While Draft NEP, 2016, recommends that Regarding the students’ movement, the caste and community-based Draft NEP, 2016, says that the organisations should be disbanded, it organisations that are being formed on does not present any analysis of how the the basis of caste and community, which ABVP, or organisations of the ruling are aggressively pursuing its agenda and parties, have caste equations within them political interests, need to be shut down. and how it is used as a basis of association They need to be confined. Chapter V of with these mass fronts of ruling parties. the new education policy says that there In 2014, when an Ambedkar Periyar needs to be a balance between free speech Study Circle was formed in IIT Madras, and freedom guaranteed by the it was called ‘anti-national’. In Constitution and between the functions Hyderabad, Rohith Vemula and his of the universities and colleges. Besides, organisation, whose agenda was both it claims that the system of students Left and Dalit politics, spoke about the remaining in a university for 7-8 years is Muzaffarnagar riots – they were labelled wrong. anti-nationals. War on Universities: This government In 2016, JNUSU was attacked. Through seem to have declared a war on the ‘Occupy UCG’ movement, JNUSU 117 Indian Campuses Under Siege had successfully built a pan-India Autonomous Colleges, Graded agitation against the withdrawal of Autonomy, while demanding just service scholarships. They exposed how and working conditions. The number of scholarships and opportunities for women students who participated in the students are being curtailed, especially of protest march was astounding. The students from marginalised sections. In government is afraid of this 2016, false charges of sedition were heterogeneous population of students slapped on the president, JNUSU and who are resisting all attempts to sell other leading student activists. Similarly, public-funded higher education. The when students were fighting in Punjab government is afraid of the students’ University against the fee hike, the movements. government slapped sedition charges on An attempt to change our DNA: There is them as well. yet another side to the present attack on The ABVP is in a dominant position in education. There is an attack on scientific the DUSU. The agenda of the ABVP-led education and critical thinking in order DUSU in Delhi University was to install to further the Hindutva model of the BJP- a statue of Saraswasti. This, of course, RSS. There is an attempt to change our doesn’t come in the way of government thinking process, in fact our DNA itself policies! It only furthers the divisive through pedagogy and content. The BJP- agenda of the present day government, RSS understand that subjects of liberal led by the BJP-RSS. humanities and social sciences have helped in the transformation of this However, if you talk about inequalities, country. if you collectivise people, if you raise questions, if you speak against So, where is hope?: Hope is moving commodification, you will be labelled forward, playing the role of the missing and attacked. There is a greater ‘opposition’. Resistance to the present- heterogeneity within universities today day government is coming from students, because of the inclusive policies. A large farmers and workers, who are taking their number of girls, SC, ST, and OBC students struggles forward despite threats. The have the opportunity to enter DUTA and other teachers’ associations universities. When they question are fighting to save public-funded inequalities and fight for public-funded education, for just service and working education, they are attacked. On March conditions, against contractualisation. 28, 2018, over 15,000 students and I appreciate the kind of positive pressure teachers participated in the DUTA which is coming from the students’ People’s March against the movements. These movements also make commodification of public-funded higher teachers more answerable and remind us education, the 30: 70 funding formula, of the reasons why we became teachers, HEFA, Tripartite MoU, Scheme of remind us of our primary role and 118 Testimonies positions we should take today to save that this dismantling of public-funded education. In many campuses, students institutions will not be tolerated. We need and teachers are fighting the policy to show that education, which is our onslaught together. I believe this coming constitutional right and is defined as together of movements will be our public good, will not be allowed to be sold strength. as a commodity.

Also, we have to keep 2019 in focus. We Inquilab Zindabad! have to fight and show this government

Sucheta De, president, AISA and former president, JNUSU

‘Without JNU, I would never have a Master’s degree, an MPhil and PhD. By giving Rs 175, girls like me, boys like me, people from discarded groups, see a dream that it is possible for us to study in this country. That dream is being crushed’

n contemporary times, if we talk about about fee hike, social justice, gender student politics and student unions, justice – the union should operate like a Ithen, we are living in an intensely club. If it remains a club, it will thereby repressive period along with expanded organise fests, dance parties, spend resistance. I believe the script has been money, but it will not talk about rights. written many days ago. In 2000, the Birla- This structure, this script, was written Ambani report came out which said there many days back. are many problems with student unions; Let us look at the current phase, the phase they don’t allow fee hike, there are always in which we are fighting, especially after fights, and the student unions are a big 2014. After 2014, the regime in Delhi has roadblock as per the WTO agenda. In one more weapon – nationalism and anti- recent times, and rightly so, students have nationalism, Hindu-Muslim. This has come forward as roadblocks against fee been used for many days. From our hike and commercialisation of academic struggle on the streets, it is clear that that institutions. this weapon will not last long. The Birla-Ambani report was followed For instance, the ‘Occupy UGC’ by the Lyngdoh Committee’s movement began in a context. This was recommendation. It stated that student when the non-NET fellowship was unions must detach itself from politics. cancelled in 2015. At the same time, Students may do politics, they may WTO’s 10th ministerial conference was contest elections, but they should not talk going to be held where the Indian

119 Indian Campuses Under Siege government was going to say that yes, becomes like a pizza, if education your conditions to make higher education becomes something which only the rich into a tradable service in a world market can buy, then it cannot be called is acceptable. That is, the government will education. Thus, to stop this meaning of not spend on education. This report was education, whichever students’ union meant to be given to the WTO by the fights, it faces a crackdown. Students are Indian government – that this is why the arrested and branded as anti-nationals. non-NET fellowship has been cancelled. I want to focus on the events of 2014. We At that point the students started the are also from Left organisations, we also protracted Occupy UGC movement in write many pamphlets every year, every Delhi because the UGC’s office is in Delhi. month, every week. After 2014, there is That is why JNU played a very important one special thing which is happening. role. When the movement was going Even before, there was the problem of on, Panchjanya, the RSS mouthpiece, democratic participation during general wrote that JNU is an ‘anti-national’ place, elections. We know that those who don’t that here they discuss discrimination and have money, for instance, a poor farmer, exclusion, they talk about gender studies if he or she contests the Lok Sabha and teach women’s rights. Look, it said, elections, victory is impossible. What is they talk about the North-East! These are happening now? Today, we don’t trust the reasons with which they branded JNU the mandate, and the EVM controversy as ‘anti-national’. is in the public eye. We saw the same script written in 2015, Likewise, a dangerous infringement and on February 9, 2016, like predictable exists in the students’ union election cinema. An inevitable story foretold. That process. If you are electing those students is when they started the campaign: Shut who are fighting for students’ rights, down JNU! whether it is in JNU, Jadavpur University or HCU, they will be called ‘anti- The JNUSU president was arrested by the national’, they will be punished, they will police which entered the campus and the be beaten up. By entering into the whole country was shown that JNU is campus, the RSS will try to manufacture ‘anti-national’, the JNUSU president is riots. If it is Rohith Vemula, then, he will ‘anti-national’ and student leaders in JNU have to commit suicide. are ‘anti-national’. What was the reason? If education is not inclusive, if education, In Bihar, university elections were held. for a whole generation, is not playing the The story of students’ union elections in role for morality, then that kind of Bihar follows a pattern. According to the education is meaningless; then, there is Lyngdoh Committee, you need 75 per no meaning in the existence of cent attendance to contest elections. In educational institutions. If education Bihar, except in Patna University, classes

120 Testimonies are not even conducted. If you go into The rules apply only to the other campuses, you won’t find students contesting students. Often, FIRs are because there are no classes. So how can lodged and they are not allowed to there be 75 per cent attendance? contest elections. As for the ABVP, no rules apply. The vice-president is not What is interesting is that ABVP even a valid student, she has failed in the candidates have 75 per cent attendance courses. Despite this, she is the sitting and only the nomination of ABVP vice-president. The vice-chancellor gave candidates were finalised and declared them oath. When students protested, valid. In the JP University, in the Sivan- there was a heavy lathi-charge by the Chhapra area, the vice-chancellor, while police. sitting with a BJP member, did a students’ conference before the elections. Then they Students from Jadavpur University are claim that elections will be conducted in also here. Jadavpur University is known a democratic way. In Tilka Manjhi for resistance against fee hike, University in Bhagalpur, during ‘chhat’, commercialisation, for gender justice. which is a big festival in Bihar, they were Now, they are trying to replace the asking for 75 per cent attendance! students’ union with a students’ council Elections were being conducted and which will be absolutely toothless with ABVP was in full swing. The whole panel no space to give a good fight. belonged to ABVP. This is the level of We are living in this kind of a phase and infringement. fighting hard and protracted battles. The Elections were held in Patna University. attacks have intensified. For instance, in This university has a culture and you will Delhi University, there are students’ find students in the campus. And, yet, union office bearers who do ‘astra-puja’; there are scandals in nominations and in perhaps it is called ‘shastra-puja’. There the counting process. We have here, in is a tradition where they keep the gun and the conference, a member who contested worship it. the elections for general secretary and he The MHRD said that it is a historic day will surely put his points. During the when 60 colleges and universities were counting, the counting agents were not given autonomy. Autonomy basically shown the ballot paper – who voted for means dictation. These universities are whom, total number of votes, in which told to open self-financing courses and if booth was the polling? Nothing was they don’t do it they will be shut down. shown and the result was declared. The In the coming days, if the universities do president who won was a rebel from the not open self-financing courses then they ABVP, but belonged to their lobby. ABVP will be shut down. It is being said that to won the vice-president’s post and other maintain quality, autonomy has been posts. given.

121 Indian Campuses Under Siege I would like to speak from my personal Students and teachers are fighting against experience. If JNU had not been there, I this conspiracy. In the current phase of would not have been speaking here. repression, the JNUSU president, vice- Without JNU, I would never have a president and officer bearers have been Master’s degree, an MPhil and PhD. By charged with dozens of cases. They are giving Rs 175, girls like me, boys like me, facing around 30 cases. FIRs have been people from discarded groups, see a lodged against them. However, I would dream that it is possible for us to study in reiterate, there is repression, but the this country. That dream is being resistance is also very high. In the days crushed. to come, both students and teachers will fight against the whole structure of Today it is being said that if you don’t autonomy and commercialisation of belong to a millionaire family, you don’t universities. And, in 2019, we, students have the right to study. If you are not from and teachers, we will play a major role. a rich family, or, a privileged background, the doors of India’s universities will be This regime has to go. closed for you. The name of this conspiracy is autonomy.

Tony Kurian, Indian Institute of Technology, (IIT), Mumbai

‘It is ironic that elections itself stand in violation of students’ rights’

am a PhD student in the Department the anti-fee-hike campaign in a collective of Humanities and Social Sciences at effort, asking students to request the IIIT, Bombay. I would like to highlight administration to negotiate with students. two key issues I have been actively We further demanded that the fee-hike involved with as a student in the institute should be rolled back fully or partially. last year. It is important to note that the The first is the anti-fee-hike struggle in administration, largely, did not obstruct the institute. The fee-hike was or discourage students from protesting. implemented by the administration A few students from some labs faced an without consulting the students, and the antagonistic approach from their student representatives claimed that they professors because the students were a got to know of it at the last moment. The part of the anti-fee-hike movement. fee-hike was about Rs 8,000 to Rs 11,000 The second major issue is the IIT Bombay per semester, which basically meant (IITB) students’ election. I am a student pushing students out of higher education with a disability. Having lost 100% of and thereby out of the IITs. We initiated 122 Testimonies vision in both my eyes, I am legally blind. jurisdiction. Many of the points that were I filed my nomination for the position of progressive and focused on democratic PG academic secretary which is a position rights of students were edited, because, exclusively for PG students in IIT as I have emphasised, they were not referring to M.Phil and PhD scholars. “feasible”. Multiple conversations with There is a three-hour window period for the past secretaries, which are mandated filing the nomination and I filed it. After as part of ‘groundwork’, were held. One filing my nomination, former office secretary asked, “What is your bearers tried to convince me for a long motivation?” I tried to answer it as much time that due to my disability I would not as I could. The conversation went on to be able to discharge the duties of the post. convince me that I do not have enough A particular secretary holding the post motivation to represent the students as last year, in fact, thought that I am not PG academic secretary. able to read by myself and advised me to Almost every former secretary I spoke to take help from someone to do some held the view that I am not motivated reading related to the elections. enough or figured out some technical The IITB elections have some unique difficulty I might face, and dissuaded me features which I believe are anti- from fighting elections. By this point, I democratic. For example, every was the only candidate fighting for this candidate, after writing the manifesto, post and victory was certain. However, I has to take the manifesto to the panel of internalised a bit of what these secretaries former secretaries. The panel would said, and had to withdraw my review and edit the manifesto depending nomination. on what they call “feasibility”. This What I would like to highlight is that IIT process is known as ‘black box’. Many of Bombay elections in itself is anti- my election points were either edited or democratic. By the process of black box, entirely taken out by the panel as they any new ideas put forth by students can thought that they were not “feasible”. be quashed by the administration. IITB elections are not done on a collective basis One of my election promises was that I which means a candidate cannot be would ensure the efficient working of the endorsed by an individual or a collective. committee dealing with sexual This ensures that any collective harassment. According to the panel bargaining powerof students are weeded review, this was outside the jurisdiction out in the beginning. of the post-graduate academic secretary and hence cannot be part of the manifesto. Furthermore, very few students take interest in elections. There were only five I even had a point to institute an Office candidates for six posts altogether. I of Disability Affairs, but was told that, personally think that elections are more strictly, it did not fall under my farce than substance. 123 Indian Campuses Under Siege I faced an extremely anti-democratic, This means that the set of elected unduly and personal backlash as a secretaries do not view themselves as candidate because they knew that my students’ representatives, rather as views contradicted that of the secretaries of the administration. I believe administration. My view of a democratic this ought to be changed and my attempt and participatory administrative process was to work within the given system. with students was not appreciated by the I would largely point out that elections institute’s administration. are not a guarantee for democracy. They I further believe that the IITB might be ‘revolutionary’ but they can also administration wants continuity and not be managed. It is ironic that elections change. What the administration refers to itself stand in violation of students’ rights. by continuity is a set of students who It is an irony that candidates view would tread the administration’s line. themselves as secretaries and not as Manifestos of candidates would sound representatives. It is indeed a huge irony very similar and have more or less the that I was convinced by former secretaries same points. Let me quote a former that my motivation and eligibility for the secretary: “The post I enjoy as academic said post is not at par. secretary is delegated by the director. And I am a secretary to that.”

124 Testimonies

Crackdown on Dissent and Criminalisation

Prof Surajit Mazumdar, Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, School of Social Sciences, JNU, New Delhi

‘There is a crackdown but there is also resistance, and in that resistance lies hope’

n my opinion, the crackdown on In addition to these reinforcing the dissent in Indian universities reflects tendencies inducing conformism rather Iin the first place the existence of than questioning among the recipients of widespread discontent in Indian higher higher education, privatisation has education and the perceived need and yet legitimised and given a greater impetus inability to put a lid on expressions of this to a top-down style of functioning of discontent. The roots of this mutual institutions not entirely absent earlier and dialectic of dissent and crackdown, which made this even more the norm. An has certainly experienced an acceleration increasing emphasis on ‘discipline’, in recent times, perhaps lie in the two- ‘accountability’ and ‘efficiency’ has been sided development of Indian higher the garb in which anti-democratic education in the neo-liberal era. tendencies have clothed themselves. As has already been indicated in the However, these tendencies springing concept note, the onset of neo-liberalism from the process of increased has given a fillip to a multi-faceted privatisation have collided with the process of privatisation of Indian higher increasing inability of the process to education – in terms of its institutional satisfy the democratic aspirations whose mix, the source of its financing, as well as expansion it itself has also unwittingly of its content and purpose. Inevitably fostered. While stagnation in public accompanying these are shifts in the expenditure on higher education and conventional wisdoms and discourse consequent increase in the cost of higher about the social functions of educational education has certainly worked towards reinforcing entry barriers to it, the social institutions, particularly in higher demand for higher education, derived education, and how they should be run from seeing it as a necessary means to or managed. 125 Indian Campuses Under Siege securing a future and achieving upward education and the ability of the overall social mobility, has also grown over time. economic process to satisfy those aspirations – a contradiction that is An increasingly privatised higher further sharpened by the increasing costs education system has therefore expanded of higher education. considerably, particularly in the last one decade. The enrolment in higher Expansion of enrolment has also altered education has seen a more than six-fold the social composition of students. The increase between 1991 and the present. proportion of females in total higher At around 35 million in 2015-16, 6.7 education enrolment has grown from just million of which was in university about 29% in the early 1990s to about 46% departments, the total enrolment (over 43% in the case of universities), and accounted for nearly a quarter of Indians this trend is true across all categories. in the relevant age group (18-23). This While their GERs are still lower than the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) was less national average, the proportion of SCs, than 5% in the early 1990s and even in STs and OBCs in total enrolment is now 2005-06 was only around 11%. However, 13.9, 4.9 and 33.8% respectively – which while there has been this enormous means that together they now account for expansion in the numbers of those well over half the students in higher entering and emerging from higher education. In the case of the Muslim education institutions, neither the nature minority, though, it still remains true that of that education nor the pattern of the their proportion in the students (4.7%) is corporate sector-led growth process has significantly below their share in the total helped create opportunities to absorb population. them. Changes in the social composition of An increase in the ‘supply’ of higher teachers has also lagged behind students education may have been matched by an – 61% of teachers in higher education increase in the ‘demand’ from higher institutions are still male (and their education aspirants, but the consequent proportion increases as we go up the increase in the supply of degree holders academic hierarchy), while the has far outstripped the demand for them. proportion of teachers from SC/ST/OBC Public sector employment has shrunk communities is barely above a third of the while a private sector growth primarily total strength. The entry of larger number reliant on cheap labour and accessing of women, historically underprivileged technology from abroad has created too sections and firstgeneration entrants into few jobs of the appropriate kind relative institutions of higher education, of to the young population of India. In other course, exacerbates the contradiction words, there is an increasing gulf between between the quantum of opportunities one of the aspirations behind the and those of aspirants. It perhaps has also increasing social demand for higher served as an antidote to the culture of 126 Testimonies conformism and conservatism otherwise Unlike the private institutions which tend being bred by the shifts in higher to have an undemocratic structure of education. governance from birth, it is in public institutions that the change in the The changing social mix of the student direction of increasingly authoritarian population is likely to have given an governance is often more perceptible. impetus to the creation of a democratic Public universities, at least the older ones, social outlook within the student population as a whole and brought into are also the places where there has been sharper relief the anti-democratic, some tradition of student and teacher discriminatory, restrictive and activism. Thus, the objective situation of conservative aspects of the spaces, universities in the contemporary context, structures and processes within higher and public universities in particular, education institutions. Public universities inevitably, make them potential centres in India have been part of the change in of unrest and we have seen this being Indian higher education, but, in their own actually expressed in several places. All specific ways. Unlike in undergraduate of them, particularly movements outside education where private institutions some prime locations, may not have dominate, the university system and post- captured media attention at a national graduate education is still more ‘public’ level. than private – in terms of the institutional Notwithstanding the specific issues mix, though, the public funding central to each struggle, these movements proportion has come down more sharply. have a common underlying basis. Public universities have led in the process Further, they reflect as well as impact on of changing composition of students – the ferment in the larger Indian society both because of the still lower levels of costs of such an education relative to produced by a highly polarising growth private institutions, as well as affirmative and accumulation process in the neo- action measures. liberal age. In private universities and private The sheer magnitude of increase in deemed universities, for instance, it is still enrolment and the change in the social the case that the SC/ST/OBC student composition of students only magnifies population is just 27% of the total and this mutual interaction between what is girls make up just a third. Public happening in higher education and larger universities are also those where policy political processes. Killing the spirit of shifts have been most immediately felt rebellion in the universities which precisely because they have, and had, broadly speaking reflect and reinforce an public funding. They are also the urge for an egalitarian and democratic institutions where government transformation of Indian society, intervention and interference on a regular subverting the processes which nurture basis is more direct and palpable. such a spirit and checking the spread of 127 Indian Campuses Under Siege this ‘virus’ – have all therefore become acting in tandem – governments, an increasingly important part of the neo- regulatory bodies like the UGC as well liberal agenda of Indian capitalism, as university administrations, with objectives that have to be pursued even sections of the media playing a at the cost of destruction of the higher supporting role. It covers teachers, education system. Even if these have students and non-teaching staff in these proved so far to be insufficient for that institutions. purpose, further assaults on public higher It is not limited to a crackdown on dissent education and increased authoritarianism within universities but extends to are the only instruments available in the circumscribing the role they can play in neo-liberal arsenal. the articulation of dissent in the larger Since the 2014 general elections, we have universe of society. The crackdown is also seen a specific confluence of neo- sought to be achieved through a variety liberalism and authoritarianism which of ways – some working directly to reflects in part the crisis being confronted prevent dissent from being expressed and by the growth trajectory. Increased others indirectly by rendering its authoritarianism and an intensified influence ineffective. assault on democracy in general through We have seen in the last few years the the instrumentality of the current regime propagation of the idea that protests in and its politics are the ways of opening higher education institutions are up opportunities to revive an conspiracies driven by dangerous forces accumulation process that has been inimical to the interests of the nation. This stuttering badly as a result of its own serves the dual purpose of legitimising internal contradictions. The attack on the crackdown and delegitimising the universities should also be seen as part ‘dissenters’ in addition to producing a of that process. climate which itself is coercive in nature. That is the reason why the destruction of Criminalisation of dissent and taking Indian higher education evokes so little punitive action through the police and protest from corporate bigwigs who courts and through administrative action might otherwise complain of the shortage follows logically and the recourse to such of ‘skills’. The crackdown on dissent in measures is rampant. public universities emanating from the This is accompanied by the curbing of context described above is also one with democratic rights like banning/ several dimensions. While they may restricting political and union activity, express themselves in different places in including bans on unions and restrictions different degrees and combinations, these on the right to protest, hold meetings, etc. trends are visible everywhere. Teachers and other employees are sought The crackdown has a variety of agents to be brought into a ‘disciplinary’

128 Testimonies framework with imposition of restrictive policies – ends towards which a spate of codes of conduct, coercive application of UGC regulations like those governing the ‘no-work no pay’ principle, bio-metric award of MPhil and PhD degrees or the attendance, etc. The already limited ones on ‘Graded Autonomy’ are directed. autonomy of universities has suffered Jawaharlal Nehru University, to which I further considerable erosion and currently belong, has been experiencing structures of democratic self-governance this crackdown over the last two years in have been increasingly undone with a particularly concentrated dose. Its increased centralisation of powers in the history and location have, however, hands of vice-chancellors. helped draw media and public attention The recent government initiative to grant to what is happening in JNU, including greater ‘autonomy’ to some institutions the resistance put up by its teachers and is also a move towards accelerating these students. The JNU story is not unique processes of taming universities and their though – pretty much the same story is privatisation. They are part of the design being repeated across the country. There of restricting entry to publicly-funded is a crackdown but there is also resistance, education and changing the composition and in that resistance lies hope, if Indian of students and teachers in a manner that higher education is performing its true would undo the gains of reservation social function.

Dr Parthosarothi Ray, Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata

‘Ironically, while dissent by student organisations has been facing highly repressive conditions, Right-wing organisations are allowed to function under dummy names’

would like to thank the organisers of as JNU in Delhi or Jadavpur University this very important event to allow me in Kolkata, which have now become well- Ito come here and depose before this known. I won’t go into the details of such people’s tribunal about the crackdown on cases but crackdown against dissent is dissent in educational institutions in happening in both the universities and India. This crackdown has been there all institutes of prominence in India. the time, but it has been accentuated in The system of higher education in India, the last few years. There are well- post-independence, was developed on documented and well-known cases, such two different trajectories. One was the 129 Indian Campuses Under Siege system of universities and colleges, which student or staff organisations allied with had a sort of democratic space; a space the ruling parties. Or, there was direct which provided opportunities for intervention of outside elements, which different ideas to flourish. As a parallel, we have seen in the universities in West the system of institutes of higher level, Bengal. In Jadavpur University, there the IITs, IIMs, IISERs, IISc etc, were were movements against the various institutes and centres under authoritarian actions of the vice central agencies such as CSIR, DBT, DST chancellor. However, outside groups andDAE. There were also centres under affiliated to the ruling party were called the various autonomous councils such as by the vice-chancellor to the campus to ICHR and ICSSR. beat up students who were protesting for a genuine cause. This happens in other We have had two different spaces of universities like Allahabad University, higher educational institutions in India. BHU, etc. A lot of the discussion over the last couple of days has been focused on universities. The regular process of political I would like to focus on these institutes appointments of vice-chancellors and of higher learning which occupy a big teachers is always meant to follow the space in the ‘educational eco-system’. agenda of the ruling party. However, in These institutes and centres were the case of institutes and centres, dissent designed to be authoritarian in nature just has been curbed by structural processes about when they were established; they inbuilt into the system by rules, were built on an authoritarian line under regulations and practices which are part the pretext of efficiency and productivity. and parcel of these processes. Over the A productivity defined by the last few years, interestingly, dissent has requirements of the market, and for the been crushed and the process accelerated ruling dispensations. The same due to the environment of fear which has dispensations in various times defined for been created all over the country. These us the requirements of ‘national two processes are converging, and that is development’. why it is an important phenomena of our times. In most cases, these represented one and the same thing. These institutions were Whereas university and college basically designed to provide administrations are becoming equally commodities and finished products for heavy-handed and authoritarian, they are the requirement of industry. Hence, there resorting to structural measures in order were constricted spaces for dissent and to curb dissent. Institutes have become debate and for expression of free opinion spaces where student organisations and by the faculty, students and staff. In such even outside organisations, affiliated to universities and colleges, dissent was the RSS/BJP, etc, are getting a free hand. usually suppressed by brute force, with The convergence of these two kinds of 130 Testimonies onslaught on dissent should be taken note students only during the semester break of because this has brought an overly when most of the students are away from suffocating atmosphere in the entire the institute. This is the way the student educational system. representatives are manipulated by the authorities in order to curb any dissent. There are so many examples; this is no more an exception. As in JNU, Jadavpur In these institutions, all activities of University, BHU, among other campuses. students or by their bodies have to be It is now a ‘new norm’. This is a real endorsed by the authorities. Student phenomenon which we are seeing today organisations have to register with certain in our times. I am talking about the administrative bodies. Student activities structural processes to curb dissent in have to be approved by so-called faculty institutes. mentors who are assigned to administer that student organisation. However, even My own education was in a certain in this atmosphere, over the last few institute in Bangalore. Now, I teach in a years, actually, a number of student so called ‘institute of national importance’ organisations have grown up around in Kolkata. I am involved with student various sensitive issues such as caste and organisations in various institutes across gender-based discrimination, science and the country, which has given me some rationality, in these institutes. insights into this process. We know the case of the students’ In the universities representative student organisation in IIT Madras. These bodies were student unions. So, student organisations have come up in a very unions were accepted in various repressive atmosphere and that is universities, although the current political commendable. Not only that, last year, dispensation has tried to change the these student organisations have formed scenario. In some of these institutes, a body called ‘Coordination of Science students unions never existed. Instead, and Technological Institutional Students there are bodies which are called as Associations’ (COSTISA), which is now Students Activities Centre/Club, whose trying to face this repressive atmosphere mere function is to control and volunteer in a united manner. students’ activities and ensure that they do not walk off the line. Their function is Ironically, while dissent by student not to represent students’ voices to organisations has been facing highly authorities – but to suppress that. repressive conditions, Right-wing organisations are allowed to function For example, last year, fees were raised under dummy names. These at the time of the semester break in IIT organisations are increasingly part of the Kharagpur. Although the student process of targeting dissenting opinion on representatives knew about the fee hike, campus and act as eyes and ears of the they were instructed to inform the 131 Indian Campuses Under Siege RSS who report on any dissenting presumed to talk about such activities or activities on the campus. Through these such issues, are not allowed. They are not organisations, the RSS has a direct allowed to speak in these institutions, foothold within these institutions. whereas speakers from the Hindutva Whenever there is a dissenting opinion, background are invited to speak. Indeed, these Right-wing student organisations the administration has been used by the become part and parcel of the process of current political dispensation to an authoritarian regime to smash the encourage and safeguard such Right- dissenting voices. wing organisations within many An important part of this atmosphere campuses. means that outside speakers, who are

Mihir Desai, Senior Advocate, Bombay High Court

‘We should not forget the students’ protests in Kashmir’

n several sessions in this conference, anybody who is outside the academic I have heard many narratives about institutions, equally applies to those who Ivarious protests and the responses to are within the academic institutions. them. I don’t think I would be able to add Thereby, the students’ right to freely anything to the narratives. speak, express, assemble peacefully, demonstrate, agitate and form unions, are When we talk about students’ protests fundamental rights guaranteed under the and dissent, we need to keep three Constitution. We must keep in mind that Articles of the Constitution of India all these protests which were discussed clearly in mind. One is Article 19 (1) (a), here are justified and legitimate protests which talks about Freedom of Speech and and constitutionally protected. That is Expression; second is Article 19 (1) (b), one aspect. The second aspect is that which talks about the Right of People to under the Constitution there is a list of Assemble, and the third is Art 19 (1) (c), duties of every citizen. which allows citizens to form themselves into unions and associations. None of We have been talking about critical these three articles of the Constitution are thinking and academic institutions. barred or stopped at the gates of Article 51 A of the Constitution, speaks universities or academic institutions. of the fundamental duty of all citizens to Academic institutions are not black holes generate scientific temper and spirit of in the Constitution. Hence, whatever enquiry. This and other provisions of the applies under the Constitution to Constitution not only permit but

132 Testimonies encourage healthy disagreement. Dissent protesting, then sought injunction to stop is a core component of democracy. If you people from sitting on dharna, etc. This look at the students’ protests or any other happened in institutions like TISS in form of protest, it is an overt articulation March and April, 2018. The second of dissent. It can be individual, it can be method is using the criminal law, which collective, peaceful, etc. If you are not may have happened earlier, in the 1950s, going to allow dissent, you, obviously, 60s and 70s. At that time this happened cannot allow protest. That is the logic. occasionally, but criminal law is now used during every protest and in every In the environment today, across the struggle. That is the change. country, and not just in academic institutions, dissent itself is seen as ‘anti- From 2015 onwards, to suppress most national’. This is something which we struggles, criminal law is used. FIRs are need to keep in mind. filed that ‘you are rioting… you are disturbing… you are unlawfully Look at the situation, particularly from assembling…’ There has been imposition 2014 onwards. I read somewhere that of the sedition law, which is most they have arrested some people in shocking. Sedition should not be in the Hyderabad on the ground that they law books at all as a crime. The Supreme wanted to kill the vice-chancellor. In 2015, Court has held that you can charge a the FTII protests met with arrests and person with sedition only if the severe suppression. In 2016, there were statements made by a person leads to the JNU protests. There were protests in violence. It is unbelievable that sedition Lucknow. A female student in BHU was is used against students; this is unheard molested in 2017 which led to protests by of. women students who were lathi-charged. The protests in TISS continues. The It is not only the question of filing FIRs to common feature is that wherever there stop certain activities. The use of police are protests the authorities are cracking brutality, whether it is lathi-charge, or, as down. a person from Panjab University was mentioning, the use of casteist and They choose to take disciplinary action; communal language to subjugate they will hold an inquiry against the students has also increased in the last two person who is protesting, suspend him years. It is not just police brutality at the or her, impose fines, possibly this is time of stopping a demonstration through followed by rustication. This is the a lathi-charge, the brutality continues traditional way in which they take when you are taken into police custody. disciplinary action. All this is illegal. No police person has Students who are here from TISS are the right to touch, torture or slap, or to in aware that the institute went to court in any way cause any kind of physical or order to stop the students from 133 Indian Campuses Under Siege mental humiliation to any arrested against the students’ protests in the days person. This is the law. However, what to come. is a law and what happens in reality, are Finally, I want to say that we should not two different things. This is the situation forget the students’ protests in Kashmir. whereby from 2014 onwards there have Massive students’ protests and resistance been increasing atrocities on students have been going on in Kashmir since through the use of the legal machinery. many years. Many of those brutalised are There is even the misuse of legal children, something unheard of in our so- machinery against teachers and we have called ‘democracy’. We have to worry the example of Prof Saibaba. The use of about the ways in which the law is being the legal machinery to throttle protests is used against the protests while legally increasing and this government – and not and constitutionally we are fully justified just in the case of students and teachers – to carry out agitations, to express dissent has generally used the law to oppress against the government or anybody else. people. I won’t dwell on NGOs, or how That constitutional protection is being and why FCRA has been cancelled using eroded by the use of ordinary laws. This the legal machinery, or, various other is something which we need to worry means. They will use it more and more about.

