Will the Success of the JNU March Result in Government Action?
The lack of violence and the presence of a massive crowd made the march a huge success. But will it make any impact?
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Students of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) organised a march on Thursday to express solidarity with the arrested Students’ Union President Kanhaiya Kumar.
Kumar has been accused of sedition for going forward with the Afzal Guru event on the JNU campus on 9 February.
The Quint was at the location speaking with different sections of students and politicians who were part of the march.
A massive crowd of students, not only from JNU, but also from Delhi University and Jamia Milia Islamia, among others, marched from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar. NSUI volunteers were also spotted at the venue.
The march remained rather peaceful today, after incidents of violence on students and journalists that took place at Patiala House Court over the last few days.
Courtroom Drama
Meanwhile, Kanhaiya Kumar has moved the Supreme Court for bail and his chances look good, considering former Attorney-General Soli Sorabjee has agreed to argue on his behalf. Also, Delhi Police Chief BS Bassi has said that the investigating team will not oppose his plea.
However, Bassi still sticks to his guns that the accused students were indeed involved in seditious activities.
Another crucial development is the OP Sharma angle. The BJP MLA caught on camera for assaulting CPI member Ameeque Jamei, was arrested and bailed within hours. OP Sharma was questioned by the Delhi police on Thursday for eight hours after he was summoned.
Also in a related development, former Delhi University professor SAR Geelani was produced before a magistrate and was remanded to 14 days of judicial custody. He is the second person to be charged with sedition apart from Kanhaiya, and has now applied for bail.
Will it Make an Impact?
Although the JNU Vice Chancellor had requested the students to cancel the march, they went ahead. And from the looks of it, it has been a huge success. The lack of violence and the presence of masses seems to have given Thursday’s event a much-needed perspective.
The students now hope that the government consider their demands seriously.