On 15 February 2016, at the Patiala House Courts where JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar was being produced on charges of sedition, lawyers assaulted reporters, JNU students and faculty. For details of what happened in this outrageous turn of events, listen to the speech given by Professor Ayesha Kidwai, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. The following is a near-complete transcript of a speech in which Kidwai even makes the occasional joke.
We have not been brought into the court. We don’t know if he will be produced today or not. But our greatest concern is now for his life. Because what we were met with today was an attack, not only on JNU teachers, not only JNU students, but that was an attack on the availability of any rights to anybody who opposes the BJP/RSS. We will be writing about this event etc, but I will give you in brief what happened because I think you should hear the voices of all the teachers who were there, or as many who would like to speak right now.
First of all, we have now understood that this battle is a huge one. Because we went into the courtroom, there was nobody sitting there, so we were very happy, there were two rows of chairs, we could get seats at the front, and we were looking for Comrade Kanhaiya to be produced. We were in the courtroom for half an hour, the court reporters came, sat down, there was no hint of trouble whatsoever. And then escorted by the police, a bunch of lawyers came charging into the courtroom, telling us to clear out, because we are deshdrohis [anti-national], “Aap kaise apni students ko paalthe hain, anti-national slogans lag rahe hain,” so this was not just lawyers seeking to find their chairs in the courtroom. And this crowd had just jammed the doors, and they caught hold of the faculty and started physically pushing them out. It so happened that at that moment in the courtroom there was Prof Janaki Nair, Prof Nivedita Menon, Prof Madhu Sahni, Prof Susan Vishwanathan [a few more names are unclear in the recording] So, women. That did not deter them.
They then started ejecting us, and some of us refused to move – and some people like me who are weighty can refuse with greater strength – but others who were light, and certainly at the front, were pushed out. Rohith, our assistant professor from the Centre of Economic Studies and Planning was beaten, they were surrounded by lawyers, we were appealing to them and the police that was watching, and basically escorting the lawyers, doing nothing, because apparently the Constitution of India doesn’t apply to the Patiala Court, where the government that judged the Executional [branch] are all lawyers of the RSS-BJP. Rohith was hit on his ear, and Himanshu too was pushed, and they were pushed out. Nivedita, and I don’t know who exactly was at the front of the line – because we were all surrounded in that small courtroom, I couldn’t see where anybody was, there were so many people – while Rohith was being beaten up, they managed to sort of slink back in and then all the women faculty came back in and refused to move. We said “This is not your courtroom. We are not going.”
The details are [voice unclear] but our demands were basically two: that they have no right to evict us from the courtroom, and we will not listen to the police which has been escorting them – until the judge tells us that we need to clear the courtroom, we are not clearing. We will also not leave without a police escort. This whole battle in which we made oral complaints to the police about sexual harassment – many of us have never been sexually harassed by nationalists before, but this happened to us, I have been touched by the nation, so to speak – but we refused to go. Eventually we understood that this is now going to become their excuse – we have no idea whether Comrade Kanhaiya is going to court, because we understood that they were there for him. And the situation got out of control; also the judge gave us the order. But we refused to leave without a police escort, and that was very wise, because the police then made us march the innards of Patiala Court, because at every exit there was a bunch of howling nationalists calling us deshdrohis and saying, “What are you teaching your students?” They were pulling at us. Somehow, finally, like in every other place, the lower classes in a particular court – the ones that are poor and less advantaged – often give support, so we could get out through the [drowned out by applause]. We asked the police to make sure that we were escorted right to our vehicles, but they said they cannot do it, because when we came out we saw them pulling students, [they] were being beaten, so then we got into autos and rushed to NGMA where we regrouped and we are here before you.
The most important thing is that we understand this attack for what it is. I know that you feel passionate about teachers – but that is not our focus. We must see this as one more provocation. We are all here standing, and we are ready to fight. The victory will be ours.
February 16, 2016 at 2:55 pm
theladiesfinger Prof Kidwai’s grace under fire is the silver lining in the gathering clouds.U0001f64f “Touched by the nation” in all wrong places
February 17, 2016 at 12:28 am
“Many of us have never been sexually harassed by nationalists before,but this happened to us,I have been touched by the nation,so to speak.”
February 17, 2016 at 2:59 pm
Sanjana2808 I was talking about what happens in our college regularly but anyway, I will wait till an official report comes out on this.
February 17, 2016 at 3:01 pm
kalpokashyap If you’re against violence in your own uni, my friend, there’s no credible way you can support this. http://www.jantakareporter.com/india/mayhem-in-patiala-house-court-again-journalist-beaten-up-by-lawyer/38238
February 17, 2016 at 3:21 pm
Sanjana2808 and when did I support it? I am just saying terming Hooliganism a BJP problem is an intellectual dishonesty of the worst kind.
