CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat has accused the Centre of trying to push a model of “unquestioning obedience” on campuses, also seeing in the Hyderabad controversy evidence of its “anti-Dalit, anti-poor mindset.”
“The BJP-RSS believes in the guru sishya model of unquestioning obedience. But Eklavya today wants the space to think and to decide. Hyderabad also showed up the anti-Dalit, anti-poor mindset of the government which was instrumental in the indefensible attack on Dalit students leading to the institutional murder of Rohith Vemula,” Ms. Karat told The Hindu in an interview.
“Campuses are supposed to promote questioning minds; the RSS wants to promote the shakha mind. The clash is of ideas and policies. The RSS cannot win in debates so it uses the state now that the BJP is in power to tame the universities.”
Ms. Karat insisted that there was nothing “seditious” about the Jawaharlal Nehru University event that led to sedition charges against some students, while underlining that her party did not support the slogans reportedly raised after the discussion on Parliament attack accused Afzal Guru’s execution. “There is nothing seditious about the event, even though as a party we totally disagree with the theory of right to self-determination in the context of Kashmir. A university campus is surely a place where such issues are discussed. As far as some of the slogans are concerned, it is proved without any doubt that those were not at all linked to any of the JNU student organisations or students. It is entirely fabricated,” she said.
“In fact, the Delhi police which is under the Central government has not been able to produce a shred of evidence against any of those who were arrested. The BJP-RSS has certainly tried to use the JNU developments to launch its agenda of RSS brand of nationalism and to attack the Left.”
Full text of the interview:
What are going to be your main poll issues in Bengal, which you once ruled for decades but have lost in the last polls?
Restoration of Democracy and secular values, security for women, people-centric development, including jobs, and an end to corruption. The last five years have revealed the nature of the poriborton ushered in by the TMC.. An all-out assault on minimum democratic rights through the promotion of an unprecedented use of criminals against all political opposition. But once you give criminals a license backed by the police and administration then it is bound to be and is being used against citizens. Extortions, corrupt syndicates, hooliganism are routine features today. Women have become particularly vulnerable to sexual assault in Bengal today, which used to be one of the safest States for women.
Do you think parting with the Congress in 2008 over the nuclear deal was a mistake, given the BJP's dramatic rise within years?
On the contrary, the entire responsibility for that lies with the Congress and its leadership who preferred to please US interests at the time rather than stay within the framework of the common minimum programme.
What are your views on the JNU event over Afzal Guru and the sedition case that followed? Do you think the government has tried to target the left at a time when Bengal and Kerala prepare for polls? Do you think the AISF, the student wing of the CPI, must not be clubbed with the far left groups?
There is nothing seditious about the event, even though as a Party we totally disagree with the theory of right to self determination in the context of Kashmir. A university campus is surely a place where such issues are discussed. As far as some of the slogans are concerned it is proved without any doubt that those were not at all linked to any of the JNU student organisations or students. It is entirely fabricated. In fact the Delhi police which is under the Central Government has not been able to produce a shred of evidence against any of those who were arrested. The BJP-RSS has certainly tried to use the JNU developments to launch its agenda of RSS brand of nationalism and to attack the Left. This is an ongoing struggle because the Hindutva forces know that the Left will continue to fight and counter their lies, and never compromise on the issue of secularism and the constitutional guarantees for democracy and civil liberties.
Do you think a larger "secular unity" -- on the grounds of Bihar's Mahagathbandhan, which, incidentally, the left had not joined -- is the need of the hour in India to offer strong opposition to the Modi government? Should all secular parties try to forge either alliances or an electoral understanding?
Secularism cannot and should not be reduced to party-based electoral alliances. In our Party Congress and plenum, we have emphasized the building of a broader platform of left and democratic forces, including social movements, intellectuals, individuals in mobilisations. It is India's people we have to work with and draw into wider movements. At the same time we have to link such struggles with the bread and butter issues of common people. The ruling BJP-RSS regime seeks to divert attention from its utter failure to deliver on its promises by its campaign on communally divisive agendas.
Opinion polls say the Left is ahead in Kerala. What have been the main failings of the UDF government there?
I can't comment on polls, but our reports from the ground are that people are fed up with the corruption and utter lack of policy direction and vision of the UDF. The LDF has a vision for the development of Kerala which we are taking to the people with a positive response. We hope with people's support to form the Government.
Do you sense an attack on prime educational institutions, from Hyderabad to JNU? Why is it so?
BJP- RSS believes in the guru sishya model of unquestioning obedience. But Eklavya today wants the space to think and to decide. Hyderabad also showed up the anti-Dalit, anti-poor mindset of the Government which was instrumental in the indefensible attack on Dalit students leading to the institutional murder of Rohith Vemula. Campuses are supposed to promote questioning minds; the RSS wants to promote the shakha mind. The clash is of ideas and policies. The RSS cannot win in debates so it uses the State now that the BJP is in power to tame the universities. The shame of the notice to Shreya Bhattacharya of Jharkhand university also has an element of absurdity since the so-called mentor of the anti-nationals has the opposite view! But it shows the authoritarian mindset of the BJP that such a thing could happen at all.
Why have the left parties electorally failed outside some pockets despite taking a pro-poor stand in a country that has seen high malnourishment among children, farmers' suicides and the like? What should the left parties do to take their message more effectively to their constituency?
We have worked out our strategy in the last Party Congress after a detailed review.
The left student movement is taking up Dalit issues more obviously now, with Dr. Ambedkar acquiring greater centrality in its discourse in the last few years. Do you think the left was late in addressing caste? Does caste politics stand the danger of becoming another identity politics with an Other to target?
I don't think that is a charge which can be accepted. Take the case of JNU. It was the Left student organisations which fought for and achieved one of the most pro-Dalit, pro-tribal, pro-poor, pro-women admission policieis any university in the country can hope to achieve. In Delhi university it was the Lef-led DUTA which fought for the right to reservation in faculties. In most universities the Left has been in the forefront of such agitations. We have in several places good relations and alliances with Dalit student organisations as in Hyderabad. We do certainly have our differences but I believe that particularly now in the context of the all-out BJP-RSS assault on universities. This is a time to work out common programmes to eliminate institutionalised caste prejudice reflected in policy. It's a time to identify issues on which we can work together and build those platforms. I think this in any case is the general direction decided on by the Left student organisations.
