Thursday, May 12, 2016

Jadavpur hub of "Free-thinking"(!) "Radical"s

Jadavpur University, We, and the culture of Revolutionary Politics!

A perspective, on the recent controversy at the screening of the film ‘Buddha in a traffic jam’ at the JU

“We are superior!  What we say and do is RIGHT and is the Trendsetter for the general public! ” – This is what any Communist-Maoist-Naxalite ideology influenced student, of the JU will tell you, when you put forward any ‘Radical’ question to them and ask why people should accept their argument as correct, in any matter. However, this same thought process is not the reflection of most of nationalist students and academicians of Jadavpur University. These ‘Radical’ students and professors are very handful in number, but extremely vocal as if their opinion is the Opinion of whole Jadavpur University.

                         Divisive Anti-India Poster & CPM's Loksabha candidate(2014) with them

The educated Bengali society has been a true model of modern education for decades, as envisioned by Lord Macaulcay, a British historian and Whig politician who was the inspirationfor the National Council of Education, in Bengal to create “A class of Indians who would be Indian in blood and colour but western in thought and ideas (eventually will hate and laugh about their own scientific temper and progress).” In due course of time the National Council of Education evolved to become a University that is popularly known as Jadavpur University or JU. Institute was started in Bengal because it had been the soil of leaders and crusaders.

But unfortunately, the institute has created a series of pupils who are extremely good at mimicking any defined postulate thereby obtaining high ranksin entrance examinations and considerit to be their ‘Panacea’ for a successful career and life. Though, there are many exceptions!
Whenever pushed to the back foot, the same argument of superior ranks and meritocracy comes in and is used as a ‘Bramhastra’ to defeat the opponent in any legitimate argument! Now, if we take the argument of the meritocracy and do a reality check, we will understand most of the JU departments are far from being the best departments in the country. Anyone who debates this, can check the rankingsof universities in India and you will know the difference between reality and popular assumption. Excellence in any subject is created, nurtured and nourished by promoting, meritocracy and innovation day in and day out. This culture of Innovation and Thought-leadership has been missing in JU for decades ever since, the so called- ‘Trendy Communism and Naxalism’ invaded JU. As a matter of fact it was accepted that if you are not following ‘Communism and Naxalism’ then you cannot proclaim to be a Thought-Leader and a Free-Thinker. The ‘Laissez Faire Economy’ that in a way drives Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Business and Growth by competitive free market economy, is marketed as ‘Economic discrimination and oppression of the poor by the richer section of society’ by these Free-Thinkers and Thought Leaders. As, a result Bengal as a state always has been critical about Reforms be it economic or technological or for that matter industrial. Who all are impacted by this anti-reform atmosphere? Present & future generations of Bengalis are impacted because of these ‘Revolutionaries’! What a shame!

Now, let’s consider any young student from a humble Bengali family, who joins the JU with a sense of well-endowed pride of being superior and having an ever invigorating mind. He or she would always be challenged by a few ‘Free-Thinking’ Professors (many of whom can’t even explain their subject clearly) saying – ‘Either you believe in Left theories or you don’t belong to this Elite club!’ Hence, many of these promising, young bright students fall prey to these deceiving thoughts of ‘Revolution’ as they can’t disown their superiority as perceived by the Bengali middle class. Moreover, the infamous Left canards of ‘Revolution’ by Che Guevara and party are marketed so blatantly, that young minds very easily get swept away from our National Ethos, Identity and Crusaders. As a result, luminaries like Vivekananda, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Jagadish Chandra Bose, Bankim Chandra etc. who once defined the charter of Science, Democracy and Freedom for the entire human society are forgotten and ridiculed by these free-thinking practices in JU regularly. Bright minds are moulded by the Left inclined professors to believe in the ‘Revolutionary Che’ and made to forget our ‘Revolutionary Khudiram’ to imbibe the mythical communist inspired socialism into the young minds.

If the so called free thinking JU thought leadership is so ‘Radical’ and ground breaking then let us retrospect:  Why for decades, JU has been failing to produce true scholars, philosophers from Bengal, for which itwas once known to the world?  Why could not JU incubate the path breaking inventions that bring game changing transformation, irrespective of crores of rupees being spent by the government year after year on infrastructure and subsidized low cost education fees across verticals?  Is JU the monument of success and grandeur, for which it was once founded? The Bengali society knows the answer loud and clear, but, inits hypocrisy, can’t allow itself to accept the reality of mediocrity!

That’s the reason we still see the culture of shouting slogans like ‘Kashmir mange ajadi, Manipur mange ajadi’ and posters in JU by these ‘Radical’ thinkers. These beliefs are still prevalent among a handful of students and professors who still preach ‘Revolutionary Che Guevara’ and hide ‘Criminal Che Guevara’.

