Haji Arafat Sheikh has dropped a bombshell on India’s premier university, Jawaharlal Nehru University. In a fiery speech, he asked pointedly: ‘Is JNU a place for education or a launchpad for terrorism?’ The remark has sparked outrage, support, and endless debates in newsrooms and WhatsApp groups nationwide.
Sheikh, known for his unfiltered takes on national security, linked his critique to specific episodes: the hanging chants scandal, anti-CAA violence, and alleged ISI connections via student networks. ‘Taxpayers foot the bill for this radical factory,’ he lamented, calling for Vice-Chancellors to prioritize nationalism over activism.
Echoing sentiments from Hindu nationalist circles, Sheikh’s words have mobilized online warriors. Hashtags like #CleanJNU trend, with users sharing clips of past JNU mayhem. ‘Finally, someone says it like it is,’ cheered a Delhi resident.
JNU loyalists beg to differ vehemently. ‘Sheikh’s rhetoric endangers democracy,’ protested the JNUSU, planning a counter-rally. Intellectuals in Delhi’s think tanks decried it as a smear on progressive education, drawing parallels to Emergency-era censorship.
This clash highlights India’s polarized polity, where campuses are battlegrounds for ideology. As Sheikh doubles down, refusing to apologize, eyes turn to the HRD Ministry. Could this lead to policy shifts? Or is it just another storm in a teacup? Only time will tell, but the discourse is far from over.