Vrinda Grover, Advocate, Supreme Court of India, New Delhi

‘Of course, there is no chargesheet till date. The purpose of invoking criminal law is not actually to take it anywhere. It has already served its purpose’

rom 2016 onwards, for me being used, particularly, criminal law is personally as a lawyer, there is being used, and that is to demonise the Falmost a new specialisation in law. individual, vilify the institution and to This is about students, professors, and all engineer and orchestrate hate against issues relating to universities. those persons. These testimonies from From 2016 onwards, many of my friends teachers and students, as they talk about have become clients, in a sense. On the spine-chilling experiences, the feeling aspect of criminalisation, the point is not under surveillance, is precisely the that the law is going to be used to purpose of the criminalisation being necessarily entangle you in law done. proceedings. That is also a part of the I want to go back to three of these cases, story. But, there is a more immediate and in the legal sense, which are very pointing purpose to which the law is 134 Testimonies important incidents that have taken place, charge of security plans. If you are going as I have been personally a part of them to put me in the center and have the mob as a lawyer. Post the JNU incident which surround me, anyone with common sense took place on February 9, 2016, nobody would understand that this is a bad idea even knew what had happened till Zee and can create trouble. This was brought News was kind enough to bring it to to their attention. national television through doctored and When Kanhaiya Kumar came in, he was engineered videos. There is a plan and an attacked. We saw the man who attacked entire process through which this hate is him. The judicial officers and the police engineered and law is deployed with full said they did not see him, but some of us knowledge that there will be political did see him. It is not a mystery how he patronage, that public opinion can be was able to come in. Nobody could have manipulated and courts may be walked in without an I-card or permission overhauled by the public opinion. from the police that day. So, if he did walk I will just show why I say so. On the in, there was not a breach of security – he morning when Kanhaiya Kumar was to was allowed to walk in. be produced, there was a petition filed in After which, again, the issue was raised the Supreme Court saying that on his by us that this is a very serious violation, production, security must be provided. including of the high court order. I have The court listed the names of all of us as seen the 1984 carnage of Sikhs in the city lawyers who will be allowed to be there and it was the only memory that was and the Registrar of the Delhi High Court coming back. This kind of sloganeering was asked to make arrangements. When of lawyers and the mob; this was what we were entering, we saw a very large was happening in 1984 in Delhi. The mob. Just two days earlier, teachers and Supreme Court had to rush in Court journalists had been attacked. Those who Commissioners. What happened after all were raising slogans and were part of the this? mob were actually lawyers of that court, or, otherwise; it was hard to say, but the Five or six senior lawyers of the Supreme national flag and certain slogans were Court came as Court Commissioners part of this process, which nowadays because we reached out to them. seem to sound as alarm bells for us who Incidentally, all our cell phones were were present there. taken away, even of the lawyers. It was only after the breach happened that some There was a lot of so-called police, there of us insisted that since the judicial were senior judges present and all of us officers and the police have failed to were present. We informed the senior- provide security, please return our most judges that the way in which this phones, we have to reach out to our has been organised was not right. It was colleagues. At which point the Supreme clear to even those of us who were not in 135 Indian Campuses Under Siege Court was interrupted by Indira Jaisingh, standing on a crossroad. The FIR in Prashant Bhushan and senior lawyers. question has been registered only on They were attacked. They went back and February 11, 2016. Investigation is at the reported. initial stage. The petitioner is the President of Jawaharlal Nehru University All of us lawyers who were present as Students Union. His presence at the spot Kanhaiya Kumar’s counsels in Patiala on February 9, 2016 has been claimed on House that day gave a signed written the basis of raw video footage of that day, statement to the bench headed by Justice February 9, 2016. The petitioner at present J Chelameswar to please take this on is in judicial custody. The question is, in record and take action against those who view of the nature of serious allegations have indulged in these acts. Justice against him, the anti-national attitude Ranjan Gogoi, in January 2018, said that which can be gathered from the material there is no reason to ‘flog a dead horse’, relied upon by the State, should (it) be a that this matter should now be put to rest, ground to keep him in jail.” and that if anybody wants to take it up, the court can access different remedies in What is the legal meaning of the phrase the law; it’s open to you. called ‘anti-national’? How does a sitting judge of a high court use language of this This is how we first demonised nature? individuals and institutions. We created a narrative. The State is able to shape a These are issues we will have to talk about certain public opinion. The only because there is too much silence institution that can step in to curb this or surrounding things that are happening in to turn this in the other way is the court. very important institutions and offices. It And if the court does not do that, then continues: “As President of Jawaharlal there is both, reason to be worried, and Nehru University Students Union, the to repeatedly point out where these petitioner was expected to be responsible institutions have failed us. and accountable for any anti-national event organised in the campus. Freedom I am only curious as to who is the ‘dead of speech guaranteed to the citizens of this horse’ among all of us. I also want to read country under the Constitution of India out a portion of Justice Pratibha Rani’s has enough room for every citizen to bail order. I am not going to bother with follow his own ideology or political the song that she began her bail order affiliation within the framework of our with. However, we need to look at what Constitution. While dealing with the bail is this demonising, sedition and hate application of the petitioner, it has to be speech doing in our midst – that becomes kept in mind by all concerned that they very important. are enjoying this freedom only because The judge writes, and I am quoting from our borders are guarded by our armed her bail order: “Today I find myself and paramilitary forces. Our forces are 136 Testimonies protecting our frontiers in the most All the rules and procedures are being difficult terrain in the world, that is, distorted and contorted in a manner so Siachen Glacier or Rann of Kutch.” as to control both admissions and appointments. If you can close the I don’t know if it should be laughed at or admissions and appointments in a ridiculed; this has been stated by a sitting university, it is as good as over, having judge of the high court! One dare not already vilified it. laugh, not because of the fear of contempt, but because of the fear of this kind of There are reasons why most of JNU is interpretation of the Constitution that is contesting every single attack – whether being done in the course, where we have that is the procedure of appointments, the to turn for protection. Therefore, when sedition accusations, the injunction of students say that they are fearful, there is where you will protest, how you will good reason for that. protest, and CCTV cameras all over, etc. They have been removed now because In the JNU case, despite the fact that we there is also a very strong faculty were attacked, the fact that one man committed to civil liberties which makes breached security, the highest court of the a lot of difference. It enables both the land did not see any reason to interfere students as well as the faculty to take with the matter, whereas a condition was certain positions and stance. imposed that he (Kanhaiya Kumar) should not participate actively or In the Ramjas incident in Delhi passively in any ‘anti-national’ activity. I University, I had helped them with their am not even sure that if this condition was legal processes. They were not able to get imposed on anybody; what do they do an FIR filed. Despite repeated reminders, or what are they expected to do? they were unable to even get FIRs registered – that they were attacked. The Of course, there is no chargesheet till date. principal also wrote letters to the Morris The purpose of invoking criminal law is Nagar SHO. The only FIR registered was not actually to take it anywhere. It has against them. A complaint case was filed already served its purpose. The point is, in Tees Hazari, by a young person, saying both, to put fear in the wider community, that sedition should be invoked against what is called the ‘chilling effect’, and to these people. We saw a crime branch vilify and demonise, and this enquiry, the result of which nobody ever demonisation has not gone away with saw. We don’t know what is happening time. We know that demonisation of JNU because these are slightly ‘under the happened. I think, JNU, in particular, is radar’ kind of operations that are being seen in a certain way. conducted. I will just flag two cases which are coming Certainly, in the staff room, all teachers up before the Delhi High Court with were not willing to put their necks out, respect to appointments and admissions. 137 Indian Campuses Under Siege get condemned and isolated. People think These are cases that I have been of jobs and other forms of public scrutiny. personally involved with as and while I In February 2016 also, the pattern was the was assisting these people dealing with same. The Ramjas event was directly the kind of attack they were facing. I related to the JNU event because of the think the attacks are quite clear. The invite to Umar Khalid which was seen by attack is on what you speak, what you ABVP as an act of provocation and will speak to the students, what are the therefore it had to be halted. So, there is a ideas that will be allowed to be presented common pattern. They are drawing and to the students. Criminal law is being controlling what you will speak and brought in to draw the boundaries of that against whom you will speak. speech, and the speech that will not glorify their version of the nation-state or Snehsata, from the Central University of the armed forces. That is, what is Haryana in Mahendergarh, is an permissible activity and what is not. extremely brave lecturer, who did not have the support of a faculty like JNU and We will see much more use of criminal had organised a festival where ‘Draupadi’ law. It’s not going to go anywhere, they written by Mahasweta Devi, was to be are not interested in filing the cases; the enacted. She had read out an epilogue job has already been done by naming you quoting what are the contemporary in the FIR. Moreover, representing such situations in which we could reflect upon people now seems to carry its own issues Mahasweta Devi’s ‘Draupadi’. It led to and concerns. some kind of neighbourhood protest by Given the fact that we are in such a people who apparently joined the army scenario, and given the fact that the etc, because she pointed out to the kind university authorities will be increasingly of violations the armed forces had deploying these means, it is important for committed in the North-East, Kashmir those of us who do intend to stand for and in the region of Bastar in the freedom of court, the freedom of Chhattisgarh. speech and expression, and use the She had to face a rather high-level university as arenas of cultivating that enquiry, which was, if I am not mistaken, kind of thought, to acquire some conducted by three retired vice- familiarity with law and its processes. It’s chancellors. Actually, she had been asked not something that we have to necessarily to give an explanation for reading out an do in life, but it will be good to have some epilogue. She was let off with a warning familiarity because you will have to know that in case she commits a similar act in the enemy and its imagination to be able the future, they will take disciplinary to deal with it. action.

138 Testimonies Mukul Mangalik, Associate Professor, Department of History, Ramjas College, Delhi University, Delhi

‘My Salaam to all those students, past and present, who, through the ‘Marcusian quality’ of their ‘Great Refusal’, have kept hope alive in dark times’

embers of the jury, organisers about as we start out on the road to of this Peoples’ Tribunal and political justice. friends, let me begin with a few M I shall be speaking only about what preliminary remarks: happened at Ramjas College on two Just yesterday I was reading out a passage consecutive days but with the clear in my class for 3rd year History students, understanding that the meanings and from a book called ‘The Slave Ship –A implications of those experiences can Human History’ by Marcus Rediker. transcend boundaries and can and must Towards the end of this passage, Rediker speak to every individual concerned for says that “this has been a painful book the present and future of democracy for me to write”. I could not help anywhere in the world. remembering these lines as I sat down last 1) On February 21 and 22, 2017, Ramjas night to recollect the details of the terrible College, located in the North Campus happenings at Ramjas College in of Delhi University, having February 2017, for purposes of putting completed its centennial on January together this brief testimony. All of it 17, became the site of unprecedented came flooding back, in waves and waves violence. The very air, it seemed, had of images and sounds, leaving me in become charged with the worst anguish and seared with pain. imaginable intimidation, threats, As I stand before you today, I shall say abuses and physical assault. The what I have to say without a trace of viciousness of it all continues, I think, vengeance and surprisingly enough to haunt and disturb each one of us without feelings of anger. The who experienced those two days of overwhelming emotion is one of pain, sheer terror. accompanied by the desire to open up a 2) This violence was not the result of any conversation with all concerned about ‘clash’ between rival student groups. It what has remained unspoken for over a was a direct outcome of a brazen, one- year now. The hope is that this might sided, daylight assault on innocent begin a process, through which, the students and teachers of Ramjas enormity of what happened can begin to College by members and supporters be openly acknowledged and talked 139 Indian Campuses Under Siege of one student organisation, the ABVP been a stranger to violence, even as it – the student wing of the BJP/RSS – has also been home to students’ and which, during the academic year teachers’ movements against 2016-17, was also in control of the ‘gundagardi’ and for democracy and Delhi University Students’ Union secularism. Yet, or, rather, precisely (DUSU). because I am aware of DU’s long tryst with violence, I feel the attack on Hell-bent on deciding, with the help students and teachers at Ramjas of the police, who should and who College on February 21 and 22, 2017, should not be invited to a two-day was unprecedented. It was seminar on ‘Cultures of Protest’, unprecedented and frightening. In organised by the Literary Society and fact, the memory of it continues to Department of English, Ramjas send a chill down my spine even College, and then faced with a today — for the following reasons: perfectly legitimate, peaceful and spirited protest against their arbitrary
never before have any college of DU exercise of power and brawn, by been almost taken over by a violent students, teachers and organisers mob for over two full days; (and participants) of this seminar,
never before have I seen or they literally occupied Ramjas College experienced such viciousness, hate over these two days. They held and fury in the language and actions students and teachers hostage in life- of the aggressors, the feeling that they threatening situations — for example, might or would, in fact, do absolutely inside the Conference Hall located on anything; the first floor above the college canteen on the afternoon of February
this was pre-meditated, systematic 21 — and then let loose their fury on and organised mass violence, enacted unsuspecting students and teachers, with the clear purpose of sending out kicking and punching them, a message, not just to many at Ramjas, screaming and shouting at them, but to all colleges and universities, at injuring several, abusing and chasing least, in Delhi, that, henceforth, it women down the streets of Delhi would be the ABVP that would call University, and making no bones the shots at the universities, not the about their open intent of causing invaluable pillars of academic grievous bodily harm. autonomy, democratic rights and the principles enshrined in the Indian This, I repeat, was no ‘clash’. It was a one- Constitution, without all of which sided attack, pure and simple. universities cannot survive as 3) I started teaching at Ramjas College universities; in 1984, so I know that DU has not
never before have I been forced to go 140 Testimonies

underground for fear of being singled of their own college, their place of out and physically targeted by work, the crucible of livelihood, students at DU, some of them my own meanings, dreams, friendships, students of History at Ramjas College, collegiality, struggles, freedoms and not just on February 22, but for a few all the other things that make life days thereafter as well, because of a worth living. high-voltage and malicious social It speaks volume for their implicit media campaign projecting some of commitment to the highest ideals of us, and me, in particular, as being education and to democratic rights, civil seditious, rendering us fair game for liberties and the spirit of solidarity, that all and sundry; in the face of the most horrific violence,
the attack, in all its elemental ugliness abuse and intimidation that came their and perversity, was being celebrated way and forced the seminar that they had even as it was happening, by the very so painstakingly put together to be shut people who were carrying it out; and down and snatched away from them, these students and teachers did not run
the police, at best, allowed this macabre dance of violence and away. They might have taken a step back mayhem to go on, more or less at this one moment or another, but, all in unchecked, or, at worst, were hand- all, they stood their ground, protesting in-glove with the ABVP. and fighting back, not just then, but all through, right until today, with words, 4) As for the students and teachers of arguments, ideas, slogans and songs, in Ramjas College who were attacked, I the finest traditions of active non-violent would like to state unequivocally, that resistance. they were not in the wrong at all. They did nothing that was illegal, I would, therefore, like to end by saying unconstitutional, undemocratic or what I think I will never tire of saying: professionally or ethically wrong. my ‘Salaam’ to all those students, past and They were, in fact, by organising the present, who through the ‘Marcusian seminar on ‘Cultures of Protest’, quality’ of their ‘Great Refusal’, have kept doing what all teachers and students hope alive in dark times, together with don’t just have the right to, but the the burning desire to read, write, think, duty to do so. Far from their doing speak and live without fear, and in anything, absolutely anything wrong, freedom. They have done this for the they were, in fact, being prevented, emancipated ways of being and living at all of a sudden — by the ABVP and Ramjas College, for freedom in precious the police—on the morning of spaces, including in the classroom, and February 21, from doing their for democracy – ‘what spring does to the legitimate work within the premises Cherry trees’.

141 Indian Campuses Under Siege But, for this — especially since new I don’t see how else we can continue to modes of surveillance and monitoring are believe with the Xhosa that “people are threatening to take over our lives in the people through other people”, or dream college — silence might have come to rule along with Aime Cesaire that that “no race over Ramjas, and I too may have fallen holds the monopoly of beauty, of intelligence prey to looking upon those who attacked and strength and there is room for all at the us, students or otherwise, as ‘others’, rendezvous of victory and we know that the enemies to be vilified rather than as sun turns around our land shining over the human beings with whom I shall always plot chosen by our will alone and that every be willing and happy to speak, argue, star falls from the sky at our limitless explain and debate in the abiding hope command”. that they too, like the rest of us, carry I don’t see how else students and teachers possibilities for re-inventing themselves can remain the people we are meant to through genuine repentance and deeply be and universities stay true to their real felt remorse rooted in the demanding processes of self-criticism and reflection. purpose.

Dr Snehsata Manav, Department of English and Foreign Languages, Central University of Haryana, Mahendragarh, Haryana

‘We, so-called intellectuals, are surrounded by our own selfish ends. We are very selfish, and we are governed by market ideals instead of philosophical principles’

issent is what is not going Sometimes, however, dissent is created parallel to or not adhering to the by the meta-narrative realities Didea of dominant meta- themselves. Hence, not all dissent is narratives. To name a few: nationalism, positive. The dissent that is targeted patriotism, student-teacher relationship, usually belong to marginalised realities. or ideas that power wants everyone to What happened at my university, the accept. Even the Marxist version of India Central University of Haryana (CUH), is as a class-system can be included in this of the former kind – the one created by list. These are powered by power, the meta-narrative. It did not originate prompted by power, directed by power, from within the university, rather, it was and to maintain the power, they do not a publicised dissent which got its steam want to be interrupted by marginalised from outside – from the nearby villages. realities. Whoever wants to talk about (I never intended to say that the marginalised realities are not accepted by university is a closed space aloof from the the meta-narratives, or the mainstream. outside world.) 142 Testimonies

The Department of English and Foreign depicting the realities happening in Languages has a paper named ‘Literature contemporary India. I spoke of the brutal and Gender’, and Mahasweta Devi’s rape and murder of Thangjam Breast Stories is part of its syllabus. In July Manorama under custody by the army in 2016, Mahasweta Devi died and our Manipur. When her corpse was recovered department thought we should pay a it was discovered that almost 20 bullets tribute to her by organising a programme. were pumped in her private parts. As a The responsibility of this was given to response to this brutality, several two teachers – my colleague Dr Manoj Manipuri women came out naked outside Kumar and me. I was told that since I was the Assam Rifles headquarters in Imphal teaching the paper, I could do anything holding banners that read, ‘Indian Army, creative. So we thought we could convert Rape Us’. ‘Draupadi’, a story by the author, into a I also spoke of the sexual abuses Indian play. I rewrote the script in play form and women are facing and the pseudo wrote its prologue and epilogue. intellectuals who use this opportunity for ’Draupadi’ is a story situated in West their own selfish ends. When these kind Bengal in the 1970s in the time of drought. of incidents happen, the pseudo- A landlord is murdered by his peasant intellectuals become silent, but on stage, tenants because he has been inflicting in the media, and in their air-conditioned various kinds of injustice upon them. In rooms, they are very good people and response, the police and the army come speak very well. I spoke of people like into the village and burn the whole Senanaik in the story who says things village down. Dulna and Draupadi, the like, “I know the world; its memory is main characters, escape from the scene, very weak. I will change colours in all the but after some time Dulna is killed in a worlds and I will be respected in all the fake encounter and Draupadi is captured times.” by the army. Throughout the night she is The play was well-received and there was gang-raped by the soldiers. The following applause. I was congratulated by my own morning, she is called by the chief of the colleagues. It was the first English play army. She goes to meet him naked and on stage in this university. By evening, refuses to wear any cloth. Surprised and though, agitations started. I was shocked puzzled, the chief of army asks where her by some students who were affiliated to clothes are. She replies, “You can unclothe the ABVP and RSS. They were me but how can you clothe me again.” propagating that the army has been Her breasts are vandalised and brutally depicted in a negative way. They bitten. She says, “Why are you afraid? motivated and organised the nearby Why are you afraid of a naked woman?” villagers. They called other army people The story ends here. In the epilogue, I and started protesting against the called it a story of a real situation university. We were asked to write an 143 Indian Campuses Under Siege apology stating that it was not our at the police station. These authorities intention to harm anybody’s emotions. inquired about my education, about the places I happened to live during my However, this was not enough for them. studies. I told them that I did my school For one month, continuously, we faced plus-two from my village, BA from a local lots of abuses and dharnas in front of the college, MA from a government college, university. The sad part of the story was MPhil from Kurukshetra University, and that the authorities, who gave all the PhD from CUH, Mahendergarh. permissions and worked with us, shifted their stance in the wake of the uproar. The They were surprised to discover that I next day we faced questions about why was not from JNU. I told them that JNU did we organise this kind of a was not the only place of dissent, and not programme. We responded in our own all who pass out from JNU dare to speak way and two committees were formed. the truth. The first committee did not want to write The situation now is that there is a anything negative about us and hence screening committee in our university. was not given a second chance. In the Whatever you wish to speak on the stage, second committee, a very eminent even a single word, will be screened by professor from Osmania University was the screening committee and only then made the chairperson. He gave a strict you may speak on stage. There is a sense warning letter to me and asked very in my mind that I have to think a lot surprising and distressing questions like, before I say anything. The saddest part is “You had personal intentions and if you that the same intellectuals who speak big repeat such actions in the future you will words on stage turned their faces away have to face strict disciplinary action.” when we faced them. That eminent professor asked me, “What was the need of talking in this desert area Our university is young, established in about Mahasweta Devi? She is a well- 2009 and was located in a temporary reputed fellow and the sand dune is not campus till 2013. It has no working the place for giving tribute to such a teachers’ association. There are only fellow. Do you think by talking about seven members in it because that is the rape you will change the mindset of minimum required number and we had people? Army people are dying on the to plead to the teachers to come and write borders serving the country and you are their names for the association. There is vandalising their reputation. Do you not no students’ organisation either. Only think you are anti-national?” two teachers were standing with us, and we had nearly 70 teachers at the time. One I asked him to tell me, if I was a part of teacher called me up on phone, only for this nation. Ultimately, he spoke only him to say, “I am sorry Snehsata Ma’am, negative things. The police made I dialed your number by mistake.” I said enquiries from me, complaints were filed 144 Testimonies

I am glad at least the number was dialled– future, I think, lies in the hands of the he seemed breathless and he did not have teachers. The authorities are nothing if all words to speak. Even today, even if a the teachers are together. Whatever is teacher is dying, there would be no happening is because, we, so-called assistance. intellectuals, are surrounded by our own selfish ends. We are very selfish, very When I see these things I think the politically motivated, and we are problem is not in the authorities, but, governed by market ideals instead of within the teachers themselves. The philosophical principles.

Abinash, Ramjas College, Delhi University (DU), New Delhi

‘I fear invoking the Constitution. There needs to be some kind of a moral persuasion, and justice needs to be redefined not through the prism of law but through humanity and values’

t is very difficult for me to imagine, as a kind of name that chills the spine, one I speak about what happened in those is completely rattled by what can happen Itwo days, but I would like to speak by the name ‘Ramjas College’. about what followed. I want to put into I want to refer to the fact that how this perspective the incident. What followed ‘democratisation’ is happening inside was that actually criminalisation is not Ramjas College after last year (2017). I only happening in terms of legality, but, spend a lot of time in college. I stay there in a sense, it is the ‘democratisation of till night, till 9/10 pm, and I have had a criminalisation’. There are two issues, very good relationship with the guards two incidents, that I want to recollect. over these three years – 2015 to 2018 – that Sometime, in September, I was a part of I have been in college. It is very ‘DU conversations’ started by a bunch of depressing to see that very slowly and students, primarily by the students of the insidiously these guards are turning Delhi School of Economics. We were against us. It has been enabled through a trying to organise something around the larger and grand narrative of not allowing lines of a talk, and that was scratched and certain things to be talked about and shut off because of our names as taught. I think what is very scary is how members. I want to recollect and really these guards react to us now. There is this emphasise here the fact of how the police venomous attitude towards students, not locates students. When one person allowing them to stand in college during becomes the face and the face becomes a day time, the guards will ask you to go threat, and the fact that Ramjas becomes away, they will take action against you.

145 Indian Campuses Under Siege This is not the part of criminalisation of whom I really had a brilliant relationship the lifestyle of the students. when we used to sit with the evening chai. I fear invoking the Constitution. There The other aspect I would like to talk about needs to be some kind of a moral is about what is happening in the lecture persuasion, and justice needs to be rooms. Prof Mukul Manglik was redefined not through the prism of law organising that lecture as part of our but through humanity and values. world literature class and all of us were a part of it. He was talking about the 1968 The attack that happened at Ramjas was students’ revolution in France. An IPS not against a particular institution or officer who spotted us started asking students’ body. It was against the Literary questions. What was very interesting and Society of the English Department, for in part scary also was that what happens god’s sake, of a college which was trying inside our classrooms, what we talk to organise a talk. What one needs to about, are taken out of context and put in understand is that they are not against a this grand narrative. And then party, they are against certain conclusions are drawn and actions are individuals. So, how do we deal with taken. threats at that level? What is scary in this is that none of us are Of course, the Constitution is there. I safe in the college sphere. In the last one remember my trips to the Tees Hazari year, the college has always been the Court where the sedition hearings were place where we fear to go, and every time happening. I was trying to strike a I go to college I know that all of us are conversation with a man passing by in being looked at, all of us are being heard, the corridor. The man has nothing to do out of context, mostly. This is the with what is happening in the court and criminalisation. So how do we deal with yet there is animosity in this common this criminalisation? person, and he reacts in the most hostile manner. This is where the Constitution I understand the Constitution is the tool fails. There needs to be some base on that protects us in many ways. What is which the Constitution stands and I think also needed is how we deal with this moral persuasion does the job for criminalisation at a very personal level. This is because I do not invoke the students and teachers. Constitution to a security guard with

146 Testimonies Roshan Pandey, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi

‘These people are trying to crush students’ opinion and questions. There is not a single platform within the campus where you can express your opinion or raise questions’

e gather at the Constitution under streetlights as well if we want to Club in Delhi because our study. So, we protested by studying Weducational institutions are under streetlights. In between, we did not abiding by the Constitution. I do not signature campaigns and adopted other blame anyone, a party or a government democratic measures. We wrote a letter for this situation, rather, this situation of so that our concerns may reach the higher oppression is because of the ignorance of authorities, but we got no response. constitutional values inside our Thereby, we sat on a peaceful hunger educational institutions across the strike for nine days, but nine students country. At the Banaras Hindu University were suspended citing reasons that we (BHU), we raised an issue regarding the are protesting on the campus. We were library. Almost 40 per cent of students on suspended and now allowed to give our an average get admission in the hostel, exams as well. Neither an enquiry and 60 per cent students live in villages committee wassetup, nor was a show who do not get any facilities. The library cause notice provided for the suspension. provided a better and necessary This means that even the principle of environment for these students. The natural justice laid down by our library allowed an environment where Constitution was not followed. discussions and conversations took place between students on campus at night. For We took the matter to the court, but this purpose, our library would be open without luck. For a year, our case went 24 hours. This is what BHU stated in the on in the high court, but we received no Executive Council’s resolution and the relief. We approached the Supreme Court prospectus. and were given the permission to write our exams. However, since the new government has taken power and a new vice-chancellor In between all this, the daily staff workers has been appointed, the library has been were holding meetings. They protested closed. We raised the issue. Why is the for 171 days, and went on hunger strike library not given to us despite BHU for 41 days in which we too participated mentioning it in its prospectus? We were in solidarity. Issues were raised of serious told that some of the great people studied gender discrimination in subjects, hostel under streetlights so we should also study fee, hostel facilities, etc. Women staying

147 Indian Campuses Under Siege in the hostels face a curfew at 7 pm and protest, the police did a ‘lathi-charge’. 9pm. The reservation policy was not Wewere given a notice stating that we being followed in one department. have made attempts to murder, kept General seats were left marked vacant, weapons and explosives, conducted riots, while the reserved seats were marked etc. ‘Not Found Suitable’. We started getting These people are trying to crush students’ vocal on these issues and violence broke opinion and questions. There is not a out on August 31 in which we did not single platform within the campus where participate. However, criminal charges you can express your opinion or raise were filed against us. questions. If you differ ideologically even We had proof of CCTV footage and some a bit, then you are crushed. people being unwell but we were still As long as the institution runs there are trapped. It has been more than a year and going to be problems. If there are there is still no report. We participated in questions, how can we come up with a movement regarding sexual harassment solutions for these problems? We are still in BHU in September 2017 and had to face criminal charges again. During a peaceful fighting for our cause.

Harishankar Nachimutthu, former president, FTII Students’ Union, Film and Television Institute of India, Pune

‘The union is completely destroyed, whatever we had has been completely destroyed’

ith so many strikes in the last space, not participating in anything couple of years, FTII has unless it directly concerns FTII. Just Wbecome an old story. I would before the strike we had called the Kabir like to concentrate on what happened Kala Manch– after which things started post the strike at FTII. The strike getting worse on campus. The then continued for 139 days drawing president of ABVP was also one of the tremendous support. Having heard the members in the strike. The strike other testimonies, I think the students of continued and we had criminal charges FTII were privileged, primarily because filed on us. Section 143, 147, 149, 323, 341, we got support from celebrities and hence 353, 506, were filed. My lawyer was told the increased media attention. that the number of witnesses required in these sections were not enough. Once we Before the strikes, FTII was not a very go on trial we will be implicated, politically potent space for protests. The obviously, but most of us would not be space was more of a niche and liberal 148 Testimonies implicated as we had gone to shoot. What campus being blocked after 10pm, or occurred was a ‘normalisation’ of what I stopping liberties like partying in the would call ‘a slave mentality’. campus, etc. After all the money the government spent They knew how to create a split between on the new director, Gajendra Chauhan, the faculty and us. The faculty does not he never turned up at the campus except have a strong union in FTII like the once. I was called for an appointment and JNUTA of JNU. Most of them are on it seemed that it could just be a birthday contract, hence, they do not step forward gift for Chauhan. But, that was not the for most of these issues; whoever did case. In fact, all of it was well-planned. support in little ways were harassed. There was this new application on I was then the president. He spoke to me facebook, ‘Sarahah’, where somebody quite nicely, asked me to forget anonymously messaged me: “FTII cannot everything and that we will make the become JNU.” I thought the language was place wonderful. They opened a faculty that of a student. office where they were doing some small puja and he called me. I told him that I At the time of admission, they ask do not believe in all these rituals and whether I am going to start anything maybe I will just take the sweets offered. here? Obviously, why would I say yes? Last year, we tried to celebrate Ambedkar I come from a small town called Kolachiin Jayanti and the director asked for the Tamil Nadu from where my father called names of those being called and if their me up to inform that an IB officer had research is political, or acceptable to him. come by. Fortunately, one of my school The new set of students get turned against mate is a bar councillor and hence the us. When students ask the director for problem did not escalate. scholarships, he refuses to talk to them Advocate Mihir Desai mentioned about and directs them elsewhere. They the right to form a union. We once organise pretentious things like, ‘Pune for organised a strike in favour of the FTII and FTII for Pune’ and turn the sweeping staff on contract. I was sitting public against us. The security guards outside when the director called me and check labourers working on construction told me to stop this “union-giri”. sites every day so that the labourer does not take things for firewood. This is the Gradually, things became normal on kind of attitude towards outsiders. campus. We never thought that it would be a matter of privilege to call a speaker I feel ashamed to tell this as for me to without the administration’s permission, come here right now takes a lot of pain. I like we used to. Earlier, we would just have missed three shifts by coming here inform the administration.Things did not and when I return to FTII they might happen like we thought, such as the criticise me. The union is completely

149 Indian Campuses Under Siege destroyed, whatever we had has been of place that it is. But, lending support to completely destroyed. It is easier others is becoming difficult for us as gathering support for FTII due to the kind everything is being destroyed.

Writwik Saikia, general secretary, Democratic Students Forum of Assam and North-East India, Gauhati University, Guwahati

‘I was kept in police custody for 4 days and then sent to jail for 35 days’

am from Gauhati University and I am professors in various colleges are the general secretary of the reportedly getting PhD degrees from IDemocratic Students Forum of Assam outside Assam – illegally. and North-East India. I was arrested on As we had expected, on May 15, I got a June 9, 2017. In the past, several remark show cause notice with charges of “anti- have been made against me, “You are university activities” and there was a Leftist”; “You are an anti-national”, by the disciplinary committee instituted against DCP of Jalukbari Police Station. Such are me. On May 20, I was expelled from the the kind of remarks they have been Gauhati University, just 7 days before my making about us. MA final exam. I want to divide my testimony into two This issue immediately got attention of parts. The first is about ‘when and why’ I got admitted to Gauhati University in the national media and the controversy July 2014 for a Masters in Mass became viral on social media. The then Communication. Within three months we president of JNUSU, Kanhaiya Kumar, came to know the administrative, strongly condemned this. We fought and financial and academic defaults inside the my suspension order was revoked on university. The entire university is run by June 4, 2016. I was allowed to appear for one person – the vice-chancellor. We the exam. It was interesting that we were started various movements like fasting referred to as “anti-university” after this and agitation and through RTIs we tried incident. to bring out more issues. Thereafter, we continuously opposed the On January 16, we filed an RTI with the VC on various issues. On May 18, I filed administration seeking details about another RTI against the VC. The issue was some financial matters, fraudulent that he was renovating his residential officers, and certain professors in our premises by spending Rs 1.5 crore. On university. Now, interestingly, it has May 19, the administration filed an FIR become an issue in Assam that many against me.

