Abvp in Hcu, Saffronizing the Campus

World without war is world without politics, world without politics is world without enmity and world without enmity is without human beings- Carl Schmitt

The ruling student union under ABVP, in University of Hyderabad more or less is taking strand from schmittian philosophy to destabilize the synchronized laden political campus. Since in power, ABVP has taken all forms of mobilization to disseminate the Hindutva ideology in university grounds. In their one year tenure, university has become the limelight in Media’s eyes. News papers like The Hindu and Times of India are covering all the campus related stories in unprecedented manner. Sensibilities are impaired on regular basis. Dalits, Muslims, women related issues are circulating in campus environs as never before. The most significant issues are Suicide (death) of Senthil Kumar, a Dalit student pursuing his PhD, the sexual harassment case against Manydas, sports Secretary of students Union, ABVP and most recent Student union invited Subramaniam Swamy, staunch Hindutva politician to be the chief guest cultural programme, Sukoon.

Recently in Sukoon, a major cultural festival Subramaniam Swamy, comical figure in Tamil Nadu politics made anti minority remarks, sparking colossal protests by Students federation of India (SFI), Ambedkar Students association (ASA), Dalit Students union (DSU) and already ghettoized Urdu department students. Now the question that arises is politics of ABVP by inviting Subramaniam Swamy. Subramaniam Swamy always has remained staunch supporter of uniform civil code in India. This ideology of Swamy has always fetched him as paramount spot among his co believers. ABVP, in campus in an ideal sense has tried to prove by inviting Swamy. Swamy opposes religious conversions and considers conversion as violence. But the interesting departure in his argument arises when Swamy considers that if an India Muslim or Christian changes his religion to Hinduism today; he doesn’t regard it as conversion because it is a return to the Hindu fold of those whose ancestors had been forcibly converted.

But Swami here ignores the fact that it’s been Under Hinduism that Dalits or lower castes had been made to suffer since centuries. That is what the case happened with Senthil Kumar, a Dalit PhD scholar, who was compelled to commit suicide. The structures in his Physics department were structured in such a diplomatic Brahmanical way, that poor Senthil was not left with any hope than committing suicide. Here In southern states of India, every thing is determined by caste. Swami indeed takes deep pride in Brahmanism and Kshatriyahood, who had refused to convert. But the question is why is it that all Brahmans and Kshatriyas refused to convert while there was not at least a modicum of resistance from lower castes. Intelligent mind can comprehend the rationale without thinking twice. It is only because there were in Swamian terms Dhimmituded. According to Swami, Dhimmi is Muslim concept. He believes that according to Shariat, non believers should be treated as second class citizens and thus always suppressed. Here lies the fact, that it is his experience with the Hinduism while talking about Islam. It is the approach which had always been shown towards lower castes. So Swami applies same theory to Muslims in India.
Swami exceeds Schmitt, by justifying that Muslims who are ready and declare with pride that their ancestors were Hindus have the space in Hindu India. This is like Bush’s war on terrorism claiming to fight for humanity without having knowledge about humanity. Schmitt doesn’t believe in justification, and always believes in demarcated world of friend and foe. Swami wants to fight fundamentalism without knowing what fundamentalism is all about. He believes that 75% of Muslims in India are non problematic for the nation and can assimilated while it is only rest 25 % who concern him most and are troublesome. If these happen to be the arguments of a person whom you invite for exceptional programme, then obviously confrontation is mandatory.

ABVP, in HCU, despite knowing the fact took the challenge by inviting such a fickle personality. The students were just asking for apology in order to prevent such remarks being made inside the harmony ridden campus in future. The attitude shown by the ABVP was not only awkward but also historical. It was for the first time the seeds of communalism were sown and also defended. ABVP despite admitting the mistake went on defending Swami. Sukoon, which happens to be a cultural festival was used as a tool to enhance the seed of fanaticism, called Hindutva.