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Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Against Geelani’s
Anti-National
Seminar – Media
Coverage
A Compilation
AKHIL BHARATIYA
VIDYARTHI PARISHAD
(ABVP)
Kolkata Mahanagar Unit.
CONTENTS
3. Anandabazar Patrika 9
4. Sanmarg 11
6. The Telegraph 13
7. The Statesman 13
8. The Hindu 14
9. Zee News 15
After the seminar in New Delhi demanding ‗Azadi‘ (Freedom) for Kashmir, a similar
seminar also titled `Azadi` was organised at Vivekananda Hall in Jadavpur University, Kolkata, on
the 30th of October, 2010, by a Maoist student group bearing the name of UDSF (United Students
Democratic Front) with the notorious seccessionist and accused in Parliament Attack case, S.A.R.
Geelani as the main speaker. At the outset of the seminar, one of the speakers, Mr. Siddhartha Guha
Roy, gave a speech in which he harped on a fabricated, partially true history of Kasmir and asserted
that Kashmir should be separated from India.
All over the venue, posters and banners put up by the organisers openly demanded
`Azadi` for Kashmir, while some placards openly accused the Indian army and security forces of
unsubstantiated grave crimes, calling them names. To elaborate, there were written placards hung
inside the hall which proclaimed - ‗Indian Army is an army of Rapists‘ and in Bengali hung a poster
which contained ‗Kashmir amar amar desh noye’ (Kashmir is not my country). After the speech of
Mr. Roy, when a member of the audience Mr. Arun Shaw, asked the speaker a question about the
role of Shyamaprasad Mukherjee in integrating Kashmir with the rest of India, the Maoist
organisers suddenly rushed towards him and manhandled him physically. There was even an
attempt on his life. There soon started a free for all with the organisers using sticks and rods, and
other sharp weapons to beat up and attack the patriotic members of the audience, who were mostly
ABVP and BJYM karyakartas.
In this sudden, unprovoked and brutal attack, amidst anti-national slogans and obscenities
hurled at the patriotic members of the audience by the organizers, among whom were some known
notorious Maoists like Debolina Chakraborty who was recently named by the West Bengal police as
a collaborator in the Maoist atrocities in West Bengal, many ABVP and BJYM activists were
grievously injured. Two of the activists Mr. Neeraj Kumar and Mr. Yagnik Agarwal were critically
injured and had to be hospitalised while bleeding profusely with wounds on the head. One of them
Mr. Neeraj Kumar (in white shirt and pants in centre), a student and an ABVP karyakarta,
being attacked by the USDF members, the organisers and their goons. He suffered serious
injuries in his head and neck, coupled with heavy blood loss, and his shirt was torn to pieces
by the aggressive USDF cadres. (See Picture above) The lady on the extreme left has lifted a
large dustbin can, aiming it at Mr. Kumar’s head. The others are seen hitting and heckling
him and pulling his shirt and pant. His fault was - he had merely tried to save someone else
who was being attacked by these goons.
Hearing the merciless attack on the BJYM and ABVP karyakartas, senior BJP leader Shri
Tathagata Roy rushed to the spot and after speaking to the press, organised a march to the Jadavpur
Police Station. ABVP and BJYM, through Shri Tathagata Roy, have submitted a complaint to the
police at the Jadavpur Police Station (P.S.), inter alia, demanding the arrest and inititation of legal
proceedings against the organizers of the seccessionist and seditious seminar along with all those
involved in the brutal physical attack including Debolina Chakraborty and her gang. The written
complaint also demanded that Mr. S.A.R. Geelani be immediately arrested for his seditious
speeches and for claiming that Kashmir is not a part of India.
It is ironical that innocent students, youths and patriots were seriously beaten up, when all they
wanted was to promote and speak of the integrity and territorial sovereignty of India, on Indian soil,
by Maoists, Maoist sympathizers, their gangsters and other unruly elements. Geelani and others
were openly disputing the integration and accession of Jammu and Kasmir with India, which,
though, is a foregone conclusion. The patriotic students and youth merely asked questions but were
beaten up resulting in grievous injuries.
ABVP demanded that the organizers be booked on grounds of sedition as well as grievous, criminal
assault.