150 Testimonies

On May 22, an ‘Expression of Interest’ Two sandal trees were cut down in the letter was issued by the registrar of campus which is theft. The VC said that Gauhati University saying that we need he does not know anything. Interestingly, a bus stop inside the campus which a CID inquiry is still pending against the would be a public bus stop for which the VC. university wanted to give the land to a Our university land was not purchased private party. We opposed this and told by the government. It was donated by the the registrar that we will not tolerate this villagers of the adjoining villages. So, it anymore. We submitted a memorandum is the duty of the university to maintain against this decision on June 6, and after the campus. We have already lost some three days, they arrested me on charges land which has been given for the under Sections 124 – UAPA etc. After construction of a highway. There was no that, I was produced in the court and kept need to permit a public bus stop inside in police custody for 4 days and then sent the campus when classes are going on. to jail for 35 days. After spending 35 days For students, there is a bus service in jail, I got bail, but it was not over. I have available free of cost. Then what is the come to know from the media that I am requirement of a public bus stop? We in the ‘surveillance list’ of the Assam opposed all these decisions. Hence, I was Police. arrested. Actually, this entire issue was I want to bring to your notice why this nothing but organised government has happened to me. As students of propaganda. Gauhati University, we raised some Another example is how the university issues with the administration regarding gives us RTI ‘facts’ without signature, the fee structure – certain fees collected without authority letter, to whom it has by the university which is not necessary been given – nothing. Till now, no action – identity cards being issued for Rs 450, has been taken and the governor is silent deserving students not getting admission and seats for girl students being limited. about this.

151 Indian Campuses Under Siege Deborshi Chakraborty, former student, Presidency College, Kolkata

‘Outsiders! Maoists! Conspirators…’

eing a former student of Presidency who was responsible for the destruction College, now Presidency of the laboratory, etc. It was not only me, BUniversity, Kolkata and currently there was another student who was a research scholar at Jadavpur University, charged with atrocious threats and the Kolkata, I feel that I have the amenities police is continuing with these false cases and privilege to depose my testimonies even now. in public. However, there are many Let me cite the ‘Hokolorob’ movement or colleges and universities in my state the movement that happened in 2014 in where students are facing atrocities at the Jadavpur University. In our official hands of the ruling party, the police and capacity as student representatives in the the administration, and these acts of Presidency Students’ Union, we went injustice are not getting highlighted. there to express our solidarity on First, I want to narrate the incident on September 16, 2014. Police patrol April 10, 2013 in Presidency University happened on that night. They picked up when I was a student. The ruling party students. I was one of those picked up. I students association, Trinamool Chhatra was among the three ‘outsiders’ who Parishad, ransacked the campus. They were arrested by the police. came inside the university and beat up student activists like me. My nose was Later, they floated the story that the broken, I was run over by 10 people, my ‘outsiders’ had arms. The mouthpiece of T-shirt was torn, female students and the ruling party carried out a story with female teachers were allegedly issued my picture that I was associated with the rape threats by these goons. Then they Maoist movement, that I had a gun, that entered the heritage building laboratory there were associates who had a Chinese and ransacked the laboratory, the pistol or something like that. These kind classrooms. of fascinating stories were circulated while trying to turn public opinion The whole university premise was almost against the movement. And that is what destroyed. The interesting thing is when they always do! this was happening, we were protesting outside the university. I came to know When we protested against the incident about those who were associated with that happened in Ranaghat, a small town this attack. So, when I deposed their near Kolkata, they also pointed out names, in the public, in the media, the protestors like me as the ‘Mao-Maku’ next thing they did was to file a case conspirators. They always call us against me; they said that I was the person conspirators, those who are raising their 152 Testimonies voice against them, against the There is another movement which is government. going on right now, which is very serious. There is a people’s movement that is When I was a student in Presidency going on in Bhangor, not very far from College in 2015, the chief minister had Kolkata. The students who participated come to the campus. The students were in this movement have been charged with protesting because Presidency was not atrocious penal codes like the Arms and given many things even after stated Explosives Act. I have been charged with promises. Then, again, these newspapers, the Arms and Explosives Act, conspiracy mouthpieces of Trinamool Congress, against the State, etc. This is a problem carried out stories calling me a medical college student Dr Rahul conspirator, that I tried to assassinate the Banerjee, who is right now in prison, is chief minister with other conspirators. facing; he has been charged with UAPA There has been destruction of statues – for participating in the people’s Lenin, Periyar, Ambedkar. There was a movement. statue of Lenin in front of Jadavpur This is the state of law and the Indian University, a very old one. We came to Constitution right now in West Bengal know that the RSS is coming to destroy where any kind of protest is being the statue. So the students went there and branded unlawful and anti-national. It is resisted that attack. The next thing that not only the fascists, who are in power at the West Bengal government and the the Centre, the state government too is police did was to launch cases against us. calling us ‘anti-national’ and using That is how they work. The West Bengal phrases like unlawful activities against government is actually trying to polarise with the BJP and RSS. That is their us. strategy.

Sannaki Munna, University of Hyderabad, and president, Ambedkar Students’ Association, Hyderabad

‘It is a fight in which all of us, all the students, are coming together. We are rejecting victimhood, we are not scared, and we are hoping for the best in the future’

ai Bhim. I am Sannaki Munna, (ASA). We have been struggling and our representing the University of fight is at the state-level. Till date, the JHyderabad and working as president challenges and issues continue to prevail of the Ambedkar Students’Association and our fight is continuing.

153 Indian Campuses Under Siege Currently, Appa Rao, the sitting VC, is recentcircular released by the MHRD, continuing with his suspension orders – around 60 plus universities will have their before Rohith Vemula and after Rohith own autonomy. If this kind of autonomy Vemula. More than 50 members of ASA comes to any university, they will set their have got suspended. They have removed own ‘Agrahara’ – the universities will the North-East, J&K and union territory have the power to crush the reservation quotas. There is no proper downtrodden students and this will affect implementation of the reservation policy the students belonging to the SC, ST, OBC in the University of Hyderabad for and minority communities, and students students, faculty and employees. The from the J&K, North-East and union ASA filed a petition in the high court last territories. year – till date no judgement has come. I would like to put down certain issues The victimisation is largely affecting and challenges we are facing in the MPhil and PhD students. The ratio University of Hyderabad (HCU). of students from downtrodden backgrounds has become lesser in the
Currently, Appa Rao, the VC, is universities, including in HCU. continuing, despite his suspension. Whenever we represent any issue,
On different occasions, before Rohith through organisational level and the Vemula’s suicide and after that, more students’ union, the administration than 50 people were arrested. rejects our demands. We are left with no option but to fight – and we are fighting.
The university has removed the reservation quota for the North-East, Since the past three years, we are J&K and union territories. struggling with the institutions of education – there is no rest for us.
There is no proper implementation Everyday, there will be something to of the reservation policy either for engage with in order to represent the students, faculties and employees. students’ concerns. The university is
continuously rejecting our There is a seat cut and this is affecting representations and clamping down on mostly MPhil and PhD students. The our struggle. ratio and percentage of doctoral students are becoming less in the I am talking about centres – the closing universities, including in the of two centres. They received notices from University of Hyderabad. the MHRD and HCU, because they want to close down some centres in HCU.
There are serious restrictions, from There are also serious fund cuts in the the gate to the hostel; we are restricted HCU and they are now generating funds at the gate itself. At the gate, many by raising the fees. According to the security persons are deployed.

154 Testimonies

Inside the campus, we are not allowed environment of fear too, there are good to do protests, public events and even things happening. One of the good things gather in groups. is that students are fighting even while losing out on academic work and career
According to a recent circular, outside prospects. Students have become the food is not allowed inside the campus voices for all kinds of public and – as the institution ‘cares’ for the democratic issues. students. The other good thing is that since I joined
There is a serious fund cut issue and the university in 2007, and till now, we they have to generate their own funds have been defeating the ABVP. Hence, we by increasing the fees. are continuously getting elected and the The administration is constantly making the university is rejecting the ABVP – for its own rules and regulations to control whatever they do. This time, in my the university. They are silencing the estimation, ABVP has spent a huge students so that students won’t be able amount of money to win, and, yet, they to question the decisions and the rules. were defeated. To implement their decisions and to make There is a collective response and we are us silent, they are using methods like constantly fighting on issues which are creating fear by deploying police and happening across the country. We have other security personal in the campus. been giving our solidarity to different Another method is by not responding to universities and struggles all over the the students’ questions so that the country – for instance, on issues related students don’t join the students’ to atrocities, fellowships, MHRD, BHU, organisations. Continuously, the police JNU, DU, FTII, etc. are coming into our university, for any Finally, I would like to focus on the whimsical reason. Even for a small talk thoughts of Rohith Vemula. We are organised by us, the police is visiting the rejecting ‘victimhood’ as Rohith said in campus. For any small event which is his letter – he was deeply sad about our affecting them, a DSP-level set-up will be society. He was not sad about the Sangh deployed and they will try to create fear. Parivar, the BJP. He was sad about the Therefore, there is a strong attempt to irresponsibility of us – everyone. He also create this environment of fear while rejected ‘victimhood’ when he became a clamping down on dissent. martyr. However, in this crucial time, all the It is a fight in which all of us, all the students’ organisations are still fighting students, are coming together. We are for the larger community. rejecting victimhood, we are not scared, I would not like to create a sense of and we are hoping for the best in the frustration among all of you. In this future. 155 Indian Campuses Under Siege Richa Singh, former president, Allahabad University Students Union, and PhD Scholar, Allahabad University, Allahabad

‘When I first went to talk to the administration, the registrar told me that you are a girl and you should behave like a girl. I replied that right now I am the president of the students’ union and for one year I will talk to you as the president only’

irst of all, I want to thank the institutions. However, during the period People’s Tribunal on Shrinking I have been in the Allahabad University, FDemocratic Space. Thanks to the where I did graduation, post-graduation, organisers for organising this tribunal in research and my project, I realised that which student leaders and students from there is no place for women in the union all over the country who have faced at Allahabad University which is also continuous attacks can share their called ‘Oxford of the East’. narratives. Thanks to the jury members, When I thought of contesting the because seeing you gives a feeling that at elections, and talked to my friends, least there are some people who are here people made fun of me. They said that to listen to our pain. Otherwise, we are anything can happen in Allahabad told that being a student if you want to do politics, then you will have to face all University, but a woman can never these attacks relentlessly. become the president of the students’ union. There are reasons behind it, My name is Richa and I am pursuing PhD because Allahabad University is not like from Allahabad University. Since we are JNU or Delhi University. Uttar Pradesh talking about the ‘crackdown on dissent’, is already in news because of Yogiji. I want to share my narratives. UP has its own parameter of politics. And In 2015, I contested the elections of the those parameters of politics affect the Allahabad University Students’ Union society and universities. So, in Allahabad and became the first woman to be elected University, where students’ union as the president of the union in 128 years. elections are dependent on money and Adil Hamza, our former-vice-president, muscle power politics, women cannot whose testimony has also been attached, participate in the elections. Not only being a Muslim, became the first vice- women, common students, people from president from the minority section. The marginalised sections, Dalits or Muslims reason why these facts are important is – they just cannot participate in the because when we talk about universities elections. Only a certain group of people and educational institutions we presume rule the roost and only those people take that they are democratic and that there are progressive thoughts in these part in elections. 156 Testimonies

However, we decided that we will fight had to go to the hostel for using the toilet. the elections. I, with my friends, contested Hence, when I was elected, people said as an independent candidate. When we that when girls are elected they don’t were contesting, other panels also work on anything but just talk about approached us – the Right-wing, Left- toilets. When I first went to talk to the wing. I was asked to contest for the vice- administration, the registrar told me that president’s post. The president’s post is you are a girl and you should behave like booked for the ABVP, and it so happened a girl. I replied to him that right now I that the other four seats seemed to be am the president of the Allahabad ‘owned’ by the ABVP. University Students’ Union and for one year I will talk to you as the president We made hand-made posters and tried only. to talk to the students by approaching them on students’ issues – which they In Allahabad University, girls did not understood. While we were giving our even pass through the union office. But, qualifying speech, we were bombarded after the elections, girls have started with hooting, continuous hooting, so that coming to the union office. They bring we could not finish our qualifying speech. their issues. Sometimes, they come Despite these obstacles, a lot of students demanding answers and for protests too. supported us and gave us the chance to Except me, the entire union comprised of be elected to the union. ABVP and they thought that since a girl Indeed, contesting the elections was not has been elected as the president it will as difficult as it was after getting elected be easier for them to carry on with their – considering the entrenched patriarchal agenda. On November 19, 2015, 4 thought structure existing in the members of the ABVP invited Yogi university. For 128 years, the university Adityanath, who is currently the chief administration was accustomed to see a minister of UP, for the inauguration of the male president. They said that being a girl union. I wasn’t asked. The Constitution she has been chosen by chance, it is not of our university says that no event can an issue, and one year will pass. This is be organised without the president’s when the confrontations between the consent and without a decision taken by administration and us began on questions the president. The question was not of gender, that how can the campus be whether I was asked or not; the question gender-sensitive, how can the campus be was that the need to ask a female handicapped-sensitive as our university president was not even considered. didn’t have ramps, how can the campus provide library facilities, and what kind First, without my consent you cannot of toilets will be in the campus. overrule me, you have to talk to me. Being a woman, I have faced this Second, there is no room for communal problem. When there was no toilet, girls space in our university. 157 Indian Campuses Under Siege We sat on a hunger strike and the with the VC in the university. We are administration did not allow Yogi simultaneously fighting with the BJP and Adityanath to enter Allahabad, let alone its students’ wing, the ABVP, while enter Allahabad University. Our protest fighting with the administration and the went on for long – all the progressive VC. The VC did not have a Sanghi forces of Allahabad came together for the mindset, but he has become one now. protest and we went back after the That is why there is difficulty in raising protest. But, on that night, we were voices of protest in the university. If you attacked by several goons in which the protest, then, your admission will be university administration’s proctor and cancelled. registrar were involved. My friends and This issue is not only limited to student I got fractures on our hands. leaders. When the university After this episode, the university started administration takes such actions against serving me one notice after another students, then, it is a threat for the other notice. They questioned me on why I students – that, if you protest, you will protested. I lodged an FIR against the face the same consequences. So, under a registrar and proctor who were involved very well-planned plot, democratic and against many members of the ABVP. spaces inside the university is being That FIR is still lying in the police station curbed. Students are threatened that if but no action has been taken on it. After you want to risk your education and still this, a committee was formed to cancel choose to protest, then you will have to my admission and the vice-chancellor face the consequences. said that we will check whether your This is a very dangerous time. However, election process was fair or not, weather one positive thing has happened across your election was wrong or not. the university and across the region. A Many such committees were formed, strong unity has been formed between around 5 to 7, one, to check my election students and student leaders, whether it process, another, to check my PhD is in Hyderabad University, DU, JNU, admission. I was almost on the verge of Lucknow, BHU or Allahabad. Today, being thrown out of the university. when Rohith Vemula’s issue happens in However, on March 8, which is Hyderabad, it is not only Hyderabad that International Women’s Day, the fights but Allahabad, Lucknow, JNU, DU Congress, Samajwadi Party, CPI and – everyone fights together. Llikewise, CPI(M) leaders raised the question in when something happens in BHU, then, Parliament and my suspension was not only BHU, but all the students, people stopped. of progressive mindset, come together to fight collectively. This unity needs to be There were many incidents like this and we had confrontations, offline and online, taken forward.

158 Testimonies Fahad Ahmed, former president, Tata Institute of Social Sciences Students’ Union, Mumbai

‘Those who think that this is not an unannounced emergency, they should ask questions to the government just once, they should try to fight for their fundamental rights. Then they will realise that this is an unannounced emergency’

his is a platform from where we On February 21, 2018, as the general can raise our voices for our secretary of the students’ union, I Tfundamental rights with the organised a protest on how educational confidence that no one will throw a shoe facilities can reach the SC, ST, OBC from the crowd. We can speak with population who have been deprived of courage to raise questions about our education for thousands of years. TISS, government and educational authorities. which is a fully public-funded university, The truth is, we are going through an has a fee of Rs 76,000 per semester. Not unannounced emergency. This per year –Rs 76,000 per semester. Thereby, emergency gives only the people in we are asking the question: if the fees of power the freedom to talk or assault a public-funded university will be Rs anybody. Those who think that this is not 76,000 per semester, then, how will an unannounced emergency, they should students from the marginalised sections, ask questions to the government just whose father’s income is Rs 20,000 annually, continue with their higher once; they should try to fight for their education? fundamental rights. Then they will realise that this is an unannounced emergency. So what happened,when we started asking these questions? The unannounced emergency in our campus began on February, 21, 2018 TISS is a democratic space. We have when we raised our voice in the Tata always raised questions regardless of the Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), government. However, since this Mumbai. From then, until now, it has government has come, they have found been a long journey that has made us a different way to seize all the democratic realise that if you raise any question spaces. against the authorities, if you raise any The first thing they did was to decrease question on the country’s policy-makers, our non-salary maintenance grant. In then you will receive notices/court 2011, we got Rs 15 crore as non-salary orders, you will be mistreated in every maintenance grant, whereas, now, in way and you will have to bear with it all. 2017, we got Rs 6.45 crore as non-salary

159 Indian Campuses Under Siege maintenance grant. When I met Union continuously targeting me and the HRD Minister Prakash Javdekar and told students of TISS saying that you are fringe him about this development, he started elements, you are trying to malign the shouting at me. It is with a heavy heart I image of TISS. I am asking them that if am saying that the country’s education we are fringe elements, we are fighting minister says that he cannot do anything. for the marginalised sections of the He refuses to take responsibility. I feel society. If you call us fringe elements, very bad about this. then, it’s a badge of honour for every student of TISS. We will keep on fighting I understand how difficult it is to explain for the issues of education, we will keep empirical data to such people, but I still on asking questions to the current tried to show it to him. He just waved government, even if they try to them off, threw away the papers, and did clampdown on all dissent. not even receive the letter which we were supposed to give him. So, this is a kind of Regarding autonomy, let’s see it from the democracy in which we are living. perspective of social justice. They are saying that now the institutes have It is also sad that even our teachers didn’t autonomy to increase the fees. So, when support us when we raised our voice, like we go to them, whichever government, a friend from the Central University of and say that our fees have been increased, Haryana mentioned in her testimony. they will just wash their hands off saying Whenever I try to call some teacher, they that it has been hiked by the institute so say that your call is getting delayed, that we cannot do anything about it. So we is why they cannot talk to you. When it is have to look at it from the social justice an emergency situation, I tell them that perspective. it’s for your work; then they call over WhatsApp thinking the call might not get We will have to understand that we need taped. to unite, because I believe that in India, SC, ST, OBC, minorities and liberals Hence, this kind of emergency is going constitute 85% of the population. Let us on. I want to repeat to all the people of come together irrespective of the the country, if you are of the opinion that ideological differences we have. This this is not an emergency, just once, just emergency cannot stop us from fighting for once, try raising your voice against the the fascist forces – be it Ambedkarites, government, and not just the Leftist organisations, students or teachers government, raise your voice for your – whoever believes that we need to save fundamental rights – then you will realise our country. Let us come together and it that day. fight against all these forces, not only the When we started our struggle, the current government, but all those forces institute declared that “your fight is who are trying to snatch away our against the institute”. They were fundamental human rights. 160 Testimonies Ajmal Khan, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai

‘I have books in Urdu in my cupboard. I don’t know if there is any banned literature in Urdu. I may be targeted for being a Muslim’

hank you very much for inviting However, we had good strength and we me here. I want to make it clear that protested on the spot. We stopped all Tour protest is not an isolated vehicles moving in the city, went to the protest within the university. It’s about police station and demanded that a case larger manifestations and responses of under the SC/ST Atrocities Act should be the students’ community to changes that filed against these goons. I was hit on the they are facing. In Mumbai, I was forehead and taken to Sion Hospital. The involved in forming the Joint Action local activists had the names and other Committee for Social Justice along with details of the local RSS cadre. After giving Prakash Ambedkar which blocked the the information, we started our protest in city on February 2, 2017, demanding front of the police station at Dharavi at justice for Rohith Vemula. around 9pm and by 2am we were We understand the ‘crackdown on successfully able to register all the cases dissent’ in two ways. One is in the under the SC/ST Atrocities Act, which institutional way – using police, was a tremendous success, given the institutional processes and State current circumstances. repression. Second is by using political Last year in December, when I was forces like ABVP and the RSS and other politically motivated groups who are coming back to TISS, I was interrogated allied with Right-wing ideologies at the main gate by the security staff. They supported by the current government. I said that they have to check my room as would like to mention a few examples. they have got ‘secret information’ from the Intelligence Bureau that I had gone We were doing a campaign. A rally was to conduct a programme on Kashmir. I conducted in Mumbai in February 2017. think this was the same day an attack had We were mostly doing campaigns within happened in Kashmir and Kashmir was the Dalit bastis in the wake of Rohith in the news. Vemula’s death. During a small rally, inside Dharavi, which has a big Dalit Normally, I don’t lock my room because population, we were marching on, when my other roommates close the room. we were attacked. Some of us were beaten Unfortunately, my room was not locked up by RSS goons who came from the front when the security staff came into my when we reached a congested lane. Later, room. Half of my cupboard is filled with we came to know that these were local books of Ambedkar and Marx. Seeing RSS people who had planned the attack. these books they did not do anything.

161 Indian Campuses Under Siege They know that in Maharashtra, being a Muslim. I don’t know Urdu, Ambedkar is very powerful person! They because I am from Kerala. Hence, this can’t target us, in that sense. kind of narrative can be created against me by saying that I am doing it to degrade I have books in Urdu in my cupboard. I don’t know if there is any banned the so-called reputation of TISS. literature in Urdu. I may be targeted for

Shraman Guha, Jadavpur University, Kolkata

‘In the absence of any credible opposition, Jadavpur University, perhaps, has become a very credible axis, a very credible pole, where people can believe that this is the pole which can take the attack against the State and yet not get co-opted by any other narrative’

will be speaking about certain events be associated with the police or any state that will perhaps track the trajectory authority, Trinamool goons, came into the Iof the crackdown on Jadavpur campus and beat up the students. University and the resistance movements. From 2012 onwards, there has been a The first crackdown, legally and massive presence of IB and special branch institutionally, came in 2011, after the Left officials monitoring students’ activities in Front government was defeated. The Left Jadavpur University. From 2014, it has Front was the ruling party before the been trying to malign the students, bring Trinamool Congress (TMC) came in. It shame upon the students. It has not been had a very different way of operating in successful in doing so but there has been the universities and very different ways a clampdown on those showing solidarity of clamping down upon dissent. I won’t with the students of Jadavpur University. go into that today. The major clampdown has been on In 2012, the TMC government came into students in Jadavpur University, and in power. The first thing they did was that various public universities across the it abolished the university statute. It state. Especially against students effectively effaced students’ associated with the hokkolorob movement representation from every executive who tried to stand in solidarity with council in Jadavpur University and in all Jadavpur University students. the universities across the state. From 2016 onwards, the RSS started In 2014, there was a massive police entering the Jadavpur University, using crackdown on students. Not only the the ‘anti-national’ slogan. There have police, many people who in no way can 162 Testimonies been very serious attacks in the university the state. This is very serious. There have which has targeted the student been movements going on across the state community as a whole. There have been against this. attacks led by the present MP, Rupa What is inspiring is that despite these Ganguly, against the students. She attacks, the student community, picketed the university with a few especially in Jadavpur University, has thousand men and said that the emerged as a very dependable axis of university will be shut down from protest in the state. In the absence of any tomorrow if it does not conform to the credible opposition, Jadavpur University, RSS ideals of nationalism. perhaps, has become a very credible axis, Presently, what is happening in Jadavpur a very credible pole, where people can University and in West Bengal is that the believe that this is the pole which can take state government wants to abolish all the attack against the State and yet not students’ unions in all the universities of get co-opted by any other narrative.

163 Indian Campuses Under Siege

Structural Marginalisation: Caste

Prof Kancha Ilaiah Shepherd, Author and Director, Centre for Social Exclusion and Inclusion Policy, Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad

‘I say that till Ambani’s children, Adani’s children, the priests’ children, are not tilling the land, are not sweeping roads, till then, reservations will be there’

n my opinion, higher education in radical Christianity in the pre-Protestant India falls under three ideological era, and radical Islam, such as in Iran, Icategories. The first is the broad liberal Iraq, Syria, and now Pakistan. Radical spectrum having broad roots in Dr BR Hinduism, and Hinduism per se, is a Ambedkar’s thought as well as liberal major problem for us. thought – Navayana, constitutionalism, All the Shudras, including Justice BG etc, whatever is the practice that has Kolse Patil and me, are born from the feet, emerged. The second is the communist according to radical Hinduism, and not stream having some interface with from the head of God. According to this liberalism. However, the communist theory, the ‘Atishudras’ – that is, the mode of higher education in Bengal was Dalits – are not born. Historically, then, worse than the liberal one in rest of the we are not supposed to be literates. states. They have not implemented the SC, ST, or OBC reservations in Bengal and Today, there is a radical Hindu party I have not come across even a single SC, ruling under an OBC, but, let us not forget ST, or OBC intellectual from Bengal – that Narendra Modi is not a Shudra OBC even after 34 years of their rule. but a Baniya OBC, a business OBC; selling tea is also a business. It is not food The third is called the radical Hindu production. It is not tilling land, rearing higher education. This radical Hinduism cattle or making pots. is different from Gandhian Hinduism. Radical Hinduism here is not just In its internal structure, radical Hinduism Hindutva or communalism. Radical has an ideology that Shudras, including Hinduism is a characteristic akin to the non-reserved ones, OBC, Dalits, and

164 Testimonies tribals, should not be in higher education. reservations in the private sector, but the They cannot allow us even basic school industry resisted it vehemently. education – literacy, Sanskrit, anything. If 2014 has to be taken as the benchmark To them, highly educated university for the total number of SC, ST, and OBC intellectuals emerging from the so-called presence in higher educational ‘meritless’ reserved classes are the biggest institutions, my estimation is that by the problem. next election, in 2019, the presence will Ambedkar created a problem having reduce by 10-15%. The drop-out rate is acquired a PhD. They think these increasing. elements like Kancha Ilaiah are able to Since it is a caste society, every Left-liberal write books like ‘Why I am not a upper caste intellectuals, even those who Hindu’ or ‘Post-Hindu India’ because of now say that burqa or topi are communal the universities. So, they need to take the symbols, would never characterise universities away from such elements. janeyu (the sacred thread of the Brahmins) Their view is that let these elements be as a communal symbol. They will simply illiterates and till the land, look after cattle remove it for the public. – the cow. We have to take care of the The backlog positions could all have been cows and hand them over to the sanyasis. filled by 1940 in all universities, but they The sanyasis will not look after the cows, did not do it. All these secular Left they will only protect the cow after we intellectuals sitting on the selection panels have taken care of the cow. said that every SC, ST, or OBC with a PhD The SC and ST reservations had is not eligible, even from ‘great’ tremendous backlog and so did the OBC universities like JNU or Delhi University, reservations that came in the states post- let alone a ‘bad’ university like Osmania, 1980s and at the Centre from 2007. Post which produced me, from where the PhD the implementation of the Mandal itself is not recognised. Commission recommendations under the They say we are ‘anti-national’. I am a UPA regime and by the time the 2014 shepherd. A shepherd is known as a elections were underway, the biggest person with an acute level of madness. expansion of the Dalit, OBC and adivasi But I have a much bigger madness. I say people in higher education as well as the that all these selection committees are largest expansion of higher education ‘anti-national’. They find it unsuitable to institutions were taking place. This provide education to any land-tiller, expansion was opposed by the core cattle-rearing person, pot-maker, shoe- ideological BJP-RSS senators inside their maker – the ones who make this nation. ideological structures who did not agree They look for an Oxford PhD, a Harvard with it, but had to go along with it PhD, a Cambridge PhD, which, according anyway. The UPA had also proposed to them, are ‘nationalist PhDs’. 165 Indian Campuses Under Siege I say these selection committees are anti- the syllabus. Now, they are changing national because they are not into everything because they are in full production. They are not tilling land, they power. are not looking after cattle, not making Let me speak of the BJP and not the RSS, shoes or pots, they are not fishermen. as the BJP is more known to the voter. The Once those who do these productive BJP thinks that the quantity of higher occupations become graduates and post- education has to be brought down, leave graduates, by their sheer number, they will occupy every inch in the society alone quality. No single SC/ST graduate, within 20 years. post-graduate, or PhD has merit, according to them. I have not seen a single After the Modi government came to BJP intellectual who knows something power they have carefully chosen various about the world or this nation. They know ‘Dronacharyas’ to head the institutions. only what Namo said, what Kautaliya These Dronacharyas do not want the SC, said, and what ‘Bhagwad Gita’ said, and ST, or OBC to learn and if that happens that is their social sciences. The biggest then the SC, ST, or OBC would need to damage the BJP is doing is that it is subtly have their thumbs cut. That is what all abolishing social sciences and the vice-chancellors today are doing. introducing Hindu theology, like the old There was a Dalit UGC chairman who has Oxford or Cambridge University. As a done so much. Do we see any Dalit in any result, today, all research centres are one of the decision-making bodies in being ‘de-financed’. Almost 38 India? There is no single OBC president, ‘Ambedkar social exclusion and social no OBC vice-president, in the central inclusion research centres’ are about to government, or, as a vice-chancellor; they be closed. There has been a restructuring were not there even under the Congress of institutions. regime. This is because, according to the dominant perception, apparently, OBC Earlier, planning was in favour of SC, ST, lack a brain. or OBC. Under the Planning Commission, if a programme was introduced, it At least under the Congress we were continued for five years and in the next protected and we were hopeful. Under plan it got some money in some scale. The the current regime, there is ‘de- BJP has ‘de-planned’ the economy and educationalisation’ of the Shudras, Dalits removed the SC/ST and OBC plan and adivasis. This is because that is what budget; they can introduce a SC/ST their ‘shastras’ tell them. Even under Atal budget and stop it in one year. Under the Behari Vajpayee, the situation was planned scheme we had the judicial right slightly better, since he led a coalition to go to court, but, under the current government, and their HRD minister, dispensation, we do not have the judicial Murli Manohar Joshi, was only changing right. 166 Testimonies

Abolishing the Planning Commission has are these very SC, ST, and OBC soldiers been the biggest threat to the SC, ST, or ‘anti-national’ because they are fighting OBC. They call this new scheme the Niti on the Pakistan border? Aayog. I call it the ‘Abhiniti Aayog’ as Muslims eat beef, tribals eat beef, OBC eat there is no ‘Niti’ in their philosophy. If beef, and they think we are all ‘anti- there is ‘Niti’ then there cannot be caste. national’. How would we fight China This ‘Abhiniti Aayog’ cannot plan for us. without eating beef? It can only plan for the Brahmins, the Baniyas, the Jains, and others. They plan They have their ‘nationalist games’ like how to demonetise, how to increase the yoga! The SC, ST, or OBC do not believe economy of the Ambanis, Adanis, in sitting games. We believe in running Reliance, and, then, how to transfer games – high-jump, long-jump, etc. They money to America along with Nirav want the army person to sit and do yoga Modi. There are a number of Modis today on the border and get killed by the transferring money. So, these are their Chinese soldier! schemes and they call us ‘anti-national’. We should have a massive rally in Delhi Prof TK Ommen said the current symbol together with all the university teachers, of nationalism is putting tanks in the students and research scholars, and claim university and dead soldiers’ photos in that the country belongs to the ones with the university. I ask, is there a Brahman whose sweat and blood the country has regiment in India to protect it in any been made – the SC, ST, or OBC. If they battle? There is an Ahir regiment, a Jat have to talk about nationalism, then they regiment, a Gorkha regiment, a Mahar should till the land. No Brahmin or regiment. Which national leader’s father Baniya is tilling land. They have no was a soldier except Ambedkar’s? Was business teaching us about nationalism. Savarkar’s father a soldier? Like the Arab Spring, there has been a No RSS OBC activist can become a soldier Dalit Spring – the April 2, 2018 national because they are all vegetarians. protest. We will witness an OBC Spring Vegetarianism is another form of too very soon, once their reservations are ‘nationalism’. All Shudra OBC and Dalits under threat. are ‘meatarian’ and some of us are The ruling regime is totally against ‘beefarian’. Few Brahmins are ‘fisherians’ reservations. On social media you can and ‘meatarians’ in the east, but none are notice them talking against reservations, at the border of China, or of Pakistan. calling us meritless, and asking: Who are the ones at the border then? reservations for how long? I say that till Ambani’s children, Adani’s children, the If you ask the soldiers stationed at JNU priests’ children, are not tilling the land, their caste background, you will notice are not sweeping roads, till then, that they are Dalits, OBC and tribals. So, reservations will be there. 167 Indian Campuses Under Siege These are our educational institutions and when the OBC Spring will join the Dalit quality does not come easily, quantity is Spring and the Adivasi Spring, and the very important. Millions of SC, ST, or Muslims and Christians will have to join OBC have to be in universities and they us. We have spoken for Muslims and should get their PhDs. If the selection Christians for a long time, but they have committees reject the SC, ST, or OBC, then not come in support of us. the selection committees ought to be If they drive out Muslims from this declared ‘anti-national’. Once an SC, ST, country, the Muslims have 56 countries or OBC candidate goes for an interview, to go to that are Muslim, the Christians he/she must get the job. have 107 countries to go to that are I know that not even one ABVP student Christian. Kancha Ilaiah and BG Kolse in history has attended a class. They never Patil have no other country. If we are attend classes, never organise seminars on driven out we have nowhere to go as the economy, labour or untouchability. there is no OBC outside anywhere. There They just celebrate festivals on campus like are no tribals outside like in India, there the Ganapati festival, Ram Navami, etc. are no Dalits anywhere. When the Muslims and Christians fight for us, then SC/ST education is about improving the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, Jamaat-e- science and technology in agriculture, Islami, AIMIM, everybody will be safer, improving production, teaching dignity of labour, inequality. A day will come and we will too, at least, be safe.

