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Baba Ramdev JNU ban: Logic betrayed?

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Roshni Chakrabarty
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By Roshni Chakrabarty

The Jawaharlal Nehru University’s invitation to yoga guru Ramdev to address the 22nd edition of the International Congress of Vedanta as the keynote speaker was met with protests from the students, who believed that Ramdev didn’t have the credibility required for a keynote speaker.

“It does not befit the stature of an academic institution like JNU to have persons with such a questionable and shameful background to address an academic gathering,” said Shehla Rashid Shora, the vice president of JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU).

Students from JNU, known for its strong student politics called the move a “silent Right-wing onslaught” and asked for a withdrawal of the invitation, failing which the University officials would have to face protests.

In the Twitter debate that almost immediately flared, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy said that the JNU, which was central government funded, should not take “fascist and stupid arguments” into consideration.

JNU’s ‘leftist idelology’ also took a hit from other Twitter users.

https://twitter.com/singh15_j/status/681683849063993344

The students claim that JNU cannot stand beside Baba Ramdev’s regressive ideology and opposed him addressing the lecture on the grounds that he is not an academician or a professor.

“The person in question harbours extreme hatred, bias and prejudice against various minorities — religious, gender and sexual minorities, and also against girl-child,” Shora stated, saying that this invitation would take JNU “several steps back.”

“His views on Indian science are not academically driven, but deeply ideologically grounded in a regressive and hegemonic understanding of what constitutes the ‘Vedic’ way of life. If anything, his views are anti-scientific,” another student said.

Does JNU students’ protest represent Lack of tolerance to debate?

However, according to Hindu tradition and philosophy, one’s merits are not judged by the certificates one holds, but rather by ones in-depth knowledge of the scriptures. In this light, Ramdev may well be asked to be present in the Vedanta conference on account of his knowledge on the subject.

In a statement to the Indian Express in late October this year, Baba Ramdev said the Union government would soon set up a Vaidik Education Board on the lines of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), and claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was “in agreement” for the same.

He stressed on the need for a “shiksha kranti” (revolution in education) and an indigenisation of education. He went on to speak of his aim to establish “700 gurukulam and acharyakulam all over the nation.”

“The board will be set up on the lines of the CBSE and Sanskrit will be compulsory from nursery to class 12,” Ramdev said. “We will teach Vedas, Upanishads, Ramayana and Mahabharat and the entire Vedic education and Ayurveda. The coursework will be modern but will be indigenised.”

Ramdev’s schools would follow the model established by ‘Acharyakulam,’ a Haridwar school run by him, which was inaugurated in April 2013 by PM Modi.

The prospectus of Acharyakulam claims that children “generally” gain “one percent” enlightenment every year, and adds that “with the help of intellectual efforts we can develop this enlightenment physically, intellectually and spiritually by one to ten percent.”

Acharyakulam routine
source: scroll.in

While advocating the intake of “sattvik” vegetarian food, and a dress sense “based on Bharatiya parampara,” the school’s rule-book also states that all general utility items should be sourced from Indian manufacturers.

“We make a blend of eastern and western schools of thought,” said a school official.

“The students learn modernity through science, English, and grammar but they also need to know about the glorious past and our ideals which are missing in Bharat’s leaders today.”

This clearly establishes Ramdev’s bent of mind regarding Vedic values and a “swadeshi” education system, a discourse of which would only add to the Vedanta conference at JNU. The ‘ban’ being advocated ironically shows the intolerance amongst the masses and also finds ample number of supporters in the ensuing Twitter debate.

(image source: merinews.com)

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Brutal media, the beloved minority, and the tortured majority

The media has changed its sphere of projecting people who are national and the anti-national elements are tragically boasted for their deeds

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NewsGram Desk
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This glaring aberration in the world of media is visible as clearly as stars in the darkness of the night.
India is plagued with a disease called Rape. Wikimedia Commons

I’m afraid, it’s quite clear that the ferocious jaws of the media and the fierce claws of the minority are well up to the annihilation of the whole civilization of the Indian subcontinent. Wake up, wake up from your slumber! The “secularism” is a sharp-edged dagger handed over to you to cut your own root.

– SALIL GEWALI, Shillong

If something that really makes one look at certain reputed media with the eyes of suspicion then it is for their blatant play of double standards. The double standard itself is disgusting. The integrity of the service is greatly compromised here. When such unethical trick is played at the cost of humanity then the consequences could be very disastrous. This could steadily push the society into the sea of frustration. Thereafter the social anarchy.

This glaring aberration in the world of media is visible as clearly as stars in the darkness of the night. Those who are suffering from a varying degree of mental glaucoma may fail to see it.

Have we not witnessed that media fraternity often sets off the alarm bells when the victims of the crime instances are from a “particular community” but it maintains a “brutal silence” when the perpetrators are those it considers minority or Muslim? Yes, the particular minority are eternally beloved, so they are blameless. Even the traitorous terror-makers from the minority are unblemished to such media folks and a major group of columnists associated with the media. That’s why such elite media and its associates zealously stand up to sympathise with terror-sponsored stone-palters in Kashmir, a bunch of secessionists in the academia and so on and so forth.

