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    What Passes For Sedition in India - The New York Times

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    Abhilash Manyam
    Students at Jawaharlal Nehru University and other universities across India held protests against the arrest of Kanhaiya Kumar, the student union president of JNU, on charges of sedition for a speech he gave. Kumar and others were speaking out against issues like caste prejudice and the appointment of BJP loyalists in universities. While some comments at the event called for "destruction of India", it's unclear if students said this or outsiders trying to cause trouble. The arrest of Kumar and assault on students is seen as an attempt to silence dissent and criticism of the ruling BJP party. The protests attracted a wide range of participants and support over concerns about growing repression of free speech and attacks on lower castes in

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    What Passes For Sedition in India - The New York Times

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    Abhilash Manyam
    34 views4 pages
    Students at Jawaharlal Nehru University and other universities across India held protests against the arrest of Kanhaiya Kumar, the student union president of JNU, on charges of sedition for a speech he gave. Kumar and others were speaking out against issues like caste prejudice and the appointment of BJP loyalists in universities. While some comments at the event called for "destruction of India", it's unclear if students said this or outsiders trying to cause trouble. The arrest of Kumar and assault on students is seen as an attempt to silence dissent and criticism of the ruling BJP party. The protests attracted a wide range of participants and support over concerns about growing repression of free speech and attacks on lower castes in

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    What Passes for Sedition in India - The New York Times

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    What Passes for Sedition in India - The New York Times

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    Students at Jawaharlal Nehru University and other universities across India held protests against the arrest of Kanhaiya Kumar, the student union president of JNU, on charges of sedition for a speech he gave. Kumar and others were speaking out against issues like caste prejudice and the appointment of BJP loyalists in universities. While some comments at the event called for "destruction of India", it's unclear if students said this or outsiders trying to cause trouble. The arrest of Kumar and assault on students is seen as an attempt to silence dissent and criticism of the ruling BJP party. The protests attracted a wide range of participants and support over concerns about growing repression of free speech and attacks on lower castes in

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    34 views4 pages

    What Passes For Sedition in India - The New York Times

    Uploaded by

    Abhilash Manyam
    Students at Jawaharlal Nehru University and other universities across India held protests against the arrest of Kanhaiya Kumar, the student union president of JNU, on charges of sedition for a speech he gave. Kumar and others were speaking out against issues like caste prejudice and the appointment of BJP loyalists in universities. While some comments at the event called for "destruction of India", it's unclear if students said this or outsiders trying to cause trouble. The arrest of Kumar and assault on students is seen as an attempt to silence dissent and criticism of the ruling BJP party. The protests attracted a wide range of participants and support over concerns about growing repression of free speech and attacks on lower castes in

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    of 4

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    WhatPassesforSeditioninIndia
    NilanjanaS.RoyFEB.21,2016

    NEWDELHITwohoursintotheprotestmarchonThursday,thestudents
    werestillstreamingin.TheycamefromDelhisprestigiousJawaharlalNehru
    University(J.N.U.)andfromatleastsixotheruniversitiesacrossthecountry.
    Theyheldredrosesandlongstemmedsaffroncosmos,andwithchants,
    steadyanddeliberate,calledforfreedom,equalityandtherighttoexpress
    themselvesfreely.Someoftheirplacardsread,Dissentisnotsedition,or
    SaveConstitution!SaveDemocracy!SaveUniversity!
    Flowersandwordsofhope:Thesearesmallthingstoholdoutagainstthe
    toxicliesoftherulingBharatiyaJanataParty(B.J.P.)anditsviolentpseudo
    nationalistpropaganda.
    IthasbeenaturbulentyearonIndiancampuses,withstudentsspeaking
    outmoreandmoreagainstcasteprejudice,sexisthousingrulesorthe
    appointmentofB.J.P.loyalistsasuniversityadministrators.Seniormembers
    oftheB.J.P.andtheRastriyaSwayamsevakSangh(R.S.S.),aHindu
    nationalistorganizationwithmajorinfluenceoverPrimeMinisterNarendra
    Modi,haverespondednotwithdialoguebutwithpersecution,notwith