Abhay Flavian Xaxa, National Campaign for Dalit Human Rights

‘A sad kind of ‘intellectual lynching’ is happening to ST, SC and OBC students’

would like to thank the organisers for Working on the issues of discrimination inviting me to submit my statement. I in higher education in the National Iwill deposit on the critical issue of Campaign on Dalit Human Rights structural marginalisation related to caste. (NCDHR), we feel that although there are Coming from an adivasi background, ample cases of ‘physical lynching’ in the especially, this is a big opportunity for me last two years under the current BJP-led to put forward the issue of caste regime, in higher education, a sad kind discrimination in higher education. of ‘intellectual lynching’ is happening to ST, SC and OBC students. I would like to How do we understand the structural focus on how ‘intellectual lynching’ is marginalisation which is being felt by the happening and who are the major actors larger SC, ST, or OBC in avenues of behind this. higher education today? 168 Testimonies

In my view, this is happening in three Hence, they gave a plan on how to ways. First is physical discrimination formulate certain government policies which has been very traditional and it has according to which SC, ST or OBC become an old story; and, yet, we listen students will come in more numbers to to students facing it every day. The other take up bank loans for engineering, two on which I would be focusing, medical and other professional studies. includes, fiscal discrimination and In June, 2017, the Bihar government barriers put up against the policies meant issued a notice regarding not awarding for the educational development of ST, SC scholarships to Dalit and adivasi students and OBC students. where the fees is beyond Rs 15,000 per year. These students are expected to take For fiscal discrimination to happen, there the student credit cards. Through these are certain actors who are behind this. We credit cards they can pay the fees – but know the banking structure in this they will have to repay it back after country is collapsing and soon we can see finishing the courses. the economic meltdown. When the farmers’ loan, which is one of the biggest At the same time, there is the rise of credit programmes of the banks, private institutions. I will call it the collapsed, they started looking for the ‘Lovely Professional University Model’. American model. In the US, after the These private universities started with a housing loans, the second biggest source lot of profit models, but they soon saw of income for the banks is educational that profit can be extracted from SC, ST loans. Based on the American model, in or OBC students. To achieve this, in 2014, the Indian Banking Association Punjab, they sent out agents to far off (IBA) came out with a report. With the places with a sizeable Dalit population and straight-away started giving arrival of the new government, this report admissions. These students were was presented to the Union Ministry of promised exemption from all kinds of fee Human Resource Development (MHRD) payment for the professional courses. in Delhi. Thus, the private universities will be They projected the data that only 6&of SC getting the fees amount directly from the students, 1% of ST students and a little government. bit more of OBC students are availing This model quickly picked up in the banking loans for their higher education south, especially in Tamil Nadu, because they are getting scholarships Puducherry, and Andhra Pradesh, and from the government. Therefore, this also in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand provision is undermining their market. and Chhattisgarh, where they started Till the time these scholarships are being hiring agents. They would get a number provided, the banking sector won’t be of SC, ST or OBC students who will give able to recover. their original caste/tribe certificates. They 169 Indian Campuses Under Siege will then take them to the universities and is a constant attempt by the banking thereby there will be some kind of direct sector and private universities to target connection with the ministries from this scholarship – one of the oldest and where they can get the fees. This is how national level scholarship. This the professional universities and the government, with its casteist mentality in private universities started making higher education, formed a nexus and is profit.Therefore, the banks and private adamant on denial of the scholarship to universities are the two great villains in the students. Indeed, they ‘made up’ the present era of the education system. some scams in Maharashtra, Punjab, UP and Bihar, so as to block this scholarship. The SC, ST students are becoming targets in the given education system because The government is giving the rational that there is a history behind it. The history is there is so much corruption in the of the post-matric scholarship, which is a scholarship scheme that they are re- national scholarship started in 1944 by thinking and re-designing it! In this Babasaheb Ambedkar. This is the biggest regard, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs went scholarship in the world, running to the National Institute of Rural uninterrupted since 1944, in terms of Development (NIRD) and said that they making higher education available to SC, want to evaluate this scholarship scheme. ST, OBC and minority students. This That is, they were expecting that there scholarship’s fund covers the tuition fees, will be some adverse remarks on the maintenance fees, expenses on books, scholarship scheme, especially the educational tour for students from Class alleged scams which were coming up, so 12th to MA. Last year, 56 lakh Dalit that they can get a reason to stop this students and 17 lakh ST students applied scholarship. Due to this, for the past two for this scholarship. years, more than 56 lakh Dalit students have been denied this scholarship. When we calculated the total number of students who applied for this scholarship According to the Ministry of Social Justice (including SC, ST and OBC students), the and Empowerment, as stated in the Rajya figure goes beyond 1 crore. This Sabha, in the last two years, the amount scholarship has been instrumental for of scholarship dues was Rs 8,224 crore. many of us – Dalit, adivasi and OBC Off the record, the ministry is asking: Can students – to pursue higher education. you help us? This is because even the ministry feels that they are not able to get To retain the objective of this scholarship, this money from the Narendra Modi we have been filing RTIs and government. Can you put up a hand to communicating with the Union Ministry pressurise the government so that the of Social Justice, the Ministry of Tribal Union Finance Ministry can release this Affairs, and the Ministry of Minority amount? The ministry has said on record Affairs, which run this scholarship. There that they have requested the Finance 170 Testimonies

Ministry to release the scholarship money not being allowed to write exams because since the last two years, but the Finance there money has not arrived from the Ministry has neither responded nor central government. released the scholarship money. Under the new directive on reservation Recently, when the Dalit issue was for faculties, recently, in the Indira heating up, Union Finance Minister Arun Gandhi Tribal National University at Jaitley responded that they are planning Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh, they to release this money before the elections advertised 52 positions for professor, (reported by CNN-IBN). While he is assistant professor and associate holding on to the scholarships of 56 lakh professor. Not a single post has been Dalit and adivasi students, to gain given to ST and SC candidates. This electoral benefits, we have reports of means zero recruitment of SC and ST thousands of students dropping out from candidates under the new directives on their engineering and medical courses. In reservation for the faculty. Bihar, a student dropped out from the If this situation continues, then, by next MBBS course and is working now as a year, we won’t have access to the labourer in the Mahatma Gandhi scholarship started by Dr BR Ambedkar, National Rural Employment Guarantee or, in the open universities, which have (MGNREGA) scheme. Indeed, this is the been earned through protracted, hard kind of ‘intellectual lynching’ that is struggles, and mobilisation on the going on against Dalit and adivasi ground. I consider that these cases of students. ‘intellectual lynching’ are not isolated. In another instance, in NCDHR, we have Instead, these issues of corruption and been getting calls from a private denial of admission to students is part of university in Puducherry where 150 tribal a bigger design of structural students have been admitted. They are discrimination based on caste.

171 Indian Campuses Under Siege Ajay Kumar, former student, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow and Fellow, Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla

‘My father enlisted my name in the village school, Panditji said – Since you are a Dalit you cannot study even if your forefathers come back on earth.’

am not a student of Ambedkar Why is Ambedkar University important University anymore. I am now a part for this country’s deprived communities Iof IIAS, Shimla. But, before that, I was and students? To understand this, we associated with Ambedkar University, need to explore its history. This university Lucknow, since the time I came in 2009. was established in 1996 and it is the first Prof.Kancha Ilaiah was speaking a while university in the country to have 50% ago about identity and what is this seats reserved for SC, ST in admission. So, institution. People from Uttar Pradesh why are there so many clashes in might know what our identity is when Ambedkar University? The clashes have we go to a university from villages or been happening since the time it was small towns. I still remember what I was established, regarding the name of the told when I was five-year-old and my university when it was named Babasaheb father admitted me in a school in the Bhimrao Ambedkar University, then, village. The Panditji said, “I know your regarding reservation policy, and all of this is going on because a discourse of father, your grandfather and great, great, Dalit knowledge was being formed in great, grandfather.” My father enlisted north India. my name in the village school, Panditji said, “Since you are a Dalit you cannot The university offers Master’s, MPhil, and study even if your forefathers come back PhD courses. It is natural that the students on earth.” who will enroll into the Master’s programme will go on to do PhD. Since We might have seen our grandfather, 50% of the seats are reserved for SC and someone might have seen their great ST students, these students are being grandfather but he was talking about our provided with fellowships. Some get great, great, great, grandfather. Here, the UGC/RGNF (Rajiv Gandhi National main point is that the identity of a Dalit’s Fellowship) for SC students; some get past, present and future, all three, were UGC/JRF. This is the central problem. hidden in this statement. Imagine: this is the identity with which we go to colleges There are no reservations in faculty and universities and this is what happens recruitment. There are numerous to us there. problems in the university arising due to

172 Testimonies the SC and ST reservation. The four years is transparent. We have our administration knows that they cannot do vice-chancellor, everyone here might anything to remove the reservation know, I will take his name; there have system. Hence, they make policies that been a lot of protest in the university gradually force such students to drop out. against his anti-student policies, basically The examinations are conducted in anti-SC/ST students. The VC’s name is English language, including the entrance Prof Ranbir Chander Sobti. exam. The number of students appearing We are deeply hurt with all the drama for the entrance exam is low, so the seats that he has enacted with the student are not getting filled. They make an community. He came during the excuse that the reservation policy exists Congress regime and now it is the NDA but the students are not coming. When regime; you have these individuals who there is an annual or semester keep changing their homes according to examination, the paper has to be written the regime in power. After the change of in English. Now, where do the students regime in 2014, this person appointed by come to Lucknow in north India? the Congress government, has now These students come from small towns invited Dr Krishn Gopal, RSS pracharak, and districts of UP. Some come from to speak about Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. Odhisha, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, The university has invited a RSS leader Jharkhand , Chhattisgarh and the north- to try establish a relation between Dr. eastern states. Kanhiaya Kumar has Ambedkar and the RSS. asked, “What is being taught in colleges The university could have become a good and universities?” Do you think that the campus in north India but they did not medium of instruction would be English let it happen. The RSS has focused its in some college in Hardoi, Unnao, vicious eyes on the university. They have Sitapur, Bahraich or the backward district no problem with other universities, but of Sonbhadra in UP? They come to do MA since there is 50% reservation in the or MSc, post-graduate programmes, after university for the SC/ST students, passing their under-graduate exams. So, methods are devised to dilute it, weaken do you think they can study in English? it and have clashes. The clashes continue The issue is that of giving less marks in between Left students and ABVP goons, papers during evaluation in exams even while casteist comments are because of the brand of caste. The other routinely passed. thing which they have done since the last

173 Indian Campuses Under Siege Anonymous student, West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata

‘I have inherently come to believe this through my experience that your class is written on your face and there is no way one can come out of it. You are judged according to the kind of dress you wear, and the kind of English you speak’

am a law student from the West There is a scholarship which every SC, ST Bengal National University of and OBC student could avail from 1st year IJuridical Sciences (NUJS), Kolkata. I to 5th year till 2013. However, post-2013, got admitted in the third best national law the new government that came to power school of India after clearing the common changed the rules and scholarship is law admission test (CLAT), the entrance being awarded to the top five students test which we are supposed to take after among the SC/ST students only. The top 10+2 for admission to National Law students are those who have the social Universities in India. My testimony is and economic capital to survive and do about two things: one is scholarship and well in a national law school as the the other is caste discrimination that I atmosphere is very elite. I have inherently have faced very rampantly in the past five come to believe this through my years at the national law school. Although experience that your class is written on we have reservation, which seems like a your face and there is no way one can come out of it. You are judged according fair system that is based on natural justice to the kind of dress you wear, and the and ensuring equal opportunities, I am kind of English you speak. the only Dalit girl in my batch and that created a lot of subtle, implicit and explicit I am told that although I am a Dalit, I have discrimination. I was very delusional in social capital. However, here, we are not the first 3-4 years in the national law really climbing up the ladder. To remove school and I was right in calling it the stigma, I still have to fight it every day. discrimination. There was a dilemma I still have the trauma of being called a about whether I should move politically ‘Dalit slut’ and things like that by the boys or should I take a stronger stance about of the boys’ hostel when I go to the mess it. I agree that the adivasi, queer and Dalit which is below the boys’ hostel, because students, who have a lot of intersectional I started challenging them slowly from nd marginal identities, have faced very my 2 year. This behaviour is not limited rampant forms of structural to the student body, but it is prevalent discrimination over the years when we among a section of the teachers also, and are stuck in the national law schools. they make remarks like if you knew that 174 Testimonies you are BPL (Below Poverty Line) and My scholarship will not cover my year you wouldn’t be able to secure back. I will be forced to drop-out and will scholarship, so why didn’t you just drop- not get a job either. And there is no chance out, why did you have the guts to still of coming back to my family also. There study here. These are the comments that is a Undergraduate Council in my college my teachers and my vice-chancellor have which repeatedly denied a hearing to me been making for the past 5 years. with my vice-chancellor saying that they don’t cover basic expenses as per For obtaining the scholarship, all our administrative rules, or, something like documents were supposed to be that, and that they don’t have grounds for uploaded online. Now there were some psychiatric rules, financial rules or even technical glitches there, the NSP portal humanitarian grounds and the only never functioned. I am from Delhi, but ground they would consider would be for my other friends, who were from rural students going for more courses or areas, were not able to upload the something like that which is very law documents and there were other specific. That is the way they force us to regulations like the size has to be limited drop-out from these elite universities and to 100KB which required some special they won’t even listen to us. software which we have to buy. There were other technical regulations as well. Our vice-chancellor has refused to meet This continued for about three years and me for the past 5 years and now in my 5th the ministry of social justice was not year we have made him resign forcefully helpful either. Our university was because there were a lot of financial clueless about it throughout and there irregularities. But the issues of sexism and was no designated officer to handle such casteism are still not being addressed cases. because the concerns of the upper caste, upper class, elite students, would always My scholarship has been delayed for four be issues, like the curfew timings, and the years now and it is so tough to survive in bad mess food. However, their concern a city which is not your home. Every day would never be the fee hike or the general in NUJS, we need to spend at least Rs 100 atmosphere that prevails in such or so on daily expenses either for universities. stationary, clothing and food or even things like my own farewell. I refused to Caste and capitalism thrive on such pay Rs 2000 for my own farewell and I inherited inequalities in such national law was refused entry after which I ultimately schools. If you challenge them you get a had to pay. I was doing odd jobs in backlash from everyone, be it the Kolkata to sustain myself as I was not administration, or the students. You will getting my scholarship. So, I did not have be boycotted and that results in your 70% attendance and now they are voice being marginalised. When you debarring me and giving me a year back. operate from the fringe of the society, it 175 Indian Campuses Under Siege becomes very difficult for you to make annexed it in my written submissionand them realise that it is a very valid and I have highlighted some portions. This is legitimate cause. Even though my cause not only my issue. I am the only Dalit girl is just limited to one aspect of scholarship, in my batch. But there are my juniors my every day experience reeks of sexism whose testimonies I have annexed as well and casteism. in my written submission. Every law school has to make a They couldn’t come because from University Review Commission (URC) tomorrow the end-semester exams are every 5 years which analyses the starting. I have been debarred from the functioning of the college, teachers and university, but they are giving the exam. vice-chancellor. Our VC has never There are 16 testimonies attached. There mentioned this. Then we forced him to was very implicit hostility, it was clearly set it up in 2017. The URC came out with very unstable and they were sort of the report and he buried the report for wanting to stop me. Now on April 14, the one year until our union fought for it first time in the history of NUJS, we will repeatedly and then it came out. That be celebrating the Dalit history month, report basically says that this is the place and we will install a photo of Babasaheb where social justice is a farce, the number Ambedkar. There is a lot of hostility, as of minority students are declining, and lot of other general category students gender issues is at its worst. We couldn’t have been sending a lot of mails. I need get access to the URC report and it to see what happens – whether I will get became very difficult for me to proceed my scholarship and whether I can still without my scholarship. It was only in continue speaking in such a hostile the last year. I read this and I have environment.

176 Testimonies Aarti, Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya, Wardha, Maharashtra

‘We talk of personal is political which we try to bring into our struggles’

ue to the big movements led by anti-fee-hike movement in India in April Sabitribai Phule, Jyotirao Phule 2015. and Babasaheb Ambedkar, many D Politics in our university started from the ST, SC, OBC communities, women and establishment. Our Hindi University is in minorities, with protracted struggles and a non-Hindi belt and that too in the rural hard work, have been able to come to the sector of Wardha. We are located near universities. I remember that Dr Nagpur which is the headquarters of RSS. Ambedkar wrote in the Annihilation of We have witnessed the immense force of Caste that Dalits do not have right to food, the Dalit movements and women’s education, proper clothing, and even the movements, and we have been inspired right to do politics. We, the ST, SC, OBC by them. My four guides have changed. I communties, the Dalits and women, have started receiving ‘scolding’ from the not received our constitutional rights fourth guide; so I got a call from a fifth even after independence. guide. In April 2015, our vice-chancellor met the I spent 7 years in the university and five Union MHRD minister, Smriti Irani. She years doing my research for PhD. Now, I said that they spend Rs 4 lakh per student need to submit my thesis. However, I felt in our university and what does it mean that it is important for me to come here to spend that much money in a university to talk about our struggle. We feel that it where liberal policies, inter/multi- should be brought under the SC/ST disciplinary subjects are taught like Prevention of Atrocities Act. women’s studies, non-violence studies, tribal studies, Ambedkar studies, social So why did we start the anti-fee hike work, etc. movement? I am a student of Gender Studies, our The cost per student comes to Rs 4 lakh course starts with our struggle; we talk because in our university we have more of personal is political which we try to faculty and non-teaching staff. The ratio bring into our struggles. Ours is a Hindi is three teachers for one student. I have university which was well-funded among not paid Rs 6 lakh as fees. We sat in the 1200 universities in India. But, in 2015, protest for three days in extreme heat our university funds were cut by 47%. A conditions in the month of April asking newly appointed teacher suggested fee whether the increase in expenses hike in the university. We did the first warrants an increase in our fee structure. 177 Indian Campuses Under Siege We said that the fee hike should not be Dr Pathak hurled allegations that I done on the basis of growing costs of the entered a seminar hall without last 6 months. The SC, ST, OBC permission. Actually, I raised my points communities and women are the major with the permission of the speaker. For population in this university. We cannot that incident, I received a show cause pursue our interests. I wanted to become notice from the university. My fellowship a pilot and I am instead a scholar due to was stopped and for the past two years I the Brahmanical structure that did not am facing continuous financial hurdles. allow me to pursue my interests. I did not On March 18, 2017, when we decided to know what my abilities were because I hold a seminar on ‘Pratirodh ki Rajniti’, the have not even seen a plane. Most of the VC told us that you cannot do it in an students come from this category. educational institution as it will affect the schedule. We supported FTII and the documentary ‘Muzzafarnagar Baaki Hai’. The way Rohith Regarding my case, no action was taken. Vemula was fighting, we too were However, a committee was set up with 8 fighting here. When we were returning deans under the chairmanship of the VC from collecting funds for the ‘Occupy with one ST and one OBC member. This UGC’ march, a public meeting was was based on the complaint filed by Dr organised where we were asked from Pathak. Anexpert of the SC/ST Act where are we coming from? recommended that a complaint should be filed against Dr Pathak under the SC/ST When it comes to government policies, Act. It was also recommended that the our university implements them matter must be reported to the national immediately. The ABVP was initiated by commission for SC and ST for speedy the head of the mass communication disposal of the case. This department and dean. Members of recommendation was given on Bajarang Dal started joining ABVP. You September 9, 2017. I don’t have any can imagine, we were raising our voices information about the decisions taken in a hostile environment. When I against Dr Pathak, whereas, other protested against them, I was attacked committee members were of the opinion and abused. There are laws for sexual that there should be a patch-up. harassment and atrocities, but when I complained against the harassment, they I sent 15 letters to the national were simply released with a warning. commission, but there has been no action When I complained to Dr Supriya Pathak, from the commission. This is the reality who is head of the Women’s Studies of the commission and it implies who Department, I only faced injustice. actually misuses the SC/ST Act.

178 Testimonies Megha, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai

‘Students, whose family’s annual income is Rs 20,000, you are asking them to pay Rs 31,000 for six months. Is this not discrimination?’

ai Bhim Saathiyo! I am Megha, coming I thought TISS is an institute which talks from a community which has been about social justice, social work and social Jdeprived of education since issues, that it will provide me with the thousands of years. Presently, I am freedom and liberty to express my studying MA in Social Work in TISS, opinion. That it will allow me to raise my Mumbai. After graduation, there were a voice. However, this did not happen. lot of questions in my mind before I took After joining the social work course, I admission in TISS. I was thinking if my realised that their pedagogy is very admission will answer the nagging discriminative. They teach us social work, questions of employment and group work and case work. Under the discrimination that I have been facing. group work, they teach us how to work These were not resolved during my with people. The group work takes place graduation. With all these questions in with our friends, but the question arises, my mind, I joined a students’ who constitutes a group in the institute? organisation. From what I have experienced, the groups were formed on the basis of caste and While working for the organisation an class. The people who belong to the upper incident took place which everyone classes will have upper class friends. I knows – Rohith Vemula’s suicide, an have faced this. Most of the friends I have ‘institutional murder’. The suicide belong to my ‘category’. inspired me to realise how important it is for us to seek higher education and the They teach us case work. They teach us importance of education for us. Rohith ways to solve people’s problems in case has portrayed in his struggle how in work. They take the charity approach. higher education discrimination happens This is very problematic – the problem against Dalit and adivasi students. With you are teaching about, you are not this inspiration, I wanted to take referring to them as rights, but charity. admission in TISS. Thereafter, they teach that we should do field work because we will understand However, the process of the admission these issues better if we do field work. was not quite simple. First, I had to fight They send students to look at the life of in my home. I am the first girl from my the poor and adivasis in their field work. family to pursue higher education. I am The students are asked to go to slums and a first generation learner in my family. see the way Dalits and Muslims are living.

179 Indian Campuses Under Siege They send students to villages to see the Students are fighting for their coming way adivasis are living. I became distant generation by following what Babasaheb from the concept of ‘social work’ due to Ambedkar had said – ‘educate, agitate, all this and got excluded from their and organise’. I am a first generation culture. student who is studying in my family and I want that all the upcoming generations The institute’s pedagogy is problematic should be able to study. This is the reason and even teachers discriminate. Teachers we are agitating, through education, in say that we don’t care if you are sick or this institute. anything else, you have a deadline, and your assignment should be submitted on I know that this is not just my struggle or the given deadline. If you are in a of that of any other individual. This hospital, take your laptop to the hospital struggle is going on in all the educational and complete the assignment. In other institutions of India and in the rest of the instances, there are a lot of students in world. We hope that all of us will come TISS who come from marginalised together and talk about social justice and communities. Even after writing a good that we should inculcate the beliefs of paper, they were marked failed in the Babasaheb and Bhagat Singh in the subjects. And they say that they are institute. talking about social justice. This institute discriminates on the basis A strike went on in TISS for 50 days. Our of caste and is so ‘Manuwadi’ that they will demand was to bring ‘the teaching of simply ask you to not speak out. The social justice’ into actual practice. The teaching process and academic institute, which is talking about social understanding is limited to writing justice, is also saying that SC, ST and OBC papers and textbooks, instead of bringing students should pay Rs 31,000 as fees per it into practice – this has been the semester because the institute does not institute’s attitude. Our struggle is clear: have the money to arrange food and whatever we are being taught – for lodging for students. That is why are instance, about social justice – how asking, what kind of social justice are you should we implement it? We have the talking about? hope that our struggle will go on until our demands are met. Students, whose family’s annual income is Rs 20,000, you are asking them to pay Jai Bhim! Rs 31,000 for six months. Is this not discrimination?

180 Testimonies Rakesh Vishvakarma, Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya, Wardha

‘The vice-chancellor reportedly spent Rs 1.5 lakh for the programmes of the RSS. When we wanted to organise programmes on Babasaheb Ambedkar, Bhagat Singh, Jyotiba Phule, etc, they did not allow us. They branded us Naxalites and anti-nationals when we sought a hall to conduct a programme’

am from a very small district of important as protest itself is very Madhya Pradesh. Till 2010, I knew necessary and I feel deeply involved with Ithat there is a board office of a the issue. Though I had JRF at the time university where documentation and thus did not personally face a happens and exams are conducted. I was problem with the MHRD decision, I not aware that studies too happen in protested since this was an attack on my universities. In 2010, I arrived at Wardha, fellowship and other fellows. where I am currently situated. Wardha In Delhi and elsewhere, we campaigned too is one of the smallest districts of in many universities like Jamia Millia Maharashtra. On arrival, I witnessed a Islamia, Delhi University, JNU, Pune and lathi-charge as men were demanding Mumbai, and acted as a bridge as it was electricity and water. I topped the entrance for PhD at Hyderabad Central a major concern for students. We used to University (HCU) but was not given have meetings with UGC Chairperson admission on grounds of not knowing Vaid Prakash and Smriti Irani. After the English. The same holds for Sagar meetings, when we spoke to people, University where they asked me how I especially those from Delhi, they used to will do my PhD if I do not know English. say that we should reach out to other universities. I discussed with them that After the October 21, 2015order by the in India there are 46central universities MHRD stopping the non-NET and how we should reach out to all of fellowships, the Occupy UGC protests them. People started reaching out to other began on October 23. Wardha University universities of the country after that. I felt was the first one to protest against this good that this movement is not limited on October 21, and there was a lathi- to this particular place and is concerned charge. I joined the protest in Delhi on about all the students of the country. October 26. From November 2 onwards, I was continuously in Delhi, and visited An environment was created whereby other universities in between. I felt my continuous protests happened till January presence in the protest here was 13, after which we returned to our 181 Indian Campuses Under Siege respective places. However, the attack sought a hall to conduct a programme. from the MHRD continued and at the end We never argued that the RSS should not of 2016, a regulation came regarding seat get a hall for their programmes, however, cuts. This was a big crisis for us as students, we too have the right to be researchers – if admissions are not given provided the hall when we want to then obviously there would be no need conduct a programme. to give fellowships. For ten years, no election for students’ In my campus all these things have been union was conducted in my campus. We happening till now. In 2014, after the made attempts to mend this. The pro- government changed in Delhi, the ABVP vice-chancellor, Anand Vardhan Sharma, and RSS became dominating inside the said that elections will not happen in a campuses. The RSS was established in central university and if we contest Sindhi, a small place between Nagpur elections then who will study? When we and Wardha, the former being their took an application and asked questions, current headquarters. The vice-chancellor they asked us our research topics. We reportedly spent Rs 1.5 lakh for the retaliated by telling them to talk about the programmes of the RSS. When we wanted problem at hand and discuss our research to organise programmes on Babasaheb later. After a lot of tussle, a committee was Ambedkar, Bhagat Singh, Jyotiba Phule, formed which will most probably hand etc, they did not allow us. They branded over the students’ union Constitution by us Naxalites and anti-nationals when we April 14. The protest is still active.

182 Testimonies Mukesh Kumar, Patna University, Patna

‘There are 12 universities in Bihar. Only Patna University has labs, library, teachers, students. The rest have no such facilities. In these universities, only exams happen and degrees are given’

n all the central universities with However, the pressure was there for a problems related to students, budgets, long time, but, in 2012, there was the Ireservations, etc, the progressive political agenda of the BJP-JD-U alliance. fronts of the country and other students’ The progressive fronts were protesting organisations are taking the initiative to that the government is working against participate in movements and protests. education, cutting education budget etc. We need to pay attention as well to the In 2012, YashvantKaniya won via fake condition of state universities across the voting in Patna University. This was met country. As I am from Bihar, I would like with huge peaceful protests. There was to talk about the state of higher education retaliation and people were sent to jail. in the state. Before 2010, engineering, arts and There are a total of 12 universities in medical colleges of Patna University were Bihar. However, out of these 12, only converted into a new university. Those Patna University has laboratories, library, who raised their voice in support of teachers, students, etc. The rest have no students, especially from the arts colleges, such facilities, not even guards. In these were put into this university so that they universities, only exams happen and can be separated from the Patna degrees are given. University. We saved eight art colleges by protesting with long hunger strikes. It is not that the progressive fronts of these Many of our friends went to jail. universities or student organisations are not fighting. But these struggles are When the BJP came to power at the restricted to where there are students and Centre, the state government, now the JD- where classes are conducted. I am a U-RJD alliance, stopped them. The 12 student of Patna University. Here, also, universities of Bihar conducted students’ struggles are restricted. union elections. The Jayaprakash Narayan University in Chapra came In Bihar, there were no students’ union under this process where students got elections since the last five years. In 2018, admission during 2012. In Patna students’ unions were formed for the first University, the 24-hour library facility has time after 2012. Before 2012, the students’ been reduced to 12 hours. In such a union elections took place 28 years ago. situation, what is left for a student is to Finally, in 2012, elections took place after only sit for exams, and even that is prolonged pressure from the students. conducted every four to five years. 183 Indian Campuses Under Siege NDTV anchor Ravish Kumar has been and proxy voting took place. An inquiry reporting that Chapra University has not committee was formed and they found had a graduate for five to six years; in JP that the president’s degree is from two University the number is seven. So those universities simultaneously – ‘Himalayan who took admission in 2012 have yet to University’ and Patna University. The graduate. vice-president was found ineligible to contest according to the Lyngdoh Even when elections happened, in every Committee Report. The nominations of college the ABVP won using Right-wing propaganda. The ABVP was ‘made to the president and vice-president were win’ even where no classes have been cancelled. The president took the matter happening so that people do not say that to the Patna High Court where the verdict Bihar is not serious about education. As was to dissolve the inquiry committee all members are from the ABVP, only that cancelled the nominations as the their agenda and the BJP-RSS agendas, committee was not in accordance with the are supported, and people are quiet. Lyngdoh Committee norms, and a new committee should be formed. To curb protests, this strategy was used in the 2018 elections. Everyone in this After this, using various means and country is well aware of the role of ABVP manipulations, the oath ceremony took and about their ‘support’ for students’ place for those who got elected. There was issues. This holds true in Bihar. The no news from the university whether this decisions are taken in a office and the ceremony ought to be conducted, nor any ABVP follows. The RSS office in Bihar news of the position of the vice-president. decides to celebrate ‘Holi’ and thereby in Since then, there have been regular the campuses of Bihar, ‘Holi’ is students’ protests. Lathi-charge took celebrated. If it is decided that a march is place on protestors, 13 students got to be held for ‘Ram Navami’, then, this injured and were admitted to a Patna march is held. Recently, in five districts, hospital. during ‘Ram Navami’, many people were killed and houses were burnt. Recently, retired army colonels and brigadiers have been appointed as Bihar is in a state of acute social crisis with registrars in these 12 universities and the struggling students and struggling reservation system is not being followed. people. In this context, talking about an In the Maulana Mazharul Haque Arabic academic calendar to the ABVP will be and Persian University in Patna, an act of utter foolishness. Brigadier Asif Hussein was appointed as I too contested for the post of general registrar. All 12 universities are presented secretary. After the president and vice- as having a students’ mandate in favour president were appointed, we protested of the ABVP and RSS. Hence, anyone that elections did not take place properly speaking against them are automatically 184 Testimonies branded anti-student. If someone revolts to education. We have fought for JNU, against this mandate, then the retired DU, HCU and we have faced lathi- army personnel appointed as registrars charges and we have gone to jail. I request are meant to take care of the situation. you to consider the condition of the universities in Bihar as well. This is the condition of universities in Patna and Bihar which is paying no heed

Prem Kumar, Nilamber Pitamber University, Medininagar, Palamu, Jharkhand

‘Today, the BJP government has completely discarded us’

n this testimony I will be putting Presently, I am in BSc Part 2 with no forward two subjects – scholarship money and my college has no facilities Iand elections in my college. Our for quality education. The college only Jharkhand government reduced the conducts exams and provides certificates. amount of scholarship to half throughout Under such circumstances, how will I get the state. The government completely higher and quality education? Since I discarded the ST, SC and OBC students. don’t have money, I could not get good Today, the BJP government has coaching and facilities to get high quality completely discarded us. education. My scholarship has not been released. I I will also talk about elections in my approached the registrar and the clerk of college and how the BJP government has my college regarding the delay in my betrayed us completely. In 2016-2017, the scholarship. The clerk demanded money ABVP won the college elections. After the to submit the scholarship document. I did election result, we came to know that the not pay the money, so the clerk scolded ABVP candidate, who won the election, me for not giving him money. He said was an ex-student and he had re-joined that he will not submit the document. I the college for contesting the elections. An even approached the VC. He scolded me FIR was lodged and we protested against and said that he has no time for me and such blatant and unfair attempts. Till rejected my request. date, we have not got any response either from the police or the VC. Today,the I am being harassed. I am mentally AVBP has completely taken over stressed out. I am not in a comfortable Jharkhand and no one can complain position in terms of my education because I am not getting the scholarship. against them.

