16 February 2016

JNU, Headley and Siachen - Symbols of sickularism


      Three major news dominated 11 Feb 2016. All unrelated to each other directly, but indirectly, they were all linked. The day started off with JNU trending on twitter for reasons which were unsavoury, to put it lightly. Next came the Headley disposition where he declared that Ishrat Jahan was indeed a suicide Fidayeen, thus laying to rest loads of conspiracy theories that had been floating around till date. Last, and by no means the least, was the sad demise of Lance Naik Hanumanttappa who had miraculously survived six days under snow and ice in Siachen and been recovered alive, yet finally gave up his life in R&R hospital in New Delhi, despite the best efforts of doctors. These three news were unrelated because, independently, there had nothing to do with each other. Each happened hundreds of miles from each other and did not influence the other in any way. So where was the relationship? The link was in the way so-called Liberals looked at how things should happen in India. 
JNU - Hotbed of Communism


         Jawaharlal Nehru University, better known as JNU, was established in 1969 by an act of Parliament and was named after India's first PM, Mr Jawaharlal Nehru. The University has ten schools, each of which have several centres and four independent special centres. However, it has grown over the years to become the hotbed for communist and even Naxalite (liberally called as left of centre) thinking. Anything even remotely Right was frowned upon. This is in part due to the strong prevalence of Left-Centric student politics and the existence of a written constitution for the university to which noted Communist Party leader Prakash Karat contributed exhaustively during his education at JNU. Stories are abound about how studies has been the last resort here and everything from sex rackets to home grown naxalism pandered to, within the University, with connivance of the governments in power (which barring exceptions), has always been the right-hating Indian National Congress. Much as the Left wing parties (CPI, CPIM etc) would love to describe themselves as opposed to the Congress, they thrived upon its patronage and grew in strength merely because the INC preferred to hobnob with the Left parties rather than being even remotely linked with the (as they loved to call it) "communal" BJP. This could also have to do with the basic premise that the Left could never cause demise of the Congress the way BJP was capable of doing, 2014 proving this point way beyond doubt. 


        It therefore did not cause much surprise when students of the JNU decided to organise a protest against the execution of Afzal Guru, despite the fact that his case was 'waging war against the state', a crime which automatically gets awarded the death penalty or that he had been convicted by the highest court in the country. Fighting against a perceived wrong doing is always acceptable and has to be encouraged. However, in case of Afzal Guru, all legal methods had been exhausted before the terror perpetrator was hanged for his crime. The case had been examined at length and it was established beyond doubt that Afzal had indeed committed a crime which made him fit to be labelled a traitor. Despite this, support for the terrorist from a section of students within the JNU happened. Not only did these students plan to organise a cultural evening in support of Afzal Guru and Yakub Memon, they also shouted anti-India slogans against India's “occupation” of Kashmir. 


If this is not sedition, then legal documents certainly need to be amended! JNU in fact, was only following on the footsteps of other colleges and universities in India where seditious activity had been happening but political support from parties keen only on vote-bank politics ensured they were given other hues be it caste or religion. Case in point was the recent regrettable suicide of Rohith Vermula in Hyderabad. The student was an ardent supporter of Yakub Memon who too had been convicted and hanged by the Supreme Court. It finally came to the fore when the Delhi government acted on complaint of the ABVP and pressed anti-national and sedition charges while arresting the president of the JNU students union. While this should have been cheered by those interested in India's welfare and security, it was actually treated as high-handedness of the cops by #Presstitutes and opposition parties who were quick to accuse the Modi government of attempting to stifle freedom of expression.



           Freedom of expression is certainly desirable but it cannot be a one way street nor can it be selectively applied. If you are not permitted to question Mohammed or Allah and any comment even questioning the claims of Islam as supreme gets treated as blasphemy, FOE questions are never raised by these same set of people. However, FOE is cited as reasons for students to be permitted to openly side by terror perpetrators. Hatred for BJP led by Modi has blossomed into hatred for anything remotely Indian and especially Hindu.


