Police action on students campaigning for poll boycott 'assault on dissent'

Counterview Desk
The civil rights network* Campaign Against State Repression (CASR), has said that the police action against members of the Bhagat Singh Chhatra Ekta Manch (bsCEM) in Delhi University (DU) campus for putting up wall paintings asking people to boycott elections is an assault on democratic right of citizens to express their view.

CASR said, "The ABVP also put up posters and wallpapers across the DU campus space. These wall paintings and posters stuck by the ABVP contain slogans that are outrightly Islamophobic." Noting that no action was taken against ABVP, it wondered, why this double standard.

Text:
Students from Bhagat Singh Chhatra Ekta Manch (bsCEM) did their wall-painting campaign on 24th of May. They have propagated the idea of election boycott through these wall paintings. The Delhi University (DU) administration joined together with ABVP, the student organization of RSS, to lodge a complaint against these students.

The police lodged an FIR on these students under the defacement act. Baadal, the President of bsCEM, and Uthara, another member of bsCEM, was taken away by the police while their exams were going on. The police picked them up from Delhi school of journalism, the college were these two students are pursuing their education in.

Later, Dev and Gourav, two other students affiliated with bsCEM, were also picked up by the police. These students were abducted by policemen in plain clothes and were kept in the police station in the name of questioning for six to seven hours.

Later, they were released by the police forces, but only after student organizations assembled outside the police station for the release of these individuals. They were also asked to arrive at the police station, on a later date, for ‘further questioning’.
The right to boycott elections is a democratic right of each citizen of the country, just like how each citizen of the country has a democratic right to vote. Residence Welfare Associations in Noida, sector 46 and sector 75, and sector 2 of Greater Noida have decided to boycott elections until their registries are done.

This call for an election boycott has happened in a situation where 58% of the country has expressed their distrust in the election process and the EVM machines according to a recent survey. The attack by the ABVP and right wing forces on bsCEM for propagating election boycott is therefore, an attack on the democratic rights of these students, and an attack on their freedom of expression.

The DU administration and the police officials have also taken part in this repression of their democratic rights. The ABVP has also put up posters and wallpapers across the DU campus space. These wall paintings and posters stuck by the ABVP contain slogans that are outrightly Islamophobic. Other student organizations have also done postering and wall-painting in the walls of DU.

The Islamophobic slogans of ABVP, put up on DU walls, which can incite riots, did not face any action

Although this has been the case, the DU administration filed a complaint, and the police lodged the FIR only on these students who campaigned for election boycott. Therefore, it's clear that it's a targeted attack on these students for propagating a particular stance. The Islamophobic slogans of ABVP, which can incite riots, did not face any action.

The steps taken by the police also reflect this attack on dissent. For charges that lead to a fine of about Rs 500, these students were abducted by the state forces and kept in police custody for 6-7 hours in the name of questioning. Two of these students were in the midst of their exams when they were abducted by the state forces.

These disproportionate steps taken in the name of investigation are for intimidation of the students. They have been asked to come back on a later date, and this clearly shows that the police want to further intimidate students. The police, the university and ABVP are playing the role of a seamless machine, which efficiently oppresses the students.

This is happening in a time when the state is using tools like the administrations of the universities and the police force to crush dissent within the campus space, and to ensure the complete saffronisation of the education sector under policies such as the New Education Policy. The police are serving the interests of the fascist state, and curbing the right to democratically dissent and the right to freedom of speech that these students have.

CASR strongly condemns this attack on the democratic right of the students and demands the revoking of this FIR on bsCEM and an end to this intimidatory tactics of the police in the name of Investigation.
---
*AIRSO,AISA, AISF, APCR, BASF, BSM, Bhim Army, bsCEM, CEM, CRPP, CTF, , DISSC, DSU, DTF, Forum Against Repression Telangana, Fraternity ,IAPL, Innocence Network, Karnataka Janashakti, LAA,Mazdoor Adhikar Sangathan, Mazdoor Patrika, , NAPM, , Nishant Natya Manch, Nowruz, NTUI, People’s Watch, Rihai Manch, Samajwadi Janparishad,Smajwadi lok manch, Bahujan Samjavadi Mnach, SFI, United Against Hate, United Peace Alliance, WSS,Y4S

Comments

70,000 migrants, sold on Canadian dream, face uncertain future: Canada reinvents the xenophobic wheel

By Saurav Sarkar* Bikram Singh is running out of time on his post-study work visa in Canada. Singh is one of about 70,000 migrants who were sold on the Canadian dream of eventually making the country their home but now face an uncertain future with their work permits set to expire by December 2024. They came from places like India, China, and the Philippines, and sold their land and belongings in their home countries, took out loans, or made other enormous commitments to get themselves to Canada.

