As a group of eminent individuals voiced concern over the raging JNU row, terming those who allegedly raised anti-national slogans on the campus as “no less dangerous” than Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Muhammad chief Maulana Masood Azhar, some Army veterans led a march here to spread “positive narrative” and protest against the alleged anti-national slogans.
The appeal, which has the consent of 33 individuals, including intellectuals and artists, said: “The anti-national slogans raised on educational campuses shake our consciousness. If slogans are raised on reputed campuses for fragmenting India, resolutions are made to destroy it, and if Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru is hailed as a martyr, it is shameful and disconcerting.”
The appeal among others was endorsed by actors Anupam Kher and Paresh Rawal, journalist Swapan Dasgupta, former Lok Sabha secretary-general Subhash Kashyap, economist Bibek Debroy, lyricist and adman Prasoon Joshi. “We think it to be a well-planned conspiracy by anti-national forces and we believe that those raising such slogans are no less dangerous in their thinking than the terrorist Maulana Masood Azhar,” the appeal said.
Terming the JNU incident as an indication of lurking “danger,” they said, “We welcome ideological dissent against the government, but such slogans are unacceptable to all patriots.” They added some people were trying to “cover up” the incident under the garb of “freedom of expression.”
Some Army personnel took out a march against the alleged anti-India slogans in the JNU campus. Led by ex-servicemen, participants in the march waved the tricolour as they walked from Rajghat to Jantar Mantar, where they took a vow to “unite India” as part of their stand against the “break India” slogans allegedly raised in JNU. “Certain slogans raised in JNU by a very small group of people spread to other universities, including those in J&K, and our enemies are also taking advantage of it. We decided to come together under the banner, People for Nation, to pursue the positive narrative of ‘Bharat Jodo (Unite India)’ to counter the ‘Bharat todo (break India)’ narrative,” said Maj. Gen. Dhruv Katoch (Retd), who organised the march.
The protest march was “apolitical” and was for instilling a sense of pride in the nation and lend moral support to the Army personnel, he said.
“We are one country and everybody is a nationalist. I support all the people of India and all the political parties. But let’s have a proper narrative, especially as negative slogans do no good to our soldiers on the border.”
