Dearest Love

I was depressed just a few weeks before, but that was rather personal, distance from you and then this whole censorship on campus came. I just wrote a letter, that’s it, my intentions were clear and this mud sliding on that website. I fear these days in this country, I look around and feel a soft fascism is crawling to us. Today on campus something else happened, a group called forum against war on people organized a evening of songs and a play, these people are against Operation Green Hunt, which are their views. 2days back Maoist killed 76 army personal. I am always against violence; I never supported radical, violent movements. I don’t support Naxalism. So this group was singing at Kaveri Dhaba and ABVP (BJP Student wing) was raising slogans that were very good different opinions were together. But then the NSUI (congress) came in and they also joined ABVP. Then the problem began, groups were countering , then stampede started people were running beating slightly each other, campus security managed the thing in a proficient way, police came and the arguments , “ he is anti state, he is traitor etc etc..”

It really disturbs me when I see people here being so intolerant. Frankly I don’t have an opinion on this Green Hunt (as I don’t have any 1^st hand experience, neither I studied much about it) govt. says they are combating Maoists who had been killing people. Its fine I support peace. But then some intellectuals had been saying that Govt. wants to capture those forests, tribal areas where there are minerals and other things for corporate (though those intellectuals are speechless on those killings, as every1 is asking them can you support this killing?). I don’t support killings by Maoist; I condemn it in strongest words. But why people are told to shut up when they ask questions on policies for tribal, when they raise doubts on the motives of this Green Hunt. Now if someone asks questions he is called Maoist. I am not Maoist neither a Naxal supporter but why I can’t have questions on freedom of speech, why I can’t demand answers on the doubts on the motives of the Green Hunt. I have questions on policies regarding Higher education, Right to education, inflation. This killing incident by Maoist seems to as 9/11 of India where all the other issues will be gone and this would the only issue, and if you are not with the govt. you are against them, you are a Maoist. I really fear it. If you ask anything on the policies you are against the nation, you are a traitor. This country is not debating on freedom of speech (as people all over having different views are picked up by the police), nor on Right to education, nor why delhites should pay extra taxes for commonwealth games, not the govt.’s steps to control inflation (just recall post 9/11 USA where questioning Afghanistan policy was moral crime, at least that’s what Bush said “who is not with us are against us). I see this intolerance on ideas right here in JNU which was known for its plurality of Ideas. Aren’t Universities the place where we can listen to all the ideas and decide what we want to believe in. why welfare state is being fatherly (feudal) state where they will decide what to be done for the welfare and common man shouldn’t think about these things. I remember Joseph Brodsky, a Russian poet who was jailed for raising questions against “Mother Russia”, and all those poets ,painters and artists, intellectuals who were jailed or had to take refuge in other countries because they asked questions. Voltaire said once, “I know what you are saying is wrong but I can sacrifice myself to get you the right to speak whatever you want”. These things come and leave me depressed every night.

JNU is dying slowly ………….

Love you and miss you

ViveK

April 2010