Kerala government data implicates the Covid vaccines for excess deaths

By Bhaskaran Raman* On 03 Dec 2024, Mr Unnikrishnan of the Indian Express had written an article titled: “Kerala govt data busts vaccine death myth; no rise in mortality post-Covid”. It claims “no significant change in the death rate in the 35-44 age group between 2019 and 2023”. However, the claim is obviously wrong, even to a casual observer, as per the same data which the article presents, as explained below.

PM-JUGA: Support to states and gram sabhas for the FRA implementation and preparation and execution of CFR management plan

By Dr. Manohar Chauhan* (Over the period, under 275(1), Ministry of Tribal Affairs has provided fund to the states for FRA implementation. Besides, some states like Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra allocated special fund for FRA implementation. Now PM-JUDA under “Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan(DAJGUA) lunched by Prime Minister on 2nd October 2024 will not only be the major source of funding from MoTA to the States/UTs, but also will be the major support to the Gram sabha for the preparation and execution of CFR management Plan).

Defeat of martial law: Has the decisive moment for change come in South Korea?

By Steven Lee Late at night on December 3, soldiers stormed into South Korea’s National Assembly in armored vehicles and combat helicopters. Assembly staff desperately blocked their assault with fire extinguishers and barricades. South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol had just declared martial law to “ eliminate ‘anti-state’ forces .”

Operation Kagar represents Indian state's intensified attempt to extinguish Maoism: Resistance continues

By Harsh Thakor Operation Kagar represents the Indian state's intensified attempt to extinguish Maoism, which claims to embody the struggles and aspirations of Adivasis. Criminalized by the state, the Maoists have been portrayed as a threat, with Operation Kagar deploying strategies that jeopardize their activities. This operation weaves together economic, cultural, and political motives, allegedly with drone attacks on Adivasi homes.

How Amit Shah's statement on Ambedkar reflects frustration of those uncomfortable with Dalit assertion, empowerment

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* Dr. B.R. Ambedkar remains the liberator and emancipator of India’s oppressed communities. However, attempts to box him between two Brahmanical political parties betray a superficial and self-serving understanding of his legacy. The statement by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the Rajya Sabha was highly objectionable, reflecting the frustration of those uncomfortable with Dalit assertion and empowerment.

Balod tech fest tests students’ interest in innovative ideas in the fields of science, engineering, start-ups

By Our Representative A techno fest scheduled on December 20 and 21 in Balod district of Chhattisgarh will test the innovative ideas of school students in the fields of science, engineering and start-ups. For this two-day fest organised at Maheswari Bhawan of the district, a total of 824 models made by students were initially registered. Out of those, a selection committee chose 200 models from several schools spread over five blocks of Balod. These will be on display on these two days from 10am to 4.30pm. Out of many ideas, one of the most interesting models is a smart glove which can be used by children with impairments and disabilities. For those who cannot speak at all or have speech difficulty, they can ask for help from caregivers by pressing their fingers on the glove after wearing it. This will attract attention.

Local businessman subjected to physical assault, verbal abuse: Demand for accountability, justice

By Kirity Roy* On October 9, 2024, a disturbing incident of harassment and abuse took place in the Swarupnagar Block of North 24 Parganas district, involving a local businessman, Hasanur Gazi, who was subjected to physical assault, verbal abuse, and religious discrimination by a Border Security Force (BSF) constable. The incident, which occurred at the Hakimpur Checkpost, has raised serious concerns about the safety and dignity of citizens living in border areas, especially those belonging to religious minorities.

Affable but arrogant, embodying contradictions, Raj Kapoor's legacy will endure as long as Bollywood exists

By Harsh Thakor* December 14 marks the birth centenary of Raj Kapoor, a filmmaker and visionary who revolutionized Bollywood, elevating it to new heights by exploring uncharted emotional and social territories. Kapoor wasn’t just a filmmaker; he was a storyteller who touched the souls of the masses and reflected the pulse of post-partition India with unparalleled depth. His films acted as a unifying force in a divided nation, transcending social and cultural boundaries.

Suspicious death of Dalit laborer in BSF custody: A call for justice

By Kirity Roy* The tragic and suspicious death of Mr. Babai Barui, a Dalit daily wage laborer from North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, has raised serious concerns regarding custodial violence and the violation of fundamental rights. Mr. Barui, son of Sukharanjan Barui, resided in Pallishree Sangsad, Bongaon, and was arrested by the Border Security Force (BSF) on November 9, 2024, near the Angrail border on allegations of smuggling. The very next day, he was found dead under mysterious circumstances, with visible injuries that point toward possible custodial violence.

Search This Blog