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Cachar Administration spectates saffronisation of Independence Day Celebration; GC College sets new standards

Is Bhagat Singh a part or rather an integral part of India’s freedom struggle? What about Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose? Hundreds of freedom fighters laid their lives fighting against the British Regime and as a result, India gained Independence. The largest democracy in the world that identifies itself as SOVEREIGN, SOCIALIST, SECULAR, DEMOCRATIC, and REPUBLIC, that promises Justice, Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity to all its citizens, is celebrating Azadi Ki Amrit Mahotsav to commemorate the 76th Independence day or 75 years of India’s Independence.

The country is awash. The tricolours are flourishing all around, even in places where they should not, in ways that are incorrect or in violation of the Flag Code. However, emotion is all that matters. It is indeed a campaign that is uniting the people of India. Participation is large cutting across divides like states or regions or religion. This is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s attempt to awaken the love and passion for being an Indian.

#HarGharTiranga is what the campaign is called. As a part of the campaign, education institutions are going the extra mile to celebrate the occasion. Barak Valley in General and Karimganj, in particular, have managed to garner significant attention for their commitment to the campaign. In fact, the Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted a Tiranga Yatra in Karimganj, and the Prime Minister of the Country retweeted it.

In Cachar, one of the most prestigious and meaningful institutions, GC College, went on to set a new standard for Independence Day celebrations. The DJ played, “Har Ghar Ab Ek Hi Naam, Ek Hi Naara Goonjega… Bharat Ka Bachha Baccha Jai Shree Ram Gayega…”

The students, at least a large section danced to the song and the video of the same has gone viral. When the Prime Minister, The Chief Minister, and the Government of India are popularising the ever-popular tricolour, students of GC College are playing “Ram Nam Ka Bhagva Sare Bharat Mein Lehrayenge”. All of this inside the college campus loud and clear for the College Administration, and District Administration. But the administrations spectate the saffronisation of Independence Day Celebrations. They don’t intervene, at least publicly. It doesn’t end here, what follows is a threat at best and hooliganism at worst. A group of students with the principal’s office as the backdrop, record a video and share it on social media the following day.

The video states, “What is the problem if we play Bharat Ka Baccha Baccha Jai Shree Ram Bolega… in India? Let us make it clear, we have played and danced on Jai Shree Ram in the past, we are doing it today and we will do it in the future too. Do whatever you may. Also, don’t comment on Facebook, if you are Mard Ka Baccha come in front and talk in person. Bharat Mata Ki Jay.” If it is Bharat Mata Ki Jay, then how can someone be Mard ka Baccha?

Well, there is nothing wrong with this song, any song or even Salman Rushdie’s ‘The Satanic Verses’ or Taslima Nasreen’s ‘Lajja’. But, there is an occasion for all. This country believes in, “Your freedom to swing arm ends where my nose begins.” Beyond that, there is the law of the land. Do we want to play a song that divides the students into religious lines while celebrating Independence Day? Is the song a true representation of the country’s campaign Har Ghar Tiranga? Above all, does it represent ‘Jana Gana Mana…”? In Nobel laureate, Bob Dylan’s words, “The answer my friend is blowin in the wind…”

One might question the over-emphasis on the innocuous dance on a song played by teenagers and twenty-somethings. The silence from knowledgeable and intellectual quarters is what attracts the emphasis. Not the beats, or the dance moves. Will the same administration remain silent if the students sang, renowned poet and songwriter, Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s song, “Hum Dekhenge… Bas Nam Rahega Allah Ka?”

While the administration is too busy to take note of the chain of events at GC College, here is how the students’ leaders of this valley reacted:

Rohit Chanda, State Executive Member Assam Pradesh & Joint Secretary, ABVP Silchar Unit

The whole program, the rally was an initiative of the college… the sound system was outsourced to a private firm, one of the operators of that firm played the songs through the entire rally including that particular song, after the completion of the rally… A bunch of students, who wanted to dance on the beat of the song started dancing with this and the ones, who did not want to join separated themselves from the dancing group, there was no dispute among the students at that time at the college premises… but it has been seen that some groups of people outside the college are trying to give it the communal colour. We as the stakeholders of the college do not want to colourise the incident and break the unity among the students of the college by continuously giving it a push, rather we want to celebrate the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav together.

Julfikar Mazumder, Cachar District President, NSUI

It is reprehensible and we demand that action be taken against it. It happened infront of Principal office. Chanting Jai Shree Ram or any other religious slogan is a personal belief and we won’t comment on that but chanting it inside a college makes the environment bad. What will newcomers in the college think about it? In general we all have to think about it. If the Principal does not take action then these things will only increase with time. Anyone can follow religious beliefs but it shouldn’t happen in an educational institution.

Saharul Mazumdar, District Secretary, SFI

I vehemently condemn, whatever is happening in the name of patriotism in this city. It is the 76th Independence Day and free India has hardly ever witnessed a scenario where the students sing Jai Shree Ram on the college premises to celebrate Independence Day. There might be a hidden agenda behind this. I demand a probe into this chain of events that unfolded at GC College. An institution is a place where young igniting minds walk in to get educated and contribute to the betterment of society. Such religious sloganeering is divisive by nature. If this is an attempt to impose singularity of any sort, this is a violation of rights guaranteed by the constitution of the country.

This story has been published by Anirban Roy Choudhury, all responsibilities rest with him.

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