The Young Thinkers’ Forum, a Madhya Pradesh-based group of younger intellectuals and thought leaders, held its fifth annual ‘Young Thinkers’ Conclave’ on the prestigious National Law Institute University (NLIU) in Bhopal.
The occasion featured Hindu rights activist Rashmi Samant, journalist Swati Goel Sharma, creator Neeraj Atri and a number of other different younger, nationalist audio system. The ‘Young Thinkers’ Conclave’ carried out a complete of 6 periods, which have been unfold out between two days (September 30 and October 1).
Banner of the Young Thinkers’ Conclave 2023 held at NLIU, Bhopal
The occasion was organised on the auditorium of NLIU after looking for permission from the administration of the general public regulation faculty. A small group of leftists (comprising some college students and members of the alumni) learnt concerning the Conclave on September 25 and tried to coerce the organisers into cancelling the occasion.
They objected to the listing of nationalist audio system, and accused them of being concerned in ‘hate mongering.’ The similar coterie of leftists additionally opposed key periods of the Young Thinkers’ Conclave, together with ‘From Dogma to Dharma: Hindu View of Prophetic Monotheism’ and ‘Unravelling Wokesism: Examining the DNA of Social Activism.’
The day one among Young Thinkers’ Conclave 2023 at NLIU Bhopal!!! #wokeism #monotheism #IKS #decodingmanufacturednarratives #Bhartiyaview #intellectualleadership #youngthinkersconclave23 #YTC23 pic.twitter.com/GTEzYOZolb
— Young Thinkers’ Forum (@YTFbhopal) October 1, 2023
OpIndia reached out to an alumnus of the National Law Institute University, who was intently related to the planning of the occasion. On the situation of anonymity, he mentioned, “After learning that some students had issues, I personally reached out to them to pacify the situation. They wanted us to ban Neeraj Atri, citing his critical tweets about Abhramaic religions.”
“I told them that we will not de-platform any speaker but can organise a debate between them and Mr Atri. I invited them to participate in the event and assured them that they could ask questions to Mr Atri about his views and beliefs. But they refused to entertain any discussion and wanted an outright ban on him,” the alumnus of the general public regulation faculty informed us.
Cancel tradition, hooliganism, vandalism, assault on free speech and blatant hypocrisy is one thing I’ve had the misfortune of witnessing on the reputed @NLIU_official campus the place I used to be an invited visitor and speaker. There was a small radical faction which was tearing posters and… pic.twitter.com/f9QGPx5U6Z
— Rashmi Samant (@RashmiDVS) October 1, 2023
He additional added, “I was keen on accommodating the concerns of this ‘small group of people’ and finding a middle path. But unfortunately, they were reluctant to engage in any form or manner. So, we decided to go ahead with the Conclave as planned.”
Rashmi Samant, who was invited as a Speaker on the occasion, wrote on X (previously Twitter), “There was a small radical faction which was tearing posters and banners with the speakers’ names and sessions. Instead of engaging and countering with facts, they’ve come down to hooliganism, violence and vandalism.”
Leftists lose their minds over caricatures and non-mainstream books
On Saturday (September 30), the vicious group of leftists cried foul over a banner, which featured caricatures of ‘historians’ akin to Audrey Truschke, and Ramachandra Guha. Both of them maintain the excellence of distorting info in pursuit of their agenda.
Banner that includes Audrey Truschke, Ramchandra Guha, and Wendy Doniger, picture through The Wire
When requested concerning the matter, the NLIU (Bhopal) alumnus informed OpIndia, “The caricatures were taken from a book titled ‘Ten Heads of Ravana: A Critique of Hinduphobic Scholars’ by Rajiv Malhotra and Divya Reddy. Historians are not immune to criticism. Although I am not a fan of caricatures, they are well within the ambit of free speech.”
“The said banner was put up for a particular session. We had previously decided to remove it after the session was concluded and we went according to our plan. Some are now claiming on social media that the banner was removed by organisers after facing backlash. This is definitely not the case,” he knowledgeable.
The cabal of leftists additionally created hullaballoo over the sale of crucial, non-mainstream books on the occasion, together with ‘Jesus Christ: An Artifice for Aggression’, ‘Tipu Sultan: Villain or Hero?’, ‘Hindu Rashtra’ and ‘Jihad.’
Books offered on the ‘Young Thinkers’ Conclave’ 2023 at NLIU in Bhopal, picture through The Quint
“They wanted us to remove these books from the stall. Is this Iran where we will ban books now? If you find a book objectionable, then write a counter to it? What is this intolerance?” the alumnus of National Law Institute University informed OpIndia.
The small group of leftist college students and alumni on campus have been additionally aghast at Professor Ram Sharma for calling out woke tradition and the hegemony of the ‘pronoun lobby’ in a session titled ‘Unravelling Wokesism: Examining the DNA of Social Activism.’
Despite their all-out makes an attempt to discredit the Young Thinkers’ Forum and disrupt the ‘Young Thinkers’ Conclave’ 2023 held at NLIU Bhopal, the occasion was a hit. As anticipated, the leftists had a chronic meltdown on social media.
Social media meltdown over success of Young Thinker’s Conclave
One Pranjal Agarwal lamented, “Regrettably, at my alma mater, the National Law Institute University in Bhopal, the administration is currently organizing the Young Thinker’s Conclave, scheduled for today and tomorrow.”
He additionally gloated about how his like-minded coterie of leftists was profitable in stopping the Young Thinkers’ Forum from organising their annual Conclave at NLIU Bhopal in 2020.
