The Communist Parties are routed on the national scene and therefore showing their intolerance in academic campuses by curbing freedom of expression
Suryah SG
With almost near extinction from the political space, Left ideology oriented political parties are desperate to create turmoil with their students wings like SFI, AISF and various other off springs in educational institutions. The new destination is Chennai and Puducherry Universities.
On February 22, 2017 former BJP MP Tarun Vijay was asked to address a Conference on the topic “Make in India” in the University of Madras where a group of students gheraoed and disrupted the ambience of the event. The reason of for this opposition was the usual allegation that “the BJP was trying to push the ideology of the ABVP among the students”. Subsequently on April 20, 2017 Tarun Vijay was invited by the ABVP Unit of Pondicherry University as the Chief Guest for the function celebrating Tamil New Year and Dr Ambedkar Jayanti. The ABVP Unit diligently got the necessary permissions but just 2 hours before, the ABVP Unit was informed that the permission for the event had been rescinded.
The flexing of muscles took place when a group of students from various fringe groups like SFI, AISF and many others threatened to create trouble for Tarun Vijay and other guests who would be attending the event. In spite of the threats, ABVP put up a strong fight and was resolute to proceed the event and conducted it successfully.
Inside the auditorium, the troublemakers of SFI, AISF occupied the last two rows from the beginning and even before the event was about to commence, these lumpen elements got up and starting shouting abusive slogans. When Police personnel requested them to vacate the place, they refused to leave the hall but insisted on Tarun Vijay leaving the campus without addressing the celebrations. After the gathered crowd from SFI, AISF went violent the police had no other option but to evict the students, which eventually happened.
Tamil Nadu and Puducherry are the states where students’ politics is not active and yet there are various students’ organisations that operate within the ambit of the Universities’ regulations in the allowed areas. Unfortunately, both the states are becoming the victims of larger campaign that the Leftist brigade is carrying out.
Interstingly, while raising their voice for freedom of expression in facour of terrorists and separatists, Left Wing Students Unions threaten to destroy the very fabric of the Constitution on this front while showing some respect for alternative voices. It makes us worry about the rising intolerance levels against Anti-BJP/Right Wing forces in the academic institutions by the usual suspects.
They also fail to understand the contribution of Tarun Vijay in bridging the artificial gap created in the name of North and South. Tarun Vijay was awarded ‘Sahithya Vizha Virudhu’ for his contribution to Thirukkural by Sri Lanka’s Environment and Agriculture MinisterThiru M Rameshwaran at a glittering ceremony in Kandy near Colombo last year.
Tarun Vijay also picked up 133 students through a competition held at Madurai who were in turn taken to Indian Parliament for reciting Thirukkural at the very august house honouring the entire State and Tamil language, first time ever.
Recently Tarun Vijay urged Union Culture Minister Dr Mahesh Sharma to expedite work on Tamil heritage sites awaiting world heritage status with UNESCO. He gave a list of eight ancient sites sent by Chennai circle of Archaeological Survey of India in past several years but due to the lack of impetus from the Government of Tamil Nadu not a single proposal has been pushed to UNESCO for declaring these sites as world heritage.
It’s an irony that Tarun Vijay who champions the cause of Tamil again and again in various forums is refused entry into the state of Tamil Nadu to address the college students by the Leftists and Dravidian Groups.
