Nationalism of JNU based on constitutional values, not on borders, says JNU Professor

New Delhi, Mar 1: The nationalism of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has been constructed on the plinth of the constitutional values of India and not defined on the basis of borders and vengeance against neighboring country Pakistan, says a professor of Kannada at Center of Indian Languages, JNU.

Professor Purushottama Bilimale spoke to OneIndia on JNU culture and why JNU is anti-establishment.

JNU from 1969 since its inception has always stood against establishment whenever the governments pursued anti-India policies. The students of this elite campus in 1975 shunned former Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi away from the campus not allowing to make inroads to the place.

"Such was the strength of the students, which also barred former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former Finance Minister P Chidambaram from entering the JNU," Bilimale recalled from the history.

Bilimale who joined the JNU academia one and half months back has been pro-active in participating to protest against the sedition cases filed against the students of the JNU. He said Indira Gandhi made all efforts to create a hegemony by building a image; India is Indira, Indira is India, and subsequently was opposed by the students and teachers of the JNU.

"The JNU staunchly opposed Manmohan Singh's economic policy of liberalisation, which was and is anti-national in nature that promotes neo-colonialism. The liberalisation made easy way for foreign investors to take control of the Indian economy and this is nothing short of anti-nationalism," Bilimale scathingly observed.

"The JNU is and will be always against such move by any government. Modi's new economic policy "Make in India" is a leaf taken out from neo-liberalisation policy and it hinders prospects of poor, backward and marginalised section of India, Bilimale opined.

The JNU, like it opposed Manmohan Singh's economic policy, will continue to oppose current Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Make in India policy as it further the clutch of foreign investors over Indian economy. The Make in India policy is truly anti-national, Bilimale hit out.

The nationalism of the JNU is constructed on the basis of constitutional values and not on the borders and vengeance or anti-Pakistan slogans. "How JNU opposing anti-India policies could be termed as anti-national?" asked Bilimale.

"The students and JNU always opposed these policies and will always oppose." Bilimale further talking on admission discourse of the JNU said if a student hails from rural India, he will be given 5 as bonus marks and it is same if student is a girl and backward.

"60% to 70% of the students in the JNU are from backward class due to this admission process. These backward class, women were completely discarded from so called Hindu philosophy. Recently RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat issued a statement that women should remain close doors. "Naturally, if Hinduism pursue anti-Dalit, anti-Women concepts, the backward, Dalit or women will become anti-Hindu and so do JNU, professor viewed.

"I personally do not believe in Bhagawat Geeta. Why should I believe. My own forefathers lived for over 5000 years without the knowledge of Geeta. It was a book practiced only by elite class, Brahmins (Devatas). These people never allowed us to read Bhagawat Geeta and said it was Devavani."

Professor continued "now why I want that? I want Male Mahadeshwara of Karnataka, I want Junjappa, I have my own deities".

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