Two days after the Union authorities determined to revoke Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, which gave autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir, Rajesh* become headed to his weekly meeting. A student of the Tamil Nadu Central University in Thiruvarur district, Rajesh and his buddies are civil service aspirants who’ve been taking component in a weekly examine circle. The Freedom Speakers observe circle helps the students hold abreast of cutting-edge activities at the same time as they prepare to crack the aggressive Union Public Service
Commission (UPSC) examination. However, rapidly when they accumulated, the university administration arrived at the lecture room and asked them to leave. Why? Because they had been discussing Article 370.
Rajesh and fellow college students say that they had been discussing the history of Article 370, as they might every cutting-edge occasion, every week. Curiously, final Wednesday’s discussion by myself irked the management.
Celebrations, cohesion posters
Rajesh alleges, “As soon because the authorities introduced the abrogation of Article 370, the college and college students belonging to the Hindi department and the School of Social Sciences had been celebrating. They belong to the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP, a proper-wing pupil outfit) organization in university. They allotted sweets on campus, within the departments and that they took group pics. The management says that we’re an apolitical group however no motion was taken against the college or students who celebrated.”
The pass with the aid of the Centre to put off Jammu and Kashmir’s special status turned into met with protests at the same time as Kashmiris were and continue to be underneath lockdown without a telephone or internet connectivity. On Wednesday morning— the day the observe circle convenes every week— posters expressing cohesion with the Kashmiris appeared on the walls of the college. “To our Kashmir brothers and sisters, #WeStandWithYou” study one poster at the same time as another stated, “Defend Article 370 of the Constitution”. “Some nights I surprise how will I meet my dying. Then, I don’t forget I am a Kashmiri and death will come to me as a bullet,” read one poster quoting Kashmiri author Farah Bashir. Angered by this, the control reportedly filed a police complaint to find the culprits.
‘No assembling for freedom of speech’
“Our examine circle became being held the same day in order that they simply connected the poster incident to our have a look at circle and blamed us for it. When they came in conjunction with the police and asked us to go away, we refused saying we’re only discussing the records of the Constitution. It turned into no longer a political dialogue at all. They said that all forms of discussions are banned within the campus. They warned us of strict motion but we refused to go away. We dispersed only at eight: 30 pm when the dialogue usually ends. While we were there, they took down our names and videographed us. The following day, Rajesh and 30 different college students get hold of a memo which asked them for an evidence as to why disciplinary action have to not be taken towards them,” alleges Rajesh.
Denying involvement, the students allege that it may be an internal task, completed by using the ABVP, which will body them. “They have continually had a trouble with our look at circle,” they allege.
Calling the presence of college students at the observe circle a ‘breach of behavior rules and mounted techniques’, the memo issued by using the registrar reads, “It has already been advised via the management for observance of appropriate behavior and orderly behaviour to preserve concord inside the University campus and further instructed to desist from assembling/ congregating in the call of scholar’s freedom of speech within the campus because it’s far against the spirit of Ordinance No forty two issued below Section 6 of the Act and Statute. It had additionally been informed thru circulars that every body or organization of men and women who indulges in activities that’s a danger to the security and integrity of India will not be tolerated and stern motion could be taken against them such as dismissal from the University without conduct of any inquiry observed through criminal motion under IPC.”
Media insurance
While the incident has sparked a row on campus, media insurance of the incident has visible the naming and shaming of Kashmiri college students of the University who reportedly did now not participate in the observe circle. Puthiya Thalaimurai and News18 Tamil, Tamil-language information channels, have posted the names of 5 college students from Jammu and Kashmir along with their departments, hostel names and room numbers, exposing them to threats.
Speaking to TNM on the circumstance of anonymity, one of the Kashmiri students, says, “How can they publish all our info whilst we didn’t even participate? The management is aware of us, even they’re on our side and say that it’s miles unlucky. This is a violation of our privacy and a false accusation. The comments on those information pieces are threatening us. They are calling us jihadists and anti-national. We have given a grievance regarding this to the management.”
TNM has reached out to the University and is but to get hold of a reaction. This copy will be updated if and once they respond.
When Jagannath Moorthy got his first profits as a 20-some thing coder in 1993, he commenced on a journey of financial savings and investments that’s bearing him fruit even today. “It turned into simply Rs. 5500, but that changed into a large quantity in the ones days. The first issue I did with that cash was buy a financial savings and funding plan,” he recollects with a smile.
For Jaggu, as his own family calls him dearly, his economic selections had been tied to emotions. It wasn’t just about the numbers, it became about his love for his family – his mom, wife and children. When he become a youngster, his father passed away, leaving the family in monetary turmoil.