Also Read: ‘Don’t Sensationalize or Glamorize Suicide’ Asserts WHO ; Says Media Can Play a Significant Role in Preventing Suicides

No wonder if one who sings ‘Vande Mataram’ then he certainly stands to lose the support base of such media, no matter how influential he is, no matter how dedicated and truthful he is. So, I humbly advise any active citizens, particularly those who want to serve the country, not to utter this jingoistic phrase when alone. Better not at all. On the other hand, if you roar – ‘Bharat ke tukde tukde’ or ‘Pakistan Zindabad’, which are heard more aggressively and more frequently these days, then all defensive forces become hyperactive to safeguard you. These subversive activities by any brats will be soon celebrated and interpreted as a part of the fundamental right, that is ‘freedom of expression’. Have we not noticed in Kashmir where CRPF or other security personnel receiving humiliating bashings, the video clips of which often go around on WhatsApp, from the local? And in case the bold security persons retaliate then those elites from their armchairs thunder that the democracy in the country is under threat? The majority are attacking the minority, blah, blah, blah..!

Elite media and its associates zealously stand up to sympathise with terror-sponsored stone-palters in Kashmir.
Elite media and its associates zealously stand up to sympathise with terror-sponsored stone-palters in Kashmir. Wikimedia Commons

I believe everyone knows how certain so-called student leaders often openly incite their unruly crowds at JNU and other academic institutes. But when the questions of sedition are raised against them then the media comes forward to denounce the government. Mr Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya, Shehla Rashid Shora, Mr Jignesh Mewani… are lovable sweeties to those intellectuals because their treacherous adventures make them more cheery and lustier. Each anti-nationalist “scream” by these jerks never get wasted. It is systematically used to degrade the nation, demean the culture and denigrated the religion.

Till some years back college ruffians were nonentities but now they are held all of a sudden as leaders and opinion makers. These dangerous creatures are applauded and discreetly advised how best to go about. Many national political leaders as well jump to embrace and defend these troublemakers. But, on the other hand, the same warmth, attachment, and love are not at all showered upon any patriots by any mainstream media. So, citizens who want to sincerely endeavour to bring peace in the country are not at all given any platform, nor encouraged. Rather, the nation’s lovers are intensely scoffed at. They are non-existent, nay subhuman, to the pseudo-secularists. Of course, those people, often branded as ‘bhakts’, are aptly dragged only to paint them with bad colours.

Also Read: Fuelling propaganda: Has the modern media lost its sense of objectivity?

This Republic day brought a great grief to many. A 22 years old student – Chandan Gupta of Kasganj, UP, was heartlessly murdered. His crime is his participation in the ‘tiranga yatra’ singing Vande Mataram. No noticeable outcry of condemnation from any influential elites. Again, Ankit Saxena, a photographer who loved a Muslim girl, was attacked, and girl’s relatives silt his throat in cold blood. Most of the media carried the news as “honour” killing as if it was in some way justified. What would have happened if the same heinous crime was perpetrated by the majority? It would have been Dadri-2. In another monstrous incident, a BJP party worker Mr Santosh was stabbed to death in Karnataka. The killing of patriots is too frequent in Kerala. But no ‘award wapsi gang’ gets ever freaked out at the news …!

Such brutal attacks upon the majority are a very regular phenomenon. But what is “very less known” to the whole general public is that over 95% of such gruesome attacks, and also various kinds of sexual atrocities upon females of the majority, are “not at all reported”. Only those which can’t be suppressed get published. But they usually die down well before the dead bodies begin to rot. Well, no scream of criticism, no alarm of “intolerance” is ever raised by any over-conscious citizens when the people from the majority are killed. No media panel discussion ever called in otherwise cases. Nor even the condemnation of the “onslaught on the humanity” ever heard.

Kanhaiya-Kumar was responsible for openly inciting unruly crowds at JNU.
Kanhaiya-Kumar was responsible for openly inciting unruly crowds at JNU. Wikimedia Commons

Well, had there not been a double standard in reporting the attacks on the “humanity”, if ever the ‘freedom of expression’ is truly valued, such barbaric perpetrators, no matter which community they are from, would not have at all reared their ugly heads. Is it not probable in near future that those beloved villains might “double-cross” and pose continuous threats that would toll the death nail for the double-tongued journalism, apart from the majority! The prelude to that situation is double clear now than ever before.

Also Read: Macaulay’s harrowing effect on Indian media

Lastly, please note, none of the horrendous crimes by the particular community ever become a “Dadri” — the stench of which is still being felt by our depraved columnists. Is this not a part of the grandiose scheme? The situation is dangerously ominous! I’m afraid, it’s quite clear that the ferocious jaws of the media and the fierce claws of the minority are well up to the annihilation of the whole civilisation of the Indian subcontinent. Wake up, wake up from your slumber! The “secularism” is a sharp-edged dagger handed over to you to cut your own root. This is a bitter truth nobody can refute!

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