    negotiationbutwithclampdowns.
    OnFeb.13,KanhaiyaKumar,thepresidentofJ.N.U.sstudentunion,was
    arrestedonseditioncharges.Mr.Kumar,whoisfromanunderprivileged
    caste,hadrecentlygivenaspeechataneventorganizedbyagroupofother
    studentstomarkthethirdanniversaryofthehangingofMuhammadAfzal,
    alsoknownasAfzalGuru,whowasfoundguiltyofbeinginvolvedinthe2001
    terroristattackonIndiasParliament.AfzalGurusexecutionandtheSupreme
    Courtjudgmentupholdinghisdeathsentencearestillthesubjectofintense
    debate.
    Abruising,highvoltageclashsoonplayedoutinthegladiatorialarenaof
    newstelevision.ProminentB.J.P.membersdeclaredthatthegovernment
    wouldnottolerateanyantinationalactivities,accusedthestudentsof
    havinglinkstoterroristsandcalledforclosingJ.N.U.NewsXbroadcast
    footagewhichitclaimedfeaturedMr.KumarshoutingLongLivePakistan!
    andotherpurportedlyseditiousslogans.ATimesNowanchorharanguedUmar
    Khalid,oneofthestudentswhohadorganizedtheevent,callinghima
    secessionistandunpatriotic.
    ABPNewshassinceprovedthattheseclipsweredoctored.Some
    participantsintheeventhadindeedshouted,AsmanyAfzalswillrisefrom
    homesasthenumberofAfzalsyoumurderandaskedforBharatki
    Barbaadi,thedestructionofIndia.Butitisunclearwhetheritwasstudents
    whomadethesestatements,oroutsiderstryingtocausetroubleforthem.And
    Mr.Kumarwasntamongthem.
    Inhisspeech,Mr.Kumarhadsaid,Weareofthiscountryandlovethe
    soilofIndia.Wefightforthose80percentofthiscountryspeoplewhoare
    poor.Hehadcalledforazaadi,freedom,pickingupasloganlongpopular
    amongKashmiriseparatistsandwomendemandinggreaterrights.Andhehad
    attackedtheB.J.P.,thepartysstudentwingandtheR.S.S.astraitorstothe
    nation.

    Mr.KumarhadalsotalkedaboutthesuicideofRohithVemula,adalit
    studentatHyderabadUniversitywhokilledhimselflastmonthafterenduring
    weeksofpressure.Theuniversityhadstoppedpayinghisstipendand
    suspendedhimoverapoliticaldisputebetweenagroupofdalitstudents,
    includingMr.Vemula,andaprominentrightwingstudentleader.
    ThisiswhatpassesforseditioninIndiatoday.
    AndwhenMr.Kumarwastakentocourtforahearinglastweek,hewas
    assaulted.Acoupleofdaysearlier,atthesamecourthouse,agroupoflawyers
    hadattackedjournalistsandJ.N.U.faculty.Thepolicehadmadelittleattempt
    tostoptheviolence.VikramChauhan,alawyerwholedtheassaultsand
    identifieshimselfasaB.J.P.partyworker,wasnotarrested.Instead,hewas
    allowedtoleadamarchofselfappointedpatriotstoIndiaGate,theiconicwar
    memorialintheheartofofficialDelhi.
    Themessageisclear:Violenceinthenameofultranationalismis
    acceptable.Noteventhecourtsaresafespaces.Challengethestate,orthe
    B.J.P.,atyourperil.
    Uneaseoversuchbaldfacedrepressionisspreadingbeyondstudents.The
    protestthatwasheldincentralDelhionThursday,perhaps15,000strong,
    alsoincludedofficeworkers,retirees,lawyers,grassrootsanticasteactivists
    andlocallaborandtradeunions.
    RabiaKhatun,38,hadmadethelongbusjourneyfromKhajuriColony,on
    theoutskirtsofthecapitalsherepresentsadomesticworkersunion.Shedrew
    astraightlinebetweenMr.VemulassuicideandMr.Kumarsarrest.Thisis
    thenewcastewar,shesaid.TheyareattackingJ.N.U.becausetheydontlike
    thelowercastesgainingpower.Theywillpushthedalitstosuicide,andfillthe
    jailswithlowercastesifwedontstopthem.
    Budhia,a55yearoldfactoryworkerwhohadtraveledwithafriendfrom
    theneighboringtownofManesar,said,TheB.J.P.doesntlikethepoor.You

    willfinditsmostlythepoorandthebackwardcasteswhoarecalledseditious
    inthiscountry.IamhereforRohith.IamhereforKanhaiya.Iamherefor
    UmarKhalidandallthepeopleinthiscountrywhosufferfromtheliesthrown
    atthem.
    Inhissuicideletter,Mr.Vemulahadwritten:Thevalueofamanwas
    reducedtohisimmediateidentityandnearestpossibility.Toavote.Toa
    number.Toathing.Neverwasamantreatedasamind.
    Atthebackofthemarch,aclusterofstudentshelduphandmadesignsin
    rejoinder,echoingMr.Vemulasdespairwithanewhope:Wearenolonger
    justavote,anumber,athing.Weareyoung.Thefutureisours.Fornow,this
    imaginedfuture,oftruedemocracyandequality,isundersiege.
    NilanjanaS.RoyistheauthorofTheWildings,TheHundredNames
    ofDarknessandTheGirlWhoAteBooks.
    FollowTheNewYorkTimesOpinionsectiononFacebookandTwitter,andsign
    upfortheOpinionTodaynewsletter.
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