Since the last week Delhi University’s North Campus has witnessed a series of turbulent events and clashes amongst the students and the ABVP over the calling of Umar Khalid in Ramjas college for a seminar.
This Monday on 27th February 2017 ABVP (Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad) held a ”Tiranga March” from Ramjas College shouting slogans like ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ & ‘Vande Matram’. Also, Rashtrawadi Shikshak Sangh protested at the Arts Faculty against the left supporting university professors.
Trotest was organised by ABVP and Ramjas College Student Union along with the support of Ramjas College common students. It was a peaceful protest which started from Ramjas College at 12:30 PM. DUSU members were present along with some senior students leaders of ABVP. Protesting students marched till Arts Faculty along with 200 ft long Indian flag.
“Every one in this nation has the right to expression but hate speech is not free speech. Umar khalid has no academic credentials which make him eligible to speak in a seminar.How can you invite someone who has got sedition charges upon him.What AISA people are saying that seminar was on tribal areas but come on everyone knows that in all seminars the speakers don’t remain confined to the topic.They would have surely done in the seminar what they ultimately did which was chanting anti national slogans.” said Dhruv Dev Chauhan,a Ramjas College student and an ABVP Member.
Conflict started on 21st February 2017 when Umar Khalid was invited in a seminar in DU’s Ramjas College.The ruckus between the ABVP,AISA supporters and students of Delhi University resulted in lathi charge on students by Delhi Police in which many students were severely injured and some sent to jail alongwith some professors.
This recent incident has highlighted the question of how far in practice we are able to exercise our right to freedom to speak and present our views. The rights of liberty and freedom to express have been limited to papers by those who are in power and the ones who get supported by them. The education institutions that should serve the platform for students to share their opinions freely without fear and any political involvement are now becoming the centres used for targeting them and how have incidents like these have tried snatching away the basic right of freedom to expression given to us by the Constitution itself.
