It was on February 9, 2024, late in the evening that a University General Body Meeting (UGBM) was organised by all the student organisations of JNU, which was held at Sabarmati Ground at 9:30 pm. This UGBM was strategically placed by the JNU’s leftists on February 9, because on this very day (eight years ago), at the same Sabarmati Maidan, they had raised anti-India slogans and celebrated the death anniversary of Afzal Guru, the mastermind of the attack on Parliament House and the terrorist who was sentenced to death by the Supreme Court of India. Left organisations did not want ABVP activists to participate in this UGBM, the reason for this is that from the beginning, ABVP has been talking about fairness, adherence to rules, and equal representation of all students in these elections. However ABVP activists participated in the UGBM to express their views regarding the demands of the students.
It is noteworthy that, as per JNUSU constitution rules, the signature of 1/10 students is required to conduct UGBM and this signature should be at the same place where UGBM is to be held. ABVP has also given the list of 150 activists to speak in UGBM to the UGBM committee and handed it over to them, but he rejected this list. When ABVP activists asked the Left parties for the quorum of UGBM, they refused to show the quorum because the quorum contained the made-up names and signatures of many students who are not currently at JNU, but still their signatures were there. Even after that, for the benefit of the students, ABVP agreed to attend the UGBM.
Before the start, a student of School of International Studies (SIS), who calls herself the president of JNU, decided on her own that she would chair the UGBM. This is the same self-proclaimed student, who had gone to contest elections on behalf of CPI(M) from Jamuria Assembly of Bengal, and when she lost the elections from there, she returned to JNU and started calling herself the President of JNU. As a rule, if elections are not held for more than 3 years, the student union gets dissolved, and earlier this JNUSU was not notified by the university administration for not following the rules. Thus there is already no official and notified JNUSU in JNU.
As soon as UGBM started, the leftist self-proclaimed JNUSU addressed the Sound staff with casteist remarks. The sound staff retreated, feeling humiliated. However, ABVP activists spoke to him and requested that he not remove the mic and sound from there. When the Left parties (AISA, SFI, DSF and many other Left organisations) realised that, in any case, ABVP would ensure impartiality while being a part of the UGBM, they tried to disrupt the UGBM by raising hateful hinduphobic slogans from the stage. However, ABVP failed in their diplomacy. Finally, they started beating ABVP activists with Daflis, which was planned in advance by the Left groups. They also did not spare the physically divyang ( specially abled) students, who were in support of the demands of ABVP. They beat Divya Prakash, a battered student very badly. They badly assaulted Prafulla Kumar, Kanhaiya Kumar, Pushkar, Ankesh Bhati (student), Vikas Patel, Prashanto Bagchi along with many other ABVP students.
ABVP Unit President Umesh Chandra Ajmira said, “This UGBM has became possible due to the pressure of ABVP. ABVP conducted a mess campaign, went to every room of the hostel and talked to the each students, went to the mess and tried to understand their problems and suggestions. This GBM is the victory of JNU students, whereas the leftists and their henchmen, the self-proclaimed leaders, did not want any discussion on the issue of students. This UGBM is the victory of ABVP and general students against the Left. ABVP has always demanded free and fair elections for all with equal representation of JNU students.”
Meanwhile, unit secretary Vikas Patel said, “Leftist organisations are only busy saving their imaginary chair. Vidyarthi Parishad was demanding to conduct the UGBM in a peaceful and fair manner in which all the students of JNU get equal representation, which was commonly rejected by the leftist organisations, and many disabled students, including the activists of the Vidyarthi Parishad were beaten with sharp weapons and dufflis. The students were attacked, and they suffered serious injuries. Ultimately, ABVP got the UGBM done in a democratic manner, and passed 4 resolutions. ABVP will further ensure that Schools too hold UGBM for JNUSU elections. Along with this, the Student Council strongly condemns this incident and demands the safety of all the students of ABVP University.”
