‘Civil war-like situation in India if BJP forms govt again’

LAHORE: A Veteran communist leader of India expressed concern over strong possibilities of her country facing a civil war like situation if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won and form another government as a result of 2019 elections.

Noor Sajjad Zaheer was addressing a talk on “The Contemporary challenges and struggle of the left in India “at Research and Publication Centre. She said that we are observing a big change in the youth federations as they are taking part in the movements of leftist parties. The membership of youth federations witnessed increased by one and a half percent. It will also reflect in the voting. They are questioning the government about their future and all the other projects which will affect the economic development.

She said, “Journalists who show the real face of BJP brave false cases against them. The youth of the country has shown their interest in leftist parties. Recently, they gathered at the office of the newly-elected Mayor of Shimla and said if you get in power then who will run the campaigns for the leftist? Or who will fight for a cause? We have a congress at the end of the April and we have warned everybody to be ready for street fights.

We are not vegetables that they just throw us away. The protest is a way to show our concern. And it is the most effective way to get our rights. We have seen a massive campaign of farmers and people’s support to them. No one thought about their house. Everyone was there on road to feed the farmers. They marched the whole night. Middle-class people, doctors, nurses and all the youth took to the streets to show solidarity with our food providers. Farmers from all over India were committing suicide due to poor strategies of the government. Punjab, who supplies 42 percent of the food, also faced the same problem. The heartbreaking thing is that progressive writers, actors, activists and peace workers did not write enough about it.”

She lamented on the government about not giving enough freedom of expression and said, “They make religion a commodity and sell it for a high price. They didn’t do anything for those who flew away from the country after doing huge corruption. And if journalists report about that, they accuse them of not doing well for the country’s image. If anyone wants democracy, secularism and economic development in India, they have to come forward and be united. We have to keep the unity within ourselves. They are not even leaving the educational institutes and targeting them as well.”

Discussing the movements she said, “According to the media, the student movement was started from Jawahar Laal Nehru University but the movement was started when University Grants Commission stopped the youth from getting a higher education. Getting Higher education is very difficult in India as there is no scholarship for MPhil and PhD students and they have increased fees by nine percent. Students, who were getting higher education in those universities, were from middle class and these were the doors of success for them. According to media, the attack on Nehru University was because of its affiliation with the leftist parties. When Indira Gandhi called Professor Noorul Hassan and asked him, "I want to build a university after my father’s name". He said this university will not only have the cream of scholars but the cream of leftist scholars. And they will teach students to think out-of-the-box.

That university is giving the opportunity to think and to ask a question to the students that’s why the sitting government is targeting that university. But Jawahar Laal Nehru University is not alone. They are attacking other universities as well. Every single person who is asking a question they are targeting them. They are stopping the growth of students. They want to control them by increasing the fee. Students went on hunger strike for their rights. And the government didn’t give a damn about those students. A student committed suicide due to a strict policy of the administration. He left a note that may be my suicide can open doors for other students. They abducted a Muslim student as well. And he is still missing. Another movement which is called “Pinjra Tor” also started by young women for their rights. They demanded their rights.

Another movement which started by the communist party was about the people who got shot for speaking against BJP. An activist asked that where you guys are organising the condolence meeting for them. And they replied they don’t deserve a condolence meeting. After that, she returned their awards and 730 writers and activists also joined her by returning their awards as well.” She said it is very difficult to survive in India as a communist but the only option to get success is unity and we have to be united for getting our rights.