I Tried Speaking To The Protesting Students At Ashoka University - Here's How It Went

Ashoka University has been in the news for the last few days.

Students from a group that calls itself the 'Social Justice Forum' are staging a dharna at the University's gates. They have been demanding three things from the administration — a caste census within the campus, including the implementation of reservation, the annual Ambedkar memorial lecture, and a revision of the late fee payment policy.

After a three-hour journey, including an hour's delay at the Singhu border, Swarajya finally reached Rajiv Gandhi Education City in Sonipat, where the university is located.

A few students were protesting outside the gate.

It was late morning, and other students could still be seen — around 10 or 15 of them scrolling their phones, talking to each other. No one seemed perturbed by the presence of the protestors.

Swarajya asked one of the students why they were protesting here.

She replied: "Arre, god-only knows. Every day there's something or the other that happens. Most of us don't bother. You can't even have a conversation with them without them pouncing on you for your views. That's the reason many of us do not identify ourselves with any groups here," she said, flicking the cigarette hard on the ground, at an 'adda' opposite to the entrance.

Inside the campus, when Swarajya asked a few people if they were willing to comment on what was happening, some expressed disinterest, and some politely declined.

'Refer To Twitter Statement'

Swarajya then returned to the entrance to meet the protesting students.

A day ago, the group had rudely shooed off a reporter from Republic TV, and the visuals of it had been captured. The lady reporter tried asking questions, but was asked to "refer to the statement on Twitter" which was "in English that she can also understand."

By the time I returned to the entrance, barely five or six students were sitting there. Some of them were visibly bothered by the noon sun. I introduced myself to a person sitting there and said that I would like to speak to the relevant people here and seek their comments.

He asked me where I am from, and the organisation that I represent. I duly disclosed all the details. A couple of minutes later, a skinny colleague of his, in his pyjamas arrives at the site, brushing his wavy hair and making a hand gesture — "Kya hai bhai?."

I repeated my introduction and request.

'They Film Us Without Consent'

Anil Kumar Bahariya, a Young India Fellow at Ashoka, steps out when any reporter approaches the campus, I was told by a student on anonymity.

During my conversations with students at Ashoka, many alleged being bullied by Bahariya and his associates on several occasions, even when the pran pratishtha ceremony of Ram Mandir at Ayodhya was being screened at the campus.

"They walked towards us with their cameras on and were filming us and clicking pictures of us without our consent. But we did not flinch. They would do this to others on many occasions where our beliefs came in the way of their agendas. They would click pictures and circulate them on their WhatsApp and social media groups in an attempt to shame us and gaslight us," a student said, on the condition of anonymity.

She also added that Bahariya 'chills' inside while his colleagues are sitting outside in the hot sun protesting against the university. "He only steps outside when someone calls him saying that a reporter wants his statement," she added.

'Threaten With SC/ST Atrocities Act'(?)

"I even heard a friend of mine from the group telling me that this is a strategy suggested by a faculty member as a defence mechanism to protect themselves in the event of being asked tough questions. That way, if a Dalit student addresses the media and they (media) are aggressive, they can threaten them with the (SC/ST) Atrocities Act," she said, speaking to Swarajya.

Upon being questioned about my credentials, I told Bahariya that I am an editor with Swarajya, and that I come from Bengaluru. Immediately, he asks me to "show me the flight ticket and an ID card to prove my credentials." I began answering him in Kannada, asking him "if this is proof enough that I am a Kannadiga." His group giggled, with one associate even asking whether I was from Bengaluru.

"Yes," I replied.

"Don't click my pictures, please. I'll be in serious trouble if my father finds out I'm protesting," she said. I assured her that it wouldn't happen if she did not consent. Bahariya then asks me what questions I have for him, which I promptly list out.

"You OpIndia types can write anything about me. Why don't you go ahead and do it instead of wasting my time," he responds, rather rudely. I tell him that the place I come from, people are very nice to each other despite having opposing views. I am being nice to them, and asking for consent before recording or clicking pictures.

Just then, a couple of associates of his tell me that they are willing to speak to me if I promise to keep them anonymous. I said yes, and asked them to check my previous stories where I have maintained the anonymity of my sources. By then, Bahariya intervenes and asks them if they want to talk to "Sanghis."

Playing With Fire?

SJF, led by Bahariya, has been demanding reservations in the university for SC, ST, and OBCs. They use data supplied by the university to NIRF to demand the census.

The Ashoka management has reportedly asked the SJF group to carry out a survey of their own. SJF is also demanding the revision of late fee payment policy, which imposes a fine on students for paying their tuition and mess fee beyond the stipulated date.

"They have built this college like the Red Fort. Every brick has casteism entrenched in it," a member of the protest can be seen as saying in a video by The News Beak. The group is also complaining that they "weren't given access to electricity despite a student requiring a heating pad charged due to painful cramps" and that "it rained that night".

How did they open our room doors?

"Bahariya's associates slid pamphlets in every room asking us to join the protests. In my room, it was found on the bed! How did they manage to enter my room when I was away? This means that the room doors were opened without our consent, which is a serious breach of privacy. It puts us in danger," a student at Ashoka told Swarajya.

"It is vital to note that the actions and speech of the SJF are also serious violations of the law of the land. In fact, their actions constitute a series of punishable offences which include, but are not limited to, Section 153A and 295A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). These sections of the IPC discuss penalising acts that promote enmity or hatred between different groups on the basis of caste, religion, community, race, language and/or other grounds," she added. A group of students are planning legal action against Bahariya and SJF on the aforementioned grounds.

"A majority in Ashoka don't care about these fringe elements. Barely a few students of their own cabal attend the lectures they organise where hatred against Brahmins and Baniyas are openly discussed. They try to cancel anyone who opposes them. They simply don't want other opinions to be heard," her friend added, during the conversation.

Many students, riled up because of the constant harassment by SJF, are planning to pursue legal action. They are escalating the issue with the university too, but they don't wish to be dependent on them alone to resolve the problem.

Soon, the security was called by Bahariya. "Ab dekh kya hoga," he said, in an attempt to intimidate me. I laughed it off and walked towards the campus security booth. They said, "Sir, we were watching you from a distance. And you were being very polite to them. Our respect to you for that. But this should not escalate further, so we request you to leave," he said.

"Sir, yeh bacchhe ameer khandan se hain. Kisike papa vidhayak hain, kisike officer hain. Poore sanki type hain, aap mat pado isme", a cab driver who saw everything from a distance told me. (These kids are from rich backgrounds, and many of their fathers are powerful officers, and MLAs. They can't be persuaded with sweet-talk, you please don't waste your time on them.)