Kanhaiya's Speech Electrifies the Nation

Rarely in politics, can we identify an inflection point when it happens. We all witnessed it yesterday, when Kanhaiya Kumar, emerging from his 3-week ordeal, cast his magnetic spell on all of us. Truly, a new star was born last night.

The 28-year President of the JNU Students Union spoke to the students after his release, telecast live by most of the TV stations in the country. With his hour-long speech, laced with impish humour, witty digs at the Prime Minister, the Home Minister and other bigwigs in the BJP, and occasional oratorial flourishes, he completely shattered the narrative that the Government and the Sangh had tried so hard to build in the last few weeks. The issue, as Kanhaiya said, is not what is nationalism or anti-nationalism, but what kind of nation we want to build.

Kanhaiya explained that the Modi government has failed on all counts; that is why it is diverting the attention of the people from their failures and searching for bogus issues; that is why the attack on JNU.

Yes, he reiterated, we want Azaadi, not from India, but in India, Azaadi from looters, hunger, casteism, Manuvaad, capitalism, and a myriad other ills that are besetting us.

Kanhaiya said that we are with the soldiers who guard our borders, but also with their brothers and fathers who are farmers and are being forced to commit suicide. We support our soldiers, but oppose those who are dividing countries and making us fight.

It was a virtuoso performance. More so, as he has been attacked relentlessly for the last 3 weeks by the media, physically assaulted by black-coated goons in court premises, given death threats, and had even the Home and the Education Minister of the country condemn not only him but his entire university. He connected the struggles in JNU (or by JNU students) to the larger issues facing the country. It was not a fight -- as certain sections of the media tried to portray – of an elite University, cut off from the people, discussing esoteric issues regarding nationalism, freedom of speech etc., but how each of these issues relate to all of us. And he did it with simplicity, wit and a political maturity far beyond his years.

For me, what was also remarkable was that the last 3-week ordeal has not broken his spirit or made him bitter. It seems to have only steeled his resolve to carry the fight to those who have dared to destroy him and his institution through lies, doctored videos and a desperate search in the dustbins of JNU for condoms.

The BJP, under Modi and Amit Shah, is rapidly being reduced to a one-agenda party. It talks of development, but its single-minded focus is to rouse hatred and divide the people. What its leaders repeat in various speeches – and these are ministers in the government – is amplified by rumours and in the social media. There are no arguments, only hatred, violent abuses, and an attempt to silence all those oppose their poisonous ideology. The more they are isolated, the greater the anger and hatred.

Kanhaiya's speech is a water-shed moment. Make no mistake. This will be remembered as the final over-reach of this Government that starts its downfall. It cannot stop the entire state of Haryana, right at the border of Delhi, being held to ransom by one community, the Jats, it wants us to forget its promises (election jumlas as per Amit Shah, the BJP President) and then decides to go after a university that has only 8,000 students. After Bihar, they perhaps thought that it is a small enough to be overwhelmed by its brute numbers, its control over the Delhi police and its supporters in the media. If that was not enough, doctored videos, and black-coated goons could be used to aid the cause of “justice”.

The Home Minister has no time for monitoring his beat – law and order in the country. The Finance Minister, on the eve of the budget, has no time for the economy. The Education Minister has no time for education, either higher or lower. They all have time for destroying one small university, located in Delhi. This is what finally Sab ka Saath, Sab ka Vikas has come to.

The Jawaharlal Nehru University students had a glorious record during Mrs. Gandhi's Emergency. The campus was raided by the police, and students arrested. And kidnapped in broad day-light. The resistance never weakened, it continued for the entire 19 months of the Emergency.

The Hyderabad Central University and Jawaharlal Nehru University have raised the banner of revolt or Azaadi. This time it is Azaadi from those who seek to enslave us again; from those who would take us back by a 1,000 years; to the slavery by the few of the majority.

Kanhaiya's speech is a harbinger of this Azaadi.

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are the author's personal views, and do not necessarily represent the views of Newsclick