(Interview) Let JNU students playing politics raise their own fees: Mohandas Pai

Bengaluru, Feb 16: The protests at JNU and the subsequent action taken by the police is what everyone in India is talking about today. While this protest against the hanging of Afzal Guru has made headlines, there are a couple of other key issues that one would have to discuss.

Are students in an university to study or do politics? Why should we pay for these students who go to university and do politics asks Mohandas Pai the chairman of Aarin Capital Partners who was formerly the CFO and head of HR at Infosys.

In this interview with OneIndia, Pai says if students want to do politics in the campus then they should go elsewhere instead of depriving a deserving student.

Why is the JNU anti establishment?

I would not say it is anti establishment. It is Leftist. Several university campuses have been captured by the Left. Today what one is witnessing is an ideological fight between the Left, Centre and Right.

Do you see this issue dying down at all?

Yes it will die down. There is a pattern. If one recalls before the Delhi elections there were some incidents of Churches being vandalised.

There was also this incident of a nun being raped in West Bengal. All this was blown out of proportion. Finally it was found that there was no truth in the kind of things the media was writing about these incidents.

In the nun rape case, it came to light that it was the handiwork of some Bangladeshis.

Then came the Bihar elections. One Nayantara Sehgal had written that there was intolerance in the country. Suddenly after the Bihar elections there was no intolerance. Now with the UP and West Bengal elections coming up, the JNU incident has become the issue. This will die down too.

Has the government fallen into a trap?

Yes when it came to filing of sedition charges, the government did fall into a trap.

What is the reason for such an ideological fight?

It is an ideological fight that we are witnessing. Everyone knows if Modi does well, he will come back to power for another term. Many are desperately trying to prevent it.

Should universities become centers of political activity?

No they should not. University campuses have been captured by the Left. Universities should not become places for political activity. Why should we pay for a student who goes to a university and does politics?

If students want to play politics, then they should go elsewhere and not deprive a student who is serious about studying.

What can the government do about such a scenario?

I think the government should withdraw grants. The government should give scholarships only to the poor, SC and STs. The rest should raise the fees by themselves. The government should take a harsh stand on this issue and make the university teachers accountable as well.

What about the government's reaction to the JNU row?

I think the government must withdraw the sedition charges. Let the university hold an inquiry. The issue will die down. Moreover the presence of police in a campus is never good. That is why I said that the university teachers must be made more accountable.

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