Ishrat Jahan and David Headley



           Next was the deposition of David Headley, the Pakistani turned American who was in US prison for terror activities. Much hue and cry had been made over the way a “innocent” girl Ishrat Jahaan was killed in cold blood by the Gujarat cops and attempts were made to link this to Modi and Amit Shah to tarnish their images ahead of the 2014 general elections. Modi's growing clout and the sway he managed to bring for the BJP over voters was the overpowering reason why his wings had to be clipped. And if a dead girl killed because she had terror links could be used, so be it. Here too, everyone from journos (#Presstitutes is a much easier word to use), Congress leaders, Communists, AAP leaders, in fact everyone who was a someone and not linked to BJP was sympathetic towards the killed girl. Everyone, of course, conveniently chose to ignore than the intelligence inputs towards her links were provided straight from the Home Ministry headed by P Chidambaram of the UPA itself. She was even adopted as Bihar-ki-beti by JDU leader and CM Nitish Kumar as he eyed 'secular' votes in the LS elections. He had previously snapped ties with the BJP even though Bihar had been progressing wonderfully well under the party combine, again for the same reason. NCP took it a step ahead, starting an ambulance service in her name.


          The hue and cry over Ishrat Jahaan however could not prevent Modi from climbing the highest steps in Indian democracy and taking over as PM in May 2014. Within 18 months, the Indian courts were granted permission by the US authorities to interrogate Headley, albeit with lots of riders and conditions including an unconditional no-arrest clause, thus making him almost a prosecution approver from accused. His testimony shook the very foundations of the story that seculars had managed to concoct when he admitted openly in camera that Ishrat Jahaan had been indeed a terrorist and that she had been recruited to carry out terror strikes on extremely valuable assets (read Modi himself). With wind swept out of their sails, everyone was found floundering for a way out of their self created secular mess. While some continued to hold on to their beliefs and instead ridiculed the Indian government for believing a terror perpetrator over a poor innocent girl, others tried to sideline the entire issue and instead questioned the manner of her death, supposedly a fake encounter instead of being killed while trying to escape. The tweets of seculars below would have been amusing if they did not deal with something so serious as anti-national activities and its support.














Siachen - World's highest battlefield





              Amidst all this secular v/s communal debate, the Army has always continued to ensure that the nation remains safe from external threats. While many a slur has been raised and much muck has been thrown upon the Armed Forces for doing their best to preserve the Union of India, including talks of repealing of the much maligned AFSPA (even though it has the SC's explicit approval), an avalanche cut short the life of ten unfortunate Army jawans whose only contribution to their own deaths was just being present there. Siachen has always been a disputed territory and India has held the upper hand by controlling the glacier and thus retaining the advantage of height while facing “enemy” Pakistan. Many have vociferously argued on how the highest battlefield, that has claimed more lives due to weather, than due to enemy action, should be demilitarised and they have wanted that India and Pakistan shift to lower locations and maintain the Siachen as free from soldering activities. They cited that this would be treated as Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) which would eventually result in their version of Utopia, India and Pakistan living as bhai-bhai. What they failed to state was how moving down was exactly what Pakistan desired as that would ensure Pakistan easy access to those same heights and nothing would prevent them from occupying them in violation of all treaties inked. Kargil taught us a very painful lesson on how Pakistan can't be trusted beyond a limit since the nation thrives on anti-India sentiment and anyone seen less sympathetic to that cause is treated as an infidel. So, while demilitarising Siachen might seem to be an extremely wonderful option both for the government and especially for the Indian Armed forces, it actually is not one at all.  


           
Summing up

               As stated above, none of these incidents are individually linked. But reading between the lines, just goes on to prove how much the anti-India sentiment has become an industry, a hotbed for anyone who just has to prove his seditious credentials, to be easily funded by forces looking to destroy the very fabric of Indian society, more so since this government has taken over. It could be because this government has cracked down on corruption and black money like no other. It could be because access to government offices is no longer an option. It could be because this government believes in governance, a term alien till now. It could also be because this government does not encourage unscrupulous to flourish under its watch. What the heck, it could just be all of them combined. Whatever be the case, if true nationalists do not take up cudgels now and fight, this nation would become mere history, to be read up in books, and in a not too short while from now.   

This one image by Satish Acharya sums up aptly the entire issue

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