185 Indian Campuses Under Siege Ramakanth, Arts College, Patna University, Patna

‘The cases are still pending against us. We are safe only because of the support of journalists and others, or else we would be in jail’

am from the Arts College, Patna fight. We sat on a continuous hunger University, Bihar. I am a student of strike for 15 days in which many students’ IFine Arts, hence, caste is not an issue health got worse and they had to be taken for us. We do not consider anyone to the hospital. different. Rather, we consider everyone After this, we were told that the equal, regardless of caste or gender. university would like to listen to us. They The teachers, however, differentiate us gave us assurances verbally, told us that into separate categories and create they have spoken to the administration, hurdles for us if we belong to the SC asked us to go to class. community. Our college was established In the university, only students who have in 1939. We don’t have a permanent an MA degree and an artist can do teacher. Earlier, we had an ad hoc teacher publicity of their work through who has been removed. Till now, we are exhibitions. The university neither has fighting for a permanent teacher, for paintings nor does it participate in better conditions for studies, for installing national-level exhibitions. They don’t do a girl’s hostel, etc. such things because they have the support from the Bihar government. Recently, during some work going on in Hence, they don’t give importance to our college, an outside contractor beat up such creative activity in an arts college! a student. We demanded justice and eight of us tried to register a complaint. Instead, The cases are still pending against us. We cases were filed against us and we were are safe only because of the support of suspended. journalists and others, or else we would be in jail. We are really not afraid of jail Our movement became more active after because we will raise our voice from there this. We continued protesting through too. We protest on the streets in Patna. various arts/media platforms such as When the protests spread to Madhya performances and painting. After the Pradesh we got calls from officials asking suspension of eight students, exams were as to why we are we protesting. conducted – which we opposed. With the help of the Chatra Sangathan, a JD(U) We have three demands: there should be backed outfit, we were attacked and our permanent staff in the archaeology heads were injured. Seven of us were department. There should be regular arrested and cases were filed on the rest classes. And, there should be hostels for of the 80 students. We continued our all students. 186 Testimonies Ramashish Kumar, National Institute of Technology, Patna

‘We have already dropped out because we could not pay the tuition fee. By introducing a national scholarship scheme, the scholarship was reduced to half’

am Ramashish Kumar pursuing my to introduce certain regulations and education from the National Institute guidelines so that the students do not face Iof Technology, Patna. I am in my final any problem in continuing their higher year. I am from Patna. Since I am from an education. The MHRD should release the engineering background, I would like to scholarship on time in a regular basis. discuss about the SC and ST students who I am from Bihar and I received a post- come to study engineering. There are 93 matric scholarship to continue my seats in my college out of which 7 are studies. The Bihar government decided reserved for SC and 6 for ST students. to stop the scholarship – our community These students usually take admission protested against it. So the scholarship but they could not receive their degrees. continued. I received the scholarship for Around 3-4 students either drop out or two years, but I have not received it for they are rusticated. the final year. This July, our session will There are two reasons for this. One, they be completed. don’t get scholarships. And, though We have already dropped out because we admission is done through reservation, could not pay the tuition fee. By they do not receive any facilities from the introducing a national scholarship college. Hence, they lag behind and are scheme, the scholarship was reduced to not able to complete their degree. half. The tuition fee is Rs 73,000 per year. I would like to request the Ministry of Since 2016, it has increased to Rs 1, 20,000. Human Resource Development (MHRD)

187 Indian Campuses Under Siege Sri Ramulu Munavat, English and Foreign Language University (EFLU), Hyderabad

‘It is transparent that there is massive and organised discrimination. The BJP is targeting us openly now, but the discrimination has been happening since long’

e have reservation policies So as to merely get into the private sector, since the last 75 years. And, I started learning Spanish as a part-time Wyet, the universities are unfit to student. At that time EFLU was a deemed provide quality education to SC, ST and university called CIEFL. In 2006, OBC students. The best proof of this is to Parliament passed a bill and it became a check out how many ST and SC university, but only on paper. It professors are enrolled in the special functioned under an old mindset and categories central universities. In JNU, for framework. When I was pursuing instance, there is no professor from SC Spanish, I was the first person from the and ST background in the foreign part-time department who raised the language department. question: why has EFLU failed to give admission to ST and SC students on the I am from the German Department of the basis of reservation? English and Foreign Language University (EFLU), Hyderabad. The university is They want to lobby by taking students widely known. In Hyderabad, there are according to their choice, whereas, in JNU three central universities: Maulana Azad and in DU, students are selected and National Urdu University (MANUU), admitted according to the reservation Hyderabad Central University (HCU) policy. At that time, there was a very good and EFLU. vice-chancellor–AbayMaurya. In 2009- 2010, I was a student of Maurya in the I am from aagriculture and labour Russian Department. He was the first VC background. My parents do agriculture who tried his best to follow the rules. and labour work seasonally. I got Unfortunately, he was not able to hold exposure in the city because of moving the position for a longer period. (I to and fro every season. After finishing remember, in the same year I celebrated my 10+2, I did my graduation, BSc from the death anniversary of Che Guevera, a BR Ambedkar College and passed out Left-wing icon, which was opposed by with a first division. I worked in the BPO Right-wing goons.) sector where foreign languages are in From 2010-2015, I joined the integrated demand. That is how I got motivated programme of German Studies where I towards learning foreign languages. fought large- scale discrimination. At the 188 Testimonies time of admission, I was selected from the student’. They said I am an ‘ex-student’. general category in the top 10, but they I immediately went to the police station kept me aside and filled up all the general and filed a SC/ST Atrocity case against seats. Then they put me in the ST the dean of the department. They did not category. This was discrimination at the file the FIR immediately. I filed appeals time of admission. in the National Human Rights Commission and the state commission. It Apart from the German Department, took four months to get the FIR other departments do not get registered. The FIR was filed after one scholarships. Whenever students month. The dean took a stay order;he demanded remedial coaching classes, cannot be arrested. coaching for NET, which are supposed to be provided under the UGC coaching I filed an academic case to get back into schemes, EFLU came up with excuses that the university with the supporting they don’t have enough funds and that documents — copy of the Right to teachers do not have extra time to spend Education Act and the order of the for the remedial classes. Supreme Court judgement. I came back to the university and I was able to write I filed an RTI asking if the university has the final year exam. I got 68% and ever conducted any remedial classes. Till managed to sit for UGC NET. I discovered date, I have not got any reply. It is a that I was the first tribal student to have violation of the Right to Education Act, qualified the NET and JRF. SC/ST Act, EFLU Act and UGC Act.When the remedial classes started in It is transparent that there is massive and the German Department, the moment I organised discrimination. The BJP is filed an RTI inquiring about the remedial targeting us openly now, but the classes, the department started targeting discrimination has been happening since me. long. In south India, we live in diversity. Eating After I filed the academic case, the dean beef is common. Brahmins also eat beef. I filed a defamation suit. I was convicted also eat beef. on January 11, 2017. Thereby, now, I should introduce myself as a criminal – I The department started targeting me got 6 months in jail. I have appealed in saying I am promoting beef and beef the Sessions Court and the case is going festivals. They started targeting my on. Hence, I am in a dilemma about my grades by giving me low grades to expel me. My attendance was 85% so they were life, my academic life and my career. putting me in the category of an ‘ex-

189 Indian Campuses Under Siege

Structural Marginalisation: Gender

Vinita Chandra, Professor of English, Ramjas College, Delhi University

‘What is urgently needed is to talk to young women and men, and to raise consciousness among them so that they realise that the problem of gender- discrimination and sexual harassment is not a women’s problem’

ender-based discrimination and that is populated largely by students and sexual harassment are pervasive teachers. The university also strives to Gin all aspects of women’s life from encourage students towards critical the privacy of their homes to the public thinking, interrogating received ideas, spaces they inhabit. Gender-based and exploring new territories. This critical discrimination occurs because of the thinking and exchange of ideas happens patriarchal norms that govern all in a space that should be equally shared relations and interactions, and within this by men and women as a meaningful structure sexual harassment occurs due exercise. And, finally, apart from to the exercise of power. I will focus on discovering new ideas, students entering the patriarchal norms in educational the university are at that age when they institutions that effect women students are exploring the world, often for the first especially, but, also, women faculty. time independently, and are curious and Gender-based discrimination due to eager to have new and different patriarchal structures exists in experiences. universities as it exists in rest of the The desire to participate in all that the society also. I will discuss these specific university stands for requires students to areas that make this discrimination in be open to new ideas and experiences, universities unique. and it is this very aspect of the university The university is a space where debate that makes women more vulnerable in a and discussions take place, ideas are patriarchal society. Women are taught by exchanged and formulated by young society, from the time they are little girls, people who are on the cusp of adulthood. to keep their guard up, to be careful about Usually this happens within a campus who they speak to, and who they make

190 Testimonies friends with. They are taught to mask discussion is very slim within structural their sexuality, to walk, talk and dress in patriarchy, even if it is the university such a way that they do not attract any space that endeavours to bring young attention to themselves. However, to people together as intellectual equals. share the university space equally in The second level of gender-based order to interact intellectually, mentally, discrimination and sexual harassment emotionally, or even physically, women comes from the format of classroom have to let their guard down, and the teaching in the university. When there is intrinsic patriarchy that defines all gender a professor in the classroom who delivers identities and gender roles inevitably lectures standing in front of the makes them experience the trauma of classroom, the inequality of power gender-discrimination and sexual relations is inevitable. The job of teaching harassment, precisely because of this happens through the lectures of the vulnerability. professor. Professors not only have the Internalised gender-based roles and power of their jobs and degrees, they also identities shape interactions among have the power over the students’ minds, students within classrooms, as well as that is, the power of making students outside the classroom in extra-curricular think in a certain way, to experience activities and informal discussions. Male knowledge in a certain way. All these lead entitlement to women’s bodies as objects to an imbalance of power that is so that can be stared at or touched without intrinsic that it is especially susceptible consent causes women to experience to discrimination against the discomfort almost constantly, and this marginalised, especially when the fear at the edge of their mind distracts professor is male, but often even with them from focussing fully on academic female professors. This is apart from cases or intellectual issues. Along with this, of teacher-student harassment, including women’s internalised timidity or lack of sexual harassment, physical intimacy or confidence, due to the way in which emotional abuse, which are talked about society schools young women to remain and recognised. silent even as it encourages men to speak My focus here is on the unique space of up in public, means that men dominate the classroom where students come to discussions in classrooms and outside, learn and therefore make themselves while women feel their voices are not extremely vulnerable to the power of the heard even when they do try to speak. It teacher whose often unspoken is no surprise, then, that the leaders, the discrimination scars the learning process presidents of students’ unions, the and the intellectual development of presidents of extra-curricular societies, young women. etc, are mostly men. The possibility of a free exchange of ideas and equal Apart from these issues, there are

191 Indian Campuses Under Siege situations where some male professors experience different kinds of create a hostile environment for female relationships, and explore their own students. Women students often talk potential, that is hostile to them. Women about behaviour which they feel they are forced to normalise this systemic cannot legitimately complain about violence to their very beings, and to which makes them uncomfortable, for function at a level far lower than their example, by a male teacher giving undue actual potential. attention to some female students, which In the last two years there has emerged a makes them uncomfortable through the much more aggressive and violent form period of sitting in the classroom and of behaviour by groups of men in an continues outside it. Often, students do attempt to intimidate women who have not realise that this discomfort is coming begun to speak. It is seen in the hyper from the undue attention of the teacher masculine political rallies before elections because they are taught to respect and which are a show of physical strength, trust the teacher. Teachers therefore can and it is seen in the way that women are easily abuse this trust by inappropriately threatened with rape and worse when touching students’ head in supposed they speak up. The threat of physical blessing, touching their shoulder, coming violence against women by groups of close to them in the classroom. All this men with a political agenda is meant to creates constant anxiety among women send out a very stern warning to women students, and this anxiety is itself a kind who dare to challenge systemic of structural violence. Knowledge can patriarchal structures. only be imbibed freely where the mind is without fear and the head is held high. Apart from students, it is very important to talk about the systematic sexual To be able to think freely women must harassment of women teachers. This has feel safe as soon as they enter the campus. increased in the last seven to eight years There can be no freedom of thought or with the increase of ‘contractualisation’. expression when those peers that should Without job security women fear to speak interact freely with each other create out against the harassment they face. hostile spaces by staring at women, Women contractual teachers are not only passing comments, clicking pictures, harassed by the administration, but also whistling, stalking, and physically by other teachers, and sometimes even abusing. To this is now added the students. Contractualisation of their widespread cyber harassment on labour has made them extremely Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc. vulnerable to all sections of the Thereby, it is not just the classroom, but university. While men with ad hoc jobs the very campus where women spend a also suffer due to the power dynamics large part of every day and where they created by job insecurity, women suffer should be able to make new friendships, doubly due to their gender. 192 Testimonies

It has been two decades since the 1997 and this regulation was notified to Vishakha judgment which ruled that all colleges in July 2016. Although colleges work places should set up committees to received this notification in July 2016, the look into cases of sexual harassment, and proctor started writing to colleges to ask also to work towards prevention of sexual them to implement it in March 2017. This harassment by undertaking gender- gap of almost four years in which no sensitising activities. Delhi University legitimate structure was in place proved brought in Ordinance XV(D): Prohibition hugely detrimental to the work of gender of and Punishment for Sexual sensitisation in the university. A new Harassment in 2004. This ordinance was generation of students who had never formulated by bringing all stake holders heard of Ordinance XV(D) came to accept of Delhi University together to discuss, that there was no redressal for the debate and fine-tune rules and systemic sexual violence they had to regulations that would be specific to an suffer, not even for specific incidents of open and widespread campus with so actual assault and molestation. many different colleges. Ordinance Delhi University to date has not XV(D) recognised that all students are formulated either a policy or ordinance vulnerable to sexual harassment within specific to its needs. The UGC regulation the unique power structure of a higher has many flaws that the teaching educational institution, and, therefore, community has been raising but are not was consciously gender-neutral. It being addressed. First, it is silent on emphasised the need for democratically sexual harassment of men and the LGBTQ elected committees that were not community. Second, it provides for a answerable to the executive authorities. sexual harassment committee that is It formulated a system of elections that appointed by the principal in colleges or enabled the process of gender by the executive authority. This sensitisation at the ground level. undermines the independence of the In 2013, when the Act of Parliament on functioning of the committee. Finally, Sexual Harassment of Women at there is no apex body, as there was in Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and XV(D) that is in charge of looking only at Redressal) came into place, Ordinance sexual harassment on campus, ensuring XV(D) was immediately suspended that the regulation is implemented, without putting in its place any policy or smoothening out procedural problems. ordinance. It was only in 2015 that UGC The proctor has too many other things to formulated the University Grants deal with to focus on this very crucial Commission (Prevention, prohibition and issue. Due to this, very few colleges have redressal of sexual harassment of women taken the issue of sexual harassment, its employees and students in higher prevention and redressal, seriously. education students) Regulations, 2015, What is urgently needed is to talk to 193 Indian Campuses Under Siege young women and men, and to raise to talk about the sexual harassment of consciousness among them so that they men who do not conform, in behaviour realise that the problem of gender- or clothing, to normative ideas of discrimination and sexual harassment is masculinity. Most men do not even not a ‘women’s problem’, that it arises out recognise the harassment they face as of norms of toxic masculinity that impact sexual harassment. Along with this are men even while marginalising women. students of sexualities that do not fit in Gender-sensitisation programmes have with the heteronormative majoritarian to be made mandatory for students, ideas, those with differently gendered faculty, and the non-teaching staff. The bodies, and those who cross dress or differences between consensual express their gender identities in ways interactions and sexual harassment have that the society considers ‘unacceptable’. to be understood so that patterns of These are issues that must be discussed behaviour can be altered. The heartening as well. development in the last few years is that Finally, when talking about gender-based many groups of women, like ‘Pinjra Tod’, discrimination, it is crucial to interrogate have begun to speak, and have demanded intersectionalities of caste, class, that their voices be heard. However, this community and race. All these issues is still too little, and the patriarchal need to be discussed in detail to uncover backlash from a majority of men as well their complexities so as to not commit the as the administration has so far ensured error of homogenising discrimination and that there is little change on the ground. oppression. These are issues that must be I have focused my testimony on the examined alongside the discussion on discrimination and sexual harassment of sexual harassment and gender-based women only, but it is equally important discrimination.

194 Testimonies Dipanjali Das, Rampur Anchalik College, Gauhati University, Kamrup

‘He called me through a chowkider and told me to stop laughing. Yes, I have a louder voice and I laugh in the common room’

n Assam, there are some colleges notices. In August 2017, when I went to which are ‘venture level colleges’. his chamber to put my departure note, he IThese kind of colleges are not there in looked at me, making physical gestures, other states. The venture colleges are in which made me feel very uncomfortable. the way to being provincialised. They get Then he started singing an Assamese first concurrence, second concurrence and song which means that after seeing you I after that they get the provincialised feel something in my body. I immediately status with the government proceeding left his chamber; some of my colleagues in the case. Our college has already got asked me what had happened, but I was first concurrence. Our college was unable to explain. He held the ‘pallu’ of established in 1996 and is affiliated to the my saree. I got so scared that I came out. Gauhati University. It got its first I didn’t say anything but I went home and concurrence in 2005 and is still waiting cried. to get provincialised. In September 2017, he called me through The principal of the college has been a chowkider and told me to stop harassing me since he took charge in 2014. laughing. Yes, I have a louder voice and I This is because I was protesting against laugh in the common room. He told me his mischievous actions against students if I don’t stop laughing, he will remove and teachers. I wrote letters to the prime me from the college. After the August minister, and to the chief minister and incident I decided that whenever he calls education minister of Assam against him. me in his room I will record everything. He is not following the UGC and Gauhati Now I have all the recordings, all the University rules; he is not allowing the evidence is with me. In December 2017, formation of students’ union in the he stopped my salary showing some college. After he became the principal, our absurd rules, putting allegations against college magazine has been stopped me which were totally false. I have proof because he doesn’t want to spend money to challenge these allegations. and he refuses to give any audit report I submitted a leave application which on it. contained my thyroid report. On Whenever we ask him about students’ February 7, 2018, he showed my thyroid issues, he harasses us, particularly me and report to the media as a pregnancy report other teachers, by sending show cause to defame me as I am a single woman. 195 Indian Campuses Under Siege This happened in front of around 25 of department gave them the paper people. I told the sub divisional collector beforehand. I have the photo copies as of the area about this and she asked me evidence – this was conducted on March to hold a meeting. On February 16, in the 20. She gave the questions and answers alumni meeting, amidst around 200-300 to the students on March 12, 2018. When people, including my students, he I stopped the students from using unfair repeated the same thing. He showed my means as I was the invigilator, the thyroid report as pregnancy report. I have principal suspended me. the video evidence of the event. After that I am here reading out the reasons for my I filed a case against him; the case is suspension: “Madam, you have been registered under Sections 354, 120-B, 109 suspended from all the examination and 509 of the IPC. duties conducted in Rampur Anchalik I will give one more point about what he College till further orders for using is doing with the students. In the mobile phones, recording videos inside sessional exams he allowed the students the examination hall and you are asked to use unfair means, so that he can get to return the answer sheets immediately.” support from them. Last time, when I was He took this decision without the conducting the sessional exam, the head approval of the general body.

Mineshi Mishra, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi

‘Obviously, there has been suppression. There have been attempts to demonise us; but I don’t see myself as a victim’

am a student of Banaras Hindu hostel, what are you wearing? Or, why University (BHU), residing in the are you wearing sleeveless tops? hostel. Being a girl hosteller I started I Most of the students don’t want to eat seeing a certain set of rules – we were food in the hostel. Before getting expected to follow rules that restricted us admission in the hostel, I and other to make calls post 10pm and there was students were made to sign an affidavit strong moral policing on what we were that we will not participate in any kind wearing. There is one kind of harassment of protest. We were warned with that one faces outside the campus from cancellation of hostel admission if we boys and another type of harassment we participate in any protest. witness inside the hostel from the warden and the house-keeper. These hostel I considered the given sanity of debate to authorities will interfere with questions always accept the rules as rules and did like why are you walking out of the not focus on the gender binary. When I

196 Testimonies was about to finish my first year, the 24x7 this demand, we heard a very shocking library protest was happening in BHU. statement from the vice-chancellor: This protest was supposed to be my first “Ladkio ka raat ko padna avyavharik protest. With this protest I had my first hai.”(Girls studying during night hours interaction with male students; as I am is unusual/impracticable). The demand studying in a women’s college there is no was completely denied, the guys were interaction between men’s colleges and suspended and the movement was women’s colleges. crushed. The interaction with male students was After this, discussions around gender- shocking for me because the rules which discrimination started in BHU. We started we are facing in our campus were not realising about the kind of gender applicable to them. I found it problematic discrimination happening in the as to why there are differences in rules institutions of education. I was constantly for male and female hostels when the protesting, but in a hidden way. I never students are from the same university! I showed my face or name anywhere, am not opposing certain rules if it is because I felt threatened. My friends, who disciplinary, but, why are they not were seeking 24x7 library, were all applicable to the men students when we suspended. I did not want to be the next are part of the same university? one to get suspended because I was just a graduate student and I was scared. I This concern made me approach the other always made it sure that I am not on protesters. I mentioned to them that the camera. 24x7 library protest is a good cause; it, especially, helps the day-scholar students In March, 2017, the UP elections were on. who are residing in the nearby villages. The media was coming to BHU However, the 24x7 protest won’t help me. repeatedly. We were asking the media to This is because the hostel timing for me do a story on us, but they thought it was is 8pm, regardless the present library not a national issue. Thankfully, it was timing (that is 10pm), or, the proposed covered in the media and I was asked to demand of 24x7 access to the library. This show my face, which was a big deal. won’t allow me to access the library post However, I decided – I will! 8pm. That is how it all started. I did not know After that, for the first time, the protesters that it would become such a big issue. But, wrote down in their bulletin points that it did become. library access should be made equal for both male and female students. It was also During that time, the ‘twitter trend was mentioned that if the library is 24x7 then used: #BHU shame... gender girls should be given bus services from discrimination... BHU shame. We don’t the hostel to the library. As a response to use the long saying in twitter, instead, we

197 Indian Campuses Under Siege use small terms. Some people modified In September, again, there was a and edited it and ABVP said it is a shame molestation charge and we asked the on BHU. According to them, these girls chancellor to address us. Instead, we who have done this and the reporters are faced a lathi-charge. I vividly remember ‘anti-BHU and anti-national’. A rally was the incident – both boys and girls were taken out against us and an effigy was running towards their respective burnt at the college gate. campuses. The women’s campus is the first campus from the gate. We are aware However, somewhere, these incidents that police can’t charge on us inside the just made me stronger, because, despite campus, so we thought we are safe. I the opposition, I was also getting support. remember one of the boys fell down at There was opposition from the the gate while running. One of the girls administration and my professors. was trying to support him so that he can Professors would be like – when I used run away. Meanwhile, police got the to enter the classroom, the professors chance to get hold of her and charged her used to say: “...You must only show up with lathis. This attempt of police on TV... you have ruined BHU’s name... I provoked the girls to go outside and am ashamed to say that I am your question the police. Section 144 was teacher...” There was a statement by the quickly imposed. The whole incident was administration and VC that these girls very disturbing. should also be suspended. I remember, After that, I came to Delhi to protest at after hearing this, I was crying. Jantar Mantar on the issues concerning There were girls who were facing same BHU. We were also trying to meet the kind of opposition from the professors prime minister. We tried a lot to get and administration; earlier, they thought appointments, but we got no nothing could be done about this. These appointment. Once we were going to his are disciplinary actions. Earlier, I too office to submit a letter – a demand letter thought the same. However, now, for the – but, on our way, we were detained. We first time, these girls thought something were taken to a police station. We were could be done and somebody has spoken threatened. up. So they came to me and discussed it – There are some things I have experienced this gave me power and encouraged me. in BHU. First, BHU is a very Right-wing After that there was no stop. Calls started space and whatever we do we tend to coming from my family, “Please don’t do become marginalised. Second, the this, or else they will suspend you.” administration and teachers are generally However, I did not feel like going on the against us and they will always demean back-foot. Hence, I always remained in you. the front and kept fighting by Third, hostel allotment. I faced problems participating in various protests. 198 Testimonies during hostel allotment. We have to bring administration. Now, we are linking it to our parents for hostel allotments. In my a new demand of Gender Sensitisation final year, I had brought my parents and Committee against Sexual Harassment I was put in the defaulter entry. This was (GSCASH). I hope, perhaps, one day, we shocking because I had not done anything will hold a protest for the establishment to be in default entry. I have no late entry, of GSCASH in our campus. no fights with anyone, etc. My mother It’s a long way to go. However, seeing my was called and she had to plead in front journey, as a first year student when my of everyone. They said that they will phone was snatched away when I was remove me from the hostel and my talking after 10:30pm, until now, there is mother begged for my admission to the a difference. There are no such rules. In hostel. the third year, I have not signed any Later, they took in writing from her, “I affidavit stating that I will not participate (Minishi) won’t do anything related to in any protest. We can see a change in protest activity, not even an article on BHU. I see that this is powerful and I Facebook.” They also said that if I tend to think that this power has been achieved do so again, the hostel authorities will because we have thought to fight it out. take action against me. At that point my It was not changing then; now, it has mother broke down. She asked me, till the changed. end, even before leaving, not to I believe there is such pride to be a part participate in protests anymore. My of change. mother cried. I have never ever put her in such a situation; in school, my teachers Obviously, there has been suppression. never complained. There have been attempts to demonise us; but I don’t see myself as a victim. I see I wrote an open letter to my warden that myself as an activist. I see myself as you cannot silence my dissent by using someone who has emerged powerfully fear. That letter went viral in the BHU and I am happy to be part of this portal. After that, my warden had to come experience. down to me to say sorry. I am very happy to inform this jury here As I been part of so many protests in of the dissent in BHU which we were able BHU, the one positive thing I see is that to successfully propagate all over. We one protest has links with other protests. have formed a committee called the Joint The 24/7 library issue brought the Action Committee. The committee takes important question of curfew-timing over the issues of BHU and the area which was linked to the gender- around it. We are also collaborating with discrimination issue. This was further civil society groups. We are working on linked to the kind of assaults and different issues, like daily wages inside harassment we faced at the hands of the the BHU campus, or issues related to 199 Indian Campuses Under Siege small vendors’ shops getting destroyed. who came for our cause and helped us to We fight for them and teach them how to some extent. Like the advocate who seek information through the RTI. We fought the case for us in the Supreme look out and fight for issues around us. Court, or the journalist who wrote articles As students, we are not only fighting for us, or this committee which is giving within the university spaces – we are also us the space to talk. This gives us power. fighting for those who are in vulnerable Now, it is our responsibility to take this situations. forward – this power in our spaces. So I believe that powers are all distributed that we can transfer the power to the and powers are not fixed in the world. marginalised sections. For example, we The ones who are powerful transfer are teaching them to write RTI power to those who are weaker so that applications, because, as students, we are they can fight for their cause. Similarly, using our education to teach them. That at one point of time, we were weak and way, we can help them. we got powers through social workers

Sangeetha, Osmania University, Hyderabad

‘I want to do something for the women of my village as there is no value given to education. This is the reason I want to pursue higher education and my decision has become stronger after the casteism I faced at Osmania University’

am from Osmania University. My A senior in the room I was allotted in the hometown, Ukmal, is a backward area hostel told me that as I am from a different Iin India and home to a tribal caste/tribe she cannot allow me to stay population. In Ukmal, education has next with her in the room. She wanted a to no importance. Educating girls is roommate who is not from such a considered a crime. I am the only girl who community. I had no friends or dear ones was determined to study law. I felt except my brother, and I was not allowed victorious when I got admission in to stay in the hostel, so both of us spent Osmania University to study law, and the four days outside. When I took this matter permission from my family to do so. In to the concerned authority, I was instead my village, being a woman comes with asked why I opted for higher education, harassment and women are looked down that I should have taken up a Teacher upon. However, in Osmania University, Training Course or any two-year short the harassment takes place both for being course that could have ensured me a job a woman and for belonging to a particular and a quick and stable life. caste/tribe. 200 Testimonies

I retaliated by asking, why can’t I study about the situation of women and the course I am enrolled in? We also want education in my village, and the struggle to study! Are we not allowed to match I went through to reach here. She liked the status they are in? the conversation and might have felt that I am of good nature. She allowed me to Instead of supporting me, the authorities stay in the allotted room and hence I did lashed back. With such acts and not cancel my admission. responses, I felt like it was a waste to study at Osmania and decided to cancel I have problems with language as my my admission. For the four days my schooling has been in Telugu medium. In brother and I spent outside, the seniors most cases girls do not talk to me like they harassed me a lot by pointing to our social talk to each other. They say, what can they status, not talking to me, and saying that talk about as I from a Naxalite area! One I am lesser than them and I got admission faces harassment for being an ST and because of my ST reservation. While even more for being a woman. pondering upon the idea of cancelling my The hostel has separate issues. For admission I thought that this admission example, the curfew is 7:30pm and if you is a determining factor of my life. With get late then parents have to meet the me as an example, the girls of hostel authorities. The mess food is not surrounding four villages in Ukmal might good in comparison to the men’s hostel. be inspired to come forward and pursue higher education. I want to do something for the women of my village as there is no value given to With this in mind, I spoke to the senior education. This is the reason I want to and told her that this is not only about pursue higher education and my decision me but about the whole village which has has become stronger after the casteism I entrusted me. I requested her to allow me faced at Osmania University. I seek your to stay in the room as I have arrived here after a lot of difficulties. She asked me help in pursuing my dream. about my concerns and I explained to her

201 Indian Campuses Under Siege Ditilekha, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai

‘We also realised that the institutes want queer people, but they don’t want dissenting queer people’

would like to talk about the struggles identity as a homogeneous gender of the queer collective and the fight identity without questioning the binary, Iwe have had to create a gender neutral heterosexual and patriarchal notion of space in the campus. We finally managed gender, often conflating with the very to get gender neutral hostels last week, Hindutva understanding of transgender while the demand for gender neutral people as ‘Hijra’. This context becomes toilets are yet to be met. TISS is a typical important in this case because NALSA example of how queer friendly policies also mandated that the government are used as a marker for progressiveness, should facilitate for access and which is why we managed to get some of accessibility of transgender people in our demands met. educational spaces. However, in order to get our demands We acknowledge that many transgender met, we have to be ‘good, law abiding persons are pushed out of education at a students’ who do not engage in any very young age. Several of us have access dissenting acts which are outside the to these educational spaces owing to our purview of our immediate primary privilege, but we have been highly identity, which is our queerness. A lot of invisibilised. Hence, if you have to make the people from the queer collective this space more accessible for actually come from other marginalised transpersons, it is essential to radicalise locations. However, we are not the understanding of gender itself. encouraged to talk about other forms of marginalisation. I would like to put this Most liberal universities would be very movement in the larger socio-political happy to put a transgender column in context and why the nomenclature of their application form or even give one gender neutral hostels and toilets are transgender toilet and/or one important to us. transgender hostel. However, this is In 2014, the Supreme Court pronounced likely to make a space more inaccessible the NALSA judgement giving citizenship for trans persons who are going through rights to trans persons and the Right to transphobia, stigma and discrimination Self Determination of Gender. The drafts that is already prevalent and a lot of that followed thereafter completely people would have to face immense disregarded this judgement. They targeted violence and discrimination attempted to define the transgender within the campus.

