Pune: Students take to streets against violence in JNU
At Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), more than 1,000 students took part in the protest, organised by the NSUI, SFI, Rashtrawadi Vidyarthi Congress and Ukrant.
At the protest against violence in JNU, CAA, NRC at Savitribai Phule Pune University on Monday. (Photo: Arul Horizon) 
At the protest against violence in JNU, CAA, NRC at Savitribai Phule Pune University on Monday. (Photo: Arul Horizon)
Slogans and posters against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC) were back on Monday as multiple demonstrations were staged across the city against the violent attacks by masked goons on students inside the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus on Sunday.
At Savitribai Phule Pune University, more than 1,000 students had taken part in the protest, organised by the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), Students’ Federation of India and Rashtrawadi Vidyarthi Congress.
Congress leader and recently appointed MoS Viswajit Kadam, who was present at the SPPU protest, said, “The country’s strength is its unity and democracy. In the last five years, there have been similar such instances in many Indian institutions… The students come to colleges and universities to gain education and are being attacked. They are not free in their own country. It is the act of people who don’t like freedom and democracy. I appeal to students to raise their voice without any fear.”
“This is nothing but an act of terrorism. In UP and Delhi, the police come under individuals who are instigating violence. The police just follow the orders. Just how General Dyer was behind the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, we have General Kayar (coward), who says that Muslims have no reason to be afraid and General Liar, who can set a record with his lies,” said Sandeep Barve, state secretary of Yuvak Kranti Dal.
Meanwhile, members of student organisation Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad also held a demonstration at Aniket Canteen, in Savitribai Phule Pune University. “We strongly condemn the attacks in JNU. Several students associated with ABVP are also admitted at AIIMS, Delhi. We strongly believe that the people with Maoist and left ideologies are behind the attacks… They have a keen interest in instigating violence,” said Anil Thombre, Pune City Secretary, ABVP. Around 40 students took part in the protest with slogans of ‘Atankwaad ho barbaad, Naxalwaad murdabaad’ and placards that read ‘If terror and violence has any name, communism and left is the same’ and ‘I condemn the violence by left goons at JNU #leftattacksJNU’.
At Goodluck Chowk, around 300 people, both students and residents alike, had gathered to protest against the violent incident in JNU. The protest was organised by Lokayat.
“I have come here to condemn the attacks that happened in JNU…Today it happened in Delhi, tomorrow it could be Pune. If we do not protest against it, it will just encourage them to partake more such actions and attacks,” said Saraswati Bhandirge (64), vice-president, Akhil Bharatiya Janwadi Mahila Sanghatna, Maharashtra.
Ansari Hashim (21), a student at Azam Campus, Pune, said, “I think the government detests the educated people. We as students do not wish to be like them, without degrees. Our aim is make our country move forward through education. They also dislike the people who are raising their voices and fighting for their rights, and the Constitution that Dr B R Ambedkar left for us. The incidents at Jamia Millia Islamia, Aligarh Muslim University and now JNU have been carried out by groups affiliated to the party in power. They wish to deviate our minds from the main issues… If they wish to do that again, we want them to come with their faces uncovered.”
‘Hum Bharat ke Log’, an umbrella unit of like-minded organisations, also held a protest in front of the District Collector’s building, where around 300 protesters gathered and raised slogans like, ‘Awaaz do hum ek hai, Modi-Shah fake hai, Hindu Muslim ek hai, Modi-Shah fake hai’, ‘ABVP murdabad’, ‘RSS murdabad’ and ‘Inquilab Zindabad’.
Alumni of JNU, Keshav Waghmare (38), a human rights activist, said, “Whatever is happening is slowly inching towards the two-nation theory. NRC and CAA are just part of it. When it comes to fascism, their tool has always been violence and picking arms. The students have become the opposition and that is why they attacked the students. With terms like anti-national, they have ruined the image of the institution that had so many bureaucrats graduating from it.”
“What we need today is humanity. Students who were to get educated, teach and help develop the country are being asked to pick up arms and engage in violence… “ said another protester Arijit Biswas (25).
“The government came up with several things over its tenure. Article 370, Ayodhya, and now the CAA. But the protests was out of their syllabus and they did not anticipate it. That is why they are fighting back,” said Afroz Mulla AK Khan, a 23-year-old law student.
Students of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, assembled soon after the news of violent attacks in JNU started making rounds around 10 pm on Sunday. “Once we got to know about the developments, we assembled at the Wisdom tree. We gathered at the main gate, where students from Ghokale Institute and SPPU also joined in. We protested till about 1 am, when the police asked us to leave,” said Shubham Ghadge, a student from the sound department at FTII. Around 200 students took part in the protest and condemned the JNU attacks with slogans of ‘Azadi’ and against ABVP. “To demonstrate our solidarity with the students of JNU and to condemn the attacks, we will march from the FTII gates to SPPU on Tuesday at 5pm,” he said.
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