ABVP also demanded that an enquiry be conducted against the authorities of Jadavpur University
as to how they granted permission to hold an openly anti-national and seditious seminar titled
‗Azadi‘ within the University campus, where posters openly advocating `azadi` for Kashmir were
allowed to be put up all over the venue and a notorious and known anti-national like Geelani,
accused in the Parliament attack case and against whom an FIR has already been filed for his
seditious speech in the LTG Auditorium, New Delhi on 21st of October, was allowed to visit the
campus and speak against the unity and integrity of India.
Geelani, an accused in the 2001 Parliament attack case, who was later acquitted by Supreme Court,
reached the venue of the seminar organised by Naxal-backed United Students' Democratic Front
(USDF) around 2.15 pm. A documentary on human rights in Manipur was being screened then.
Thereafter, two speakers addressed the gathering. When it was Geelani's turn, a group of youths
sporting BJP flags gatecrashed, shouting slogans. "Go back Geelani! This is no place for a Pakistani
agent!" they screamed.
A scuffle followed as USDF members tried to push the protesters out. The chaos led to a 20-minute
disruption. Geelani waited till the commotion subsided and the doors had been shut on the
protesters (they sat on a dharna outside and kept shouting slogans). Order restored, Geelani began
his speech: "It's unfortunate that vandalism has become a specialisation of the Sangh Parivar. I
request them to leave if they don't have tameez'."
He said, "The common people's conception of the Kashmir problem is the biggest hurdle. Media has
been portraying the issue in such a way that the common man is being hoodwinked. Political parties
are using the projections according to their needs."
Geelani referred to films like Jab Jab Phool Khiley where an innocent shikarawallah's tale was
depicted as if Kashmiris couldn't sleep without shedding blood. While he spoke, another disruption
ensued but Geelani continued unperturbed, "Do not refer to Kashmir only as a valley."
ANANDABAZAR PATRIKA
Link - http://www.anandabazar.com/31cal2a.htm
এ আ আ
- !
‗ : ‘ আ এ আ - ।
,ও ‗ ‘এ ‗ ‘ O ।
এ এ -এ এ ।এ
ও । O ওএ
। আ । ,
আ এ
আ । ।
।—
- ।
- এ এ এ
এ ‗ ‘ ।
,― ও ।
। , আ -আ ও ।
এ ও , ।‖
, - ও , এ এ । - আ
। , ‗ ‘ এ ও
‗ এ ‘। ও এ ,
ওএ ! , এ । ও
এ ।‖
আ ,এ এ আ ।এ
ও আ
, ―ও আ । ।
।‖
SANMARG
Link – http://epaper.sanmarg.in/SM/SM/2010/10/31/ArticleHtmls/31_10_2010_006
_012.shtml?Mode=1
Chaos broke out at Jadavpur University on Saturday, when representatives of the United Student‘s
Democractic Front (USDF), clashed with supporters of BJP.
A seminar titled ―Azadi: The Way Forward‖ was organised by student unions at Vivekananda Hall,
in which Syed Abdul Rahman Geelani — Delhi University lecturer who was acquitted in the 2001
Parliament attack case was present along with Siddhartha Guha Roy, a JU teacher and activists from
Manipur. The issue under discussion was the demand for ‗Azadi‘ in Kashmir Valley. The fracas
began when the BJP supporters raised a question about the contribution of Dr Shyama Prasad
Mukherhjee when Guha Roy was speaking.
It got worse when Geelani said the Indian establishment in Kashmir is lying to the people of the
country and he was here to tell the people what the reality is.
―Even after knowing reality, if you do not put pressure on the government, you will be responsible
for what is going on in Kashmir,‖ Geelani said.
THE TELEGRAPH
Link – http://altw.telegraphindia.com/1101031/jsp/bengal/story_13121884.jsp
| Sunday , October 31 , 2010 |
JU PROTEST
A STAFF REPORTER
Calcutta, Oct. 30: Members of the BJP-affiliated Yuva Morcha today blocked a road outside
Jadavpur University to protest ―anti-national sentiments‖ being expressed at a seminar at the
varsity.
The seminar, titled Freedom of Kashmir, was attended by Delhi University professor Syed Abdur
Rehman Gilani, who had been arrested in connection with the Parliament attack and later acquitted
by the Supreme Court.
The activists shouted anti-Gilani slogans and blocked the road at Bengal Lamp. They said the
seminar participants had spoken of ―a Kashmir that did not belong to India‖.
