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In the shadow of violence

Beginning the new academic year on a rather violent note, Jawaharlal Nehru University in the Capital was witness to a fight between students in the Chandrabhaga and Lohit hostels late on Tuesday night.

While there are conflicting versions of what actually happened, the provocation according to some students seems to be caste. With some students allegedly using casteist remarks against two other students at the Chandrabhaga hostel, the situation turned ugly and spread to the next hostel -- Lohit -- and at least two students were injured.

"An undergraduate Dalit student was constantly being harassed by Mahender Chauhan, who has many complaints against him already. He was very upset about being picked on and was very depressed. So he called his brother who was an ex-student to intervene. When these boys went to the hostel to talk to him, Chauhan and his group beat them up,'' said Roshan, a member of the JNU Students' Union.

An inquiry committee has been formed with the wardens of the hostels concerned. The committee has to submit its report in the next 48 hours.

"An incident has taken place and apparently two students were insulted with caste based remarks. Both the groups have filed police complaints against each other. Action will be taken after the Inquiry Committee submits its report. If we find that there is a caste angle, then there will be stricter punishment,'' said Vice-Chancellor B.B Bhattacharya.

However, according to other students, the situation is not so simple. They claim that it was a late-night philosophical conversation that suddenly turned "hot''.

"We condemn the violence and have asked for an independent inquiry into the matter. People are just wanting to give the incident a political dimension for mileage,'' said a member of Akhil Bharathiya Vidyarthi Parishad.

In the past few weeks, all the centres of learning in the Capital have been rocked by some violence. While the reason for the scuffle is different at JNU, the other two -- Jamia Millia Islamia and Delhi University - seem motivated by students having political ambitions.

"These are things that happen before students' union elections. Student outfits want to get noticed and as some leaders have told me in confidence, they feel if they are quiet they won't get any media attention,'' said a senior professor.

Determined to show off their strength to prove that they are capable of bigger things, student unions often use violence and hooliganism to get their point across like the Delhi University Students' Union and the National Students' Union of India this week tried to do by bullying the Principal at Hans Raj College. However, the cause that they are fighting for is often forgotten.

"I never realised that they would do so much damage. We were told that we should put pressure on the Principal so that he withdraws the minimum percentage required for second year hostel admission. But we didn't know that these guys would do this,'' said a hosteller shocked at the violence.

And while the college authorities stood up to the bullying by the students this time, it is important to take strong action so that incidents like this don't happen again. But with authorities often reluctant to make example of the perpetrators of the crime, the students feel they can really get away with anything. The stakes next time will just be higher.

The US Educational Foundation in India is organising a pre-departure orientation programme for successful student visa candidates beginning their courses in the US in fall this year. The full-day programme will be held on Friday (August 4) at American Centre from 8-30 onward.

The programme will equip students with a better understanding of the American academic environment, society and culture. They will be given tips for living in the US too.

-- Mandira Nayar

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