JNU: Performance of Politics

In less than 50 years, no other university in the world has grabbed the headlines as much as the Jawaharlal Nehru University at New Delhi. Indian media is so obsessed with the JNU. It never fails to telecast, broadcast, webcast and write about this one university every day. The reason being, JNU has mastered the art of selling its stories without any of its own efforts. Buyers of JNU stories flock towards the university. In short, story tellers are after the JNU.  

Not only JNU hogs the limelight in the media through the campus activities but also through its star alumni. Indian bureaucracy, politics, media, academia, scientific community, civil society are full of the former students of JNU. Whenever they do some remarkable activities their university background gets highlighted. For instance, when the Prime Minister Narendra Modi was accused of destroying the ethos of JNU through the Delhi police in Kanhaiya Kumar’s case (JNU Student’s Union President belonging to the Communist Party of India’s Student Wing – AISF), the people behind Modi’s forward march was highlighted. Those people happen to be the alumni of JNU. 

Minister for the women and child development Maneka Gandhi, Minister of State for Commerce Nirmala Sitharaman, Foreign Secretary Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, deputy national security advisor Arvind Gupta, special envoy for counter-terrorism in West Asia Syed Asif Ibrahim, CEO of Niti Aayog Amitabh Kant, Secretary (West) in the external affairs ministry Sujata Mehta, former Prime Minister of Libya Ali Zeidan, former Prime Minister of Nepal Baburam Bhattarai, founder and Chairman of Ethihad Airways Ahmed bin Saif Al Nahyan are some of the prominent alumni of JNU.

There are so many positive aspects and few negative aspects. 1100 acres of lush green ambience in the heart of Delhi, empowerment of socially weaker sections, adventurism of ideas and out of box practices are some of the many positive aspects of the JNU. Insulating the law violators, protecting the criminals, cheering the anti-nationals, campus dirtiness, disconnect between what it preaches and what it practices are some of its negative aspects.

The majority of the university community stands for the constructive side while a miniscule minority stands with their destructive ideas and activities. This miniscule minority like in other walks of India story is responsible for tarnishing JNU’s bright and white image. It is a big challenge for the visionaries of JNU to save the university from the clutches and controls of this devastating miniscule minority. 

How they are able to get away with their horribly wrong acts? How they are able to walk away with their socially divisive words? How they are able to harbor anti-national elements inside the campus? How they are able to raise anti-India slogans? How they are able to get the work done despite its antithetical nature to the very purpose of the university? How they are able to get the support of the united opposition from the parliament to state assemblies? This right and might minority needs to be checkmated for the university to walk in its purposeful path. 

JNU was not like any other university in the world. From its ground breaking ceremony to bhumi Pooja to the final touches, the university was meant to stand different in the crowd of seats of higher learning. It is one of the rarest rare universities in the world with a vast area of land (1100 acres) situated in a single compound. Almost all universities in the world have buildings here and there. There are thousands of universities around the world with much more area of land than JNU. But those universities don’t have a single campus or the entire campus is not inside one compound wall. 

Peacocks roam around freely and Nilgais jump casually. Snakes, foxes and hundreds of birds find JNU as their ideal destination. Trees and plants feast the eyes of visitors and residents alike. No wonder JNU continues to get the first prize in garden maintenance from the Department of Horticulture, Government of India for many years. It is one of the very few places in Delhi where the Delhites lungs are not choked due to pollution. These reasons make every other Delhite envy of JNU. 

Politics and JNU are inseparable. Not only there is a Centre for Political Studies (CPS) but also JNU has centres dealing with American, African, Asian, European and Australian politics. Every country’s politics is dissected here. When the students and faculty members study more about the cross currents in the world politics, they are well equipped to provide different paths to Indian politics. That is why most of the Indian politicians get awed and surprised with the cross political wisdom of the JNU community. Politics is one area where JNU excels in its practice than its theory classes. One can feel politics in dining halls, dhabas, public places and private conversations. No wonder to hear many people saying “JNU is full of politics”.

Few negative aspects should not destroy the many positive sided JNU. Academics in JNU is one of the best in the sub-continent. It is not because it is well taught but because it is well given. The ambience and culture of JNU stimulates the students to grow on their own. It is like the neem seeds which grows well on its own. In the forests one can see trees, plants and bushes growing well on its own. Like these forest species, JNU species are special. The founding fathers and mothers of JNU have shown the path to this wisdom forest. Those who wants to enter this wisdom forest has to use its precious resources well. Rather than depending on others, they grow on their own smartly.

Attendance is not compulsory for students. Faculty members are allowed to enjoy the maximum freedom. Non-teaching staff are treated with utmost respect and care. There is no gender barricade. In fact, women dominate all spheres of JNU. The first university in India to constitute Gender Sensitisation Committee against Sexual Harassment (GSCASH).

The only university where students recommended the admission policy to the university authorities. It is popularly known as the Progressive Admission Policy (PAP). With PAP, students are given admission according to the geographical, economic and social backwardness apart from academic achievements. Due to this policy, students from the remotest remote corners of India have opportunity to enroll in the JNU and become enlightened citizens of the nation. The impact was mind-blowing. I happen to witness many students who came from the most backward regions of India to JNU.

 The entry and exit difference of students of JNU is remarkable. They were not able to utter a single English sentence when they enter JNU. But when they go out of JNU, one can feel the difference. Full of social, political and academic jargons. Even the Oxbridge educated scholars feel nervous with these JNU products. 

