Posters are an integral part of JNU’s culture. You will find them everywhere in the campus: from academic buildings to dhabas, hostels and shops. An empty wall is a rare sight here. These posters are not only an expression of the political vibrancy of the people who reside and study here, but also, they act as platforms that provide voices to those who are unheard. Various political parties put up posters of different sizes, colours and shapes in order to express their ideology and stance on various issues of local, national and international importance.
Sometimes organisers put up pamphlets to inform the residents about various academic, political, cultural and sports events that are going to happen in the campus. When you roam around the campus and look at the content of these posters; your mind is exposed to a lot of ideas. These ideas are often conflicting, and you automatically land up in a zone of contestation—where these ideas pull you towards them. Some ideas are able to convince you about their worth, some raise doubts, some raise concerns, and some just irritate you. But they force you to think for sure.
The attractive sight of posters, their vibrant colours, beautifully carved-out lines persuade you to stop for a moment and have a look at Irom Sharmila, and realise the significance of the struggle that she initiated and stood for. The posters want you to sense what it means to be Dr Ambedkar. You will also spot Bhagat Singh and Che Guevera looking at each other, and reaching silently at a consensus through debate. You also find Birsa Munda, Jyotirao Phule and Savitra with all their determination and courage.
Somewhere you will find Indira Gandhi with all her might. You may also find Jawaharlal Nehru staring at something—in his classic pose: his hand holding his chin. You also find Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev with bravery in their hearts with a tricolour in the background. At the administrative building you will find an image of a “fist-cum-rose” which represents love and revolution to be one and the same. The bus stand’s ceiling near the Ganga Dhaba reads “Walls are the publishers of poor”.
I have seen numerous people falling in love with these posters, even those who came to JNU with prejudice and repulsion in their mind. They take pictures of these walls, their fascination expresses a lot about a change in their perception about JNU itself. Many who have not seen these posters might think that these are of no use or value. But I would like to tell them that these posters and pamphlets are important enough to be a part of a master’s dissertation or a doctoral thesis for many.
As JNU completed its 50 years, it is very unfortunate that the “JNUness” it possessed is slowly dying. Those who studied at JNU cannot imagine a campus which is devoid of its posters. JNU does not have new, polished glass buildings or sparkling furniture, but the beauty it beholds is unique in itself. The combination of its dhabas with greenery and rocks around, unplastered and unpainted walls with big handmade posters roughly pasted—one over the other—is something that cannot be recreated. You will never find it anywhere else.
How can I keep calm when we are losing this? I am anxious; I’m afraid. JNU is changing and that, too, in a bad and unacceptable way. To all the alumni who left JNU years ago, please do not come back, you will be hurt. Your eyes will instantly search for the JNU that you lived in, where you spent the most beautiful years of your life, and where you lived the most precious memories. You will definitely search for the poster on the wall behind the smiling faces in an old picture of your JNU days, and you are not going to find it…
The JNU administration is trying to restrict the use of these posters by designating very small spaces at certain selected spots in the campus for putting up posters and pamphlets.