Dear JNU protesters,
My father is a retired Subedar Major of the Indian Army. When he saw you shouting slogans in support of terrorists, he turned off the television and left the room. He didn't say anything. But I knew what he was thinking. You were making a complete mockery of our defence forces. He was ashamed to serve you.
Now let me exercise my freedom of speech: your actions were nothing but shameful and disgraceful and yes, your sloganeering in favour of Afzal Guru and for India's destruction were seditious. However, I will not ask you to get out of India. I will not kick you in the middle of a road like that BJP MLA.I will not mishandle you like those lawyers. I will not abuse you. You are free to exercise your constitutional rights. I, however, believe in fulfilling constitutional duties first.
You are free to exercise your constitutional rights. I, however, believe in fulfilling constitutional duties first.
I'd like to apologize to every martyred soldier, ever man and woman in uniform. I am sorry. I failed you. We failed you. While you give your entire lives to protect this country, we are busy shouting Azadi, Lal Salaam and Jai Shri Ram.
When you get some time from protesting for people like Afzal Guru(ji), I was hoping you could perhaps raise a slogan or two for the rights of your own alumni? I'm talking about the officers of the defence forces. The National Defence Academy (NDA) graduates who received their degrees from JNU. They are your alumni. I didn't see you protesting for One Rank One Pension (OROP). I didn't see you coming out with your red, blue and saffron flags when Hanumanthappa was martyred; when Pathankot happened. I didn't see you protesting for bullet-proof jackets for our soldiers. Why don't you give your 'Lal Salaam' to every fallen soldier? Are they less nationalistic than your 'ultra-red' and 'ultra-saffron' comrades?
Learn from your protectors. Learn from the true martyrs. Learn from your own soldiers.
They have just one flag: Tiranga.
One Salute: Jai Hind.
One Slogan: Bharat Mata Ki Jai.
Red, saffron, blue... these have nothing to do with our tricolour.
Yet, you and others want to paint India with your particular ideology. The Right wing wants to paint it saffron, the Communists want red, the Bheem Brigade wants blue and the terrorists want to paint it with a 'thousand cuts'. Amidst all this colourful painting since independence, our soldiers stand guard at their posts and fight for their motherland. They are willing to give their lives to protect the Constitution. Our Constitution knows no colour. The armed forces, civil servants and judiciary are colourless too. The armed forces protect the borders. The civil servants strive to maintain internal peace and rule of law. The judges strive to uphold this colourless Constitution. While they are our true heroes, you are nothing but future politicians, trying to divide India into different pieces. Each piece with its own colour code. You forgot about the Tiranga. You forgot India.
You are nothing but future politicians, trying to divide India into different pieces. Each piece with its own colour code. You forgot about the Tiranga. You forgot India.
You are research scholars, concentrate on writing some research papers
You are research scholars. You are India's future social scientists, political scientists, sociologists, economists, philosophers, etc. The country is funding your education so that you do research and find viable solutions for the major problems being faced by our society. I have no doubt that you are well versed with the problems, as you use them in your fiery political speeches. Some of them are communalism, caste hatred and gender discrimination. But your solutions are painted with the political ideologies you hold. Some of you target the big business houses. Some of you target the armed forces. Some of you want separation from India. Your political ideologies are extreme. Our Constitution, however, is not painted with any extremist ideologies. When the law of the land fails to fulfill your ideological and political aspirations, you seek recourse in extremism. If the terrorists across the border fight under the flag of Islam, you fight under your colourful ideological flags.
Yes, you are extremists
There is no difference between the Right or Left wing, as far as 'extremism' is concerned. The BJP's coming into power has given the RSS and like-minded Right wing organizations, a free hand in spreading their ideologies, be it in the form of beef bans or love jihad. Bring a Communist government at the Centre and see the 'Lal Salaam' ideology being spread all over. Bring Mayawati to power, and see the illogical handing out of reservation benefits, and building of more self-edifying statues. They are nothing but politicians. Each with their own agenda. In their pursuance of personal ideological agendas, they don't even consider the bigger picture of one country or one nation.
Don't compare yourself with Ambedkar or Bhagat Singh
Bhagat Singh's fight was for India's independence. Ambedkar's fight was for the Dalits and a society without any discrimination. They were much more learned than you. Comparing yourselves and your fight with them is outrageous.
I am a Dalit. I too have faced caste-based discrimination. But I don't pick up the blue flag and start fighting the entire upper caste community.
I am a Dalit. I too have faced caste-based discrimination, been called a chamar. But I don't pick up the blue flag and start fighting the entire upper caste community. I don't start painting everyone as 'Manuvadi'. I, however, will fight my own battle within the constitutional framework of this nation. You borrow the ideologies of these great stalwarts just to pursue your own political agenda and personal ambition. I am sorry, my friend, but we are not fools. You are not even close to Bhagat Singh and Ambedkar. Your fight is a complete farce. You want a fight? You want to change India? You see problems everywhere? Then, join the defence forces, join the ranks of the judiciary, join the civil services and police forces. If that's too much to handle then fight elections, sit Parliament and pass laws.
My Suggestion: Listen to this song "Ek Saathi Aur Bhi Tha" from the movie LOC Kargil. You will know the true nationalists are. Not me. Not you. But our soldiers. Try fighting for them sometimes.
Jai Hind.
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