By Atharva Pandit and Gargi Kowli:
“The principle difference between a dictatorship and a democracy,” wrote Jose Eduardo Agualusa, a writer of Angolan descent, “Is that in the former there exists only one truth, the truth as imposed by power, while in free countries every man has the right to defend his own version of events.”
What has been happening at JNU for the past few weeks, and had been happening in various other universities and campuses for the past few months, fits right into the category of that “one truth”, that single vein being espoused by the mainstream media and the powers that be.
The purpose of this video was, therefore, to gather diverse opinions; to ascertain that every single version emerges and to give students – for the issue of JNU is related almost wholly to the suppression of student political activities in and around campuses – a right to present and defend what they see as their own version of events.
We set out with this purpose in mind and interviewed almost two dozen students across colleges in Mumbai. What we found, or rather what emerged through their opinions, was the delightful fact that the youth of this nation refuses to believe in the idea of forceful nationalism as is being propagated by the current government and that the student community does not shy away from actively supporting and standing up for their counterparts in JNU.
You can also subscribe to the Campus Watch Newsletter, here.