“Back then, our consensus was that we should not allow a political party to promote its sectarian ideas under the guise of an intellectual conference, a sentiment shared by the student community,” Agarwal brazened out.
Regrettably, at my alma mater, the National Law Institute University in Bhopal, the administration is at the moment organizing the Young Thinker’s Conclave, scheduled for at the moment and tomorrow. The Student Bar Association (SBA) has raised objections to the occasion. It is price noting that… pic.twitter.com/QTUwq6sZQM
— Pranjal Agarwal (@Pranjal_A_) September 30, 2023
“Academic Discourse at NLIU. Disheartened and disgusted,” wrote one leftist troll.
“Academic Discourse at NLIU”. Disheartened and disgusted. pic.twitter.com/f8nYAwloEU
— Big Poppa (@prickfloyd) September 30, 2023
“I have Muslims and queer friends here and this is like their second home,” one other leftist troll known as for the muzzling of free speech on BLIU campus in Bhopal.
This is in respect to the YTC Conclave that’s being held at NLIU Bhopal- Honestly, this example is not only about us, but it surely’s additionally about exhibiting respect and solidarity for many who will undoubtedly be affected by this occasion. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/SfPhvxPNCp
— M (@underwhelmiaa) September 30, 2023
“The problem isn’t just the fact that this so-called conclave is being held in a National Law University. What makes it entirely hopeless is neither students nor faculty members find it even slightly wrong that such views and topics are wrong to discuss,” wrote one ‘R.’
The drawback is not simply the truth that this so-called conclave is being held in a National Law University. What makes it solely hopeless is neither college students nor school members discover it even barely incorrect that such views and matters are incorrect to debate. https://t.co/8mpakmRRX5
— R (@rashmalai_) September 29, 2023
One Nandesh Yadav decried, “This is NLIU Bhopal, organising the Young Thinker’s Conclave. In the wake of elections and the direct influence of a party, they are serving ideological propaganda. Check their “Ten Heads of Ravana”. Pathetic.”
This is NLIU Bhopal, organising the Young Thinker’s Conclave. In the wake of elections and the direct affect of a celebration, they’re serving ideological propaganda. Check their “Ten Heads of Ravana”. Pathetic@AudreyTruschke @ShashiTharoor @devduttmyth @nsui @NSUIMP @AASHU_NSUI pic.twitter.com/i7leM4IoAD
— Nandesh Yadav (@YadavNandesh) October 1, 2023
Another leftist claimed, “More depressing news about the takeover of educational institutions. Solidarity with the protesting law students at NLIU Bhopal.”
More miserable information concerning the takeover of academic establishments. Solidarity with the protesting regulation college students at NLIU Bhopal. https://t.co/WxshPHbQkU
— അജു (@islandexpress) September 30, 2023
The Quint and The Wire to the rescue
To lend credence to the social media outrage by leftists, propaganda information retailers akin to The Wire and The Quint revealed vicious articles focusing on the ‘Young Thinker’s Conclave’ 2023.
In a chunk titled ‘Uproar at NLIU Bhopal Over Event With ‘Communal’ Speakers Where Eminent Academics Were Villanised,’ Senior Assistant Editor of The Wire, Sukanya Shantha claimed that the occasion one way or the other ‘villanised foremost academics and political thinkers.’
She additionally dubbed books, crucial of Jesus Christ and tyrant Tipu Sultan, as ones with ‘provocative titles.’ Her article claimed, “Students also pointed to objectionable panel discussion around pronouns used by the queer community.”
Screengrab of the article by The Wire
Throughout her propaganda-laden piece, the Senior Assistant Editor of The Wire tried to cross off remoted opinions of a handful of leftist college students because the ‘dominating viewpoint’ of the scholar group of the National Law Institute University (NLIU).
“The SBA (Students Body Association) too has been divided on the issue. While the SBA president supported the event, many other members did not,” the article alleged. OpIndia spoke to the SBA President Nripaj Bhati, who made it clear that the scholar physique has a impartial stance on the difficulty.
“The college or the SBA is not involved in the event. We have maintained a neutral stance on the issue. SBA does not endorse anything that was said by the speakers at the event,” he knowledgeable.
Screengrab of the article by The Quint
The Quint additionally revealed the same article and advised that college students en masse opposed the ‘Young Thinker’s Conclave’ held at NLIU Bhopal.
“The event scheduled for Saturday, 30 September and Sunday, 1 October, drew flak for antagonising scholars such as Ramachandra Guha, historian Irfan Habib, Romila Thapar, and Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, among others,” it claimed, referring to the meltdown of leftists on social media.
“Several students who spoke to The Quint claimed that these people have aired discriminatory and polarising social and political views in the past,” the propaganda media outlet tried to construct a case to censor the audio system of the occasion.
As anticipated, The Quint was fast to leap on the ‘Islamophobia’ and ‘transphobia’ bandwagon over criticism of ‘minority veto’ in India and the rising woke tradition within the West. The writers of the propaganda-laden piece, Aliza Noor and Vishnukant Tiwari, additionally cribbed over ‘Jai Shri Ram’ sloganeering on the occasion.
“According to several students, Professor Raka Aarya, Dean, Student Welfare has allegedly been on a “witch-hunt” focusing on college students who’re writing in opposition to the occasion on social media platform,” the article additional alleged.
Disclaimer: OpIndia reached out to Ashutosh Thakur, the Director of the Young Thinkers’ Forum, and Raka Arya, the Dean of Student Affairs, through phone name. The article will accordingly be up to date after we obtain their response.
