Umar Khalid, a PhD student in Jawaharlal Nehru University

Democratic Student’s Union (DSU) activists led by Umar Khalid, a PhD student in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) who conceived the idea of a cultural evening to mark the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, had planned similar events across the country.

Intelligence reports suggest the group wanted to hold such events in 18 universities in the country.

An intelligence report on the role of the 10 DSU activists who organised the event to commemorate Guru’s death anniversary where anti-India slogans were raised, however, has no mention of Kanhaiya Kumar, JNU Student’s Union president who was arrested for sedition.

Kumar is the only one to be arrested leading to a controversy over police action that followed Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s comment that anti-national activities will not be tolerated.

The intelligence mechanism seems to be divided on the decision to arrest Kumar.

“Organising such events or being part of them alone cannot be viewed as sedition. There needs to be prima-facie evidence to suggest that the sloganeering was to incite people to commit acts to overthrow the state,” an official said.

Joining hands: JNU students demonstrate demanding release of students’ union president Kanhaiya Kumar

The report explains the role of DSU activists in organising the event. DSU is an extreme Left group active in JNU.

However, students who shouted anti-India slogans have not been identified in the report.

The DSU activists responsible for organising the event have not been named as accused in the FIR registered by the Delhi Police.

A case has been registered against Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi in the district court of Allahabad after a lawyer Shushil Mishra filed a PIL in the court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate stating that Rahul took an anti-national stand by voicing his support for students of JNU.

The FIR mentions that the posters for the event had their names.

The report states that Umar Khalid, a Phd student from the School of Social Sciences, was the main organiser of the event.

“He conceived the idea of organising a cultural evening on February 9, the day on which Afzal Guru was hanged,” the report states.

Khalid did his M.A. in history and M.Phil from JNU and has been doing field work in Jharkhand, according to the report.

He is one of the applicants who sought permission for organising the event on JNU campus.

The report names Banjyotsana Lahiri, a guest faculty in Ambedkar University, who conceptualised the event in consultation with Umar.

“She proposed the title of the event as ‘A country without a post office’ against the Brahminical cannibal collective conscience, against judicial murder of Afzal Guru, AFSPA and atrocities by Indian Army, Right to Self Determination including assassination of people of Kashmir,” the report states.

According to the report, Reyaz- Ul-Haq, a student of the School of International Language (Spanish), invited other like-minded people to join the event and also uploaded photographs on social media.

Foreign students say sedition tag may tarnish future

By Astha Saxena

Over 150 foreign students in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) are in a state of fix.

Just a few days ago they were the proud students of the prestigious university, but the sedition row has cast a shadow on their future.

A majority of them have expressed fear that they were under constant surveillance by unknown groups.

Dissenting voices: Activists staging a protest against alleged anti-national activities at JNU

“We are terrified. We feel our phone calls are being tapped; messages and emails have been hacked. These anti-human elements should not treat and portray JNU as Afghanistan. People here are constantly contributing to the idea of democracy, which is an important part of any country,” a student of German studies told Mail Today.

On Tuesday, hackers defaced the website of Jawaharlal Nehru University’s library and left a message threatening “anti-nationals” as students and teachers boycotted classes on campus to protest against the arrest of a student leader accused of sedition.

However, some of them came out in support of students’ union saying the comments made by political parties and ministers are unfounded.

“It’s a wonderful place. Whatever is happening is damaging the image of the university. I have never felt unsafe here. I am well aware about the issue and the political parties, who are adding fuel to the matter should stop it immediately,” one of the students from the United States said.

Scared of voicing their opinion, students are now reluctant to comment on the issue.

“This event has turned into a much bigger issue than everyone expected. Whatever happened on Saturday could have been prevented. People should not violate the basic human rights. Some people from outside the camps are portraying a wrong image of the campus,” Konstantin, a student of Arts and Aesthetics told Mail Today.

JNU campus is under police surveillance since February 10. With the students going on an indefinite hunger strike, the academic calendar of the varsity has also got affected.

“The present students’ union is at no fault. Rest, I don’t want to comment anything. But, due to the protests our classes have been cancelled. Yesterday, teachers also joined the movement,” said Suzuka Sanada, 23, a student from Japan.

Now ‘azadi’ slogans raised at Jadavpur University

By Soudhriti Bhabani

Kolkata's Jadavpur University campus, a nerve-centre of students’ movement in West Bengal, continued to remain on the boil as students took out rallies and counter-rallies on Wednesday, making the varsity a hotbed of dissent over the ongoing turmoil at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

A group of students were seen calling for ‘freedom’ for Kashmir, Manipur and Nagaland on the varsity premises.

“Hum kya chahe - Azadi. Kashmir ki Azadi. Manipur ki Azadi. Nagaland ki Azadi (We demand freedom. Kashmir’s freedom. Manipur’s freedom. Nagaland’s freedom),” one of the posters at the campus read.

Activists take out a protest rally condemning the arrest of Kanhaiya Kumar, in Kolkata

The posters were signed by a group called ‘Radical’.

Two other groups of Jadavpur University (JU) students also brought out rallies in the campus shouting slogans ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’.

The opposite group of 100- strong students said they would not tolerate any anti-national activity within the campus.

They also tore posters and banners around the campus that were put up to express solidarity with the JNU students protesting the arrest of their leader Kanhaiya Kumar.

“We are also JU students and we don’t support such activities within the university. We will not allow anyone to litter our campus with anti-national slogans and posters,” a group of protesters said.

A day after pro-Afzal Guru slogans were raised at JU when students took out a torch rally against police crackdown on students at JNU, the high drama continued for the whole day on Wednesday on the university premises.

Jadavpur University vice-chancellor Suranjan Das said: “Certain fringe elements raised the slogans…The entire university cannot be blamed… I personally met the students’ union leaders this morning and they categorically told me that they disassociate themselves with all anti-national slogans.”

Meanwhile, the ministry of home affairs (MHA) sought a detail report from the West Bengal government regarding the protest march by JU students on Tuesday.

It also directed the state government to mention the circumstances leading to the students’ protests.

Olympian Yogeshwar slams JNU

By Chetan Sharma

Olympian Yogeshwar Dutt wrote a poem on JNU controversy

Reacting to the JNU controversy, ace wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt has written a patriotic poem in Hindi that has gone viral on the internet.

The poem criticises the alleged anti-national activities on the varsity’s campus. It was uploaded on Dutt’s official Facebook page on February 13 and has received tens of thousands of likes and hundreds of comments since then.

In his poem, the London Olympics bronze medal winner has compared ‘anti-national elements’ to Mahmud of Ghazni and even questioned their Right to Expression when they choose to demean the country.

The Padma Shri recipient also accused the students and their supporters of dishonouring the sacrifice of Indian soldiers, including Lance Naik Hanamanthappa - one of 10 soldiers who died in an avalanche in Siachen earlier this month.

Here's a translation of Dutt's poem: “Those who are singing praises of Afzal Guru have the blood of Mahmud Ghazni in them.

They consider themselves as enemies of the country in which they are born.

What sort of freedom of speech is this that permits one to abuse Mother India.

What sort of freedom of expression allows one to violate the honour of my country?