JNU students' union condemns RSS comments on varsity

The Students' Union of Jawaharlal Nehru University today termed as "regressive" the comments of RSS that the varsity was home to "a huge anti-national block which has the aim of disintegrating India."
"We condemn the highly regressive comments by RSS made against JNU students at a time when the students are at the forefront of a national movement against government's decision to scrap non-NET fellowships.
"JNU's composition reflects the character of our society, as women and students from marginalised sections and backward districts are duly represented. This goes against the way RSS imagines Indian society, that is, as a 'Hindu Rashtra'," a statement issued by the JNUSU said.

RSS mouthpiece "Panchjanya" has alleged that JNU is home to "a huge anti-national block which has the aim of disintegrating India."
Claiming that pro-Naxal students' unions of JNU had openly celebrated the killing of 75 CRPF personnel in an ambush at Dantewada in 2010, the RSS organ, in its cover article, charged JNU with routinely hosting anti-national activities.
"JNU is one such institute where nationalism is considered an offence. Presenting Indian culture in a distorted way is common. The removal of Army from Kashmir is supported here. They advocate various other anti-national activities here," it alleged.

The Left-dominated students' union also claimed that the attack on JNU comes against the backdrop of the fact that the proposal to introduce Vedic culture courses was rejected by the Academic council.

"It is surprising that the RSS chose not to open its mouth on an important students' movement (Occupy UGC) but goes on instead to abuse students and call them anti-national simply because they are fighting for their right to education.
"This represents a highly myopic and perilous view of education and is radically opposed to any genuine idea of development," the JNUSU statement said.