Lawyers Manhandle JNU Students And Teachers In Court Premises, Time For Media To Speak UP

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat

15 February, 2016
Countercurrents.org

What happened today at the Patiala House court where Jawaharlal Nehru Univerisity Students Union President (JNUSU) Kanhaiya Kumar who was arrested on sedition charges, was being produced is unprecedented. The lawyers who are supposed to uphold the constitutional values and people manhandled not just students of JNU but also media persons and teachers of the University. There is not a single word from the ruling party to condemn it. Instead, its loudspeakers are shouting down others on their paid media. Mercenary Arnab Goswami is shouting and shouting out with other mercenaries on his channel to shut down the university. Well, India is already shut down. Where are the things happening. You have shut everything. It is time to save India, protect our constitution. The big looters of the country have defaulted with the banks. Over one lakh fifty thousand crore have defaulted by the big companies and I can bet the amount is much bigger but corporate agent and sole 'conscious keeper' of the 'nation', will have no time to discuss it.

If the students have done anything, let the courts decide it and let people have the right to defend them in the court. At least they have that constitutional right. Do we want that too not given to the students or accused. The Sangh must inform whether they would like the same sedition charges be invoked against the Hindu Mahasabha people who observed Republic day as black day and do not believe in Indian constitution.

I dont believe in sedition and have written earlier that this law must be repealed. Indian state is powerful enough to deal with all this. There are many issues which are political and need to be dealt with politically. There are issues in institutions which can be handled by the administration inside those institution and not by criminalising them. If there is anything which need strong measures, let the administration warn them and if they dont change, file cases against them. Do not let the street goons decide what is good and what is bad. If we allow people to take law on their hands things would be out of control very much detrimental to our national unity and integrity. Why should we allow things to worsen.

It is shameful and disgraceful that lawyers and goons masquerading as political activists, abused and manhandled women and men inside the court premises, just because they differ with them ideologically. The most shocking thing is the fall of media. Well, I can still compliment many of the print journalists who have been doing great work despite all the pressure but the biggest failure and shameful behaviour is the Television channels. India is at the cross roads and we have to unite ourself against all fundamentalist forces. Let us not fall in this brahmanical nationalism trap. It is a well laid trap keeping in mind the Assam elections where they want to experiment things for Bengal and later for UP. It is time to ignore smaller difference and fight this battle politically. The idea of India is a secular idea. India for all. An inclusive India which give fair chance to all the people including those who we disagree to express their views and if they violate our constitution let the law of the land take its course. Let us not learn patriotism and nationalism from those who sided with British and apologised from not just British but from Indira Gandhi in emergency.

There is an attempt to discredit our institutions and then privatise the education which they have already done. It is a much bigger game. Times of India has already got huge space by UP government to build Bennet University and it will be very much interested in discrediting JNU and that is why Arnab and his gangs are up in arm against the institution. Shameful and pathetically low piece of journalism. Absolutely yellow journalism.

It is time for media bodies to draw a clear guidelines for the electronic media. We know it does not have any control as most of the anchors are not really journalists but future netas and middlemen. They are looking beyond their retirement and hence clearly taking a political line which is deeply distressing. The way things are being distorted and media trial are being conducted is highly unethical and our courts too need to see it.

It is time for people's body to do media trial and expose these loudspeakers. We hope alternative voices in the media will do it. We hope the friends in print and those who have access to bigger space will write about this yellow journalism which Arnab Gowsami has unleashed on this nation. It is time for media to come clean and expose the Times of India brand and its attempt to discredit institutions. There is no media unity. When Times now can ignore the attack on media it means clear that they dont have any value for any one except their masters.

In any media debate the fair thing would be to invite leaders from all the political parties but what is happening today is three people in different shade from one political organisations in most of the channels. There will be an RSS vicharak, a BJP spokes person, some time another one from VHP and ABVP. It is clear that all these channels are heavily paid to twist and distort news but they remain absolutely biased and prejudiced.

Media is owned by different business houses. We dont mind people owning different business but let them allow free flowing ideas inside their spaces. We know that despite all those factors we had wonderful editors who stood for people and challenged emergency. The beauty of 1977 was that media stood against emergency and they were almost united. But sadly today those who claim to uphold free speech have been exposed. Yes, Times of india want its freedom to print personal nude photographs of film stars in the name of free speech and freedom but not allow students to disagree on political issues. How has the Times Management allowed Times Now to spread lies in the name of nationalism. When goons are beating people in the street, taking law on their hand, beating media people inside the courts, country's top channel remain quiet and indulge in sansationalism and distortion.

Will our friends in media speak up now ?

Vidya Bhushan Rawat is a social and human rights activist. He blogs at www.manukhsi.blogspot.com twitter @freetohumanity Email: [email protected]