No space for ‘Ideas’ in ABVP’s vision for the University

Delhi University [DU] witnessed a violent clash between two student parties on Thursday and though the  police were present at the scene, multiple people were injured. The clash took place when a public meeting on ‘Idea of University’ was being held in the Art’s faculty lawns. Scholars, academicians and activists present at the meeting had gathered to discuss the “struggle of freedom of expression in campuses across country”.

The All India Students Association [AISA] had held the meeting to protest against the university’s discriminatory rules that allowed selective groups to hold meetings inside campus  except them. They claimed that the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad [ABVP] members started attacking the students, hurling stones and soap bars as well as striking them. None of the police personnel, who can be seen in the background in the images and videos, seemed to have made any effort to stop the attack.

AISA activists filed a complaint against the attack in Maurice Nagar police station. The Station House Officer [SHO], Arti Sharma, who oversaw the security arrangement during the meeting, said, “I cannot do anything more than this. ABVP, in its defense, said the event was illegal and claimed AISA activists had abused and attacked their members.”

“The University has been denying permission to us for last two years to [hold] discussion inside arts faculty whereas in this semester they gave bookings to RSS affiliated group by charging Rs 30,000.” said Sunny Kumar, an AISA member. He went on to add “When we asked for permission, the Assistant Registrar, Estate, said that we would have to pay similar amount else we will not be allowed to hold the meeting. We decided to hold the meeting anyway and they had information regarding the same but didn’t give us permission. ”

Amit Tanwar, Delhi University Student Union’s [DUSU] president and an ABVP member, denied the charges against his party and said, “We held a peaceful protest for over two hours while they held the meeting. We never started the scuffle, it was only when they attacked our party members that we reacted. My own arm got badly injured when AISA activists hurled something in my direction.”

He added, “We protested as this is an organization that supported a rapist. They began using indecent language and three of our female supporters got badly injured. We stepped in to defend them. I would also like to clarify that AISA had no permission available to hold the meeting and that the entire assembly had illegally occupied the grounds.”

The Dean of Students Welfare DU, J M Khurana was contacted for a statement. He refused to answer any questions about the incident and said, “I have nothing to say on this matter”. He has been unreachable since then.

Last year, ABVP members led by then DUSU joint secretary Ashutosh Mathur had tried to ban Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College’s drama society Ankur for performing a play “Welcome to the Machine”, which they claimed portrayed Hindus in a bad light. In Kirori Mal College, ABVP members had halted the screening of the documentary, “Muzaffarnagar Abhi Baki Ha”, which suggested that Muzzafarnagar riots were a planned event by Hindutva organisations.

More recently, at the memorial service held for Pradeep Tanwar, Amit’s brother, friends of the DUSU president could seen posing with guns and rifles inside the DUSU office. No action was initiated against them even though the photographs were proudly displayed on social media.

The attitude of Students Welfare at DU, shows lax attitude regarding an incident that has brought up serious charges against the ruling student organisation and whether they will allow any political space for counter-voices to be raised. It also question whether the students and teachers belonging to the university can be denied space to hold peaceful gatherings in common public areas of the university.