Delhi

While the mainstream corporate media has blackened out any serious coverage around the suspension and hounding of JNU students, the struggle of the students against the Modi government’s and its proxy, the university administration continues. Some of the JNU (Jawaharlal Nehru University) students have been on a hunger strike since April 27th, the day after the JNU administration issued out “punishments” to 17 students who were involved in the Febraury 9th event. While most students, including JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar, were awarded penalties and fines, Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya and Kashmiri student Mujeeb Gatoo have been suspended and banned from campus. In particular, Anirban has been rusticated for five years just as he nears the end of his PhD. read more

It is indeed very disappointing to see the experiment of finding a party precisely for “Grass Roots Democracy” facing serious issues of personality clashes in the very first month since its spectacular victory in the Delhi assembly elections. While many on the left and progressive circles welcomed AAP’s victory as a halting influence to the blatantly communal BJP led by Modi which was winning one after another crucial elections since its pyrrhic victory in Lok Sabha elections last May. read more