202 Testimonies

When we were fighting to make this lower class man, from whom the upper campus accessible for transpersons, it was caste woman had to be segregated. We important that we do not call this the constantly maintained that segregation is transgender place. We were conscious of a Brahminical, heteropatriarchal agenda. the stigmatisation that this place would Hence, we were able to establish a strong bring about. One of the strongest alliance with anti-caste groups as well. argument, however, was from the When the queer collective built this feminists and women who said that alliance and we stood active in the TISS gender neutral spaces would deprive the strike, we were targeted. We also realised spaces that they have tried to create for that the institutes want queer people, but women within this institute and make an they don’t want dissenting queer people. institute inaccessible for women. As long as we are these nice, queer Even while the queer collective children who are willing to study, who acknowledged the struggle the women’s are married and nice people, who go out movement has made to create spaces for and talk only about our identity as queer women, particularly toilets and hostel, it individuals, we will be accepted. was extremely important for us to Interestingly, all these institutes would question who this woman was and who have a queer collective which would call needed these spaces. Did this imagination themselves apolitical. For us, it is very of women ever include the trans woman? important that we reflect upon our Do we have segregated toilets in our progressive movements and how these homes? Who is seen as the perpetrator of spaces are perhaps equally Brahminical the violence? and heteropatriarchal in their approach. We felt that it was the outsider man, who is most probably the lower caste and

203 Indian Campuses Under Siege Sarbani Chakrabarty, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi

‘There are several institutions that the university is tempering with but GSCASH was one such institution that was dissolved in a very high- handed manner by the administration, definitely led by the vice-chancellor’

am the student representative of administration, we went ahead to GSCASH (Gender Sensitization conduct election for GSCASH. Even ICommittee Against Sexual though there is contestation, the JNU Harassment). Following the Vishakha community at large still accepts the guidelines and after a prolonged struggle GSCASH and we still receive many by the entire JNU community, JNU complaints and try to intervene in our became the first higher education capacity. institution to form the GSCASH. The A recent incident of sexual harassment institution has been referred in many has come to light in JNU from the School documents including in the Justice Verma of Life Sciences. Even when GSCASH was Committee and Saksham Committee functional we noticed that science schools recommendations. Recently, the are such areas where students do not feel democratic decision-making process at comfortable to come out and talk about JNU has been tempered with constantly sexual harassment and discrimination and it almost disappeared. There are that they face every day. The science several institutions that the university is schools have lab work and experiments tempering with but GSCASH was one every day. The students are extremely such institution that was dissolved in a dependent on their supervisor’s very high-handed manner by the recommendations. They do not have the administration, definitely led by the vice- environment to come out and talk about chancellor. After its dissolution, the discrimination and harassment. But, in GSCASH was replaced by the ICC this case, one complainant’s mail (Internal Complaints Committee). unfortunately leaked in the social media According to the ShakshamCommittee and media. The complainant had written recommendations, institutions like ICC about the accused and how she was have to be divorced from any position of harassed and discriminated every day. power. But, in JNU, the chief proctor was made the chairperson of ICC. The very Once the mail leaked, many people facing morning before she was selected she had sexual harassment every day for more issued notices to various student activists than four to five years, thought that they as chief proctor. The students of JNU did should now come out and register not have any faith in the ICC and thus complaints. They decided to approach against the mandate of the GSCASH instead of the ICC. Together, we

204 Testimonies filed eight FIRs at Vasant Kunj Police first day the JNU community – Station. Surprisingly, however, the next complainants, students’ union, GSCASH, day only one FIR was lodged with the rest teachers – have been demanding the of the complainants’ names being suspension of the accused as his presence endorsed in it. We then protested outside in the campus will not ensure a free the Vasant Kunj police station to file investigation. But the administration is separate FIRs with intervention from completely silent and has done nothing. teachers as well as various women’s I was served a notice from the organisations. The police was forced to administration for writing ‘Suspend file eight separate FIRs and took 164 Choudhary’ on the wall of the building statements. The complainants, however, on the road. It is highly shameful of the are still facing difficulties as the police is JNU administration to not suspend a neither cooperating with the serial sexual offender but suspend those complainants nor receiving their calls. protesting against him. The police seems uninterested in Although the GSCASH is being contested conducting investigations. in court, the matter of the complaints has At JNU, the administration called all the still not been taken to court. The complainants informally and asked them complainants, however, have approached to submit whatever evidence they have a lawyer. I believe the dissolution of to the administration and the GSCASH has to be linked to the larger administration will decide whether the question of how the middle class accused is guilty or not. This move by the perceives gender and how patriarchy administration is illegal. From the very operates in our society.

205 Indian Campuses Under Siege

Structural Marginalisation: Region

Gertrude Lamare, former Assistant Professor, Shivaji College, Delhi University, New Delhi

‘Even student groups and student’ unions in central universities have the minimal, equivalent to zero – North-East student candidates’

his is a great burden on me, that is, outrageous. The very reason that an to represent the North-East, official dossier like this, drafted by the Tconsidering the diversity of the university, could actually surface, was population, opinions and experiences. because of the current dispensation. The term itself has a problematic history. However, if we see historically, structures However, I suppose when it comes to of discrimination had been in place for a structural experiences, especially outside very long time in the city, even before the North-East, it is somewhat Modi. Perhaps now it is just more overlapping. pronounced. In that sense the north-eastern identity is The most common one is on the an imposed one. I am deposing the difference in eating habits and language. testimony under the broad theme of I personally was asked to alter my accent, region, but our experiences are more of apart from being forced to learn Hindi racialised forms of discrimination. This is and speak in Hindi, because, apparently, manifested in various forms, in more my students will not understand the way overt or subtle ways. I speak. This is just a little anecdote that I have shared. The most striking episode is the infamous dossier that was passed by the JNU The government, as part of the donor administration in 2016. It was directed ministry, a particular ministry (which is towards the students from Kashmir and supposed to look after ‘development’ in North-East – for their alleged ‘anti-Indian’ the north-eastern region), has allocated a activities. The administration also alleged lot of funds towards the integration of that there were ‘anti-Indian elements’ north-eastern students in central from the North-East and Kashmir staying university spaces, across the country. This on campus, eating beef etc,– it was is manifested in the form of setting up of 206 Testimonies north-eastern departments or courses, to be ourselves, but in order to survive and North-East cells. For example – even we can’t really be ourselves. in universities like Jamia Millia Islamia Even student groups and students’ and JNU in Delhi, where there are a large unions in central universities have the number of north-eastern scholars and minimal, equivalent to zero – North-East teacher, still, the north-eastern courses or student candidates. Being an ex-student north-eastern departments have very of JNU (we can apply all our stereotypes niche platforms to prosper. All of this is attached to this institution), I can say that done in the name of integration and it is not as liberal and inclusive as it seems exchange. in terms of representation. Even now, I Witness the amount of segregation, even don’t think there is anyone from the in classrooms. Moreover, there is a North-East in the students’ union. I feel difference in the way the administration the situation in Delhi University is and teachers address students who similar. belong to the ST category or come under There is great alienation, even among a certain quota. Some colleagues of mine, progressive groups, in terms of who are teachers, have said in a meeting representation and participation. Even organised by the North-East cell that in the platforms which are supposed to be order to deal with racism in Delhi, one progressive and liberating are not has to really assimilate and not assert one’s addressing these issues. regional or ethnic identity. Thus, one colleague said, “Learn Hindi, start eating Regarding the introduction of the north- the way they do, and, more importantly, eastern discourse into the academia, this dress the way they do; stop wearing is a tricky affair. This is because people slightly revealing clothes. If you do that, don’t know how to handle it. Whether it you are fitting into the conception that is people from the North-East, or people they have of you (people from the NE) from outside, it is still paraded as an item anyway, so you should rather challenge to be sold. The funding comes in so you that by being more like them.” Such a just need to sell it in academic spaces. This situation and perception troubles is how it is being perceived. students. At one point you are telling us

207 Indian Campuses Under Siege Debojit Gogoi, Delhi University, New Delhi

‘Chowmein is not my name. It’s your racist mind which makes you think so’

Assam is in Agartala, Aizawl is had something else to ask. He said, “I perhaps somewhere in Manipur. believe, I should not ask for the consent “Shillong is a state, whose capital is of any north-eastern girl.” I asked, why? Guwahati. Not to forget, Arunachal does He replied, “Since they smoke and drink, not exist. Oh yes! Cherrapunji or they will give in.” A guy from another Mawsynram was never in North-East department had asked, “Do you eat all India.” the animals?” Let me give you a tour of how I was I was baffled after I was introduced to this treated in the so-called ‘Mainstream mindset of people across India. I replied India’. to them. I didn’t stay quiet. People in North-East India are very safe. They live After I took admission in Delhi University there, breathe there, work there and are last year, meand my friends from North- happy there. I don’t look chinki; or, East India had fallen into the vicious circle chowmein is not my name. It’s your racist of racism facing strong hate comments on state of mind which makes you think so. our food, confused nationalities and judgments, starting from the day of I do wear undergarments. However, orientation. The royal treatment, like a under my shorts. Yes, wearing shorts to foreigner,pushed me into a mixed college during summer does not mean emotional state of mind. I thought, should that I don’t have etiquette. I do have. I be happy, angry or sad? Sorry, you are mistaken. Not everyone from the North-East drink or smoke Many students, including both which is similar to any other part of the classmates and seniors, were fascinated country; not everyone in Delhi either to know more about the North-East drink or smoke. And, most importantly, region and I being a native of that region even if they do, that does not mean they faced multiple sets of ridiculous have no dignity or are easily beddable. questions. I would like to throw light on some of those instances. We do not eat all animals. There are some which we eat and it’s better if I don’t share A third year senior had one fine day and talk much about it because if I do asked, “Are people safe there?” Another your racist and hate comments will had asked, “Why do you look chinki?” A definitely welcome me. classmate questioned me, looking at my shorts in college, “Why do you wear Many people think that everyone from undergarments to college?” The fourth North-East India is a beneficiary of the

208 Testimonies

SC/ST quota and it is very easy for us to It is okay for me that I eat rice thrice a get admission under quota reservation. day because having ‘chapattis’ donot No, it is not. Many are from general and make me feel gratified. But they don’t OBC backgrounds as well. And even if understand. I even stopped carrying majority of them are from SC/ST lunch because they think I might get pork, background, that does not mean that they beef or some other ‘non-edible’ animal in are less intellectual. my lunchbox. I don’t speak Hindi usually I believe talking about intelligence is a and they have problem with that too major debate altogether. Many, including stating that it’s the national language of some of my teachers, have this conception the nation. I retort, “Then, what are those that the educational opportunities are other 16 different languages on paper minimal, infrastructure is poor and these used in the Indian currency to denote its are the reasons why students from the value?” North-East migrate to distant places for I feel it is high time to learn and accept higher education. To some extent, I agree. the diverse cultures, traditions, food and But, then, I feel like reminding them of languages of all the regions of the Tripura and Mizoram. country, those that justify Indian diversity I kind of felt terrible talking to them. The aptly, rather than being prejudiced. vegetarian students in my class are even Sensitisation of youth in all spheres is the scared or perplexed to talk to me. It has need of the hour. Marginalisation in never happened before. This is a new institutions based on region has become phenomena for me. I never did believe more significant which has further that people still reserve their comments clustered the whole ‘groupism agenda’ in to address someone ‘chinki’ because of institutional spaces. their Mongoloid facial features. I was in utter shock –where has their geographical and historical knowledge gone?

209 Indian Campuses Under Siege Shenganglu Kamei, Ambedkar University, New Delhi

‘However, the discrimination and marginalisation of a student based on one single identity is quite stark. I believe universities are supposed to provide a safe space for all people’

finished my graduation from Miranda is a little different than that of Miranda House in Delhi Universityand I am House. Let me start by explaining how I Icurrently enrolled in Ambedkar select clothes for the university. This may University, Delhi. At Miranda House, I seem irrelevant but at Ambedkar was giving my end-semester practical University you can notice eyes paying exam. There was a technical issue with attention to even the simplest of kurti or the computer lab. When I approached my salwar kameez or even a bindi you are teacher regarding this, the teacher refused sporting. I feel uncomfortable. For me it to acknowledge it as a technical issue, is just clothes, but for them this is exotic – and, instead, blamed me for lack of a tribal girl wearing a traditional Indian practice and not attending class. I had to dress. ultimately leave the room for which I was At Ambedkar University, I have learnt awarded a zero in my practical, an issue how to be politically correct at all times that was never addressed. and I am conscious of the fact that the Looking back, I realise that maybe my crowd is politically charged. I do not department in Miranda House had understand why is it that when nothing to offer me in particular. My discussions on power or hierarchy in the experience of the time is more or less Indian context take place, the issue of forgettable. There was always an issue of North-East is never discussed. It is always groupism. The mainland students would about caste, savarna, Dalit oppression, etc. group themselves and, in the end, only Why do the students have to go and six students from the region called North- literally beg teachers to discuss even one East were left behind. Mainland students reading on the North-East? There is no would never genuinely share notes and equal opportunity, ST/SC cell or a North- instead question why we are not coming East cell in particular at Ambedkar to class or not paying attention in class. I Universityand hence no way to ask for wonder why it is so easy for teachers and redressal if we face discrimination. students alike to belittle us based on our We have requested the administration for identity. It’s uncomfortable that this an equal opportunity cell. We have identity stays with us throughout and we requested the administration to make the can never erase it. ‘Queer Collective’official on campus, but My experience at Ambedkar University the administration has thwarted it for this 210 Testimonies or that reason; for example, they argue student based on one single identity is that the collective is based on identity. A quite stark. I believe universities are simple thing like a gender neutral toilet supposed to provide a safe space for all on campus is a necessity for every queer people, especially students. I do not think person. The university has not even that the administration at Ambedkar acknowledged queer persons on campus. University can ever live up to the needs of the people. Indeed, the administration I believe no person carries a single has to address these issues urgently and identity within oneself. However, the discrimination and marginalisation of a seriously.

Satarupa Chakraborty, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi

‘When the crackdown happened on student leaders of JNU in February 2016, a dossier was circulated and released in the media with a blanket statement targeting particularly the students from North-East, Kashmir and women, Dalits, Muslims’

NU is not perfect. However, when JNU. We have discovered that if someone compared with conditions in other hailing from the marginalised sections Jhigher education institutions in the scores good in the written exam for JNU country, JNU is in a better state. This is admission, they perform poorly in the because of certain major interventions viva examination. There are various and policies that were made possible due reasons for this but the committee to prolonged students’ struggles. JNU has identified a pattern of discrimination and had an inclusive admission policy put its recommendations before the JNU ensuring deprivation points on the lines administration and academic council. of region and gender. But, with the However, the UGC Gazette, 2016, was advent of the BJP government, we have forcibly implemented unilaterally in JNU, witnessed major attacks on JNU in an and the deprivation points as stated in the effort to dismantle those policies which JNU’s admission policy were help people from different marginalised scrapped.The Naffey Committee’s sections of society to be admitted. recommendations have also not been JNU students have been raising the implemented. The outcome is that the concern over the issue of discrimination. reserved seats are completely not filled, Through a statistical analysis of data, the and JNU didn’t have admissions in large Naffey Committee had to acknowledge centres for MPhil/PhD for an entire the fact of discrimination persisting in session.

211 Indian Campuses Under Siege When the crackdown happened on circulating such a shameful dossier. Till student leaders of JNU in February 2016, date the administration has not taken any a dossier was circulated and released in action. the media with a blanket statement I remember, in 2014, Nido Tania, a targeting particularly the students from student from Arunachal Pradesh, was North-East, Kashmir and women, Dalits, murdered in Lajpat Nagar, Delhi. This Muslims, etc. Here is an excerpt from the was because some ‘mainland Indians’ felt dossier: “Over 300 Kashmiri and North- that his hairstyle and clothes did not East separatist activists are staying match with theirs. After that there were illegally in the hostels of JNU. They are protests and students took over the the main force behind organising anti- streets. From what we experienced, there India activities, protest demonstrations, were police brutalities. talks and lectures by separatist leaders in the JNU campus. Beef-eating festival, When we speak of racial discrimination Mahishasur Diwas and hate Hindu it is important to identify such incidents. campaigns are the regular features in When we talk about marginalisation it is hostel activities and various seminars/ important to look into how the lectures organised by known anti-Hindu marginalisation was made possible. and anti-Indian elements…. North-East There are structural discriminations even students, Muslim students and other anti- in higher educational institutions,as it national elements are in the vanguard of exists in our society. To fight this anti-Hindu movement.” discrimination, challenging and fighting the structural discriminations is an This page of the dossier in itself attacks imperative. When we identify the fact students from the North-East, Kashmir, that racial bias exists in our society, what Dalits, Muslims, women and other we need to demand is an anti-racial minorities. Many people asked the discrimination law which is currently administration to inquire about the people involved in preparing and absent in our country.

212 Testimonies

Structural Marginalisation: Religion

Umar Khalid, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi

‘For a Muslim, even before 2014, you are either a fundamentalist/terrorist or a vote bank. The moment you refuse to be the latter, you slip into the former. This is the distinctiveness of the Muslim second-class citizenship’

ll of us need to think about the As has been said before, there are already question, whether the Muslims of very few Muslims in these universities Athis country are a part of this and even they are being driven out. In a nation or not? The people coming to study recent debate in the Indian Express, a in the university from different minorities highly-respected intellectual wrote that to and labouring classes, who are already remain consistent with liberal politics it low in number, are being thrown out is very important for the intellectuals to from the universities. The RSS is quite not only speak on majority open about their animosity towards communalism, but also minority reservations for SC, ST, and OBC, but the communalism. The examples that he BJP cannot be so open about it due to cited, of the things that liberal political compulsions, even though they intellectuals should speak about, were are working silently to destroy certain social conservative practices reservations. However, there is an agenda among the Muslims like wearing a skull BJP too is quite vocal about – from Guru cap or a burqa. This is not at all a Golwalkar to Narendra Modi. This is with convincing argument and several people regard to their systematic ideological offensive towards the Muslims. have already countered it. The BJP has full majority in Parliament Even though the examples cited about and on a daily basis they perform this may not elicit any serious engagement, I, offensive in the name of ‘Love Jihad’, for one, don’t deny the existence of ‘Ghar Wapsi’, or even what is unfolding several conservative practices and in many parts of the country presently consciousness among Muslims today. around the festival of ‘Ram Navami’. The However, as social scientists, historians attacks on the universities also take on a and public intellectuals, it is important to distinct anti-Muslim character in contextualise it with the systematic contemporary times. persecution of Muslims in this country, 213 Indian Campuses Under Siege leading to segregation and ghettoisation, most groups working among minorities particularly over the past three decades. is on ensuring security from communal When Muslims are pushed into a violence, lynchings, etc. With the situation where they are living only with relegation of other very basic demands, members of their community, this also the country’s largest minorities, that is, reflects in their consciousness and their Muslims, are forced towards further political, social and cultural associations. backwardness. To be counter-factual for a moment, one I would like to put forward two cases to can only imagine the more tolerant and elaborate how deeply internal prejudices cosmopolitan society we would have had towards the minorities make certain if the trajectory of our social polity had forms of witch-hunt possible, and the been on different lines over the last three consequences it has for the community. decades. The prejudices within the The first example is mine and the second minority, also, more importantly, of the one is that of the missing student from majority towards them, might have been JNU, Najeeb Ahmed. far less. However, the religious majorities To come to the first, three of us, Kanhaiya, of our country have internalised the Anirban and me, were arrested in prejudices and stereotypes that they have February 2016 in the, by now, infamous been fed through mass media, cinema, ‘JNU sedition case’. Kanhaiya was popular culture etc, which then makes it arrested ten days before us. Anirban and easy for the BJP and RSS to use hate as a I were arrested together. The prejudices political weapon. were expressed very clearly during our Though Muslims are not responsible for time in police custody. Anirban was this situation, education could have asked, “Mr Bhattacharya, Khalid doing all helped a large section of the Muslim this, saying ‘Pakistan Zindabad’, is community to make sense of their understandable, but how are you here existence and expand their imagination too?” and world-view beyond their immediate Facts were of no concern at the time, and lived reality. The truth is that Muslims they were forgetting their primary have very less representation within narrative. They were cursing each other. universities for many decades. The Sachar Committee Report presented this truth a We were questioned where we were decade ago, which, till then, was the best hidden for ten days? So, at 12-1am at kept public secret of our country. night, for two days, we were taken around the city to find out where we were However, today, the extreme forms of hiding. I decided not to say anything. violence on Muslims do not allow Anirban was in a jeep ahead of mine with demands to rise for citizenship issues like five policemen accompanying both of us. public education. Right now, the focus of I do not know the locality they took us 214 Testimonies to, but there was a Muslim dominated will be pushed back again. We will only area nearby behind which there was a be a Muslim at the end of the day, and by jungle. A policeman in my jeep spoke extension a terrorist. over the phone to a policeman in I do not deny the fact that I was attracted Anirban’s jeep saying that I am not telling towards Left politics primarily because of them where I was hiding. Anirban later my lived reality as a Muslim. Coming to told me that the policeman in Anirban’s the university allowed me to detach jeep told the one in mine over the phone myself from that immediate identity and that if I don’t speak up, they will take us see things in a larger historical to a jungle and kill us in an encounter. perspective. I think I am one of the very Perhaps, they would not have done the privileged few within the community to encounter. But the fact that it was said have access to the university and meet reveals something that someone from a people from other religions, regions, certain community can be encountered, languages, and shape the world-view so to say, is encounterable. And this was accordingly. said with the express purpose of softening It has been two years and no charge-sheet up Anirban, so that he would reveal has been filed in this case. The court case something! has not even started and I believe that in Among the three, only I received special the coming days unless the government treatment from the media because of my does not feel that they would gain any religious identity. I would not have been political capital, the case might not start shocked if I was called a Naxalite by the at all in the court. And even if it does, just media because that is the usual branding like the Ram Temple court case that has they do of the Left, especially the non- been going on for so long, the ‘JNU anti- parliamentary Left. But they branded me national slogans case’ will also go on for as an Islamist, connected me to Pakistan 30 years as political benefits can be reaped and Pakistan terror groups, to Jaish-e- from this. Mohammed, and invisibilised my decade In between all of this they have found long Left activism. I do not even have a ways to keep me alive in the popular passport and am facing difficulty getting imagination by vilifying me. A different one made due to this case. kind of violence was done with the They were sending a message not only to discourse on television after the violence me but also to a large section of Muslims in the Ramjas incident. The Centre is getting educated or who aspire to be completely involved in this, the way it educated. They were telling us that we was in shaping the Bhima Koregaon are condemned to live in a ghetto and narrative. Three of us were arrested but I cannot even think of coming out of our am the only one in discourse – this shows ghettoised existence. If we do so, then we the deeply internalised Islamophobia.

215 Indian Campuses Under Siege The other case is that of Najeeb Ahmed. No attempts were made to find out about Najeeb has been missing since 15 October, Najeeb by the media or look at Najeeb’s 2016 and nothing is being done in that mother’s struggles. Instead, the media investigation. On the day of his presented a fabricated story that Najeeb disappearance, I met his mother for the used to search ISIS videos on internet first time in the night. With a lot of pain, even when the police denied that nothing she said, “If I find my child, I will not let of this sort turned up in their him study in JNU anymore. I will take investigation. These journalists have till him home with me. Najeeb’s father is date neither apologised nor denied the bedridden for many years after an claims they made, nor has there been an accident and I was the one working hard institutional apology. The evidence that and helping him gain that level of linked me to Jaish-e-Mohammed is the education. I funded the education. When same used in Najeeb’s case, and that he applied in the universities, he was evidence is nothing but our name, our selected in Jamia Millia Islamia and JNU. immediate identity. I wanted him to go to Jamia and told him I am not saying that only a Muslim would that there has been so much controversies face the brunt of the attacks today. In fact, recently regarding JNU, so it is not safe the erstwhile ‘pseudo-seculars’ are now there. He insisted to go to JNU and said being referred to as ‘anti-nationals’ under that it is the best university, so he should which anyone can be branded and go there when he has the opportunity.” targeted, irrespective of their religious She cursed herself that day about making identity. However, for the Sangh Parivar, him study and then letting him study in Muslims are the original and foremost JNU. She regretted not sending her son villains. Without a doubt you can find the to Jamia because had that been the case same kind of social marginalisation Najeeb would still be with her. Najeeb within JNU among the Dalits and was beaten in public, there are ample Muslims. And we should not lose sight witnesses among students and guards of certain specificities. regarding that. Afterwards, when he The first is that due to a century-long disappeared, a fabricated story came out assertion of Dalit and Ambedkarite that Najeeb had initiated unprovoked movements, from before and after violence against ABVP students, as ABVP Ambedkar, it has become an acceptable had red threads tied to their wrists. category to do politics, even though it is Najeeb was presented as an intolerant a very difficult category. But, it is very Muslim, a fundamentalist who could not difficult to articulate Muslim concerns think. A propaganda against him was beyond a nationalist paradigm, and this propagated and on a wall or table of a dates back to even before freedom of hostel it was written, ‘All Muslims are India. For a long time, the ghost of Terrorists’. partition weighed heavily on the Muslims 216 Testimonies when they sought to articulate their The day after the Bhima-Koregaon concerns. If you said something which incident, Rahul Gandhi tweeted that was not a part of the ruling establishment Bhima-Koregaon is a continuation of the or consensus of the time, then it was attack on Una and Saharanpur and it only immediately taken that you are shows BJP’s Brahmanical mindset. advocating for another secession. However, in most cases of lynching and communal violence against Muslims, you Our generation today, fortunately or do not see the opposition taking a stand. unfortunately, does not directly carry the What does this signify? When I ask burden of Partition. But the burdens and people about this they say if you question traumas that we carry are different and this strategy you are playing into the BJP’s have their own complications. I grew up hand. However, are you not playing into experiencing it quite closely – people their hand by not saying anything? being picked up on false terror charges, incarcerated, tortured, released after Basic citizenship rights have been several years and arrested again, picked relegated to the background due to the up again. So, when the JNU episode kind of violence taking place on a happened, my parents were really dailybasis. However, despite the concerned, but they were not that violence, or perhaps because of the surprised. It did not shatter any illusions present predicament, there is an about our society for them. emerging intelligentsia among the Muslim community asking important All of this has made any kind of questions. They are asking whether we articulation very difficult without being are equal citizens of the country or have dubbed as a fundamentalist, terrorist or we been reduced to second-class citizens. separatist. For a Muslim, even before Does the Constitution apply to us as well, 2014, you are either a fundamentalist/ or, is there a separate rule book that the terrorist or a vote bank. The moment you State has – to deal with the minorities? refuse to be the latter, you slip into the Will there be any outrage when we are former. This is the distinctiveness of the linked to Pakistan, asked to go to Muslim second-class citizenship. Pakistan, beaten up, and lynched? When we talk about Rohith Vemula no These questions might not be visible in one denies the fact that the persecution the mainstream political discourse, but he faced was because he belonged to a they are being asked and raised every particular community. But, when we talk day. This is not even about what faith you about Najeeb, there is an effort to distance believe in, but about your identity. If you Najeeb from his Muslim identity despite have a certain name, an environment of the fact that he was cursed and beaten fear will be created around you. They do because of that identity. it by filing fake cases and peddling false

217 Indian Campuses Under Siege narratives through media and social be able to come out of the quagmire we media. find ourselves in. The future of our country and democracy does not only To conclude, let me say that these concern the Muslims alone, everyone has questions are inherently not about Muslims, but about democracy. If this a stake in it. violence keeps going on, we will never

Adeel Hamza Sahil, former vice-president, Allahabad University Students’ Union

‘I was banned from the Allahabad University campus till August 15. I was suspended and served a notice on June 14, 2017. Even after that, I kept fighting. Then my suspension was extended and I was removed for 5 years’

want to thank the organisers who Muslim, said that you are clever, you are have organised such a tribunal. For the a Muslim, when I said that I wanted to Ifirst time today it feels that there is contest elections. someone who wants to listen to our pain. I want to talk about the enquiry against I am grateful to you for doing this to heal me. On April 28, 2017, we held a protest our wounds. at Allahabad University whose agenda I am the first Muslim to be elected as the included four demands. There was a vice-president of Allahabad University in meeting at the guest house where our 128 years. This makes me happy, but it vice-chancellor and professors were also makes me sadder. It makes me sad present. It is shameful for me to tell this because when I was in school, studying that our professors, who are our teachers, with all the other students, I did not know have their pet goons which has become a who is a Hindu or a Muslim. However, trend in Allahabad University. They sent when I grew up, I went to the university these goons to pelt stones at us and do and told my best friends that I want to lathi-charge when we went there to contest elections in Allahabad gherao the guest house. There were two University.Then I was told that you are vans stationed at a distance from each my brother, you are a Muslim, you can other and we were told to get out of one contest elections, but you cannot win. van and move to the other van, one by Tears rolled down my eyes that day when one, because that van was small and so a friend who used to sit with me together many people could not be taken to jail in and have food with me, who never made that small van. There were around 500 me feel that he is a Hindu and I am a policemen standing in between these two

218 Testimonies vans and we would be beaten several activities done by you are (asamvidhanik- times with lathis when we moved from unconstitutional, avaidhanik-illegal, one van to the other. Almost 22 students, adharmik-unreligious, anyatharthik- including me, were put behind bars at the unobjective, because Yogi Adityanathji is Naini Central Jail for 26 days. the thinker and publicist of a great ideology and religious observer, My mother was worried that her son is dharmachar). in jail. But I kept fighting for the rights of my fellow students and did not back off. You are our teacher, you show us the After we came back from jail after 26 days, path, and you are telling us that Yogi is a student was beaten up outside the dharmachar. So you are directly proving Allahabad University premises. When it that you are his loyalist. And, yet, we some of my friends protested against this continued our fight. incident at Allahabad University by I was banned from the Allahabad burning the effigy of the current chief University campus till August 15. I was minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi suspended and served a notice on June Adityanath. I was not present there. I 14, 2017. Even after that, I kept fighting. want to ask that in which section of the Then my suspension was extended and I Indian Constitution is it mentioned that was removed for 5 years. I was just a the effigy of the chief minister cannot be student studying BA and MA at the burnt to protest against his policies? And Allahabad University. My degree is on even if an effigy was burnt, I was not the hold even today but I am still fighting lone person present there, so who else because I exercise my rights. was served a notice? Today, Allahabad University, known as I want to read out a line to show what the Oxford of the East, which produced kind of notice is written to us by our four prime ministers of this country,is far proctor who is our teacher (He has away from its repute of the past. This is a written that you are being notified that worrying issue today. It is very sad that on 11.06.2017, leading a group of people, our professors and administration you started a funeral procession and discriminate against us on the basis of burnt the effigy of ‘Hon’ble Chief religion and caste for their own personal Minister’ within the premises of the university, and circulated this widely interests. through newspapers. These kind of

219

4

Annexure Indian Campuses Under Siege

Tribunal’s Concept Note

ne of the primary purposes of In any democratic and civilised society, education has been the creation the university is a repository of young Oof an active citizenry. This and budding intellectual opinion, more requires inculcating the ethos of critical often than not also being the bedrock of thinking and creativity, to reflect on real voices of sharp critical dissent. In an age life-challenges and opportunities. It is in of homogenisation and majoriatrianism, this context, that educational institutions students’ movements, who provide a have always provided space for the right voice of dissent, are not only being to freedom of opinion, expression, targeted and criminalised but also being association, assembly and dissent within discredited and maligned, with a view to their structures. These are also the values influence public perception and to quell that are upheld and guaranteed by the any opposition to State action and Constitution of India. policies. The trend encapsulates a broader agenda to wipe out the spaces that cherish With the advent of globalisation, one has differing opinions and is an attempt to witnessed the degeneration of the focus control Indian intellectual life. of education from its primary purpose of shaping an active citizenry, to that of While the fundamental right and freedom building up a workforce that caters to the of expression is enshrined in the Indian requirements of a market-based Constitution, and is recognised as an economy. The process of privatisation of integral part and fabric of the Indian education made it imperative to democracy, the State has left no stone dismantle the State-funded public unturned in silencing voices of dissent education systems, wiping out the basis and creating a negative perception of the of a Welfare State. students’ movements by spreading false propaganda and fake news through the The reform and rectification of the corporate media. inconsistencies and deficiencies of the existing public education system is used Contribution of Students’ as a smokescreen to further Movements in India saffornisation, homogenisation and corporatisation, and pushing aside the World over, students’ movements have primary purpose of education as free, played a crucial role in combating anti- rational and critical thinking. democratic forces, initiating important

