Jhanda uncha rahe humara... Vidya ke maahaul ka baj gaya barah...
That's a familiar refrain at Central University of Jharkhand (CUJ), where the Tricolour has attained fluttering heights; but amenities for 2,500-odd students are conspicuous by their absence; debate and discussions are never encouraged; and where mentors are made victims of aggressive jingoism.
Honouring Union HRD minister Smriti Irani's nationalistic wish, CUJ began hoisting the Indian flag on its Brambe campus, 35km from capital Ranchi, from March 19 during a programme to commemorate the 140th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Ironically, associate professor of English Shreya Bhattacharji was suspended last Monday for extending an invite to a former JNU academic to speak on the same occasion.
Although professor Bhattacharji's suspension was revoked three days later, CUJ called it a "genuine lapse" on her part to hobnob with an academic, professor M.N. Panini, who the varsity mistakenly believes was involved in alleged anti-national activities at JNU.
Students are scared to come on quote for fear of retribution, but on the condition of anonymity, they don't hesitate to question poor campus management and the wisdom behind arbitrary action against a diligent teacher.
" Jhanda uncha rahe humara... But, should I feel refreshed every morning to see the flag fluttering high when our hostel toilets are defunct and we don't have the luxury of pure drinking water?" asked a student of mass communication, adding that campus swachhta (cleanliness), a word now almost synonymous with patriotism, was a far cry from what the country's honourable Prime Minister had envisioned.
An English department student underscored lack of hygiene and sanitation for girls. "Hostel toilets are too dirty for use. Often, there is no water. Around 400 girls live in hostels," she rued.
A student of humanities and social studies underscored that CUJ was an unfortunate campus where there was no room for dissent. "A university is supposed to be a place where you can debate. Healthy debates and discussions are not allowed here. We don't have a students' union till date," he said.
Another student of mass communication, who is in the second semester, is already planning to quit. "Good faculty members are rare. The few who take their job seriously are subjected to unwarranted disciplinary action. There are no study tours or opportunities for internship. I will leave CUJ next year."
Other students expressed dissatisfaction over the quality of food in the hostel. "Last year, we had raged a virtual war against the management about bad food, but in vain," said a humanities student.
The varsity authorities evidently don't care about student welfare as much as they care about their flagpole, whose height has recently been increased by around three feet to grant the Tricolour more visibility.
Chairing a meeting of vice chancellors on February 18, the HRD minister had asked the 40-odd central varsities in India to hoist flags to evoke nationalist sentiments on campuses in the wake of the JNU row. Prescribed norms included a flag weight of 35kg, pole height of 207ft and 24x7 flutter with illumination at night.
So what if CUJ hasn't met all the norms to the letter, officials are certain it is located strategically enough to spawn deshbhakts. "The specifications you mention weren't mentioned in minutes of the meeting. We have hoisted the Tiranga on the existing pole outside the main administrative building, but it is three feet higher now. The flag dimensions are five feet by four feet and the pole is 30ft tall," said an official.
CUJ communications officer Dev Vrath Singh said vice chancellor Nand Kumar Yadav 'Indu' did the hoisting honours. "Illumination arrangements are pending. So, the flag is brought down after dusk," he added.
What else is ailing the CUJ campus in Brambe? Tell ttkhand@abpmail.com