THE STATESMAN
Link - http://www.thestatesman.net/index.php?id=346883&option=com_content&catid=35
THE HINDU
Link - http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article859949.ece
ZEE NEWS
Link - http://www.zeenews.com/news664997.html
Kolkata: Trouble brewed at a seminar here on Saturday after activists of Bharatiya Janata Party's
(BJP) youth wing created a ruckus over alleged anti-India comments by Prof Syed Abdul Rehman
Geelani at the Jadavpur University.
While the BJP's youth wing workers alleged they were beaten up, the seminar organisers pro-
naxalite United Students' Democratic Front (USDF) claimed the BJP activists had tried to disrupt
the seminar by resorting to violence.
Geelani, the chief speaker at the seminar, is a Delhi University professor who was one of the prime
accused in the 2001 terror attack on Parliament and was sentenced to death by the Prevention of
Terrorism Act (POTA) court. However, he was later acquitted of all charges by a higher Court.
Link - http://www.deccanherald.com/content/109163/anti-india-remarks-professor-spark.html
Link - http://in.news.yahoo.com/43/20101030/818/tnl-alleged-anti-india-comments-by-
profe_1.html
Link - http://www.indiatalkies.com/2010/10/alleged-antiindia-comments-professor-spark-
trouble.html
ALLEGED ANTI-INDIA COMMENTS BY PROFESSOR SPARK TROUBLE
Kolkata, Oct 30 – Trouble brewed at a seminar here Saturday after activists of Bharatiya Janata
Party‘s (BJP) youth wing created a ruckus over alleged anti-India comments by Prof Syed Abdul
Rehman Geelani at the Jadavpur University.
While the BJP‘s youth wing workers alleged they were beaten up, the seminar organisers pro-
naxalite United Students‘ Democratic Front (USDF) claimed the BJP activists had tried to disrupt
the seminar by resorting to violence.
Geelani, the chief speaker at the seminar, is a Delhi University professor who was one of the prime
accused in the 2001 terror attack on parliament and was sentenced to death by the Prevention of
Terrorism Act (POTA) court. However, he was later acquitted of all charges by a higher Court.
‗It was an open-to-all seminar. So we went there. But at the seminar Geelani was making anti-India
comments and false statements about Kashmir. He was also spreading lies about the Indian Army,‘
said Amitava Ray, a leader of BJP‘s youth wing.
The topic of the seminar was ‗Kashmir: Azadi, the only way forward‘.
‗We protested against the anti-India comments. At that time, members of the USDF started beating
us. Four of our activists are seriously injured,‘ Ray added.
But the USDF activists slammed the BJP youth activist for creating trouble.
‗The BJP activists tried to disrupt the seminar. They started beating up people in the seminar,‘ said
Lokeshwari Dasgupta, a USDF leader.
She also denied that Geelani had said that India was ‘spreading lies‘ about the Kashmir situation.
IANS
HEADLINES INDIA
Link - http://headlinesindia.mapsofindia.com/education-news/seminars/alleged-antiindia-
comments-by-professor-spark-trouble-66951.html
Saturday, October 30, 2010 (21:14:01)
Tags : India Education News, West Bengal News, BJP Youth Wing at Jadavpur University,
Violence in Jadavpur University
TWO CIRCLES.NET
NET INDIA123
Link - http://www.netindia123.com/showdetails.asp?id=1620192&cat=India&head=++
Alleged+anti-India+comments+by+professor+spark+trouble
Trouble brewed at a seminar here Saturday after activists of Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) youth
wing created a ruckus over alleged anti-India comments by Prof Syed Abdul Rehman Geelani at the
Jadavpur University.
While the BJP's youth wing workers alleged they were beaten up, the seminar organisers pro-
naxalite United Students' Democratic Front (USDF) claimed the BJP activists had tried to disrupt
the seminar by resorting to violence.
Geelani, the chief speaker at the seminar, is a Delhi University professor who was one of the prime
accused in the 2001 terror attack on parliament and was sentenced to death by the Prevention of
Terrorism Act (POTA) court. However, he was later acquitted of all charges by a higher Court.
SIFY NEWS
Link - http://sify.com/news/alleged-anti-india-comments-by-professor-spark-trouble-news-national-
kk4vuncfifh.html
Link - http://www.indianewspost.com/india/39724-alleged_anti-india_comments_by_prof
essor_spark_trouble.html
AAJKAL - http://www.aajkaal.net/report.php?hidd_report_id=137001
(In Bengali).