222 Annexure political discourses and creating a new questioning and critiquing anti-people breed of thinkers, who have shaped government policies and State action, and important policy changes and decisions. constitute a formidable and necessary voice of dissent and opposition, outside In India, students’ movements were an and inside the realm of parliamentary integral part of the pre-independence democracy. It, accordingly, comes as no freedom struggle and posed a formidable surprise that they are subject to force to counter the British colonial rule. interference, repression and State action Post-independence, student’s from the ruling governments. movements have initiated various national debates and have been a Current scenario significant voice of dissent, shaping changes in domestic policies in the The past 30 months or so, under the new country. The contribution and efforts of political dispensation at the Centre, has students’ movements in the Nav Nirman witnessed a peculiar attack on Indian Andolan in Gujarat, which led to educational campuses. Those universities widespread agitations across the country, that came into being through statutes that the JP Movement, the Naxalbari struggle, ensured not just their autonomy but also the formation of All Assam Students their being embodied – in theory and in Union (AASU) etc. and their strong practice with the constitutional values opposition during the Emergency, have and vision where equality and non- been duly recognised and appreciated in discrimination was key – have been the history of Indian democracy. Post subjected to such attacks. These Emergency, the students’ movements, universities, over a period of time, were particularly in parts of the north-eastern exercising the vision of equity and non- region of India and in Kashmir, continue discrimination with the gradual to play an active role in addressing socio- implementation of affirmative action to ensure that students from rural, political concerns. Dalit, Bahujan and marginalised and discriminated Adivasi students have also organised backgrounds made it to the institutions themselves and are at the frontiers of of higher learning. However, the dual challenging discriminations on campuses assault of aggressive neo-liberal policies and in society. The students’ movements – that have ensured a cut in scholarships have also played an important role in in institutions of learning – accompanied various labour movements and class by an ideological assault of an struggles across the country. authoritarian character, have rendered Undoubtedly, the critical role played by campuses in India today the focal points the students’ movements have shaped of a resurgent democratic movement with Indian democracy. student leaders and student associations Students’ movements continue to play an who do not fall in line with the important role in Indian democracy, majoritarian vision. 223 Indian Campuses Under Siege On the one hand, the neo-liberal policies University (HCU), Jawaharlal Nehru and privatisation of education by the University (JNU), Delhi University (DU), State is making it impossible for Dalits Jadavpur University (JU), Allahabad and other deprived sections to enter into University and Tata Institute of Social higher education, on the other hand, Sciences, Mumbai (TISS). While the those who are able to make it are being government tried to brand both JNU and targeted and attempts are made to silence HCU as “anti-national”, the recent them. Ministry of Human Resources and Development (MHRD) rankings had to Today, it is the centres of higher learning recognise them amongst the top 4 in India that have become the varsities of India. battleground for the foundation of Indian democracy and all it stands for. The Other campuses under attack include the government is engaged in constant Indian Institute of Technology, Madras attacks on students, teachers, employees, (IIT-M), Banaras Hindu University intellectuals, university autonomy and (BHU), National Institute of Technology, academic freedom across India. Hazratbal (NIT-H), Gauhati University, Aggressively pursuing its Right-wing Pondicherry Central University etc., authoritarian agenda, it has attacked where the university administration, democratic voices from India’s while openly endorsing Right-wing educational institutes, including by using ideologies and government diktats, the criminal law mechanism to file thereby compromising institutional fabricated cases, the worst even being the autonomy, has given immunity and law of Sedition (Section 124-A of the protection to Right-wing student groups, Indian Penal Code, 1860) being used thereby encouraging them to launch against them. attacks on alternative political views. The recent events that have unfolded Given the current scenario and the under the new regime, clearly indicate the increasing attacks on educational State’s intention to destroy premier institutions in India, the People’s centres of higher education to thwart Commission on Shrinking Democratic intellectual political oppositions. Space (PCSDS), through its Permanent People’s Tribunal on Shrinking The government at the Centre imposed Democratic Space (PPTSDS), has decided its loyalists on institutions like the Indian to organise a ‘People’s Tribunal on Council of Historical Research (ICHR) Attack on Educational Institutions in and Film & Television Institute of India India’. (FTII). The government is giving a freehand to Right-wing ideology by Terms of Reference suppressing alternative politics at 1. To record and enquire the repression, campuses like Hyderabad Central surveillance and administrative 224 Annexure

actions which the students, faculty study of the laws/policies in other and employees of institutes of higher countries on this subject. learning are subjected to. 4. To record and enquire increasing 2. To record and enquire the deliberate government and State interference vs. criminalisation of students and autonomy of the institutions. teachers in various parts of the 5. To record and enquire the country. discrimination with respect to 3. To investigate the undermining of the students from Dalit, Adivasi, OBC, Constitution and constitutional minority communities, the North- values in the creation and/or East and Kashmir especially on issues subversion of existing laws and policy related to admission, scholarship and changes, and to make a comparative evaluation.

225 Indian Campuses Under Siege

Background Note

Right-wing Assault: An Orwellian Empire

emocracy, in a broader sense, is colonial period, continues more or less in shrinking due to certain the same trajectory and within the same Dstructural reasons. Those reasons paradigm, despite the fact that it had are neither isolated nor mutually imaginative and enduring islands of exclusive to each other. In India, where excellence like JNU, BHU, Allahabad social inequalities are deeply entrenched, University, JU, HCU, DU, among others, education is largely seen as a leveller and which, themselves, are currently under a means for the marginalised to achieve concerted and relentless attacks by Right- social mobility. After the 1970s, when wing forces, backed by the Indian State. education was brought under the Among academic disciplines, the social concurrent list, there is a constant process sciences, particularly, is facing repeated to centralize the education system. assaults because it provides a rational and However, the current regime since 2014 critical analysis of society and the has ushered in new challenges to the government’s policies. democratic space of the academic community of this country. Privatisation and Globalisation The roots of the present policy paralysis In the era of globalisation, the turn in higher education in India can be traced towards privatisation and back to the colonial period. That crisis commercialization of education in India continued to exist because education has has being marked by two aspects. One is never really received the deep, serious, the strong push to ensure that education central attention that it should have in a becomes a tradable commodity and thus society that was being recreated and does not deserve any State support. reconstructed after independence. There Agencies like the World Trade was a tendency to let things carry on as Organisation (WTO) has been heavily they had existed before. Basically, the critical of State-funded ‘public education’ pattern was to use the same kind of in India and has constantly pressurised institutions and structures, and not the Indian State to reduce it and allowing question them. The higher education foreign universities through the General system, which was designed during the Agreement on Trade and Services 226 Annexure

(GATS). This has led to policy outcome. Due to the widespread increase implementations by the government with in the number of educational institutes, the emphasis that higher education does the gross enrolment ratio has increased. not deserve any State support. There is However, this has come with significant reduction in funding for research to costs. The access to these institutes, which Council of Scientific and Industrial are profit-driven, is limited to only certain Research(CSIR) labs, as well as sections of the society. universities; research fellowships have According to data from the National been reduced, non-National Eligibility Sample Survey, 2014, approximately, Test (NET) fellowship by the University 44.81 million people – 16.6% male and Grants Commission (UGC) is mostly 9.5% female – that is, Indian irregular, post-metric fellowships are not undergraduate students aged between 18 being distributed to students in the and 24, are too poor to pursue higher absence of allocations from the Centre, education. As many as 34.2 million NET exam schedules have been changed, students were enrolled in institutions of and education is increasingly being higher education in 2014-15, according to centralized. This list can go on. the report of the MHRD-All India Survey The second aspect is the brazen on Higher Education, 2016. Out of them, enthusiasm of various governments to nearly 22 million students (65%) are privatise existing educational institutions, enrolled in private institutions in various which has been reflected in plan courses. It is needless to state from which documents like the 11th plan. The result economic background the majority of is the mushrooming of private institutes students (65%) came from. According to in all spheres of Indian education. The the 12thfive-year plan document3 of the proportion of private-aided schools erstwhile Planning Commission, while increased from 15% in 1993-94 to 30% in government-owned institutions of higher 2004-051. Concomitantly, there is an education increased from 11,239 in 2006- increase in the number of private colleges. 07 to 16,768 in 2011-12 (49%), private By 2015, nearly three-fifth of student sector institutions recorded a 63% growth enrolment in higher education was in in the same period from 29,384 in 2006- private institutes2. Many of these private 07 to 46,430 in 2011-12. institutes have been tied to government The onslaught of privatisation and universities. This, significantly, reduced globalisation on education has been the scope for profit-mongering. The aggravated under the present National solution was the conversion of many of Democratic Alliance (NDA) government these institutes into deemed universities led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in whose numbers have increased from 26 the Centre. The present central in 2005 to 109 by 2009. Overall, these government is in the process of preparing changes have had an overtly positive a new National Policy on Education. 227 Indian Campuses Under Siege There are two documents available in this ‘capitation fees’ and ‘management context: the TSR Subramanian Committee quotas’, will now be generalised to the report, and a document titled, ‘Some higher education sector as a whole. This Inputs for Draft National Education autonomy in the matter of fixing fees, Policy 2016’ drafted by the MHRD. In which would necessarily entail a jacking- 2017, the central government appointed up of fees, would exclude vast numbers a committee headed by K. Kasturirangan of students belonging to deprived to draft the new policy. The basic economic backgrounds from institutions approach of the documents available is of higher education, unless they are undemocratic, arbitrary, non-transparent willing to take large student loans. That and muddled in approach and is, if they take such loans, then, given the mass unemployment that prevails in the perspective. The documents propose country, a large number of them will be closure of ‘public schools’ by declaring unable to pay back the loan. This may them as ‘unviable’. The documents lead to mass suicides, individual trauma advocate for a total withdrawal of the and collective distress, as in the case of government from higher education by the peasants in the rural countryside. arguing for full freedom for market forces Indeed, this potential crisis itself will in running and formulating policies with deter them from taking loans and hence respect to higher education. The central prevent them from accessing higher government has already started education altogether. The idea of a fee- implementing new initiatives in line with based education system is fundamentally the proposed new policy. This includes, inimical to democracy. for example, a move to establish ‘worldclass’ institutions which have no In a decision by the MHRD to provide provision for reservation and scholarship autonomy to 62 higher educational institutes, instead of democratically based on social and educational discussing this decision in Parliament and backwardness, and appointments of addressing various concerns of faculties based only on ‘merit’ while stakeholders, it unilaterally decided to refusing to provide for reservations at any impose this via the UGC. level. The UGC notification which deals with Moreover, the UGC issued a directive autonomy is unambiguous on the envisaging the creation of autonomous meaning of autonomy. The university colleges which would have substantial will have autonomy to start new courses, freedom in the matter of admissions, new centres, off-campus centres, curricula and the fees they charge. This incentivise talented faculty by additional means that the kind of corruption which pay etc. However, it categorically states has prevailed in a rampant manner in that no funding will be provided by the some so-called ‘self-financing government. A cursory look on the professional colleges’ with their clauses make this evident. 228 Annexure

Clause 4.2 of the notification states: can have increased collaborations with “Universities may start a new course/ private players. However, private players programme/department/school/centre are not innocuous entities. They have in disciplines that forma part of its their own market-centric agenda rooted existing academic framework, without in profit. They would have no incentive approval of the UGC, provided, no in supporting critical studies, resulting in demand for fund is made from the reduced fund allocation for departments government on account of starting the like Women’s Studies, Social Exclusion, new course/programme/department/ etc. school/centre.” Clause 4.3 states: The government has also been proposing “Universities may open constituent to introduce legislation in the name of units/off-campus centres within its educational reforms to put in place a geographical jurisdiction, without the single regulator for higher education in approval of the UGC, provided it is able place of UGC, for a complete overhaul of to arrange both recurring and non- the higher education regulatory bodies recurring revenue sources and does not and more governmental control, thereby need any assistance for the same from the attacking even the existing autonomy of UGC or the government.” Clause 4.8 institutions and promoting privatisation states: “Universities, while following the of higher education. pay scales as laid down by the Commission, shall build an incentive However, all these developments have structure to attract talented faculty, with evoked outrage among students, teachers the condition that the incentive structure and the academia across campuses, from shall have to be paid from their own TISS to IIT. This is also because there has revenue sources and not from (the) been a tremendous surge in fees in many Commission or government funds.” campuses – a disproportionate burden of this phenomena has been transferred on Mobilising funds for these purposes can to students from marginalised be possible only through self-financing. backgrounds. It is clear that self-financing would The impasse is not limited to students invariably result in changes in the fee- only. Many teachers have no permanent structure and increased role of private jobs and they are called ad-hocs. Many players. This would mean that only a of the best minds which could have gone privileged few can access higher to teaching have perhaps left academics, education in India. Doors of public some have gone abroad, while others universities, which are already closed to have chosen non-academic professional marginalised sections due to the fields of employment. Students in higher draconian 2016 UGC notification, will education are not seeing any career forever remain closed. The UGC prospects, with many of them stressed notification also states that universities out with frustration. 229 Indian Campuses Under Siege This difference between provincial current regime’s stark and consistent non- universities and central universities has performance in the economic front has been growing for a very long time. It been masked by the diversionary tactics started 65 years back, when the funds of aggressive Hindutva and allocated for a central university were saffronisation of the socio-cultural and four times more than the funds allocated educational spheres. Moreover, for a state university. The crisis that is privatisation, in this context, does not mounting in premier institutions now has necessarily mean private big business. already been going on in state universities Privatisation also comprise of those who since the 1980s. are struggling to build their hegemony Before the state universities, this trend over the education system for political first started with affiliated colleges. These mileage. The school network under Vidya colleges were not only a strong base for Bharati, a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh higher education since the 19th century, (RSS) affiliate, falls under this they were geographically diverse. These arrangement. colleges have been instrumental in Educational and cultural institutions are allowing first generation learners to enter being communalised. Institutions like the higher education since the last eight to ten UGC, National Council of Educational generations and in making Indian Research and Training (NCERT), ICHR democracy deeper. On the contrary, in the and Indian Council of Social Science current scenario, even the reports of the Research (ICSSR) have RSS men, or those National Knowledge Commission or pliable to Hindutva, appointed as heads. other reports of the UGC are blaming the Central universities like JNU, HCU and affiliated colleges for bringing the Pondicherry Central University have academic standards down. come under vicious attacks as efforts to Saffronisation of Education change the course content, discipline teachers and assaults on students’ unions Handing over education to private and and organisations have been organised corporate forces also mean handing over systematically and relentlessly. History is the federal provincial rights over being re-written, and secular and education to the central government scientific historical work is being rejected. which has been done as a part of the The attack on scientific institutions and political strategy of consolidating the science stems from the regressive monolithic discourse in the country – a Hindutva outlook. Outlays for scientific nation devoid of diversity and plurality. institutions and research have been cut. This is nothing new as it has been Anti-science views based on obscurantist happening since the days of Emergency. and religious dogmas are being officially However, the trend is becoming strong promoted. and explicit in recent years. In fact, the 230 Annexure

Besides, the Indian school syllabus was representing an attitude of mind that is largely secular. Students used to imbibe imbued with contempt for the oppressed the essence of secularism, democracy and and the marginalised, the composite, pluralist cultures in the communalisation of higher education syllabus. Even if one studied, merely to goes hand-in-hand with the pass the exam. That is why there are strengthening of caste prejudices. concerted attempts to communalise Recently, 62 institutes of higher education education. were given full autonomy. The timing of The agenda of communalisation of these notifications is perfect from the education has been taken forward further view-point of RSS. They have appointed by individuals entrenched in responsible their men in almost all the leading administrative and governmental posts. universities in the country, giving them Rajasthan’s Minister for Primary and a free hand in deciding different courses. Secondary Education issued a direction Saffronisation, of course, means the asking all schools in Jaipur to get their imposition of one culture only, and this students attend a five-day Hindu includes language. The central spiritual and service fair. There was a government and institutions are misusing VHP stall in the fair which distributed their power to impose diktats on the use pamphlets on ‘Love Jihad’. Central of Hindi, with other directives on ministers are propagating theories education and culture which are an against established scientific principles onslaught on the states’ rights in a federal and scientific temper. These kind of multi-cultural and multi-linguistic statements by several ministers, society. including the prime minister, has been witnessed earlier also. The Minister of Structural Marginalisation Based on State for Human Resource Development, Caste, Gender and Religion Satyapal Singh, is the latest in this ‘group’ and is directly related to the future of the Elementary education in India started education system of India. He has undergoing certain positive changes after claimed that the theory of evolution put the 1990s. The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan forth by naturalist Charles Robert Darwin (SSA), started in 2002, and the Right to was “scientifically wrong”; he has Education (RTE), was passed around advocated that it should be changed in 2009. For the first time in India’s history, school and college text books. these two national projects have brought those sections in the loop of higher The second danger of the saffronisation education who could never have dreamt of higher education in India today is more of reaching these academic thresholds sinister and damaging. Since earlier. These sections are the first crop communalism is closely intertwined with of expansion in elementary education and casteism in our country, both 231 Indian Campuses Under Siege include a large number of female Recent government policies with a clear students, including adivasi, Dalit and thrust on privatisation and saffronisation minority students. of education have had a severe impact on students from the marginalised However, this has also been the period communities. The reservation norms are when the State has officially declared that not followed in many institutions and this universities must mobilise their own negative process has increased in the last financial resources. This makes the whole four years. As per the MHRD report ‘All situation extremely complex. While India Survey on Higher Education, 2016’, student intake inside universities has Scheduled Castes (SC) students constitute started reflecting social diversity, 13.9% and Scheduled Tribes (ST) students financial starvation makes it untenable comprise 4.9% of the total enrolment. As for the universities to support this many as 33.75% students belong to Other diversity in the long run. Backward Classes (OBC), 4.7% students Since 2014, with the advent of the current belong to the Muslim Minority and 1.97% regime at the helm of affairs, a rabidly belong to other minority communities. upper caste, supremacist, regressive, anti- From fund cuts and seat cuts in research, poor and anti-Dalit political formation to doing away with government has been enjoying unbridled power in fellowships and subsistence charges for India. The very meaning of education has the marginalised community – these are been reduced to wasting the tax-payers’ glaring examples of the shrinking money. Institutional discrimination based inclusive space in the education system on caste, gender, religion, region or in India. The number of scholarships language is a reality in educational granted in a scheme meant for higher institutions across the country. In 2011, education, ‘Merit Scholarship for College the Thorat Committee tabled its report on and University Students’ for SC/ST/OBC caste discrimination in higher education has gone down from 13,898 in 2014-2015 and made strong recommendations to to 8,361 in 2015-2016, a shocking drop of uplift the status of lower caste, minority 40%. The scholarships for vocational and students and teachers. However, till this technical education meant for SC/ST/ day, not only does caste-based OBC students were 2,062 in 2014-15. The discrimination still exist within institutes number was NIL for 2015-16. The central of higher education in India, but, there government budget was Rs 3,347.9 crore has been a consistent effort to exclude for the scholarship scheme in 2017-18; it students belonging to deprived sections was reduced to Rs 3,000 crore in 2018-19, from higher education. The project is to despite massive arrears in undisbursed diminish the inclusive space of the scholarships. academia, while, essentially, reserving the right to education for the wealthy and The ministry of social justice and the privileged. empowerment informed Parliament on 232 Annexure

February 2, 2018 that the pending massive and spontaneous uprising of girl scholarship claims from states for SC students in BHU against sexual students amounted to Rs 6,824.5 crore. harassment and discrimination, which The states of Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh was supported by students across the and Maharashtra are each owed over Rs country, is a case in point. 1,400 crore. This is part of a chain of The Supreme Court of India, in its ruling events occurring across educational on the Writ Petition (Criminal) Vishaka institutions in our country, whereby, vs. State of Rajasthan (1997), has gradually, drastic changes are being made categorically stated on the need for to facilitate ‘Brahminical’ ideas. prevention and deterrence of sexual The right to education is being throttled harassment at the work place. Since then, everyday and institutions are focusing there have been modifications as per less on infrastructural development to newer developments such as the accommodate every section. An SAKSHAM guideline by UGC (2013), educational institution serves as a Justice JS Verma Committee Report and harbinger for inclusive ideas in a Sexual Harassment of Women at heterogeneous yet unified society. It must Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and be kept in mind that such incidents are Redressal) Act (2013). However, very few not isolated events. Indeed, they are a institutions still have an effective Gender symptom of misplaced priorities of the Sensitisation Committee against Sexual government, in a country which is being Harassment (GSCASH). This is a clear plagued by atrocities on women, manifestation of gender insensitivity and minorities, Dalits and the marginalised irresponsibility on the part of sections. administration of these institutes. Among the institutions if it does exist, how much Patriarchy has always restricted women they are active is also under question. and girls from having an equal footing with men in an unequal and male- In this context, the manner in which dominated society. However, after successive governments have allowed protracted and hard struggles, if women women’s studies departments to hang by are able to enter the university spaces, the the thread with their faculty positions male-chauvinist and dogmatic ideology being tied to each plan, never being made of the Hindu Right is leaving no stone permanent and having to wait for unturned to reverse this. While the sanction of funds each year, is indicative government is claiming to create gender of the low importance being given to the equality under the empty rhetoric of ‘Beti study of institutionalised discrimination bachao, Beti padhao’ – it is suppressing against women in Indian society. This the voices of women who are striving needs to be addressed. Equally towards an aspirational life of dignity, significant, when the BJP comes to power equality, progress and justice. The there are moves to rename women’s 233 Indian Campuses Under Siege studies as family studies, as happened in state of affairs of the law and order the Vajpayee regime, and, more recently, situation in Haryana where the chief it was suggested that women’s studies minister’s intervention is needed to could ensure the production of “sanskari register an FIR. bahus” by the vice-chancellor of This is not an isolated incident. There Barkatullah University, Bhopal. have been many incidents in the recent After the ‘institutional murder’ of Dalit past. In 2016, ‘Pakistan zindabad’ slogans scholar Rohith Vemula, a talented PhD were found written at the Central scholar in HCU, one of the strongest University of Haryana, Mahendargarh. demands has been to constitute an Act Kashmiri students were charged and against such organised discrimination in forced to accept the offence. Similar educational spaces. The framing of the incidents have taken place in Rajasthan, ‘Rohith Act’ with urgency, in consultation UP and other parts of the country where with academicians, civil society activists people from a particular religious and students, is yet to be done. There is a community are being targeted and need to constitute effective measures assaulted. from the school level to address institutional discrimination and create There is a general atmosphere of hatred grievance redressal mechanisms in the and violence in the entire countryin the spirit of the Rohith Act. name of religion, caste, ethnicity or gender. The whole nation and the central Discrimination faced by Students and state governments are aware of the from Kashmir and North-East forces behind these attacks, and, yet, the organised mobs and perpetrators Repression and continued civilian continue to enjoy complete impunity. On killings in Kashmir is a matter of deep the contrary, in a dark and sinister irony, concern. More dangerous is the narrative often, the victims are charged with false being built regarding students from cases – harassed and hounded. Kashmir in other parts of India. Two Kashmiri students were assaulted by a Similarly, students from the north-eastern mob in Mahendargarh, Haryana. These part of India also face relentless racial students, who belong to the minority discrimination of various kinds. community, had gone to According to the Bezbaruah Committee offer Friday prayers. It was only after the report, 86% of people from the North-East students tweeted and former chief face racial discrimination in the rest of the ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba India. Out of the total migration from the Mufti of Jammu and Kashmir intervened North-East, majority of them come to and urged the chief minister of Haryana Delhi and elsewhere in India for higher to intervene, that a case was education. One reason for this exodus is registered. This also exposes the sorry the absence of institutions of excellence 234 Annexure in the North-East. Indeed, Delhi has been the patronage of the BJP government at seen as the worst offender among the the Centre. Since 2014, the attacks on metro cities when it comes to racial freedom of expression and democracy on discrimination against people from the campuses and attempts to crush North-East. democratic and intellectual/academic cultures in educational institutions have The Jamia Millia University Report been rampant and routine. Attacks on mentions that about two-thirds of the JNU, HCU, FTII, BHU and IIT-Madras, women surveyed frequently suffered among others, featured prominently in varying forms of discrimination in their media debates; they became subjects of daily lives. Most common forms of national concern and witnessed concerted discrimination relate to over-charging of and resilient struggles by students and taxi and auto fares, lewd comments, teachers across campuses. teasing, molestation and being mistaken as foreigners at tourist spots, There have been countless incidents all marketplaces, museums etc. over the country. For instance, DU’s Discrimination, sexual harassment, Ramjas College Literary Society physical assault by local landlords and witnessed organised violence by Akhil property dealers are also frequently Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), reported, particularly by women of the literally backed by the Delhi Police for North-East. Based on the two consecutive days when they actually recommendations of the Bezbaruah captured the college campus. The Committee, there is a proposal to amend violence was also unleashed against girl the provisions of the Indian Penal Code students on the streets of DU with the relating to “promoting or attempting to worst of sexual abuses and threats of promote acts prejudicial to human physical assault. The literary society had dignity” and “words, gestures or acts organised a seminar on ‘Cultures of intended to insult a member of a Protest’on February 21, 2017, where JNU particular racial group”. student leader Umar Khalid, among Significantly, few cases of sexual others, were invited to speak in what was harassment, violence and even deadly a collective seminar of the students and attacks make it to the media. However, faculty of Ramjas College. Due for the north-easterners who live in other permission was taken. It goes to the credit parts of the county, especially in northern of the students that despite the vicious India, the abuse and discrimination is violence, threats and abuses, they resisted consistent and relentless. in the classical tradition of non-violent and peaceful protest, and were not Criminalisation of Dissent intimidated. There is a continuous attack on education In another incident, Gurmehar Kaur, a and educational institutions today under student of Lady Shri Ram College in 235 Indian Campuses Under Siege Delhi, was threatened so brazenly that Historians are not allowed to speak in she had to lodge a complaint with the public platforms, books are banned Delhi Commission for Women and arbitrarily, film screenings and public needed police protection. Her crime: she discussions are not allowed in campuses, stood for freedom of intellectual and the critical media is crushed or blocked academic expression and the right to by jammers, neutral journalists are debate and discuss, and expressed her hounded or forced to resign, only dissent against the violent tactics of the sycophants are allowed to function, ABVP. articles or media programmes critical of government policies are not allowed to This series of attacks continue unabated. be published/screened, surveillance has The pattern has strengthened with the marked a new high – in what is being university administration and the public termed as micro-management of a sinister authorities, including the law Orwellian empire. enforcement agencies, acting in collusion, thereby giving total impunity to the MPhil and Phd students were not perpetrators and those who indulge in allowed to submit their thesis in JNU, mob violence. despite court orders. Arbitrary and exorbitant fines have been put on There is a systematic attempt to curb any students for peaceful assembly and voice of dissent by the present protests in JNU, among other acts of the administrations of various universities hounding of teachers and students. and educational institutions, backed by the RSS-BJP. The brutal suppression of This is a direct attack on the liberal and dissent by the State machinery and by progressive inheritance of campuses RSS-BJP sponsored mobs has a method across country, against the freedom of in the madness. We have seen expression and the intellectual ethos of a suppression of dissenting voices – from democracy. students and youth to peasants and workers. The ABVP pelted stones in the Students’ Union in Educational Literature Society Fest at a seminar room Institutions in Ramjas College on 22 February 2017, Education is not an instrumental process, injuring several students and teachers. but a transformative process that is Students of Panjab University were conducive to equitable, just and charged with sedition for protesting sustainable social development. against fee hikes; documentary Education should promote nation- filmmaker Divya, whose acclaimed film building, uphold the constitutional ‘Kakoos’, a searing documentary about values based on secularism and justice, manual scavenging, was arrested for her and foster the multiple pluralism of participation in a students’ protest in religion, language and ethnicity that form 2009. 236 Annexure a part of Indian democracy. The teaching- in its approach and perspective. The learning process should be designed as a documents consciously discard critical and creative activity. This also integrating secular values and deny implies the growth of a campus culture democratic organisational rights to that is democratic, plural, secular and students, teachers and employees. egalitarian, where social justice is assured Peaceful, democratic and independent and no one is discriminated on the basis expression and conduct is the right of of caste, class, sex, gender or creed. In students. To form unions and such a structure, primary decision- associations, to assemble, to discuss and making on all academic matters should debate in public platforms, to protest vest with the larger academic community peacefully, to demand justice, to in which students are the biggest in participate in the management of number. educational institutions and in all The recent process of undermining activities connected with the academic student politics began in 2006 with the and other aspects of student life, is also a recommendations of a Supreme Court- right of students. appointed committee, headed by former The understanding among students in election commissioner JM Lyngdoh, contemporary times is clear; a multiple tasked with framing guidelines on fight is to be waged. Not just against the students’ union elections in colleges and periodic attacks on campuses by Right- universities. These recommendations wing forces backed by the State, but also have weakened democratic student against the privatisation of higher politics via a range of restrictions. Besides, education (in the form of reduced the IITs, IIMs and several other campuses funding, increase in fees and don’t even have effective students’ discontinuance of waivers and support), unions. and the assaults on the principles of social Recently, two committees, formed by the justice, freedom of intellectual/academic present government, submitted their expression, and in support of affirmative draft reports4. The basic approach of the action. This is crucial, to preserve the documents available is undemocratic, progressive and secular essence of Indian arbitrary, non-transparent and muddled universities.

237 Indian Campuses Under Siege Footnotes 3. http://planningcommission.gov.in/ plans/planrel/12thplan/pdf/ 1. Srivastava, Prachi. (2010). Public— 12fyp_vol3.pdf Private partnerships or privatisation? Questioning the State’s role in 4. TSR Subramanian Committee Report education in India. Development in and the K Kasturirangan Committee Practice, Vol. 20, No. 4/5,pp 540-553 Report 2. Varghese, N.V. (2015).Challenges of Massification of Higher Education in India, CPRHE Reserarch

238 Annexure

Jury’s Interim Report

Released on April 13, 2018 at New Delhi

eople’s Tribunal on Attack on theme of the two and a half days of the Educational Institutions was held Tribunal. This why the higher education Pat the Constitution Club of India, system must itself be the space where the New Delhi, on April 11-13, 2018. The freedom to think, explore, discuss, and tribunal was organised by the People’s also to dissent, is maximised. Higher Commission on Shrinking Democratic education institutions must be open to all Space in India (PCSDS). The jury panel sections of society, particularly those of the tribunal comprised Justice (Retd.) marginalised in multiple ways. Ample Hosbet Suresh, Justice (Retd.) B.G. Kolse evidence of the significant deepening of Patil, Prof Amit Bhaduri, Dr Uma the crisis over the last four years was Chakravarty, Prof T.K. Oommen, Prof provided. Alarm bells are ringing loud Vasanthi Devi, Prof Ghanshyam Shah, and clear. Retrieving and rejuvenating the Prof Meher Engineer, Prof Kalpana higher education to conform to our Kannabiran and Ms Pamela Philipose. constitutional values must be the nation’s Prof Romila Thapar was the Chair of the top priority. plenary session of the tribunal. Privatisation of Education Testimonies of 120 students and teachers from close to 50 institutions and We have observed through depositions universities1 spread across 17 states2 were made by students, teachers and experts considered by the jury panel;49 that there is a systematic onslaught on the testimonies were deposed orally at the very idea of higher education in India. tribunal. Along with these testimonies, The recent decision by the Ministry of there were 17 expert submissions3 on all Human Resource and Development to thematic4 issues. grant autonomy to public institutions is an example of how the state is seeking to Broad observations based on ensure that students from poor and depositions backward communities are driven to the periphery and denied access to equal, The centrality of higher education to the quality and affordable education. In the survival of Indian democracy, was the name of autonomy, vocationalised and 239 Indian Campuses Under Siege market friendly courses are now being undermined critical thinking of both staff promoted. and students. For example, since the mid 80s there have been very few permanent Consequently, we found that across the appointments in the universities in country, institutions that once had good Madhya Pradesh and the University of representation of SC, ST and OBC Delhi is believed to have 5000 vacancies students are now in danger of losing their at present. This has severely impacted the presence, precisely because these quality of education and the capacity for institutions have introduced fee questioning. Ironically, when the state structures that are completely had a lower growth rate it was spending unaffordable. We found that students are more on education.Today the in a state of desperation. The diversity of government is abdicating its representation of students in some of constitutional responsibility in funding these prestigious institutions are in education. Today we are witnessing not danger of being undermined by only the privatisation of higher education unaffordable fee structures introduced but also its corporatisation. This has during the recent past. impacted directly on country’s literacy Along with this are certain entrance level which is stagnating at 75%. In the models imposed by the Centre that have process, state universities have been worked against the interests of local reduced to examination boards. students. A case in point here is that of a brilliant dalit student, Anita from rural Saffronisation of Education Tamil Nadu, who was very keen on We have noted that along with this studying medicine but couldn’t because privatisation, there has been a rise of of the new model of entrance test called socio-cultural conservatism. Local NEET. Entrance exams like this is a cultural resources have been deliberate attempt to homogenise access appropriated by the Hindutva forces in to higher education that order to buttress their own presence in disproportionally and negatively impacts local educational institutions. For SC, ST and OBC students. This is also an instance in Assam, there are 500 RSS attempt to undermine the federal controlled schools under the name of structure. She filed a case in the Supreme Shankar Debo Shishu Niketan - 1.6 lakh Court but lost all hope, her heart and students are accessing these institutions. committed suicide when she lost the case. The secular philosophy of Shankar Debo Structural adjustments in higher has in this way been taken over to project education has had many negative impacts the Hindutva ideology. What we are on students and teachers. The rising witnessing is an increasingly adhocism of teaching staff has created homogenous and conformist academic uncertainty among the teachers and culture.

