Youth is the time for resolving the conflict of identity formation, the years when the individual must go through identity crises in search for their true identity expression. Life experiences have still not filtered through these young minds. This naivety gives youth the opportunity to view life either as black or white. Their life is filled with passion, bright ideas and courage. They believe and hope to do amazing things with their life for the betterment of society. They believe they can do everything that will change the world and make it a better place, where equality prevails. When such idealism demands justice for inequality, freedom from tyranny it is obvious that they are not speaking anti national slogans but instead are demanding for a needed change of an evolved society which will be their future.
Idealism in youth is the corner stone for a society to become better. They in fact are the conscience of society’s feudalism. Youth organizations have always been crucial for this expression of idealism in young people. Never in history have young people shown a greater interest in those disadvantaged by poverty, starvation and inequality. However more importantly today young people is do something about it by sleeping rough to draw attention to a cause, being part of agitations that support inequality.
It is exactly this testament to the power of youth organizations that totalitarian regimes have always targeted them first in their push for power. It is thus crucial to see what happened in the case of Kanhaiya Kumar’s arrest which has become a much debated political controversy in India today.
Kanhaiya Kumar is a student leader of the All India Students Federation (AISF), the student wing of the Communist Party of India (CPI). This young Ph D scholar is being accused under IPC Sections 124-A (sedition) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) over an event organised by some students at the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus. It was being alleged that at this meeting slogans were being shouted against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. The following complaint was filed by BJP Member of parliament Maheish Girri and ABVP (the student’s wing of the BJP).
Recent evidence suggest that the tapes and video recordings doing the rounds on the social media and a few news channels, which were responsible for his arrest are fake and have been fabricated. Kanhaiya Kumar himself has gone on record to state “I dissociate myself from the slogans which were shouted in the event. I have full faith in the Constitution of the country and I always say that Kashmir is an integral part of India”.
On February 15, when Kanhaiya Kumar was brought to the Patyala House court, violence broke out and JNU teachers, students and the journalists present there were attacked by some hooligans supposedly dressed up as lawyers in the presence of police. Kanhaiya Kumar was on February 17, again reportedly beaten up by some lawyers inside the Patiala House court. What is disturbing about the incidences is that this happened in a place where a person under trail should have been protected.
There are two things that stand out here. One that speaks of the level of intolerance that is slowly creating a divide between them and us; and the other, that potential revolutionist are being carefully taught a lesson in a presence of systems that is supposedly kept in place to protect our democratic right for justice.
History in school fuelled us all with an admiration for heroes of the past and a desire to see the country reunited. In such light, we should think of dialogues that could influence the thought process of our youth. Instead acts of violence and power to ensure that the young too walk the line is what seems to govern the day. Is this the way that we are systematically trying to silence the voices of the next generation of our country? Is this what we want democracy to signify to our youth?
Caught between the fires of political dissent, these youth are becoming the symbol of a much needed revolution in India today. If the violence against the JNU students, teachers and journalist do get condoned then as citizens of a democratic nation we need to worry. Forensic reports state that the evidence of the slogans were faked. These youth were instead talking about justice. Their slogans were simple and straightforward. They want freedom from casteism, freedom form Brahmanism, freedom from RSS, freedom from inequality and injustice.
Why should such slogan shouting be considered sedition? Youth are the future of this country. We are sending a signal to all those in power that they can get away through systematically muzzling the fire that fuels change and idealism. Creating divide gives better control and power. The question that arises is can we ignore these signs of dictatorship and let our democracy be at stake. In a democratic nation can we have such lash outs? The system that was meant to protect these youth form their freedom of expression is being used to ruffle them up and teach them a lesson. India’s democracy is going through an identity crisis and it’s important that we become a part of her resolution.
Dr Aldina Braganza e Gomes is a clinical psychologist, psychotherapist and associate professor, HOD, Dept of Psychology Carmel College
