Monday 26 December 2016

राम राम जी


मुम्बई की शाख़ों से टूटा तो दिल्ली के पुराने दरख़्तों पे पनाह ली, मगर सर पे छत मिल जाना ही काफ़ी नहीं होता, गर्मी ने जब ख़्यालों को उबालना शुरू किया तो सुकून की तलाश में हिमालय की तराई में आकर क़याम किया, लेकिन ऐसा नहीं हुआ कि यहाँ आकर सुकून की तलाश ख़त्म हो गई हो, हाँ मगर उन झमेलों से दूर, कुछ बेहतर है  | नेपाल से नज़दीक मगर हिन्दुस्तान की सरज़मीन पे बसा है ये छोटा सा गाँव, जहाँ से कुछ दूरी पे श्रावस्ती है, वो जगह जहाँ महात्मा बुद्ध अपनी ज़िन्दगी के दो साल बिताए थे | गाँव की आबादी मिली जुली है, हिन्दू, मुस्लिम और बोद्ध, तीनों मज़हब के लोग एक ही हवा में साँस लेते हैं | अब तक हवा का बँटवारा तो नहीं हुआ है मगर ज़मीन थोड़ी बंटी हुई दिखी कि गाँव के जुनूब और मग़रिब जानिब मुस्लिम बसे हैं और बाक़ी के दो सिम्त में हिन्दू और बोद्ध रहते हैं लेकिन दरगाह पे आपको तिलक और टोपी वालों में फ़र्क़ नज़र नहीं आएगा | 
मैं गुप्ता जी के दालान पे बैठा खाने का इंतज़ार कर रहा था कि तभी एक नौजवान टोपी पहने, चेहरे पे हल्की हल्की दाढ़ी और घुटनों तक लम्बा कुरता पहने मेरे क़रीब आकर बोला “राम-राम जी” और गुप्ता जी के घर के अन्दर दाख़िल हो गया | मैंने जवाब में राम-राम बड़ी आसानी और ख़ुश मिज़ाजी से बोल तो दिया था मगर ज़हन से निकल कर अजीबों ग़रीब क़िस्म के सवालात दिमाग पे हमला करने लगे लेकिन मेरा दिमाग़ भी इतना कमज़ोर न था कि उन सवालों का बेहतर जवाब न दे सके और इस तरह दिमाग़ और ज़हन के बीच होने वाली जंग की बला टली | इस हमले से थोड़ा थका हुआ दिमाग़ खाने के बर्तन पे आकर आराम करने ही वाला था कि दालान से नजर आ रही सामने वाली दीवार पे लिखा एक जुमला “गो हत्यारों को फाँसी दो” ने फिर से जंग का बिगुल बजा दिया था | इस बार मेरा दिमाग़ थोड़ा कमज़ोर पड़ने लगा था कि वो नौजवान फिर से मेरे क़रीब आकार रुका, मुझ से मेरा नाम पूछा, नाम सुन कर उस ने माफ़ी की दरख्वास्त करते हुए सलाम किया | मैं सलाम का जवाब देते हुए कहा “राम राम कहो या रहीम रहीम, मेरे लिए दोनों बराबर है” | ये सुन कर उसने मेरा हाथ अपनों हाथों में लिया पहले दोनों आँखों से फिर होठों से चूमने लगा जिस से साफ पता चलता था की गाँव वाले पीर बाबा का मुरीद होगा |
मेरे क़रीब बैठा एक शख्स मेरी तरफ़ देखा अपनी एक अंगुली दिमाग़ तक ले जा कर कहा “ये थोड़ा खिसका हुआ है” |

इस की बात सुन कर और नौजवान की मुहब्बत को देखकर, मन ही मन ये सोचने लगा कि काश दुनिया का हर इंसान इस नौजवान की तरह खिसका होता तो बेहतर होता कि मज़हब के नाम पे कोई लड़ाई न हो |          

Monday 19 December 2016

Curbing the space of dissent and debate in JNU



The idea and slogan of we dissent, we debate, we are JNU might vanish from the land of JNU and the extinction of the right to speech will in near future catch the fire. Sarcastically saying, nothing will happen but only the environment and culture will change as in other university antipathy, antagonism and regionalism prevail and never give a chance to dissent and debate on one plateform, except few. Here in JNU atleast student dissent and debate, listen and respect others’ voice, grant opportunity to speak up without considering their political or ideological affiliation. But the time has ping the mind of certain ideological group of students and administration to murder the soul of this culture and curb all the space to float only one tune of ideology.
Grilled space of freedom Square (picture source: http://images.indianexpress.com/2016/12/c1.jpg)

Recently JNU administration has issued a notice mentioning the prohibition of all forms of coercions such as gheraos, sit-in or any variation of the same and further notified that all forms of peaceful and democratic protest shall be conducted with restraints. This was just after grilling of the space of freedom square which were using by the student to discuss the issues, to held public meeting, to debate, dissent and protest but administration has curbed the space on the ground of space crunch. The administration has not only blocked the space but on the stair where students use to sit during talk, meeting or protest, ordered the gardeners to spread the flowerpot to restrict the student for sitting. To be a student of JNU, I never thought of such doltish action would be taken by the administration which has happened where we were stop to sit on the stair. The irony of the notice is, one coercive administration is asking coercively to the students not to indulge in coercive actions and even coercively notifying to conduct peaceful protest with restraints. The banning of students’ voices and exclusion of student representatives by the administrative has witnessed after the 9th February incident and it intensified after disappearance of Najeeb. The administration doesn’t feel the need to consult the students’ representatives or include them in administrative or academic decision where students’ voice should be raised. The administration has not concerned to include student union in orientation program, in jan jan jnu program and many such events where the student representatives should have present. In contrast of the inclusion of students’ voice, JNU administration is crushing the efforts of the student to avail justice and to raise their voice and curbing the space of protest.


Flowerpot on the stair (Picture Source:http://images.indianexpress.com/2016/12/pots.jpg)
Few months back Ganga dhaba was on the radar of the administration to eliminate the dhaba culture of the university where students use to sit and discuss and among few of the spaces where social interaction encounter between the students community. When students’ protested and registered their solidarity with Ganga dhaba with some other factors came into the scene, dhaba has not been harmed. But this time administration has forcefully taken away the space and swallowing the culture of dissent and debate. In result of these coercive action the campus will be polarized, the students will never get into flavor of political thought and the students politics will either became ultra coercive minded or right wing students politics will be nurtured by the administration which later became biased, one sided political activities without dissent and debate. Infact the right wing students group has very good rapport with the Vice Chancellor and administration is kind with the students except the student who has leftist ideology. The scene of the other side is also alarming for the leftist students where they themselves are dissenting over the decision for proper action against snatching of the space. The freedom square amid of these fights will lose their life and student community will lose a historical place and effective, significant and value given space. This space has uncovered their importance after administration has grilled the area where students use to sit, this indicates that the voices from the freedom square bother them even though unheard. The administration suggested the student community to protest at Kamal Complex market which is infact a place from where voices would never be heard. Need of the time is to bargain the administration for the grilled space, peaceful demand for unlock the space and ensure that the open space should not be curbed in future.

          

Toward an Additional Social Order

This refers to the article, ‘of lions and dogs’ (IE, September 19). The author argued to inform misunderstood stand of Swami Vivekanand...