Fight for Mahishasura on JNU campus!
Notice to AIBSF president for
defamation
A JNU student in the 'Mahishasura row' responded to a showcause today by sending a legal notice to the university, asking it to "clearly explain" which part of the article circulated by his group was found objectionable and to which "social category" of students. Jitendra Yadav, a Phd student of Centre of Indian Languages and president of All India Backward Students Forum (AIBSF), was given extended time till today to respond to the showcause notice which said that he had been found guilty of releasing an "offensive" poster depicting a deity "in a derogatory manner" that led to violent incidents. The notice, sent as a reply to the university through Supreme Court lawyer Nitin Meshram, said the individual notice sent to Yadav for the poster circulated by his organisation was "non est and unwarranted and therefore vitiated". It said the notice was "absolutely vague" as it failed to specify the contents found offensive. It also asks the university to explain "which section of students is unhappy over the alleged offensive poster". Members of the AIBSF and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) had clashed earlier this month over posters that were found "hurtful" by a section of students. The posters were circulated by students of the AIBSF, reproduced from an article in the Forward Press magazine about the 'Dalit viewpoint on Durga-Mahishasura'. The AIBF and United Dalit Students Forum (UDSF) have condemned the showcause notice issued to Yadav and have also threatened to launch a protest if the university punishes him. The notice says that Yadav was being "harassed" by the administration, while asserting that AIBSF as a student body representing students from backward classes has the constitutional rights to propagate its ideology. The notice also evokes the right to free speech and the right "to conduct the scrutiny of the matters of historical importance including the religion and religious affairs subject to the reasonable restrictions under Article 19 (2) of the Constitution of India". The Forward Press magazine too has defended its article 'Kiski Puja Kar Rahe Hai Bahujan?', that was published in its October edition, saying allegations that it has elements that show disregard to goddess Durga were undesirable.
The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration has issued a showcause notice to the president of All India Backward Students' Forum (AIBSF) on Monday for alleged defaming Indian Gods and Goddesses.
Meanwhile, AIBSF and United Dalit Students' Forum (UDSF) in a statement said that they have re-scheduled a seminar at Kaveri mess
on 'Mahishasur and Macaulay: The Limits of Post-Modernity' on Monday itself even though the programme was scheduled fora October 25.
The controversy started early this month when a section of dalit students in JNU decided to observe 'Mahishasura Day' to reiterate that the demon killed by Goddess Durga belonged to a backward community. The AIBSF decided to honour Mahishasura after a tussle with another section of students who had allegedly taken the forum head-on for putting up 'blasphemous posters on the campus during Durga Puja that hurt religious sentiments'.
AIBSF has claimed that students affiliated with ABVP even assaulted them following which a complaint was lodged at the Vasant Kunj police station. The university has also initiated an internal inquiry into the incident.
While according to university sources, the show cause notice was served based on an internal inquiry as prima facie it had been found out that the poster did hurt religious sentiments of a section of students, said university sources.
The AIBSF and UDSF said that they will reply to the notice within the given time but "would continue to fight against the 'safronisation' of the campus. "We preponed the Mahishasur Day depending on the availability of speakerswhom we had invited to address the students on the issue.
A painting of Mahishasur was also unveiled," said Jitendra Kuamr Yadav, president, AIBSF.
29/10/2011
JNU: AIBSF and ABVP members clash over Mahisasura pamphlet
The All India Backward Students' Forum (AIBSF) is planning to hold a protest demonstration against the university administration which sent a show-cause notice to its president Jitendra Kumar Yadav for releasing the pamphlet
New Delhi: After the Ramayan controversy rocked Delhi University, the row over an allegedly offensive pamphlet on Mahisasura is refusing to die down at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).
The All India Backward Students' Forum (AIBSF) is planning to hold a protest demonstration against the university administration which sent a show-cause notice to its president Jitendra Kumar Yadav for releasing the pamphlet.
The forum also alleged that the administration is planning to take action against Yadav to prevent him from contesting the university election.
According to the notice, Yadav had been found guilty of releasing an offensive poster depicting a deity in a derogatory manner that led to violent incidents.
The All India Backward Students' Forum (AIBSF) is planning to hold a protest demonstration against the university administration which sent a show-cause notice to its president Jitendra Kumar Yadav for releasing the pamphlet.
The forum also alleged that the administration is planning to take action against Yadav to prevent him from contesting the university election.
According to the notice, Yadav had been found guilty of releasing an offensive poster depicting a deity in a derogatory manner that led to violent incidents.
Members of the AIBSF and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) had clashed earlier this month over posters that were found hurtful by a section of the students.
The posters were circulated by students of the AIBSF based on an article in the Forward Press magazine about the "Dalit viewpoint on Durga-Mahishasura".
The posters were circulated by students of the AIBSF based on an article in the Forward Press magazine about the "Dalit viewpoint on Durga-Mahishasura".
On Friday, Yadav along with some students met the university administration. "I read out the essay before the proctor and asked him about the objectionable points. I also told him that whatever has been written in the essay is fact and it was distributed during Durga Puja because of its relevance," Yadav said.
The notice was served after an internal inquiry on the incident of circulating a pamphlet "honouring" Mahisasura found the action hurting the sentiments of a certain section of the students.
The notice was served after an internal inquiry on the incident of circulating a pamphlet "honouring" Mahisasura found the action hurting the sentiments of a certain section of the students.
Yadav said a fresh inquiry should be conducted in this regard, and the committee should have representatives of various students' forums including AIBSF, NSUI, AISA, SFI and UDSF.
The AIBSF also claimed that students affiliated to the ABVP had assaulted them.
"We were attacked by ABVP activists for circulating the poster. Earlier, the administration had set up an inquiry against the four students who had assaulted us. But, it took a U-turn and is now claiming that I am guilty. We have not insulted goddess Durga in any way and only stated that Mahisasura belongs to a backward community," Yadav added.
The Forward Press magazine defended its article "Kiski Puja Kar Rahe Hai Bahujan? " that was published in its October edition, saying allegations that it shows disregard to Durga were undesirable.
The AIBSF also claimed that students affiliated to the ABVP had assaulted them.
"We were attacked by ABVP activists for circulating the poster. Earlier, the administration had set up an inquiry against the four students who had assaulted us. But, it took a U-turn and is now claiming that I am guilty. We have not insulted goddess Durga in any way and only stated that Mahisasura belongs to a backward community," Yadav added.
The Forward Press magazine defended its article "Kiski Puja Kar Rahe Hai Bahujan? " that was published in its October edition, saying allegations that it shows disregard to Durga were undesirable.
The magazine's editor Pramod Ranjan said in a press statement that the article emphasises on the evidences and new facts that prove India's oppressed Bahujan society's history, culture and tradition. The statement reads: "We, hence, condemn the violent incident that occurred in this context and consider it to be a forceful trial to hinder the propagation of knowledge. We also strongly condemn the act of alleging and punishing a student for distributing the copies of the above-mentioned article."
Source: www.indiatoday.in
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