In the height of the reservation debate in 2005, a prominent IIT director and a reputed policy maker of India and IIT superstar gave a talk in JNU. He compared the contributions of Brahmins, other upper caste people and Other Backward Class (OBC) leaders in the lives of deprived sections. He gave the example of Infosys founder Narayanamurthy who is a Brahmin and Lalu Prasad Yadav an OBC leader who was the Chief Minister of Bihar. 

He said “More than lakhs of OBC students got job in the Brahmin lead Infosys whereas the OBC lead Bihar Lalu Yadav has plundered and deprived OBC sections. He got them further poorer”.  After the IIT director’s speech one OBC student got up and said “Lalu Prasad Yadav may not have given us jobs but he gave us the identity. For us identity which is known to the world is needed rather than the jobs”. The famous policy maker was mouth shut.

JNU made headlines for silly reasons too. It was the first university in India to install a condom vending machine inside its campus. In a conservative country the condom vending machine inside a university was an unbelievable act! This was not to legalise premarital sex but to provide all facilities for the adults. When they know whom to elect as their MLAs and MPs, cannot they choose their personal lives? The respect to individual freedom and life is the paramount to JNU. In this JNU does not wear shades of hypocrisy. It is straight to the core in this sense.

JNU is the university where one can find many smokers cutting across the gender lines. Most of the visitors to the campus get shell-shocked to see girls smoking with much ease. Gender is not barrier here. Boys learn to smoke off their feudal mindsets and casteist attitudes. Girls learn to smoke off their ignorance and arrogance. Smoking a cigarette while sipping a cup of hot chai is favourite for some of the JNUites. But most of the campus members are averse to smoking.  

Drinking is neither prohibited nor encouraged. There is no rule book about the code of drinking and smoking in JNU. As the celebrated monument of higher education and temple of personal freedom, JNU does not codify what one should and should not do in their personal lives. Interference in the individual freedom of the lives of young men and women does not augur well for its status. This goes against the constitutional recognition of adulthood. Men and women above the age of eighteen become voters to choose their representatives. Cannot they choose their lives? Better to inform them about the ill-effects rather than imprison them for drinking or smoking. 

Environmental cleanliness is an eyesore. Despite its natural beauty, JNU has not learnt to protect it. The major reason for this is due to the non-co-operation of its residents, students and visitors. Plastic bags, spitting of pan masala throwing on the walls, gutka covers etc. 

The Parathasarthy Rocks (PSR) is a favourite romancing ground for the couples. Its fame extends beyond the borders of Delhi. In fact those foreign students who go out of JNU spread the name and fame of PSR in their nations. Indeed, JNU, PSR and its richness are known throughout the world. It was saved from the encroachment of outsiders recently.   

An easy prey for the wayfarers, Parathasarthy Rocks was used to dump of all sorts of garbage. JNU’s generosity was misused by outsiders in this rocking place for satisfying their needs of various kinds. Condom dumps, rum bottles, soda bottles, water bottles, mats, pillows, quilts are the reminders of exploitation of JNU’s open policy. This has invited adverse comments from undeserving people. Like the traditional Indian mindset JNU nurtured its “Atithi Devo Bhava” principle. When the outsiders destroyed the very beauty of the university, the administration was straightened up. It was made to stand up with its spine working.

Justice is not easy to get in JNU. Whenever there is some trouble, people engage in endless debates. Points and counter points prolong the solution to the problem discussed. This has been one of the major weaknesses of the university. It is because of the sizeable presence of all colours of ideologies. From communists to communalists, from Marxists to Manuvads, from humanists to radicals, from liberals to environmentalists, from anarchists to apologists, from Gandhians to Godseians, there is no dearth of ideologies inside the campus. 

Injustice is common. The hardcore troublemakers easily escape punishments because of the over humanist concerns. Caste, religion, region and minority statuses are often played to shield the culprits. Sexual offenders, caste abusers, anti-national slogan shouting brigade, law violators and other ranges find place inside the JNU. These excessively concerned humanists are highly influenced by such a culture developed over the decades. They do without knowing what they do. Lord is noting their grave errors!  

In the field of foreign languages, bio-technology, international studies, sociology, history, north east studies, gender studies, social medicine, regional development, molecular biology, arts & aesthetics, no other university in south Asia can boast such a majestic contributions as JNU. Anti-anthrax developed by a JNU professor Rakesh Bhatanagar is much sought after by every big nation in the world. The favourites are United States of America, Germany, France et al. 

Instead of departments, JNU has classified its area of studies into schools and centres. When it was founded in the late sixties, great yet young scholars were invited to take over as the chairpersons of centres. They were given the ownership to groom. This is still felt by the founding fathers of JNU’s most remarkable schools. 

Most of the founding fathers of JNU visit the campus often. They cannot detach themselves from their popular karma bhumi. The reasons are many. But the most quintessential one is, the emotional attachment with the campus. Its popularity, rising value and reputations are secondary to their emotions. It is also a mystery that how an emotional bond has been built among the members of the JNU community. Wherever they stay in the world, the name JNU bring cheers to their cheeks and flash in their eyes.

This book is not just about the reputations of JNU. It is also about its ill-reputations. Without any bias, an attempt has been made to bring out the merits and demerits of JNU.