Though the majority of the students and professors don’t endorse these thoughts, but they fail to raise their voice. If this has been the history, then readers will not be surprised to acknowledge that these ‘Ignited minds’ will go to any extent to stop a film – ‘Buddha in a Traffic Jam’ by acclaimed director Vivek Agnihotri from being screened in the JU Campus.   Why to target a Film that just showcases another not so comfortable view on Leftist Theories? The reason is rather simple. This Film unmasks Maoist/ Naxalite/ Communist atrocities across India in the name of ‘Revolution & Socialism’ and gives a fresh perspective on these self-proclaimed Revolutionaries. The series of incidents that unfolded at JU for the Film Screening event (that was organized by a group called – ‘Think India’) not only violates basic definition of Freedom of Expression, but also suppresses alternative thinking in the university. There can be debates on whether the depiction Mao-Naxal-Coomunism atrocities that is portrayed in the movie is genuine, but there cannot be any debate on how an Indian Censor Board approved movie ‘Buddha in a traffic Jam’ is obstructed from being formally screened for the general public and the students in a so called free thinking university.

This is the larger question to be asked to these free thinkers who are often found celebrating the killings of our brave soldiers by Terrorists and Naxalites and are seen cheering for anything that is against the people and the state in the name of ‘Revolution’. These are the people who suppress the freedom of expression when suited, as in this case and do ‘Dharna-Protest’ when it suits their convenience like Protest in JU for Afzal Guru hanging, Human-chain for Terrorists of Kashmir and seminars for the Freedom of Manipur from ‘Imperialist India’ etc. These people give examples of socialism in a true society where no distinction between ‘Oppressor and Oppressed’ can be identified. They portray China as example of a successful socialism inspired financial model and forget to mention that it violates all human Rights and Freedom of Expressions for its own people.

Any country, where communism has thrived, itssociety has seen the Rule of ‘Politburo’ (i.e. the principal policymaking committee of a communist party) rather than Rule of the common people. Take any example from Soviet Union, Cuba to China to North Korea. Nowhere people are allowed to exercise freedom of thought, mind or life. We live in a free thinking nation and an engaging society. We all, especially the erudites must promote alternative thinking so that a better society of inclusion can be created. On, that day of screening, many people came to watch the movie; instead they witnessed a trolling ill-behaved student mob shouting ‘Ajadi’ slogans with abusive language. Later the mob went on to manhandle students and professors. The Mob eventually, seized Prof. Debasish Roychowdhury and a few students in a desolate room and brutally tortured them. Is this called Revolutionary behavior? If we want true Revolution, then let us innovate; challenge the status-quo of Science, Technology, Democracy and Freedom. Let’s bring a change to the society by experimenting on a new social model, new Ideas, new theories, not by hoodwinking the failed principles of Mao-Naxal-Communism that has never evolved to a functional socioeconomic model.Neither these models have any tangible probability of being implementable in the near future, nor have they been successfully implemented in any othercountry in the world. 



  ABVP Students & professor being threatened and beaten up by ‘Radical’ students
(Look man with white trousers an total outsider but no action by VC)



                        ABVP Students protesting against the inaction of VC Suranjan Das.
Sequence of events around ‘Buddha in a Traffic Jam’ screening at JU

·         ABVP inspired organization ‘Think India’ got formal permission to host Film screening at Dr. Triguna Sen Auditorium of JU scheduled for 6th, May, 2016 from Alumni Association
·         On 5th,May 2016, Alumni Association cancels the booking citing ‘Election code violation’
·         On 6th, May,2016 JU nationalist students organize open air screening of ‘Buddha in a Traffic Jam’
·         ‘Radical’ students agitated and beaten up many nationalist students during program
·         AVBP – organized rally to protest this oppression of Freedom of expression on 9th, May, 2016
 
 


India is going through an evolution of exponential social-economic growth and transformation.
After, decades of lost opportunities, it’s staring at a new era of hope. It’s not only because of the Government, but mainly because, of its youth power and their capacity to innovate for a better world. Let’s contribute and churn to find out new ways to bring an atmosphere that produce true Innovators, Thought leaders, Social reformers and crusaders. Let’s us not chant the decades old Left canard of ‘Revolution’ , rather preach ‘Entrepreneurship and Innovation’ that can herald a new era for Bengal as well as the world. Let’s make JU a breeding ground of Innovation rather than a breeding ground of future Naxals!


what is needed now & immediately

Author: Bhaswar Goswami (Technologist and Social thinker)


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