'Tukde-tukde gang', Umar Khalid target of protest near Ruia

Umar Khalid takes part in the protest at the Gateway of India

Delhi seemed closer than ever as the fallout of the protests against the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) violence reached Matunga on Monday afternoon. A group of students from different colleges under Mumbai University congregated at the traffic island opposite Ramnarain Ruia college yesterday to "set the record straight about JNU."

These students were condemning Left-wing orchestrated violence and the Communist goons "who are blaming the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) for the violence." "It is important that we say it like it is. It is the Left Wing that fomented the JNU violence," they stressed as the island filled up with youngsters, who started a steady chant. They began with, "Comrade pe halla bol, halla bol.." and went on to "Students Federation of India (SFI) pe halla bol." After that, the group, watched warily by the cops, started "Laal aatanki khabaradar (watch out red terrorists)" and followed that up with, "Comrade hoshiyar...(warning the Comrades too)."

A student, who did not wish to be named, said, "We are here to tell the Left that we have seen through them. They are the face of violence. Their masks must be ripped off."
Even as "Jai Bhim" and "Savarkar ki dharti par" started another round of sloganeering, a young man named Ishaan explained, "The JNU has been witnessing protests since the past two months. Classes have been stalled. Some students wanted to register for the winter study session, but when the Left goons stopped them, a scuffle took place."

Ishaan said that a viral video shows JNU Students' Union president Aishe Ghosh leading masked men, "into the college and the adjacent Periyar Hostel. Each ABVP room was vandalised. We need to puncture attempts to create a false narrative. We have an audience here of young people and this message must go out to them."

An organisor then asked the students to sit down and said, "The cops had ordered us to sit down as a young woman started a rousing chant 'Ruia bhi, JNU bhi, Jai Bhim, Jai Shivaji...'" They said fiercely, "We are one nation," and then shouted in unison "Umar pe halla bol, (referring to former JNU student Umar Khalid, who was embroiled in the
sedition row)."

A young man Sunil D and a woman Gitanjali, who were at the venue to witness the protest, said, "The violence happened in Delhi but the student community here is extremely close to the subject and we are following it through social media. Debate and dissension must be encouraged on every campus, but not violence. The point here is how did the masked goons enter the campus?"

The protesters claimed that it was the Left that got them into the campus and rounded off the demonstration with slogans like, "Down with Naxalism" and "Delhi police aage badho, hum tumhaare saath hai (Delhi police move forward, we are with you)". One participant held up a banner that read, 'Undeclared emergency in JNU by Communist goons.'

Even though the ABVP stressed that they did not organise the protest, some of their members were present at the spot. "We want everybody to see the video in which Aishe Ghosh is leading the masked men into the campus," the ABVP said. When asked why Ghosh was bleeding from head injuries, they said, "She should answer the question. We will continue to show Mumbaikars the real picture through our gatherings."

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