February 17, 2016 at 3:32 pm
kalpokashyap They don’t have a monopoly on violence, but this level of state-support, police standing by, is ridiculous. Chauhan’s back too
February 17, 2016 at 4:19 pm
Sanjana2808 ‘State Support’. I disagree there. The govt is endorsing this. The Judiciary isn’t endorsing this.
February 17, 2016 at 4:20 pm
Sanjana2808 Bunch of lawyers and students doing this and police not being efficient is not ‘State Support.’
February 17, 2016 at 4:22 pm
kalpokashyap The government is. Singh told them to pick up Kanhaiya who has said nothing remotely “anti-national” but anti-BJP& NON-violent
February 17, 2016 at 4:47 pm
Sanjana2808 Singh didn’t tell police to pick up Kanhaiya. He instructed the Police to pick up those who raised those slogans. Difference.
February 17, 2016 at 4:50 pm
Sanjana2808 the Police picked up Kanhaiya. Because they believe they have valid evidence against him. And the videos are pretty damning.
February 17, 2016 at 4:51 pm
kalpokashyap MHA and Police say Kanhaiya is a JeM&LeT supporter? On what basis? More importantly to what end? To justify the unjustifiable.
February 17, 2016 at 4:55 pm
kalpokashyap That’s where we differ. His speech was inspiring, nuanced critique, not “seditious” and not violent http://www.telegraphindia.com/1160216/jsp/frontpage/story_69576.jsp#.VsRYXXR95QK
February 17, 2016 at 4:55 pm
Sanjana2808 MHA and Police didn’t say this at all. The IB have considerable evidence that Omar Khalid is a JeM&LeT supporter.
February 17, 2016 at 4:56 pm
kalpokashyap “We don’t need a nationalist certificate from the RSS. We belong to this country. We love this country.” #Kanhaiya #JNURow
February 17, 2016 at 4:56 pm
Sanjana2808 MHA has said that investigations are on and they haven’t labeled Kanhaiya as that. Kanhaiya is only charged with Sedition.
February 17, 2016 at 4:56 pm
kalpokashyap “We fight for the 80 per cent of the poor population of this country. For us, this is nation worship.” #Kanhaiya #JNURow
February 17, 2016 at 4:58 pm
Sanjana2808 He is not targeted because of his speech, arrested because there’s evidence of him being involved in Anti-India slogans.
February 17, 2016 at 5:05 pm
kalpokashyap I’m genuinely curious: what makes you trust them? Their stellar record everywhere else? And anti-India is NOT illegal.
February 17, 2016 at 5:09 pm
kalpokashyap This might be helpful: http://www.epw.in/journal/2016/7/web-exclusives/university-and-nation.html #JNURow
February 17, 2016 at 5:10 pm
Sanjana2808 Anti-India is not illegal? What are you smoking, seriously?
February 17, 2016 at 5:11 pm
Sanjana2808 And I trust the authorities because they are restricted by certain codes unlike the scum who raise Anti-India slogans.
February 17, 2016 at 5:13 pm
kalpokashyap Please understand this. It’s not coming from thin air, it’s supported by one SC judgment after another http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/jnu-row-a-test-of-freedom/
February 17, 2016 at 5:15 pm
kalpokashyap But that’s the whole point, the checks and balances are failing, being subverted. Universities have a duty to call this out.
February 17, 2016 at 5:34 pm
Sanjana2808 The checks and balances are being subverted because one Kanhaiya is arrested from JNU? Seriously. Come up with better arguments
February 17, 2016 at 5:36 pm
kalpokashyap Please don’t ridicule me, try engaging in constructive conversation. I can give you sources, but what will you believe?
February 17, 2016 at 5:49 pm
Sanjana2808 Your Sources are biased. Indian Express isn’t a source that I trust at all. And sorry for that, it was unnecessary.
February 17, 2016 at 5:53 pm
kalpokashyap Apology accepted, thank you. How about: http://thewire.in/2016/02/17/kanhaiya-kumar-is-not-anti-national-but-stands-in-a-tradition-beyond-the-nation-state-21848/ Please try contesting the facts & arguments not the source.
February 17, 2016 at 5:56 pm
kalpokashyap Also, EPW? And helpful: Graham’s Hierarchy of Disagreements, to help frame the conversation. http://twitter.com/Sanjana2808/status/699932849562976256/photo/1
February 17, 2016 at 6:00 pm
kalpokashyap The author btw of that article is lawyer Fali Nariman, President of the Bar Association since 1991 & Harvard alum. Unreliable?