Masked Madness

If the images, videos and details of masked goons storming in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) with sticks and rods, beating students, teachers and staff, and then walking out fearlessly are scary, the police and administration’s inaction is shocking and outrageous. How can institutions in a democratic country tolerate such a naked use of muscle power against students and teachers? The images of the attack will keep giving nightmare to those who want India to become a true democracy where even the most feeble voices are heard.

On January 5, several masked goons entered JNU with sticks and rods and brutally beat up students and teachers. They entered the hostels and attacked students who were in their rooms. As per reports, 35 students and teachers were injured, including JNU Student Union president Aishe Ghosh. The mayhem continued for three hours with police stationed outside the campus watching.

The role of police and university administration is under scrutiny. Why the administration did not allow police to enter campus, given students’ security was at stake? Isn’t it the responsibility of the administration to protect students? Why didn’t the police nab the attackers while they were walking out of the campus? Why the police could not arrest even a single person after two weeks? To whom are the police and the university administration protecting? Why the central government is not pulling up Delhi police and JNU administration? Impartial investigation, and not claims and counterclaims on social media will find out who were behind the masks, and on whose direction did they carry out the attack.

Much larger and troubling questions, however, must be asked to the society- to ourselves. Why is the society not condemning the violence against helpless teachers and students in one voice? What is their fault? And if they have done any mistake, what is this way of doing justice? Are our political affiliations more important than individual lives? Why isn’t the society putting pressure on the authorities for an impartial investigation into the masked madness? If students are not safe in the universities, where are they safe? What’s wrong if students comment on political matters, support or oppose any political party or ideology? If a society views unarmed, physically less powerful, helpless people as soft targets, that society cannot even be called civilized society, let alone democratic. If we want a healthy society and aspire to climb great heights of democracy, we need to demonize violent elements of the society, regardless of their political affiliation.