240 Annexure

While essays such as Ramanujan’s 300 taken the form of denial and diversion of Ramayanas have been knocked out of the entitled funds to targeted students, syllabus, the Sanskrit department of the teachers and departments. This is done Delhi University is said to be undertaking with the deliberate intention by the a “thorough” study of history to prove authorities to create an atmosphere of fear that Aryans were indigenous to India. We and terror within the academic were told that RSS’s eight point guide to community. In many cases, with education is now providing the unprecedented presence of police and programmatic framework for these shifts. intelligence are particularly targeting This is impacting both students and staff. vulnerable students especially Muslims, An example cited from one of the dalits, women and people from prominent universities of Uttar Pradesh marginalised communities. where teachers who had no academic By placing like-minded people in high qualification have been appointed to posts in the administration, the positions of authority on the basis of their authorities are being enabled to execute affiliations with Hindutva outfits. What the commands of the government, to has been extensively documented is that attack dissenting students and professors. any dissent or opposition to such efforts to distort history has led to severe The academic community has been crackdowns on students and teachers, a subjected not only to physical brutalities trend that has been accentuated since this and humiliating discriminatory government came to power. The ABVP comments, but also to extensive has been privileged in many ways within surveillance, inside and outside the the universities. For instance, in one case campus. The criminal justice system is in Bihar these students were the only ones being used against students and teachers, who have “acquired” 75% attendance the fundamental rights and freedoms showing how they are privileged in order guaranteed by the Constitution are being to disempower other students. systematically violated and any kind of non-conformity is being criminalised There has been systematic restrictions on under the guise of one version of student elections and all efforts to form nationalism. Labels like”anti-nationals”, student unions in many states. “terrorists”, “deshdrohi”, “enemies of the Criminalisation of Dissent state” are freely used to intimidate students and teachers. From the testimonies given, it became clear that suppression of dissent has taken Structural Marginalisation Based on various forms like legal action, Caste, Gender, Religion and Region disciplinary action, coercion within the We have observed that there has been universities against students and teachers intensification of structural on the basis of their dissent. This has often

241 Indian Campuses Under Siege marginalisation of students and teachers Sexual harassment exists systematically belonging to Dalit, tribal, religious in institutional spaces through minorities, north eastern states, Kashmir discriminatory patriarchal practices and and gender based discrimination, intimidatory tactics to reduce them from including persons belonging to the third participating in political activities. gender. Institutions have gender insensitive practices including the failure to Dalit and tribal students are denied understand the discrimination of queer sufficient access to institutions of higher and transgender. education, including hostels. They are subjected to humiliation based on their However, there is a spirit of ‘Rejection of identities in the campuses. There is victimhood’ among the Dalit students. double discrimination in the case of Dalits Although they are intimidated they have in the form of decrease of quantum of not given up and are fighting back. funds along with every day During the protests demanding extended discrimination faced by them due to their hostel timings for girl students in a caste identity. When it comes to Dalit prominent Uttar Pradesh university, the female students, the intersection of caste Vice Chancellor reportedly said that “It and gender is an additional is unnatural for girl students to study at discrimination and aggravates the night”. situation. In terms of reservation and Breaking down on internal mechanism benefits for OBC students. like Internal Complaints Committee and By denying reservation and scholarships Sexual Harassment Committees has led to these marginalised groups, the learning students to seek extra institutional system is being closed to these mechanisms like courts for redress. communities. It is outrageous that the Women students are particularly targeted educational funds and scholarships for and intimidated, physically and sexually the marginalised section is being used as attacked during public protests, which is a political tool to seek electoral gains. The a patriarchal act by state agents. geographical distribution of tribal Kashmiri students and teachers are population restricts their access to higher doubly stigmatised for being Muslim and education severely. As the scholarship Kashmiri.They are also often dubbed as polices are being linked with new fiscal ‘anti-nationals’, ‘Islamist terrorists’, policies; it is very clear that the banking ‘Pakistani agents’ etc. Systematic racist sector is now being encouraged to targeting of students from north-eastern provide educational loans to students states in public spaces are increasing and while they are being denied scholarships. they also feel estranged due to their These loans will not only make them identity as tribals. The attacks and enslaved financially but also become a discrimination are primarily racist but bonded labourer for several years. 242 Annexure have undercurrents of their religious and the minds of young students are being tribal identities. moulded in a certain way.There is no diversity in the learning system. The content of knowledge is unfortunately from upper caste teachers These trends unless addressed pose a in most of the colleges who are attached profound danger to the very fabric of to majoritarian ideologies and hence Indian democracy. classrooms become laboratories where

(Footnotes) Tamil Nadu, Patna University, other universities in Bihar, Central University 1. Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi of Haryana, Punjab University, University, Jamia Milia University, Vanasthali Vidyapith Rajasthan and a few Jadavpur University, Presidency others from Karnataka, Odisha and University, Kolkata University, National Jharkhand. University of Juridical Sciences Kolkata, Guwahati University, Tata Institute of 2. Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Social Sciences Guwahati, Assam Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Assam, Women’s University Jorhat, Assam Odisha, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, University Silchar, other colleges in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Assam, Banaras Hindu University, Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan. Allahabad University, Lucknow 3. Prof Krishna Kumar, Kanhaiya Kumar, University, Babasaheb Bhimrao Prof N Raghuram, Prof Nandita Narain, Ambedkar Central University Lucknow, Prof Apoorvanand, Dr Akhil Ranjan Aligarh Muslim University, other Dutta, Dr Karen Gabriel, Dr Abha Dev universities in Uttar Pradesh, Tata Habib, Sucheta Dey, Dr Surajit Institute of Social Sciences Mumbai, Film Mazumdar, Dr Partho Sarothi Ray, Adv and Television Institute of India Pune, Mihir Desai, Adv Vrinda Grover, Prof Indian Institute of Technology Mumbai, KanchaIlaiah, Abhay Xaxa, Dr Vinita Mahatma Gandhi University Wardha, MS Chandra and Gertrude Lamare. University Baroda, Central University Gujarat, Gujarat University, Indian 4. Impact of privatisation and globalisation Institute of Management Ahmedabad, on education, distortion of history and National Law University Bhopal, syllabus and saffronisation of education, Hyderabad Central University, English students unions and elections on and Foreign Languages University campuses, criminalisation of dissent and, Hyderabad, Osmania University structural marginalisation in Hyderabad, Madras University, educational institutions based on Pondicherry University, Periyar caste, gender, religion and region. University Salem, other universities in

243 Indian Campuses Under Siege

PCSDS Guiding Document

People’s Commission on Shrinking Democratic Space

Adopted in the First National Convention of People’s Commission on Shrinking Democratic Space held in New Delhi on May 21-22, 2016

Background Note and necessary dissent is part, an attitude of open and aggressive 1. The political climate in India, as has hostility has been adopted towards emerged over the past few years them. This has gone hand in hand presents a serious challenge in that it with a systematic dilution of laws and clearly fosters an aggressive and practices meant to ensure justice for intolerant public sphere wherein already-marginalised communities existing civil society space is fast and populations. shrinking,akinto what was experienced and witnessed during 2. As a direct consequence, these the time of emergency. A dangerous defenders are now subjected to a discourse legitimised by both State growing number of overt and covert and several non-State actors has acts of intimidation and violence all gained credence, a discourse that across India, preventing them from alleges that human rights defenders, carrying on with their activities. who are working to ensure justice and Recent instances of attacks indicate a dignity for victims of past and new pattern of retaliation both from ongoing violations and abuses, for State and non-state actors who range already-marginalised, discriminated from organisations affiliated to ruling and struggling populations and dispensations, to intolerant religio- communities, constitute a serious political formations, to vigilantes threat to the ‘national interest.’ These targeting sexual minorities, to outfits forces have fostered an antagonistic justifying institutionalised attitude towards human rights discrimination and to mafias defenders: instead of accepting that allegedly promoted by corporates HRDsare partners to the deepening of indulging in land grabbing and in a democracy, in which task the environmental degradation. These articulationof human rights violations instances assume the form of 244 Annexure

criminalisation, violations by law surveillance of their mails and enforcement agencies and abuses by postings of social networking sites private actors with whom these where they are also trolled and subject agencies often brazenly collude. to hateful abuse by a variety of non- state actors. The new level of 3. Thus, human rights defenders and impunity accorded to the members of their families are facing perpetrators, the absence of any threats to their personal and physical serious level of accountability and the security. They are being profiled, justifications indulged in by several harassed, intimidated, ill-treated and members of the ruling dispensation subjected to hateful abuse in the are simply galling. Despite the media. Their physical security and increasing number of complaints and lives have been threatened in a cases registered over the attacks, there systematic manner. They are has been very little or no action on the arbitrarily arrested or detained and a ground to formally charge, try and number of cases filed against them, convict those responsible or prevent their offices raided and files stolen or future attacks, leaving the defenders confiscated; and in extreme cases, and members of their families far they are tortured, made to disappear more vulnerable than ever and unable or even killed. HRDs are the victims to carry on with their activities of State repression, often charged towards ensuring justice for the with fabricated cases, with instances already-marginalised communities. of the State manipulating the judiciary, and have also been 4. A number of human rights defenders witnessing direct threats of are increasingly finding themselves authoritarianism, fascism and isolated in their struggle(s); with this majoritarian Hindu nationalism. experience of isolation in the public sphere, many of them are being Some recent instances demonstrate compelled to curtail or scale down that those strong dissenting voices their activities rendering them have found the freedom of invisible. A number of them have expression, association and assembly been forced through this of not just human rights defenders, marginalisation and lack of solidarity but also of writers, artists and certain and support, even forced to fully sections of the media are severely withdraw from the public sphere, curtailed or threatened. rendering the process of ensuring Some of them face increasing justice for the struggling populations surveillance, through, for example and communities difficult or even phone-tapping, by state agencies, of impossible. Those continuing to carry their telephones and electronic on with their work, undaunted, face

245 Indian Campuses Under Siege increased risks and violence. Yes, or insecurity, with their work of defending the defenders and halting ensuring justice for the marginalised the shrinking of civil society space populations or communities whose have become crucial and urgent tasks rights are being violated. It can help in today’s India. halt the shrinking of civil society space. 5. In the past too, several initiatives have addressed this serious issue. A 6. As part of this new initiative, several number of organisations have human rights organisations, developed expertise in key areas such democratic rights’ activists, as documentation, urgent-action concerned individuals and people’s alerts, counseling for the defenders movement have suggested setting up and their associates, legal aid and a new body which will consist of helped them access the United eminent persons from the citizenry Nations’ system including its Special and experts on a range of human Procedures system and the focal point rights issues.It will have three major for the defenders at India’s National objectives: of highlighting ongoing Human Rights Commission (NHRC). attacks on India’s visible and invisible Several of the cases thus highlighted human rights defenders, ensuring remain pending with the NHRC and protection and justice for them and need continuous monitoring. halting the shrinking of civil society Nevertheless, the current context calls space. It can have the mandate of for an initiative which needs to be functioning in a permanent and long- more than reactive and short- or term manner; it can function as a medium-term. A new initiative needs people’s human rights commission to be inclusive taking on a range of and evolve its own jurisprudence concerns and issues of discrimination; (and a legal arm to ensure justice, it needs to be pro-active, self- recommend removal of draconian monitoring, long-term and laws and reform existing practices) in permanent. There is a felt need for the line with the the country’s setting up, at the national level, a Constitution as well as international permanent, credible and inclusive human rights law and standards. It body comprising of eminent persons can access, advocate and cooperate of civil society and human rights with the State and international experts to address this issue. A body institutions wherever necessary in the which can be effective at the national, interest of protection of human rights regional and local mechanisms to and ensuring justice. It can hold defend the defenders themselves. regular sittings at the national, Such an effort can help ensure that regional/territorial and local levels – these defenders carry on, without fear to document ongoing attacks on

246 Annexure

human rights defenders, record their on August 17, 2015. Following the testimonies, publish research based decision of this meeting to seek larger on evolving patterns, issue alerts participation and mandate on the anticipating oncoming attacks in issue, a ‘National Consultation on certain territories or themes, raise Shrinking Democratic Spaces in India’ individual cases and territorial or was held on October 11, 2015, where, thematic concerns in this regard, after day-long due deliberations, it campaign for justice and, in this was collectively agreed to take process, carry on advocacy with forward the discussions at regional international and State institutions. level. Subsequently six regional and Apart from monitoring its own state consultations were organised activities on a periodic basis, it can with a wide range of civil society perform public audits of the State organisations and individuals in institutions including monitoring of Bilaspur, Guwahati, New Delhi, those cases already lodged with State Bangalore, Bhubaneswar and Ranchi. and international institutions so that During these consultations a tentative those facing higher levels of risk do common agreement emerged on the not find themselves isolated, insecure, nomenclature of the process. That the threatened and unable to carry on process should be tentatively with their work. proposed as ‘People’s Commission on Shrinking Democratic Space’ (PCSDS) 7. In the backdrop of India’s changing and a larger national convention of political climate fostering an the PCSDS be organised in New Delhi intolerant public sphere, and the on May 21-22, 2016. It was also agreed rapidly shrinking civil society space that a draft guiding document on the and increasing harassment and PCSDS be formulated and circulated criminalisation of human rights among all stakeholders for further defenders, an initial meeting of consolidation and refinement in order individuals and civil society to take the process forward. organisations was held in New Delhi

247 Indian Campuses Under Siege

Preamble

Defining Human Rights Defenders

1. We believe that ‘Human Rights transparency of public institutions Defenders’ (HRDs) are individuals, and private sector. The definition of groups and associations, committed HRDs is as inclusive and broad it to defend and uphold all human could be to include students, workers, rights and fundamental freedoms. trade unionists, RTI activists, HRDs work towards elimination of all whistleblowers (state officials), forms of violations of human rights lawyers, journalists, artists, activists, and protect and promote professionals etc. HRDs’ work often fundamental freedoms of peoples and involves criticism of government/ individuals, including principles of state policies, laws and accords, and democracy and secularism. Further, non-state actors. HRDs through their works and engagements, in any form and Objective medium, promote, protect and realise, 2. Respond to and advocate the issues civil, political, economic, social and of freedoms of opinion, expression, cultural rights. HRDs address any association, assembly, dissent, protest human rights concerns, which can be and all other rights, including as varied as, for example, torture, harassment and criminalisation, of all arbitrary arrest and detention, HRDs, as outlined above. extrajudicial killings, prisoner rights, militarisation, social and structural PCSDS: Structure, Mandate and discrimination, employment and Membership livelihood issues, forced evictions and displacements, access to basic 3. There will be two tier structure necessities for dignified human life, proposed for the process. People’s ecology, environment, people’s rights Commission on Shrinking over land and natural resources, Democratic Space (PCSDS) is the discrimination on the grounds of main body, a larger umbrella gender, caste, ethnicity, religion, faith, organisation of which Permanent ideology and sexual preferences and, People’s Tribunal on Shrinking rights of indigenous peoples, etc. Democratic Space (PPTSDS) would HRDs seek accountability and be a body specifically taking up and 248 Annexure addressing cases of defenders. PCSDS PPTSDS: Structure, Composition, will be membership-based body Mandate whereas PPTSDS will be mandated by PCSDS and will consist of jury panels 9. PPTSDS would respond to the issues of eminent people drawn from of freedoms of opinion, expression, various sectors of society. PPTSDS association, assembly, dissent, protest will periodically look into the and all other rights, including instances of shrinking democratic harassment and criminalisation, of all spaces within a given framework as HRDs, as outlined above, by taking mandated by the PCSDS. up the issues forwarded by PCSDS Secretariat, studying them, holding 4. PCSDS would be a membership based body of individuals and organisations sittings and coming out with reports. who agree and accept to defend and 10. PPTSDS is proposed to have periodic uphold all human rights and sittings in all regions and nationally fundamental freedoms.PCSDS would and special sittings as deemed fit by bring on board the strengths of PCSDS. PPTSDS as per the human rights movement and build requirements would also appoint an upon it towards the said objectives. amicuscuraiae. PPTSDS would also 5. Any person can apply for scrutinise the performances of membership based on the eligibility National and State Human Rights criteria laid down in the charter. Institutions and all Courts with regard to the said objectives of the 6. The individual membership of any PCSDS. member of PCSDS and the right to represent any organisation member of 11. The members of the PPTSDS would PCSDS, would cease to exist upon be approved by the National General being appointed to the PPTSDS. Body of PCSDS. The State General 7. PCSDS would generate financial Body shall also have the right to resources through membership and recommend / nominate jury supporters. members of the PPTSDS. PPTSDS would comprise a wide range of 8. Since members of PCSDS will be from reputed individuals, including former across states, all members from within members of judiciary, with a a particular state would form the commitment to human rights, from State General Body. State General diverse thematic fields, regions and Body would elect representatives for identities hence making the the National General Body. The National General Body would elect composition inclusive of expertise in the National Executive Committee. a range of issues.

249 Indian Campuses Under Siege Secretariat coordination with the State Executive Committee would also encourage and 12. The PCSDS secretariat would assist human rights defenders to implement the decision making bring forward their complaints/cases processes, receive and process as per the respective thematic issues complaints/cases and engage in to the PPTSDS Registry. proactive roles, maintain information flow between various concerned Registry bodies and members. The secretariat would also undertake the ongoing 13. PPTSDS Registry would focus its work of the PCSDS, research, efforts on legal research to deal with publications, campaign, advocacy, complaints/cases which would media, training facilitation, database eventually be looked into by the maintenance, relevant information, PPTSDS. PPTSDS Registry along with coordination with pro-bono legal aid the legal researchers would also have lawyers etc. The PCSDS secretariat thematic experts who would be would also coordinate with PPTSDS engaged from time to time as per the Registry for undertaking PPTSDS requirements of the complaints/cases activities. The PCSDS secretariat in that would be looked into by PPTSDS.

Charter of PCSDS

1. Membership However, the principle of one person one vote would be followed in all the 1.1 HRDs being either organisations/ procedures. individuals can become member of PCSDS if such organisations/ 1.4 An application for membership individuals are committed to the would have to be made to the State objectives of PCSDS. Such Executive Committee, which would organisations/individuals should vet such application as per the also agree to abide by the rules and stipulated norms/mechanisms and regulations of PCSDS. accept / reject such application after due consideration. The decision of the 1.2 All members (organisations/ State Executive Committee in this individuals) of PCSDS from a regard would be reported in the State particular state would constitute the General Body meeting. State General Body. 1.5 Any application for membership can 1.3 An individual can represent both an also be received by the National organisation and self in PCSDS.

250 Annexure Executive Committee, who shall 3. Cessation of Membership forward the same to the respective 3.1 The membership of PCSDS shall cease State Executive Committee for in the following circumstances: assessment. In the absence of the State Executive Committee, the application 3.1.1 By resignation; shall be considered by the National 3.1.2 By dissolution of the organisation; Executive Committee. 3.1.3 By default, in payment of 1.6 Any dispute or complaint regarding membership subscription if any, for member(ship) would be looked into three consecutive membership by the committee set-up for the subscriptions; purpose in accordance with the stipulated procedures which would 3.1.4 By expulsion on account of its acting place its findings and against the interests of the PCSDS recommendations before National provided, however, that resolution Executive Committee for appropriate confirming expulsion of the action. member shall be passed by the National Executive Committee on 1.7 The members of PCSDS would have the recommendation received from the right to elect or to be elected to the committee set-up for the the State Executive Committee and purpose in accordance with the National Executive Committee stipulated procedures which would through the process laid down for place its findings and State General Body. recommendations before National 1.8 The members would have the right to Executive Committee for receive communication and other appropriate action. The decision of relevant information related to issues the National Executive Committee discussed by the PCSDS. in this regard would be reported in a National General Body Meeting; 1.9 The members would have the right to The National Executive Committee submit to the State Executive shall ensure that sufficient Committee cases / issues opportunity of hearing is provided recommended to be taken up by the to the member facing such PCSDS. expulsion; 2. Eligibility Criteria for Membership 3.1.5 By not attending either three 2.1 That the incoming member accepts consecutive meetings of the State the charter documents of PCSDS in General Body without a week’s totality and shall provide a prior intimation of their absence to declaration to that effect. the State Executive Committee.

251 Indian Campuses Under Siege 4. State General Body National General Body, at any reconvened meeting without 4.1 The State General Body would meet satisfaction of the requirement for once in a year 1/3rd quorum. 4.2 The State General Body would have 4.6 The State General Body shall the powers to: conduct the following business: 4.2.1 Elect a State Executive Committee 4.6.1 Confirm the Minutes of the 4.2.2 Elect representatives to National previous meeting; General Body 4.6.2 Action taken arising from the 4.3 The State General Body would be Minutes of the previous meeting; convened with 21 (twenty-one) 4.6.3 Review responses by PPTSDS to the days clear notice to the members. matters from the State; An emergency meeting can be held by serving 7 (seven) days’ notice. 4.6.4 Approve the financial statements However, in case of specific agenda, and accounts submitted by the State a special State General Body Executive Committee; meeting can be convened in 4.6.5 Any other matter brought forward between two regular meetings of by the members. State General Body. Special State General Body can only be called on 4.7 The matters arising would be the requisition of one-fifth members decided by a simple majority vote. of the State General Body. 4.8 No organisation/member shall act 4.4 The quorum for the State General as proxy. Body shall be one-third members of the State General Body. If quorum 5. State Executive Committee is not established at a scheduled 5.1 The State Executive Committee meeting, the meeting shall be would consist of one representative reconvened to another date with 7 for every five members in the state. (seven) days’ notice. For states with less than 15 4.5 The reconvened State General Body members, the State Executive shall take up all the functions Committee would consist of one mentioned in point 4.6 but not point representative for every three 4.2 above, i.e. take up the business members in the state. regarding organisational matters such as election of members to the 5.2 The State Executive Committee State Executive Committee and shall hold meetings once in three recommendation of members to the months.

252 Annexure

5.3 The State Executive Committee will Executive Committee. Special approve memberships and National General Body will not maintain a register of members. have the powers to elect National Executive Body. 5.4 The State Executive Committee would submit the minutes of the 6.4 The National General Body would meeting and proposals for be convened with three (3) months interventions to PCSDS secretariat. clear notice to the members by the Convenor/Secretary of the National 5.5 The State Executive Committee Executive Committee. However, an would call for meetings of State emergency meeting can be held by General Body once a year and serving one (1) month notice. Special State General Body. 6.5 The quorum for the National 5.6 The State Executive Committee General Body shall be one-third would identify, discuss and members of the National General forward cases and issues to Body. If quorum is not established Secretariat of PCSDS for at a scheduled meeting, the meeting interventions required in the state. shall be reconvened to another date 6. National General Body with One (1) month notice. 6.1 The National General Body would 6.6 The reconvened National General consist of one representative for Body shall not take up any function every ten members in the state. For mentioned in point 6.7, without states with less than 10 members, satisfaction of the requirement for the National General Body would 1/3rd quorum. consist of 1 representative from the 6.7 The National General Body shall state. conduct the following business: 6.2 The National General Body would 6.7.1 Confirm the Minutes of the meet once in two years. However, previous meeting; in case of specific agenda, a special National General Body meeting can 6.7.2 Action taken arising from the be convened in between two regular minutes of the previous meeting; meetings of National General Body. 6.7.3 Review responses by PPTSDS; Special National General Body can only be called on the requisition of 6.7.4 Approve the financial statements one-tenth members of the National and accounts submitted by the General Body. National Executive Committee; 6.3 The National General Body would 6.7.5 Any other matter brought forward have the powers to elect a National by the members;

253 Indian Campuses Under Siege 6.8 The matters arising would be organisation; and each National decided by a simple majority vote. General Body shall determine the size of the membership of the National 6.9 No organisation/member shall act Executive Committee. as proxy. 7.4 The National Executive Committee so 7. National Executive Committee elected will elect/appoint from 7.1 The National General Body shall elect among its member(s) either a from among its members the National Convenor/Secretary or such other Executive Committee. The elected office-bearer(s) as it may deem fit National Executive Committee will from time to time for the duration it have the right to nominate members may find necessary to do so, and will which it deems required for the assign responsibilities and tasks functioning of the National Executive accordingly. Committee. 7.5 The term of the National Executive 7.2 Nomination Committee may be Committee shall be for two years. appointed to receive names from State However, no member shall continue General Bodies for elections on the on the National Executive Committee National Executive Committee. The for more than two consecutive terms. panel of names nominated shall thus 7.6 If the office of any member of the be put to vote. Those receiving largest National Executive Committee is number of votes, but not less than vacated before the term of office thirty percent of the total number of expires in the normal course, the members present and voting at the resulting casual vacancy may be filled National General Body shall be up by the National Executive declared elected as per the Committee and any person appointed specification of size of the National under this clause shall hold office Executive Committee to be only up to the date when the member determined by the National General she/he has replaced would have held Body. office. 7.3 The composition and character of 7.7 The National Executive Committee National Executive Committee shall shall hold meeting twice a year, and, be as inclusive as possible. The if necessary, an emergency meeting of National Executive Committee shall the National Executive Committee have a size proportionate to the size shall be convened. The meetings of of membership of the National National Executive Committee General Body. For the time being, it should be convened with a prior shall not be more than ten percent of notice of minimum two (2) months by the total National General Body of the the convenor/secretary of the 254 Annexure

National Executive Committee. The and shall be responsible for emergency meeting of the National organisation, general Executive Committee should be superintendence, direction and convened with a prior notice of control of the activities of the PCSDS minimum fourteen (14) days. and shall exercise all the powers of the PCSDS not otherwise provided for in 7.8 The quorum of the National Executive these rules and regulations as are Committee shall be one-third necessary or expedient for the members of the National Executive management of the PCSDS. Committee. If a meeting is held up for want of quorum, it shall be adjourned 8.2 The National Executive Committee to another date, after prior notice of shall look after the growth and work minimum seven (7) days, when it will of the PCSDS, in conformity with the not require any quorum. policies, perspectives and programmes adopted by the National 7.9 If any member of the National General Body. The National Executive Executive Committee remains absent Committee shall have the power to for two consecutive meetings, propose bye-laws to pursue the without assigning any reason(s) in objectives of the PCSDS, provided written to the convenor/secretary, such bye-laws are approved by a two- she/he shall be treated as ceased to third majority of votes at the National be the member of the National General Body. Without prejudice to Executive Committee and the the generality of the foregoing respective State Committee shall be powers, the National Executive free to nominate another member to Committee is empowered: fill in the resulting vacancy thus created in the National Executive 8.2.1 To appoint members to the Committee. Any person so nominated Secretariat of PCSDS and Registry under this clause shall hold office of PPTSDS, comprising of co- only up to the date when the member ordinators and other staff who shall she/he has replaced would have held be responsible to organise/execute office. programmes as per the directions of the National Executive Committee, 8. Powers and Functions of the from among the members of the National Executive Committee General Body or a suitable person from outside. The National 8.1 The National Executive Committee of Executive Committee shall fix the the PCSDS as above constituted, shall remuneration and other benefits of be subject to the Rules and the co-ordinator(s). Regulations of the PCSDS, be the highest Executive Body of the PCSDS 8.2.2 To print, publish, issue, and exhibit

255 Indian Campuses Under Siege any journals, periodicals, books, President(s) and/or the Secretary papers, pamphlets, advertisements, and/or the Treasurer and/or duly reports, lectures, souvenirs and authorised agent or agents other reading matter for the appointed by the National advancement, promotion and Executive Committee as may from diffusion of useful knowledge and time to time be deemed necessary information concerning the works or expedient. and activities of the PCSDS and 8.2.4 To do all such acts and things as are PPTSDS, its objects and concerns. incidental or conducive to the 8.2.3 To delegate all other powers of the implementation of the above or any National Executive Committee to one or more of them and as the President and/or the Vice- specified in the charter documents.

Secretariat Details

1. Secretariat would assist the National 4. Secretariat will receive and process Executive Committee to implement complaints/cases from the the decision taken by the National membership of PCSDS, engage in General Body. proactive roles to identify complaints/cases falling under 2. Secretariat would facilitate the PCSDS mandate and forward the decision making processes and, same to the Registry of PPTSDS for maintain information flow between further intervention. various concerned bodies and members. 5. Secretariat, if need be, will also assist the Registry of PPTSDS, to obtain 3. Secretariat would also undertake the further facts and information from the ongoing work of the PCSDS, research, PCSDS membership. publications, campaign, advocacy, media, training facilitation, database 6. Secretariat would also coordinate maintenance, relevant information, with the Registry of PPTSDS for coordination with pro-bono legal aid undertaking PPTSDS activities. lawyers etc.

256 Annexure Terms of Reference for PPTSDS

1. PPTSDS panel for every sitting would to the PCSDS objective and comprise a minimum of three and a complaints/cases within the purview maximum of seven members listed on of PCSDS objective. PPTSDS panel the PPTSDS panel list. after every sitting would submit to PCSDS a comprehensive report on the 2. PPTSDS panel would comprise of at complaints/cases that were taken up least one member who has required for that particular sitting. This report expertise and experience in the would also include commentary, concerned thematic area and one recommendations and further panel member from the geographical suggested actions on the complaints/ region. However, availability of the cases looked into by the PPTSDS panel members would be primary panel. condition in the composition PPTSDS panel for its sittings. 7. PPTSDS panel after every sitting would come out with interim findings 3. PPTSDS panel would, if required, and recommendations document. The appoint a sub-committee, hold bench comprehensive final report by the sittings and appoint amicus as PPTSDS panel would be submitted to whenever required and deemed fit by PCSDS within a period of 15 days. it. PCSDS would then further submit the 4. PPTSDS panel for every sitting would report to all concerned. be assisted by the Registry of PPTSDS 8. PPTSDS panel would also accept oral through research, documentation, and written submissions from the complaint/case listing and members of PCSDS. PPTSDS panel compilation and all required would also accept submissions coordination for holding PPTSDS through video conference if required panel sittings. in some cases. PPTSDS would also 5. PPTSDS panel would hold its regular accept material evidences, photos, sittings on a quarterly basis. PPTSDS videos, etc. for cases it deems fit. panel would also hold special sittings PCSDS would also appoint, in case of as and when deemed fit by the need, experts and lawyers, to PCSDS. represent the complaints/cases before the PPTSDS panel. 6. PPTSDS panel during its quarterly sittings would be furnished by the 9. PCSDS, if required, would also invite Registry of PPTSDS with researched international observers to the and documented socio-political proceedings of PPTSDS through analysis of the context with reference video conferencing. 257 Indian Campuses Under Siege

PCSDS National Working Committee

Andhra Pradesh : Ravi Rebbapragada Assam : Bondita Acharya Bihar : Santosh Kr Upadhayay Delhi : Priya Pillai, Anil Chaudhary Gujarat : Rohit Prajapati, Krishnakant Himachal Pradesh : Himanshu Kumar Jharkhand : Dayamani Barla Karnataka : Akhila Madhya Pradesh : Dr Sunilam Maharashtra : Teesta Seetalvad, Lara Jesani Manipur : Babloo Loitongbam, Mary Beth Meghalaya : Agnes Kharshiing Nagaland : T. Limanochet Jamir Orissa : Narendra Mohanty Pondicherry : Sugumaran Punjab : Surinder M Bhanot Rajasthan : Kailesh Meena Tamil Nadu : Ramesh Gopalskrishnan, Henri Tiphagne, SP Udaykumar Telangana : Hema Lalitha Tripura : Anthony Debbarma Uttar Pradesh : SR Darapuri, Ravindra Singh Uttarakhand : PC Tiwari West Bengal : Shaktiman Ghosh, Kirity Roy

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